Lavender - on its own or with something else?

[Casey]

We've just moved and have a glorious new, big garden in reasonable condition.

Until I get a job I have lots of time to spend faffing with it, but once I start work time will be pressured so I need low maintenance stuff.

I have a bed with a large attractive shrub (?) in it, a couple of other bits that I'll be moving or removing and two lavender bushes, which are doing ok.

Elsewhere in the garden there are three other lavender bushes (all same variety I think), all struggling, but should thrive given some tlc.

I'm wondering about moving all the lavender plants into the one bed, maybe adding in some new plants/varieties.

Or I could put in something different amongst the lavender for variety. What do you think?

On its own. i planted some 2 years ago with a few other pretty plants to add interest. Within a week the other plants had died, while the lavender has doubled in size and is still looking fab. Im sure the lavender sucked the life out of them, or perhaps they just were not compatable.

Thank you

Lavender needs plenty of sun and good drainage. When grown in places it likes, it is so lovely.

I have verbena in amongst my lavender neither of which I tend to, they just seem to survive without me doing much.

Roses and lavender are the classic combo, flower generally around the same time.

I've got droopy, trailing lavender in baskets with very pale lilac geraniums. They both thrive on being ignored bar the odd slosh of water and some baby bio in the summer.

Yup. Roses and lavender are a match made in heaven. They both like full sun.

I am ripping my B&Q lavender row out after this flowering and replacing it with Hidcote! Lesson learned. I have one Hidcote, given by a mate as a house-warming pressie. It took a good year to establish whereas the B&Q multi-pack took off instantly BUT here we are 4 years hence, and the Hidcote is neat and smart; the B&Q stuff is sprawly and all over the adjoining path!

Hidcote costs £8 a plant, mind!

cheaper lavender hidcote plants
compare.ebay.co.uk/like/181165461331?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=63

lavender types
www.thelavenderg.co.uk/catalogue.htm
lavendulin, or lavender intermedia is the provencale lavender
I like lavender in groups, and also planted with rosemary.

I walked down a street in W4 today and admired 3 houses with big lavender planting s out the front in raised beds. They looked and smelt amazing and lots of bees too.

My lavender bushes must be twenty years old, they were wild when we bought the house 15 years ago. Not only do the sprawl and bully anything planted near them, they self seed and spear growing out the steps.

I still love them.

Thanks for the link. I live v. near the New Forest so can maybe even save postage!

My lavender, supermarket variety 3/4 years old. is finally looking good as part of a group with purple sage, cottage pinks, sweet williams and rosemary, with cornflowers and eryngiums behind - all easy and slug-free, as well as some scented, but mainly accidental.

I was once told to mix Lavender with Salvia. That works well with all the purply shades

Don't forget you can get white, pink and blue lavender as well as purple, and lavenders of different heights. This website for a specialist lavender nursery might give you some inspiration. I'm going to be trying a bed of all different lavenders, mixed with salvia, myself next year.

I am agree with the plant lavender with other arieties of lavender plants. There are loads of different types that flower at different times, have different leaves and have different flowers. I have pink, white and purple lavender. I haven't quite managed to get them all growing 'neatly' but I am getting there.

My lavender is taking over, I'm going to have to move some things back end to accommodate it, do you need to thin it out at all, or just let it get on with it? It's bursting out of the beds! Lol

emdotty - have we got the same garden - I've just posted on your other thread, I've just cut my lavender right back - it looks much better now

Haha! I think I need to cut it back, I've been of the mind to let things just grow....unless its mares tail...Grrrr! That sucker must die!!

I have lavender in loads of bits of my garden. seems to bush out and fill in gaps nicely and I have one bed where I have spaced it with rosemary, both seem to hold their own and provide year round greenery, don't allow weeds through and are low maintenance.

I cut mine right back when I remember and it keeps it under control a bit but I do love it.

one place I have it it is at the base of clematis, honeysuckle and climbing roses so it protects their stems at the base which is good.

they grow on their own but they need a lot of sunlight too

Thats a good idea periwinkle I have been wondering what to grow at the base of clematis. My garden has clay soil and lavender doesn't really grow very well in it, but I love lavender and maybe it will grow at the base of the clematis.