Reasons to grow Lavender

With its fine fragrance and flowers, it’s little wonder that this evergreen shrub has become a summer garden essential. Tamsin Hope Thomson traces its rich history

- Tamsin Hope Thomson

NO one needs to argue the case for lavender – it’s one of the easiest plants to love, with beautiful flowers that appear for months and a fragrance that sings of summer. It is the plant of long, hot days, perfect for lining paths and edging borders, where its scent drifts into the air.

It’s not just visual and olfactory impact that draws people to lavender, however. This evergreen shrub is easy to grow in well-draining soil (as long as you keep on top of pruning) and drought-tolerant, while the silvery green foliage looks good year-round. It can be cut for drying and is loved by bees, bringing a variety of pollinators to the garden. According to research by Sussex University, lavender attracts more bumblebees than honeybees as they find it easier to get the nectar with their long tongues.

The main types are English lavender and French lavender. The former includes Lavandula angustifolia and L. x intermedia, is usually hardy and will flower in midsummer, whereas its Gallic cousin, L. stoechas is more tender, flowers earlier and will need frost protection in cold areas. Whether you’re looking for purple, lilac, pink or white flowers, there are many interesting varieties to choose from.

Perfumed past

Lavender is a Mediterranean herb, thought to have been brought to Britain by the Romans, who carried lavender oil with them to use in their public baths (its name comes from the Latin word lavare, which means ‘to wash’). In the 12th century, washerwomen became known as Lavenders because they scented the washing with lavender.