Amateur Gardening – 13 July 2019

26 AMATEUR GARDENING 13 JULY 2019

... But there are also white, green, yellow, pink and red varieties that are suitable for

hedges, edging and pots. Martyn Cox looks at what’s available to suit your garden

M

ENTION lavender and

most people will think of

Lavandula angustifolia, the

so-called English lavender

with its aromatic grey leaves and spikes

of purple flowers in summer. The species

has been popular on our shores since its

introduction from overseas in the 16th

century, first as a medicinal plant and

then as an ornamental.

Yet this instantly recognisable

and much-loved shrub is not the only

lavender worth growing. In fact, there

are almost 300 different types readily

available to gardeners in the UK, with new

varieties joining their ranks every year,

thanks to breeding work carried out by

nurseries around the world.

There’s great diversity among the

lavender family. Plants range in height

from 1ft-3ft (30cm-90cm), with flowers

that appear between early June and late

September, depending on the variety.

The tiny blooms come in shades of

white, green, yellow, pink, red and

purple, and are held in slender, conical

or plump heads on thin stalks.

Native to the Mediterranean, lavender

has been cultivated for around 2,500

years. Oil infused with its flowers was

held in high esteem by the ancient

Greeks, Romans and Egyptians and,

according to legend, Cleopatra covered

her body with lavender oil in order to

ensnare Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

Known botanically as Lavandula,

both this and the common name derive

from the Latin verb lavare, meaning

to wash. In ancient Rome, lavender

leaves and flowers were used to scent

washed clothes, and by medieval times

washerwomen in Britain were even

known as lavenders due to the

continuation of this practice.

Roman settlers brought lavender

with them to Britain, and the popularity

of lavender soared when Elizabeth I

encouraged the development of

commercial farms. Lavandula

angustifolia, a species from northern

Spain, was so widely grown that it

eventually took on the common name

English lavender. The plants were

largely raised for medicinal, cosmetic

and culinary purposes, and Elizabeth I,

supposedly, demanded a jar of lavender

preserve to accompany every meal.

They were so ubiquitous on the

landscape in this country that by the

16th century, the common name was

in use as a word to describe a pale-

purple colour.

Group dynamics

Lavenders can be divided into several

groups. The varieties of English lavender

have cylindrical flower heads on short

stalks that appear during June and July.

Plants grow to 12-30in (30-76cm) in

height, with colours ranging from white

to dark purple, plus pink, pale-blue and

powdery-purple shades in between.

French lavender (Lavandula

stoechas) is less hardy but showier.

Growing from 18-30in (45-76cm), they

can be recognised by the colourful

bracts or ‘ears’ that perch on top of the

flower heads. These ears can be long,

short, thin, broad or wavy, and come

in magenta, purple, pink, white and

yellowy-green.

English lavenders make excellent

dwarf hedges along paths

All photographs Alamy

Lavender’s blue...

with Martyn Cox