Growing Lavender Plants - How to grow Lavandula

There are a few simple rules to ensure success with growing Lavender. Follow our advice and read the information and you will be able to grow great lavenders.

In the UK, long term success is ensured if you use the 'traditional' English lavenders - in particular, the varieties (cultivars) of Lavandula angustifolia - The English Lavender is best for growing in the UK - Much hardier!

These include several of our best known and best loved lavenders - Hidcote, Munstead and Vera excel. The French Lavender - the frilly butterfly types - are not always fully hardy, and are generally short lived - However they are a spectacular and early flowering Lavender for growing. (There will be exceptions - especially with the changing climatic conditions.)

  Lavandula stoechas - French Type

Lavenders like well drained soils - growing best in a sunny position, and certainly do not like to be waterlogged in the winter. A raised bed, stony ground, dry banks etc are all great places for growing Lavenders (Lavandula) as are flower and shrub bed areas.

Allow them room to grow. Most varieties of English Lavender will spread to around 60cms (2ft) across. They can be pruned back at certain times of the year, but as a general rule, all that Lavenders need is a hefty trim after flowering. Do this and that's about all you need to know about how to growing lavenders.

After flowering each year, cut off the old lavender flower stems right back to some healthy growth. This will ensure a good compact bushy lavender plants growing the following year.

Below left - A tender Lavender - absolutely great for late autumn colour. Lavandula canariensis - grow it from seed or buy as small plants at a garden centre/specialist lavender nursery.

Below right - An old favourite Lavender - Lavandula angustifolia Munstead. It is a spectacular sight when growing in long drifts along a winding garden path.