Lavender

Lavender grows naturally in parched, malnourished soil in full sun. So it’s best to plant lavender in your garden in a spot that will emulate these conditions as closely as possible.

  • Plant in full sun, or at least in a spot that gets full sun all afternoon.

  • Add plenty of gravel, grit or sharp sand to the planting hole to ensure good drainage.

  • Don’t add any fertiliser and don’t add nutrient-rich compost in the planting hole. Ordinary top soil is all that is required.

  • Water infrequently – only when very dry.

  • After flowering (mid to late summer) cut back quite hard, making sure you leave about 3cm of green stem showing above the woody brown stems. New stems will then grow, giving your plant a fuller winter clothing of foliage.

  • In early spring, you can give the plant another gentle trim.

  • Do this every year to avoid having a “twiggy” looking plant.