The Lavender Plant, Herb and Flower

Long before the world manufactured deodorants and bath salts, the Romans used lavender in their bath water; the word is derived from the Latin 'lava', to wash. It was the Romans who first introduced this plant to Britain and from then on monks cultivated it in their monastic gardens. Little more was recorded until Tudor times when people noted its fragrance and a peculiar power to ease stiff joints and relieve tiredness. It was brought in quantities from herb farms to the London Herb Market at Bucklesbury. 'Who will buy my lavender?' became perhaps the most famous of all London street cries.

It was used as a strewing herb for its insect-repellent properties and for masking household and street smells. It was also carried in nosegays to ward off the plague and pestilence. In France in the 17th century, huge fields of lavender were grown for the perfume trade. This has continued to the present day.

SPECIES

this is another big family of plants that are eminently worth collecting. I include here a few of my favorites, a few common, a few rare.

Lavandula 'Nana Alba'

Dwarf White Lavender

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 30cm (12in). White flowers in summer. Green-grev narrow short leaves. This is the shortest growing lavender and is ideal for hedges.

Lavandula angustifolia (spica, officinalis)

Common Lavender (English Lavender)

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht SO cm (32in), spread I in (3ft). Mauve/purple flowers on a long spike in summer. Long, narrow, pale greenish-grey, aromatic leaves. One of the most popular and well known of the lavender family.

Lavandula angustifolia 'Alba'

White Lavender

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht 70cm (28in), spread 80cm (32in). White flowers on a long spike in summer. Long, narrow, pale greenish-grey, aromatic leaves.

Lavandula angustifolia 'Bowles' Early'

Lavender Bowles

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 60cm (24in). Light blue flowers on a medium size spike in

summer. Medium-length, narrow grey-greenish, aromatic leaves. Lavandula angustifolia 'Folgate'

Lavender Folgate Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 45cm (1 Sin). Purple flowers on a medium spike in summer. Leaves as above.

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'

Lavender Hidcote

Hardy evergreen perennial Ht and spread 45cm (18inj Dark blue flowers on a medium spike in summer.Fairly short, narrow, aromatic, grey-greenish leaves. Oneal the most popular lavenders.

Often used in hedging, planted at a distance of 30-40 cm (12-16 in).

Lavandula angustifolia 'Loddon Blue'

Lavender Loddon Blue

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 45cm (18in) Pale blue flowers on a medium-length spike in

summer. Fairly short, narrow,' grey-greenish, aromatic leaves. Good compact habit. There is another variety called 'Loddon Pink' - same size, Isame height, with pale pink flowers.

Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead'

Lavender Dwarf Mmislead

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 45cm (18in). Purple/blue flowers on a fairly shortspike in summer. Medium length, greenish-grey, narrow, aromatic leaves. This is now a common lavender and used often in hedging, planted at a distance of 30-40cm (12-16in).

Lavandula angustifolia 'Rosea'

Lavender Pink/Rosea

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 45cm (18in). Pink flowers in summer. Medium length greenish-grey, narrow, aromatic leaves.

Lavandula dentata

Fringe Lavender

(sometimes called French Lavender) Half-hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 60cm (24in). Pale blue/ mauve (lowers from summer to early autumn. Highly aromatic, serrated, pale green, narrow leaves. This plant is a native of southern Spain and the Mediterranean region and needs protecting in cold damp winters. It is ideal to bring inside into a cool room in early autumn as a flowering pot plant.

Lavandula x intermedia

Dutch group

Lavender Vera Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 45cm (18in). Purple flowers in summer

on fairly long spikes. Long greenish-grey, narrow, aromatic leaves.

Lavandula x intermedia 'GrappenhalP

Lavender Grappenhall Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread lm (3ft). Large pale mauve flowers on long spikes in summer. The flowers are much more open than other species. Long greenish-grey, narrow, aromatic leaves.

Lavandula x intermedia Old English Group

Old English Lavender Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 60cm (24in). Light lavender blue flowers on long spikes. Long, narrow, silver/grey/green, aromatic leaves.

Lavandula x intermedia 'Seal'

Lavender Seal

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht 90cm (3ft), spread 60cm (24in). Long flower stems, mid-purple. Long, narrow, silver/grey/green aromatic leaves.

Lavandula x intermedia 'Twickel Purple'

Lavender Twickel Purple

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 50cm (20in). Pale purple flowers on fairly short spike. Medium length, greenish-grey, narrow, aromatic leaves. Compact grower.

Lavandula lanata

Woolly Lavender

Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht 50 cm (20in), spread 45cm (18in). Deep purple flowers on short spikes. Short, soft, narrow, silver-grey aromatic foliage.

Lavandula pinnata

Lavender Pinnata

Half-hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 50cm (20in). The flower spikes are a mixture of L.

angustifolia and L. stoechas, purple in colour. Leaves are fern-like, grey, and slightly aromatic. Could be easily mistaken for an artemisia. Protect in winter. Lavandula stoechas French Lavender (sometimes called Spanish Lavender) Hardy evergreen perennial. Ht 50cm (20in). Spread 60cm 24in). Attractive purple bracts in summer. Short, narrow, grey/green, aromatic leaves.

Lavandula stoechas F. leucantha

Wliile French Lavender

As L. Stoechas except white bracts in summer. Lavendula stoechas ssp pedunculata Lavender edunculata (sometimes known as Papillon) Half-hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 60cm (24in). These attractive purple bracts have an extra centre tuft, which is mauve and looks like two

rabbit ears. The aromatic leaves are very narrow, grey and longer than the ordinary stoechas. Protect in

winter.

Lavandula viridis

Lavender Viridis

Half-hardy evergreen perennial. Ht and spread 60cm (24in). This unusual plant has green bracts with a

cream centre tuft. The leaves are green, narrow, and highly aromatic. Protect in winter. Lavenders - small (grow to 45-50cm/18-20in) Lavender Folgate, Lavender Hidcote, Lavender Lodden Pink, Lavender Lodden Blue, Lavender Munstead, Lavender Dwarf White, Lavender Twickle Purple.

Lavenders - Medium (grow to 60cm/24in) Lavender Bowles, Lavender Old English, Lavenders - Big (70cm/28in and above) Lavender Grappenhall, Lavender White, Lavender Seal. Half-hardy Lavenders

Lavender Dentata (50cm/20in), Lavender Lanata (50cm/20in), Lavender Pinnata (50cm/20in),Lavender Stoechas (50cm/ 20in), Lavender Stoechas Alba (50cm/20in), Lavender toechas Pendunculata (60cm/

CULTIVATION

Propagation

Seed

Lavender can be grown from seed but it tends not to be true to species, with the exception of Lavender Stoechas.

Seed should be sown fresh in the autumn on the sulfate of a seed or plug tray and covered with Perlite. It germinates fairly readily with a bottom heat of 4-10°C (40-50°F). Winter the seedlings in a (old greenhouse or cold conservatory with plenty of ventilation. In the spring, prick out and pot on using the bark, peat, grit mix of compost. Let the voting plant establish a good size root ball before planting out in a prepared site in the early summer. For other species you will find cuttings much more reliable.

Cuttings

Take softwood cuttings from non-flowering stems in spring. Root in bark, peat, grit mix of compost. Take semi-hardwood cuttings in summer or early autumn from the strong new growth. Once the cuttings have rooted well, it is better to pot them up and winter the young lavenders in a cold greenhouse or conservatory rather than plant them out in the first winter. In the spring, plant them out in well-drained, fertile soil, at a distance of 45-60cm (18-24in) apart or 30cm (12in) apart for an average hedge.

Layering

This is easily done in the autumn. Most hardy lavenders respond well to this form of propagation.

Pests and Diseases

One of the chief pests of lavenders are the cuckoo spit insects and the caterpillars of several types of moth. Cure cuckoo spit by spraying away the foamy white spit with water. Then use a horticultural liquid soap to remove the bugs and caterpillars (follow manufacturer's instructions).

The flowers in wet seasons may be attacked by grey mould and/or botrytis. This can occur all too readily after a wet winter. Cut back the infected parts as fat as possible, again remembering not to cut into the old wood if you want it to shoot again.

There is another fungus (Phoma lavandulae) which attacks the stems and branches causing wilting and death of the affected branches. If this occurs dig up the plant immediately and destroy, keeping it well away from any other lavender bushes.

Maintenance

Spring: Give a spring hair cut.

Summer: Trim after flowering. Take cuttings.

Autumn: Sow seed. Cut back in early autumn, never into the old wood. Protect all the half-hardy lavenders. Bring containers inside.

Winter: Check seedlings for disease. Keep watering to a minimum.

Garden Cultivation

Lavender is one of the most popular plants in today's herb garden and is particularly useful in borders, edges, as internal hedges, and on top of dry walls. All the species need an open sunny position and a well-drained, fertile soil. But it will adapt to semi-shade as long as the soil conditions are met, otherwise it will die in winter. If you have very cold winter temperatures, it is worth container growing.

The way to maintain a lavender bush is to trim to shape every year in the spring, remembering not to cut into the old wood as this will not re-shoot. After flowering, trim back to t lie leaves. In the early autumn trim again, making sure this is well before the first autumn frosts. Otherwise the new growth will be too soft and be damaged. By trimming this way, you will keep the bush neat and encourage il to make new growth, so stopping it becoming woody.

If you have inherited a straggly mature plant then give it a good cut back in autumn, followed by a second cut in the spring and then adopt the above routine. If the plant is aged, I would advise that you propagate some of the autumn cuts, so preserving the plant if all else fails.

Harvest

Gather the flowers just as they open, and dry on open trays or by hanging in small bunches.

Pick the leaves any time for use fresh, or before flowering if drying.

CONTAINER GROWING

If you have low winter temperatures, lavenders cannot be treated as a hardy evergreen. Treated as a container plant, however, it can be protected in winter and enjoyed just as well in the summer. Choose containers to set the lavender off: they all suit terracotta. Use a well-drained compost - the peat, bark, grit mix suits them well. The ideal position is sun, but all lavenders will cope with partial shade, though the aroma can be impaired.

Feed regularly through the flowering season with liquid fertilizer, following the manufacturer's instructions. Allow the compost to dry out in winter (not totally, but nearly), and slowly reintroduce watering in spring.

CULINARY

Lavender has not been used much in cooking, but as there are many more adventurous cooks around, I am sure it will be used increasingly in the future. Use the flowers to flavor a herb jelly, or a vinegar. Equally the flowers can be crystallized.

Lavender Biscuits

100g/4oz butter 50g/2oz caster sugar 175g/6oz self-raising flour 2 tablespoons fresh chopped

lavender leaves I teaspoon lavender flowers removed from spike

Cream the sugar and butter together until light. Add the flour and lavender leaves to the butter mixture. Knead well until it forms a dough. Gently roll out on a lightly floured board. Scatter the flowers over the rolled dough and lightly press in with the rolling pin. Cut into small rounds with cutter. Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven 450°F/230°C, Gas mark 7 for 10-12 minutes until golden and firm. Remove at once and cool on a wire tray.

MEDICINAL

Throughout history, lavender has been used medicinally to soothe, sedate and suppress. Nowadays it is the essential oil that is in great demand.

The oil was traditionally inhaled to prevent vertigo and fainting. It is an excellent remedy for burns and stings, and its strong antibacterial action helps to heal cuts. The oil also kills diphtheria and typhoid bacilli as well as streptococcus and pneumococcus.

Add 6 drops of oil to bath water to calm irritable children and help them sleep. Place 1 drop on the temple for a headache relief. Blend for use as a massage oil in aromatherapy for throat infections, skin sores, inflammation, rheumatic aches, anxiety, insomnia and depression. The best oil is made from

distillation, and may be bought from many shops.

OTHER USES

Rub fresh flowers onto skin or pin a sprig on clothes to discourage flies. Use flowers in potpourri, herb pillows, and linen sachets, where it makes a good moth repellent.