Lovely Lady Lavender

In the past when I’ve written about lavender, I’ve tended to focus on French lavender, otherwise known as denata. This type of lavender is great for hedging and perfect for shaping into standards (basically, big balls of leaves and flowers on stick-like trunks).

There are also other types of lavender worth considering, but this month I’d like to draw your attention to lady lavender.

Just like the other varieties, lady lavender has blue/purple flowers, oil that can be extracted, a lovely fragrance, and is great for attracting bees to your garden. But where it shines is in its compactness and its seemingly never-ending flowers.

It’s the perfect plant for those without room for a typical lavender hedge, it looks amazing in pots, and, more importantly, it grows well in a pot because it doesn’t mind getting a little dry.

To add some scented colour to your potted plant collection, grab some Awapuni Nurseries lady lavender seedlings from your local supermarket, Bunnings, or The Warehouse. Alternatively, head to our online store at www.awapuni.co.nz and have them delivered direct to your door.

Because lady lavender doesn’t have a large spreading root system like some of the other varieties, you can plant it any pot that takes your pick. If you’re potting up one of the other types of lavender be aware of the root system and use a pot big enough to accommodate its growth.

Fill the pot with a good quality potting mix from your local garden centre to give the seedlings a nice kick-start. If you’re planting in the garden, lavender grows well next to irises and roses because they all like the same sunny, dry conditions. Just add a bit of lime and a general fertiliser like Nitrophoska Blue to the soil before you plant.

Once you’ve got your base ready, dig a small hole (around 3 cm deep) and place your seedling inside. Plant your lady lavender seedlings around 20cm apart from each other but no further so they grow tightly together for a better look.

In not too long at all the flowers on your lady lavender will be ready to harvest or simply enjoy on the plant.

Tod Palenski Awapuni Nurseries www.awapuni.co.nz

ENDS

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