Lavender is a popular plant. Understandably so, as the wonderful fragrance of the leaves and flowers and the beautiful purple blooms, turn any garden into a little piece of France.
Types of lavender
The common or English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is not actually an herb, but a small shrub. It has been cultivated for centuries by apothecaries and in monastery gardens for its medicinal properties. There are many varieties of English lavender. Our favourites:
Lavendula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ is a purple bloomer and a strong plant. There is also a variety with flowers that bloom white and slowly turn pink. This is Lavendula angustifolia ‘Hidcote Pink’. This plant grows 60cm tall and has grey-green leaves. white lavender
Lavendula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ is true lavender blue. There are also white, violet and pink cultivars. This variety flowers beautifully, but does not smell as intense.
A lovely white bloomer is Lavendula angustifolia ‘Arctic snow’. It stays relatively low and is one of the few true white lavender varieties.
Lavendula angustifolia ‘Pacific Blue’ is a taller species whose flowers are very suitable for making oil. They smell the way lavender is supposed to smell.