English Lavender

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English Lavender

The most widely grown hardy lavender is English lavender (L. angustifolia, sometimes sold as L. vera or L. officinalis). There are many varieties of English lavender, from eight inches to three feet tall, with flowers of white, pink or various shades of purple. The two most popular English lavenders are ‘Munstead’ (14" tall with lilac-colored flowers) and ‘Hidcote’ (16" tall with deep purple-blue flowers); both have a sweet fragrance. All lavenders need full sun and good drainage; they are moderately drought tolerant. Lavenders like alkaline soil; you may want to test your soil, adding lime if found necessary. Heavy clay soils need the addition of sand for lavenders; compost is the only fertilizer needed. Mulch lavenders with a 2" layer of sand or white pebbles, which will reflect the sunlight back into the plant and help prevent fungus diseases. Leaving adequate spacing between plants will also help air circulation. Lavenders benefit from a cover of evergreen branches in the winter and a pruning of not more than one-third of the plant in the spring. Deer do not appear to care for the taste of lavender; in fact, some gardeners plant lavender among other plants as a deterrent to deer.

Happy Gardening!