Lavender (Lavandula) grows really well over here in France. It loves the sun, is drought resistant, and grows well in poor soil. With its beautiful fragrance and pollinator-friendly qualities, it’s a popular addition to many gardens.
It’s an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance plant, but what many people don’t know is that it is best cared for by giving it bi-annual pruning. By pruning now, and again in the spring, you will encourage healthy new growth, forming a compact, bushy plant, with lots of flowers.
To prune lavender, use secateurs to cut off the flower stems, cutting into the green foliage but ensuring that you don’t cut as far down as the woody stems. Cutting into the old wood would result in loss of flowering from those stems. If your plants already have that overly woody, straggly, leggy look, then it’s best replacing them and starting again.
The hardiest varieties are Lavandula Angustifolia cultivars, which are English varieties. Ironically, Lavandula Stoechas(French lavender) doesn’t grow so reliably here as the harsh winters in this region can be too severe (though it thrives in the warmer climates further south).
Of course, traditional lavender is beautiful, but don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to green foliage with blue-purple flowers. Different cultivars come in many varieties, with silver foliage, variegated foliage, pink flowers, white flowers, and large and dwarf varieties. Have some fun with it, and enjoy this plant that, with a bit of low maintenance a couple of times each year, will add colour, scent and life to your garden.
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