49. Lavender Hedges
I spent many of my London years walking my dogs in Geraldine Harmsworth Park, that wide green space surrounding the Imperial War Museum. Those daily walks were a lovely way to track the progress of everything growing there and to watch the seasons change. There is a wonderful long lavender hedge lining the path leading up to the museum, framing the massive WW2 naval guns at the entrance, and in May / June each year it is a mass of blue and lilac flowers. The bees absolutely love it.
The Imperial War Museum, London SE1
One of my first plans for the garden when I moved into the Parkgate house was to plant my own lavender hedge. I planted it to the front of the house, in a square surrounding the small grass lawn, punctuated by a standard rose tree at each corner. It is a very simple design: compact silver plants with evergreen leaves during the winter, fresh green growth in the spring and flowers lasting from late May until early September.
I chose the low growing English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) for its compact habit and relative hardiness. In spite of its name it is originally a Mediterranean plant, and is ideal for garden borders, cooking and potpourri. It is also the lavender that produces the best oils. The plants are a combination of “Hidcote” (intense blue) and “Little Lady” (violet) varieties, planted one foot apart in free draining soil. They make a beautiful show every year, with the flowers attracting hundreds of local bees and birds.
The hedge is 5 years old now and starting to look a little bit straggly, so the plants will need replacing in a couple of years. I have made the mistake of cutting them back too late in the year - I wait until all the bees have lost interest before doing it, and this has resulted in the too-leggy woody growth. Cutting it too low into the wood will destroy the plant. A specialist lavender grower recommends the 8:8:8 rule for keeping the plants compact: cut down to 8 inches on the 8th day of the 8th month. This method also allows the plant to green up for the winter during August and September. Following the 8:8:8 rule should mean I can keep compact lavender hedges for a lot longer (10 years +).
In the meantime I am taking cuttings this year to grow on to replace my hedge. There is a good BBC Gardeners World article on how to take lavender cuttings: select non-flowering shoots of this year’s growth, dip them in rooting hormone and plant in gritty compost. They recommend using a plastic bag to cover them up to keep them humid,, but I will use one of my mini greenhouses to the same effect. They should root after 4-6 weeks, and can then be potted on as needed until they are big enough to plant out in the hedge. It will take a couple of years.
I will also be planting some lavender hedges in the walled garden this year, and am experimenting with the different types of lavender.
The French lavender (Lavendula stoechas) with its lovely butterfly flowers is not as hardy as English lavender, so will be planted in a sheltered sunny space against the holly hedge containers. The flowers on these will be a combination of white, blue, pink and lilac.
The Dutch lavender (Lavendula x intermedia vera) are larger plants with narrow silver leaves and a cloud of tall pale blue flowers. I have planted these against the old red brick wall at the back.
The English lavenders will be planted as a low edging around the outside of the fruit dome, and in amongst the floribunda roses in the bed by the herb garden. That combination of roses, lavender, agapanthus, small prunus and japonicas should give year round interest to that bed.
It will be interesting to see how the different varieties do: their different flowering seasons, habits and how they cope with the North Western winters. It is the first time I have had the opportunity (and space) to experiment this way.
The herb garden to-be with the newly planted English lavender hedge in the background
I came across some other interesting uses of lavender while planning my hedges.
The scientific name “lavandula” comes from the Latin word “larvare,” meaning “to wash”. It is widely used in soap.
The scent of lavender is supposed to repel mice, flies, mosquitos and other pests. And cats dislike it as well.
Blue tits and other birds use lavender sprigs to line their nests. Scientists think it might have some anti-parasite properties that help protect their chicks from bacteria in the nests.
Starlings use lavender sprigs as part of a courtship display.
Nectar from lavender plants is used to make very high quality honey.
It is one of the most popular essential oils and is used in aromatherapy, soap, potpouri and cleaning products.
Lavender oil has culinary uses: in cakes, chocolate, lemonade and as a herb in cooking.
I remember seeing the commercial lavender crops flowering in the South of France near Grignan - it is one of my favourite holiday memories. As our summers get warmer more and more farmers are growing similar fields in the UK. They are a very welcome addition to our landscape.
