Lavender Plants Can Be A Great Addition To Your Garden

Lavender belonging to the genus "Lavandula" is an extremely beautiful flower that tempts every gardener to cultivate and fall in love with it. Lavandula constitutes nearly thirty species of plants belonging to mint family. In this article, we will be discussing the different lavender plant varieties that have attracted gardeners for ages. This plant is a resident of Mediterranean. It can survive in rock, dry and sunny habitat. This plant is naturally resistant to pest and is also drought tolerant. The beautiful and useful lavender herb plants have a quality of attracting insects that are beneficial and lures beautiful butterflies, like other herbs. Apart from being widely known for its beautiful blooms and fragrance it is also famous for its medicinal qualities. The soothing fragrance of lavender flower also makes it an excellent essential oil. Since the Victorian age, its fragrance is known as a symbol of purity and piousness. Lavender was known as "herb of love" in the middle age. Like many Lavender benefits, there are many Lavender plant varieties as well. If we talk about cultivation of lavender, growing Lavender from seeds is quite difficult, but inexpensive. This plant blooms in different shapes and colors all over the world in various climatic conditions.

Lavender plants are a favorite among gardeners for the heavenly smell of their attractive flowers. Lavender flowers can give a truly beautiful look to a landscape or a garden. Lavender or lavendula is actually a genus of mostly perennial flowering plants, which are native to the Mediterranean region, India and tropical Africa. Some lavender species are herbaceous plants, while a few fall into the category of shrubs and subshrubs. Lavender is a member of the mint family. There are around 39 species of flowering plants that belong to the genus lavender.

Plant Description
Most of the members of the genus, lavender are perennial herbs. These plants can be distinguished by their upright and erect stem and shoots. The leaves of lavender plants are usually silvery green in color and they can be entire or pinnate, depending on the particular species or types. There are three main types of lavender plants, true or English lavender, Spanish lavender and French lavender. The true or English lavender is hardy to zones 5 to 8, and it bears deep purple colored flowers, while its leaves are quite narrow.

On the other hand, Spanish lavender is hardy to zones 8 to 10, and its leaves are dark green in color. The shape of the flowers of Spanish lavender resemble a pineapple, and they are usually purple or white in color. French lavender plants are hardy to zones 5 to 8, and they usually bear light purple colored flowers, while their leaves are serrated and gray in color. Lavender plants usually bear flowers in whorls, and they form a spike above the foliage at the top of the slender stalk. The color of the flowers usually range from blue, violet to lilac and dark purple. The flowers of certain species of lavender plants are used to extract an essential oil, known as the lavender oil.

Lavender Plant Care
Lavender plants are one of the few flowering plants, that require minimal care and maintenance. They can be grown from seeds and seedlings. There are several types of lavender plants. So, you will find many varieties of lavender plants for sale. But, be sure to select a variety that is suitable for planting in the climatic conditions of your area. In general, lavender plant can tolerate and thrive in a wide range of growing conditions. They need at least 7 to 8 hours of sunlight. They usually prefer loose and well-drained, alkaline soil. Learn more about growing lavender and growing lavender from seeds.

While planting a lavender plant, do not forget to add some compost to the planting hole. Generally, lavender plants are first grown in a pot or containers, and then shifted to well-worked soil. Dampness is one of the important factors that can impede the growth lavender plant. Therefore, it is advisable to leave some space among the plants, so as to ensure proper air circulation. Lavender plants produce better blooms in warm climates. Therefore, many gardeners prefer to apply a layer of sand around the plant, so as to promote heat retention. This in turn, encourages the growth of more fragrant flowers. Know more about growing lavender in containers.

Next to soil type, the two most important aspect of lavender plant care are watering and pruning. Lavender is a drought resistant plant and so, it requires minimal watering, once it establishes itself firmly. However, the young plants would require watering at regular intervals, especially during the first growing season. After the plant develops a strong root system, it would require watering only in the dry season, and in extremely hot conditions. As far as lavender plants pruning is concerned, spring is the ideal time for doing this. Pruning lavender plants is very simple. All you have to do is to keep harvesting the flowers. At the end of the flowering season, just prune back the plants by a few inches. The taller plants can be however, pruned back to about one third of their height. Also, cut back the foliage by about one third. Before pruning a lavender plant in spring, wait for the new growth to appear. When the new growth appears, leave it undisturbed for about a month, after which cut back half of the new foliage.

This is how you can grow and maintain lavender plants in your flower garden or landscape. Gardeners prefer to grow these ornamental plants to create low hedges and borders. But, they are also excellent for growing in a rock garden and cottage garden. Apart from these, you can put it to so many uses. Lavender spikes can be used for dried flower arrangement, while the flowers can be added to salads and used for cooking. You can include the dried flowers in sachets and keep them in the closets and drawers to repel moth and other insects, and also to give your clothing a fresh smell. Thus lavender plants can be used in numerous ways and so, they can be a great addition to your garden.