Growing lavender : hardy and sweet smelling

Lavender's origins in the hot dry regions around the Mediterranean mean it is perfectly suited to most Australian gardens. This article provides a few tips on growing lavender to bring beauty and fragrance to your outdoor spaces. Here's how to grow lavender plants in your own garden!

Lavender is justifiably one of the most popular plants for Australian gardens. Available in several varieties, including English, French and Spanish lavender, it brings a gorgeous fragrance to gardens and distinctive flowers in a range of colours from white through pink to purple and mauve.

"They are extremely hardy plants," says Michael Wood of Oakford Horticultural Consultants in Malvern East. "Lavender has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years for those qualities of hardiness and beauty."

Lavender and the Australian environment

Native to the hot and arid Mediterranean region, lavender is therefore well suited to the Australian climate. It is easiest to grow lavender in well-drained soils and full sunlight. Michael recommends preparing the soil before planting, to ensure it is on the sandy side rather than being heavy.

"Lavender doesn't like to sit in wet soil, so if you have a heavy soil, then try to raise the garden beds so it drains effectively," he says. "Don't overdo the fertiliser or the manure when preparing the soil for growing lavender, but a bit of compost is a good idea, along with some lime, because lavender likes calcium, as well as a pH between 6 and 8."

As a hedge or border plant lavender works exceptionally well, and it can also be used to provide colour accents through a garden. When used as a hedge or border it can be trimmed to stay in shape. "You can take up to a third of the plant off, preferably after they've flowered," says Michael. "You'll get more flowers if you take the dead heads off and don't let them go to seed."

A plant for water restricted areas

As lavender is not a particularly thirsty plant, it's perfect for those parts of the country affected by water restrictions. Like all plants, it benefits from a good watering when first planted, and then a few weeks of regular deep drinks in order to become established, but after that it can survive on very little water.

In fact, lavender is so well suited to Australia that in some parts of the country it has been known to spread beyond the gardens in which it's growing to self-sow in the wild. In some of these areas lavender is considered a noxious weed, so it is a good idea to check the regulations in your area before planting this gorgeous, aromatic plant.

To introduce the attractive flowers and beautiful fragrance of lavender into your garden, find a nursery in your area for lavender plants to grow: