Fragrant Lavender Flowers Grow Scented Gardens

Lavender plants are useful in many types of gardens, the most obvious being for fragrance. But lavender is drought tolerant, as well, making it easy to grow in sustainable or xeriscape gardens. Deer foraging does not favor lavender, but does attract pollinating bees, birds and butterflies

Botanically called Lavandula, lavender is a perennial herb plant often harvested for the flowers used in potpourris, sachets and to make perfumes. Lavandula is a native of the Mediterranean region and is characterized by long narrow gray-green leaves and slim flower spikes in shades of blue, purple or pink colors.

Lavender Plant Care

Lavenders grow best in full sun where summers get hot without high humidity. Lavender plants prefer fast draining soils that are alkaline. Once established, lavender can thrive without water for long periods of time.

Lavender plants do need regular pruning to stay healthy and looking good. Gardeners should cut back these plants after flowering in June and July.

Gardeners with clay soil should dig in organic material to well amend soil before considering planting lavender plants. In climates where snow cover is unreliable, lavender will have a hardiness issue, making it difficult to survive northern winters. This is further complicated when lavender is grown in clay soil.

Types of English Lavender Plants

Types of English lavender are more reliably grown in areas with naturally clay soils, more humid weather or where there is less snow cover during winter. Lavandula angustifolia is English lavender and is hardy in zones 5 – 9; consider these cultivars:

• L. ‘Hidcote’ Named for Hidcote Manor in Glousestershire England, has deep violet blue flowers on a dwarf-sized plant growing 18 – 24″ tall. This plant is best multiplied by propagation.

• L. ‘Munstead’ is early flowering compact lavender with blue flowers that were grown by Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood Surrey England, introduced to the public in 1916. It is considered a low growing lavender plant.

French Lavender Varieties

French lavenders are large plants with large flower heads considered tender perennials. Lavandula heterophylla ‘Goodwin Creek’ is a French hybrid that is shorter with dark purple flowers. The species is also called sweet lavender and is fast growing.

Lavandula stoechas is hardy in zones 6 – 9 and is one early bloomer. Tender perennial lavenders can be grown in containers outdoors then brought inside and placed in a sunny window during winter months.

Hardy Hybrid Lavenders

Hybrid lavenders are good choices for colder regions. Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’ is a very hardy hybrid lavender plant. Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’ is a hybrid of the species angustifolia and latifoliia and has violet flowers.

Lavender grows best in well draining soil without clay; amending soil with organic matter will increase chances of success growing these plants. Lavandula plants and the flowers are worth adding to many gardens, not the least of which is for the fragrance.

Plants called clay busters are worth planting in a garden where the region has clay soil. Examples of clay busting plants include Rudbeckia hirta, Echinacea purpurea, Liatris spicata and Aster novae-angliae and Solidago rigida.