By itself, lavender can create an extraordinary atmosphere, piercing the air with its intoxicating scent and adorning a scene with thousands of blossoms, bumblebees and butterflies.
Although it is a quintessential product of Provence, the sturdy shrub has been a fan-favourite all over the world and has been cultivated since Ancient Rome.
Now, May is the perfect time to grow your own in the UK - whether this is in a small pot along a patio or in a larger flower bed.
It is recommended for green-fingered enthusiasts to get started now with sowing their seeds as the soil starts to warm up after winter.
It is recommended for green-fingered enthusiasts to get started now (Stock)
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Equally, you can sneak in a head-start by purchasing fresh plants from a local garden centre, which are often ready to plant.
"Lavender tends to be trouble-free, if grown in the conditions it enjoys. A sun-drenched spot with free-draining soil is ideal," the Royal Horticultural Society says.
How to plant lavender:
- Plant the plants out as soon as possible after purchase
- Space saplings out around 90cm from each other
- Water regularly if the plants are going through their first season
Cold, wet soils could destroy the young sapling, so be careful when repotting, the RHS warned.
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The Mediterranean plant prefers plenty of sun and fast-draining soil, and will flourish in more unique conditions, such as poor, dry soil, including chalky and alkaline soils.
As lavender is a hardy sort of plant that thrives in a multitude of challenging conditions, the RHS adds that, once the plant is “well-established”, lavender is fairly self-sufficient and “rarely” needs watering if it’s planted in the ground.
But, for those who have opted to grow theirs in a pot, their shrub will be in need of a regular watering.
The society warned: “Plants in containers do need regular water in summer, as they dry out quickly, and the roots have a limited amount of soil in which to search for moisture.
Lavender planted in pots will be in need of a good regular watering (Stock)
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“In winter, keep the containers fairly dry, maybe in a cold greenhouse or in the rain shadow at the base of a wall to keep off excessive rain, which will help improve the plants’ tolerance to cold weather.”
On the whole, lavender won’t need any feeding due to their robust nature.
And, finally, once it gets around to September, it is important to deadhead the dried-out blossoms and prune back any woody stems.
This step will ensure the flowers will have plenty of room to bloom next year.
