It is believed that lavender originated from the Mediterranean, Middle East and India, and in today’s terms it has quite an international footprint since many European countries claim different species and cultivars as their own. This is why we read about English lavender, Spanish lavender, Italian lavender, French lavender, Dutch lavender and so forth, without really knowing whose is really whose.
And not to be outdone, the Australians jumped in and bred ‘The Princess’ range of lavenders from hardy European lavender parentage, the result having fat pink flowerheads topped with twisted electricpink bracts!
We are fortunate enough to also have a locally bred lavender (with English pedigrees) called Lavandula x intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’, which in my opinion is the best general-purpose lavender of them all. It is a no-nonsense plant that is never not performing well or in flower!
The best climate for lavenders
Lavenders generally prefer warm and dry conditions, and some may experience problems in humid, subtropical regions. They are relatively hardy against cold and will tolerate light frost. They are perfect for dry and windy coastal gardens.
How to grow them
Best location: Plant them in full sun with ample spacing to allow good air circulation between plants. Depending on the type of lavender you are planting, spacing for informal planting should be 45 – 90cm apart. For hedges it can be 60cm apart.
This story is from the April 2021 edition of The Gardener.
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This story is from the April 2021 edition of The Gardener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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