Lavender is a plant traditionally loved by British gardeners. Despite this fact the plant is native to the Mediterranean region and best results are obtained when this is taken into account. With a little planning the gardener will be able to maintain a compact densely flowering shrub for many years.
Lavender as a native to the Mediterranean (even e and presents a plant which is not fully hardy to the severest of winters in the Northern region. As such one should avoid siting plants in exposed locations and cold spots. Areas of the garden which receive maximum sunlight represent the best spot, plants may also benefit from being located close to a house wall, fence or other feature that will shield specimens from cold winds.
Considering soil type, the key to ensure that plants remain healthy is to use a free draining medium. Lavender will not tolerate having its root system sat in water for longer than the briefest of periods. As such Lavender should be planted in a medium ranging from gravel through to an ordinary garden soil with the addition of plenty of sharp sand to improve drainage. Heavy clay soils will be unsuitable if drainage is not improved.
Given Lavender’s preference for a free draining soil one should also consider that the plant may require feeding more frequently than other plants in the garden. Any general purpose garden feeder is suitable, a gardener may use a liquid feed or incorporate a slow release fertiliser into the bed. Feeding should take place once the spring frosts have passed and continue until early into the Autumn.
When and how to prune Lavender is still a debated subject amongst gardeners, in general the consensus would seem to be that the main pruning should take place after flowering towards the end of summer. An additional light pruning may be given to a plant in the spring after early frosts have passed, this will give the plant a larger volume and increase the number of flowers produced.
Summer pruning should take place after flowering towards the end of the summer, this will ensure that the plant has to time to recover before the frosts of winter arrive. Leaving pruning too late may leave the plant vulnerable to the effects of a cold winter.
In pruning a gardener should take the plant back to the end of the current years growth, leaving a little ‚”new wood” from which the plant will regenerate. Lavender will not regenerate from the old wood so gardeners should avoid being too hard. On the other hand growth left from the current season will form the old wood in the following year, if under pruned a plant will become straggly and untidy over time. Pruning may also be used to create a feature such as a Lavender hedge or a specific shape.
Harvesting a Lavender shrub is a difficult decision for any gardener. If flowers are to be enjoyed indoors then the plant should be harvested before the flowers actually open so as the essential oils will remain in the flowers. However if harvested a gardener will lose much of the pleasure of the plant for the season, in addition creatures such as bees, butterflies and other pollinators will lose the opportunity for vital summer feeding.
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