Taking care of your lavender

I adore lavender (Lavendula spica)! I’ve recently bought two more lavender plants – one in flower, another a bushier variety – to pot up in a large, galvanised metal tub that I received for my 21^st birthday.

Lavender is a small perennial shrub, meaning that it can continue throughout the seasons, year after year, if it’s taken care of. Lavendula likes well-draining soil in a sunny position, but can sit in partial shade. If in full sun, water frequently and regularly, especially if in flower – otherwise those lovely heads will begin to droop! Those in containers will need watering more frequently than plants in beds, because more of the water is lost to the air through evaporation.

The two newbies will be joining my year-old lavender, which has so far been housed on a sunny window ledge in a basket (one of the thrifty tips mentioned here).

Like many plants, lavender should be transplanted outside in the spring, because temperatures have become milder and you’ve passed the risk of frost that can cause damage to the roots.

For feeding, if you’ll be using your plant in the kitchen, make sure to use an organic feed that is suitable for culinary herbs (the chemicals you feed the plant with, will enter the same plant system that you use later on!).

If you’ve already got a lavender plant that you feel is looking a bit spindly, pull out those pruning shears and go to town! You don’t need to cut too much off the stems to tidy the plant up and make it appear bushier. When cutting later in the spring, after it has already had some new growth, avoid cutting away all the new growth – this is why it better to trim in early spring. Be avid and keep trimming throughout the summer, for example if growth is spindly or unsightly, to keep the plant in a good, healthy shape.

My lavender plant has been a fabulous grower. When I bought it last year from the garden centre for a mere £1.99, it was the size of my hand, and now – after only a single growing season – it has had to be transplanted to a recycled wicker basket (that was a bin in a past life, I think) after growing to an impressive 25cm in height.

See you soon, with pictures of the lavender tub and tips on how to do your own!

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At a glance:

• Full sun or partial shade
• Frequent and regular watering in late spring and summer, or when soil becomes dry, and as needed during later autumn and winter.
• Regular pruning to keep in shape
• Fast grower during warm and sunny growing season

My top tip! Make sure you match plant to pot, to prevent it becoming pot-bound and stunted in its growth.