Lavender adds colour from early summer into autumn, and it looks great in borders and perennial gardens. Lavender is a wonderful choice for making informal hedges because of its compact shrub-like structure, upright flower spikes. In addition to its various culinary and therapeutic uses, you may harvest it for potpourri, sachets, and aromatic floral arrangements.
Despite the fact that all lavender (Lavandula) is indigenous to the Mediterranean, there are numerous cultivars that offer a wide range of bloom periods, flower shapes, and sizes. Furthermore, not all lavenders are purple, despite their name.
Other pretty pastel colours, such as violet blue, rose, soft pink, white, and even yellow, are also available in certain hybrids. The colour and form of the leaves can also change. To broaden the colour palette and bloom season, consider planting multiple types. Keep reading to know more!
How To Grow Lavender?
Plant lavender in your sunniest areas. Although lavender plants can withstand a wide range of growing environments, full sun and warm, well-draining soil are ideal for their growth. Plant lavender in the spring, preferably in June to August, when the ground has warmed up and there is no chance of frost.
Lavender is a wonderful companion plant in the garden for practically everything, from cabbage to roses. You can count on plants to thrive in favourable weather conditions, but after a hard winter or a particularly humid summer, you should be ready to lose a few plants on occasion.
To guarantee a plentiful crop for years to come, keep sowing fresh plants.
Lavender Planting Care
Growing lavender successfully will depend, as with other plants, on the kind of growth conditions and lavender varieties you choose to cultivate. The genus is not extremely long-lived; most lavender plants start to deteriorate in less than ten years, even if you take all the proper care of them, and they seem happy. Take a look on these pointers:
Soil
Growing lavender plants in full sun is the easiest way to ensure lots of buds and large, full bushes. Go light on the organic matter and fertiliser since lean soil, or soil with little to no organic matter mixed in, will promote a higher concentration of oils (and pleasant odours). If you are using a typical potting mix, remember that lavender plants require somewhat drier soil that drains well. Don't forget to add some sand for drainage. Your lavender will smell better in alkaline or very chalky soil, and plants will probably die quickly at any pH lower than 6.5.
Water
Once established, lavender is a hardy plant that can withstand severe droughts with ease. After planting your lavender plants, water them frequently during their first growing season. After that, they can withstand protracted droughts; in fact, an excess of water can cause fungal infections and root rot.
Humidity And Temperature
Lavender is a plant that can tolerate a wide range of temperatures; in fact, moisture rather than cold is typically what kills lavender plants. Wet roots in the winter or excessive humidity in the summer are two signs of moisture. Always plant your bushes in a sunny spot and leave plenty of space between them for airflow if humidity is an issue.
Place lavender plants close to a stone or brick wall for added warmth and protection from the cold winter winds. If you live in a region where the ground freezes and thaws frequently throughout the winter, you can benefit your lavender plants by applying a layer of mulch after the earth first freezes to protect the roots.
Fertiliser
When planting lavender plants, it's a beneficial idea to throw a handful of compost into the hole. After that, feeding these plants is unnecessary and may actually reduce your lavender's total potency.
Trimming
Although one should routinely prune lavender plants just by picking the flowers, it is better to do little spring pruning to maintain the shape of your plant and stimulate new development. You can chop down lower-growing lavender varieties to new growth, or prune taller varieties back a few inches to approximately one-third of their original height.
Don't trim your lavender plants until you notice fresh green growth at the plant's base of the plant if you reside in a region where winter die-back occurs. It is doubtful that plants will sprout new growth if you disrupt them too early in the growing season.
Harvesting Lavender
The scent of lavender blossoms persists even after drying, contributing to its high value. For optimal drying outcomes, harvest the blooms as soon as the buds open. When they are completely dry, hang them upside down in little bunches in a warm area with plenty of airflow.
Not only are lavender flowers fragrant and lovely, but you can also eat them. You can bake them into cookies, brew them into tea, incorporate them into soups and stews, use them as flavouring, or use them raw in salads. A tiny bit of lavender flavour goes a long way, so use it carefully.
Lavender can be a very useful herb in your garden that will make your garden bed variety full as well as pretty. With the help of these tips try planting different varieties of lavender to enhance your kitchen.