In our garden, lavender is the new black. So don't come round here looking for black pansies - instead, you'll find lavenders waiting to be given their place in the sun.
I was never much of a fan of lavender. Any I planted went woody and dry-looking in a heartbeat,
and its flowers in no way made up for its parched appearance.
Visiting lavender farms changed my mind, and this time I'm taking a more scientific approach, instead of just shoving twigs in the ground.
Lavenders want a well-drained soil that has full sun most of the day. They like their soil slightly alkaline, so adding lime well before planting is a good strategy. They'll tolerate cold winters, provided the soil doesn't get too wet. Some west coast growers have grass between their rows to take up the extra moisture.
Although they certainly don't mind it dry, lavenders can stress in drought conditions, which will affect the flower yield. They're also likely to be damaged by hot, dry, salty winds, so be wary if you're in a windy coastal area. Most lavenders suitable for home gardens come either from the Spica or Stoechas groups. The Spica group includes English lavenders (Lavendula angustifolia syn. L spica), which have the best fragrance and flower madly in summer's heat. They're also quite frost hardy, which is helpful, and they're ideal for low hedges.
