Lavender has been available to the British gardener since the 13th century and has, most likely, been grown in more UK gardens than any other plant. Its versatility and adaptability to a wide range of planting styles and situations means it remains a firm favourite with both amateur and professional gardeners throughout the country today.
There are over 30 species within the Lavandula genus, part of the mint family, Lamiaceae. While the likes of L. dentata, L. stoechas Award of Garden Merit, L. rotundifolia and L. latifolia are considered half-hardy or tender, two species stand out as hardy options for landscape and amenity use.
Designers and specifiers looking for low maintenance and long-lasting options for planting schemes are best advised to centre their search on the hardy L. angustifolia and L. x intermedia - the English lavender, a cross between L. angustifolia and the more delicate L. latifolia. L. angustifolia cultivars generally reach around 60cm while the larger L. x intermedia grow to around 1m.
From contemporary design to traditional cottage displays, lavender sits well in many mixed planting situations as well as block planting displays and drifts. As long as soils are free-draining, plants will thrive in containers as well as beds and borders with larger varieties such as the popular L. x intermedia 'Grosso' making great scented hedges.
Purple dominates the flower options available among the genus but striking white, pink and lilac forms are also available which, planted alongside purple forms, make for a striking contrast.
Fragrance is, of course, a large part of lavender's appeal and can be used to great effect when planted in public seating areas and along walkways. Lavender scent is often employed to deter pests from other host plants. A good example of this is an underplanting of lavender beneath roses to tackle aphids. Lavender itself suffers from few pest or disease problems. It may be hit by the green capsid bug in late spring, causing frothy blobs of "cuckoo spit" on stems, but this is more unsightly than damaging to the plant.
Lavenders do well as ground cover but ground needs to be carefully cleaned before planting to ensure removal of persistent weeds - the plants do not tolerate herbicides such as glyphosate, and removing couch grass or bindweed from lavenders is a very unrewarding task.
What the specialists say
Henry Head, owner, Norfolk Lavender, King's Lynn, Norfolk "For landscaping work you've got to stick to what I would call the traditional hardier lavenders. Then it's a question of size as much as anything else - the bigger the habit, the fewer you will need to plant.
"If you have a large space to work with you need a big plant like L. angustifolia to make a statement in the garden. L. x intermedia 'Grosso', L. x intermedia 'Hidcote Giant' Award of Garden Merit (AGM) and the new L. x intermedia 'Provence' make good larger choices and are all disease resistant. The L. angustifolia cultivars will not get as big and flower slightly earlier. L. angustifolia 'Royal Purple' is the best of the big ones. L. angustifolia 'Alba' makes a good white-flowered variety while L. angustifolia 'Miss Katherine' AGM is one of the best pink lavenders.
"Lavender responds well to hard pruning, which is easily done with a hedgetrimmer in August. If you look after lavender plants properly they will last 25 years or more."
Simon Charlesworth, owner, Downderry Nursery, Hadlow, Kent "There isn't much that is easier to cultivate and maintain than lavender, but the key to longevity is pruning. This should be done as soon as flowers start to fade in August. They can handle a hard pruning and we always recommend removing a third of the plant, not just the flower stalks. The remaining nodules or small shoots will grow a further 5cm before the plants start to go dormant in September, giving them a lush, tidy appearance through winter.
"L. angustifolia is cut from early August and L. x intermedia at the end of the month.
"There are plenty of good doers among the genus. L. x intermedia 'Grosso', which fans out into a giant globe, is a firm favourite for its big conical blooms and heavy scent. Normally this is planted widely enough to prune back down into individual balls, though the plants can be planted closer to merge into each other.
"L. x intermedia Dutch Group (formerly 'Vera') is a popular landscape option as it has a good, low-spreading habit. Unusually, it flowers until October and will require different pruning - remove flower stalks when blooms are fading and then cut into the plant in spring."
In Practice
David Domoney, TV gardener and designer, Kineton, Warwickshire "Lavender works on so many levels. The practicalities and versatility of using it in the landscape are phenomenal as you can pretty much plant and forget about it. It's a border plant, a hedge, edging, a container plant, it's evergreen and its foliage colour is stunning.
"Lavender attracts butterflies, bees and other winged insects, which in turn attract birds, so it's good for our eco-climate. It's also a great plant for children as it works on so many sensory levels.
"L. angustifolia 'Hidcote' AGM has always been my favourite. There are plenty of nice new varieties out there but this cultivar's dark flowers make it a classic option. L. x intermedia Dutch Group is another good one. These are the lavenders I grew up knowing. When you see 'Hidcote' trained as a hedge in full flower, it's simply stunning."
SPECIES AND CULTIVARS
L. angustifolia is a bushy form with less uniform flowering than the named cultivars. It grows to a height of 60cm.
L. angustifolia 'Ashdown Forest' is a bushy form with pale purple flowers. With a height of up to 50cm, it is good for a low hedge.
L. angustifolia 'Backhouse Purple' dates back to 1888. It has a good scent and dark flowers, and grows to a height of 50cm.
L. angustifolia 'Blue Mountain White' is a rare, white-flowered form reaching 60cm in height.
L. angustifolia 'Cedar Blue' is a pale-flowered form with a strong scent and dense, green-grey foliage. It reaches 60cm in height.
L. angustifolia 'Folgate' is a bushy form that is good for hedging. It is noted for its very blue flowers and grows to 60cm tall.
L. angustifolia 'Hidcote' Award of Garden Merit (AGM) was introduced in 1950. It boasts dark purple flowers atop grey foliage and reaches 50cm. For pink flowers try 'Hidcote Pink'.
L. angustifolia 'Imperial Gem' AGM has dark purple flowers and silvery foliage. It grows to 60cm in height.
L. angustifolia 'Loddon Blue' AGM is a shorter form with purple-blue flowers. It grows to 45cm. 'Loddon Pink', is also available.
L. angustifolia 'Miss Katherine' AGM has dark pink flowers with star-shaped markings. It grows to a height of 60cm.
L. angustifolia 'Miss Muffet' AGM is a compact form with rounded flowers, growing to 30cm.
L. angustifolia 'Munstead' is a fragrant, mounding form with dense grey-green leaves and blue-purple flower spikes in late summer.
L. angustifolia 'Nana Alba' AGM is a small, white-flowered form with grey-green foliage, reaching 40cm in height.
L. angustifolia 'Rosea' is pale pink with bright green foliage in spring. It grows to 60cm.
L. angustifolia 'Royal Purple' is a popular form with long, purple flowers. It grows to 75cm.
L. x intermedia is a cross between L. angustifolia and the more delicate L. latifolia.
L. x intermedia 'Alba' AGM is a white-flowered form that is smaller than most cultivars in the species, reaching just 60cm.
L. x intermedia Dutch Group, often still referred to as 'Vera', is a popular, low-spreading variety makes a good general landscape plant. It grows up to 60cm.
L. x intermedia 'Edelweiss' is a good feature plant option - it forms a perfect dome smothered in white flowers and grows to 75cm tall.
L. x intermedia 'Fragrant Memories' is a bushier form of Dutch Group with the same grey foliage and pale flowers. It grows to around 75cm.
L. x intermedia 'Gros Bleu' is a deep purple form reminiscent of L. angustifolia 'Hidcote' AGM. Its strong branching habit makes it a good option for drifts and mass plantings. It grows to 75cm.
L. x intermedia 'Grosso' is a profuse flowerer popular in lavender oil production. It grows to 75cm.
L. x intermedia 'Hidcote Giant' AGM is a popular variety for its distinct, bushy flowers, which are great for cut flowers. It grows to a height of 90cm.
L. x intermedia 'Impress Purple' is a billowing, dark-flowered form with rich purple flowers. It grows to 90cm.
L. x intermedia 'Seal' is a large variety with heavy displays of vibrant purple-blue flowers. It reaches 1m tall.
L. x intermedia 'Sussex' AGM has pale purple flowers and is good for mass planting. It will flower through to October and reaches 90cm.
L. x intermedia 'Compacta' is similar to 'Munstead' but with larger flowers and distinct grey foliage that clings to the stems. It grows to around 55cm.
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