Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia - shrub

Lavender is an excellent and reliable garden plant if planted in the right position, and every garden has a position that is right for lavender.

They can cope with cold and they can cope with wet, but they don't like the two together. In their native Mediterranean home, lavenders live in full sun on stony, poor impoverished soil. In your garden this translates to a sunny, though not necessarily full sun position in dryish soil - near the house or a wall is fine - where other plants would struggle for moisture, lavender will thrive.

What you get with lavender is dense spikes of fragrant, blue-purple summer flowers and aromatic, grey-green leaves. The species is rather large, frequently available varieties are "Hidcote" and "Munstead dwarf". French lavender Lavandula stoechas is a particularly beautiful variety, though less hardy than most, in particular they don't like exposed windy conditions.

Height and spread: Hidcote 60cm x 75cm (24" x 30") Munstead dwarf 45cm x 60cm (18" x 24")

• Position: full sun

• Soil: almost any, but not wet in winter

• Rate of growth: average

• Flowering period: July to September

• Flower colour: blue-purple

• Other features: the aromatic flowers and leaves can be used for making pot-pourri

• Hardiness: fully hardy

• Garden care: Cut back the stalks after the flowers have faded. Carefully trim back in April, taking care not to cut into old wood.

Uses - Hedging / mixed border