This is a subscriber-only article
Name: Lavandula
Lavender gets its name from the Latin word lavo, to wash, and it has been associated with laundry for a long time.
The volatile oil is extracted from the plant by distillation and used in perfumery.
It has also been used in herbal medicine, having antiseptic qualities, and was placed in pillows to promote restful sleep.
Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region and finds the climate here a bit too damp and cool most of the time.
Well adapted to the dry, exposed and sun-baked hills where it grows wild, the leaves of this small shrub are grey-green, linear in shape and have the edges rolled back underneath to reduce moisture loss.
The foliage and stiff stems can take constant buffeting of wind without damage.
The flowers are carried on slender stems, strong although quite light, and the flowers themselves are carried in a dense spike at the top.
Opening from rounded buds, the flowers may be coloured dark purple to light pink.
Each little floret opens in its turn over a period of time, closing when it has been visited by bees and other pollinating insects.
The flowering period stretches over several weeks in summer.
The common lavender makes a small, dense and rounded bush to about one metre tall and a bit more wide in vigorous plants.
Mostly, selected varieties are grown, including ‘Hidcote’ which is a good purple-blue colour and fairly compact, not the same plant as ‘Hidcote Giant’ which is much bigger, too big for most gardens.
‘Munstead’ is tight in growth habit and ‘Twickel Purple’ is neat, and a good rich purple. ‘Loddon Pink’ is smallish with pale pink flowers. ‘Grappenhall’ is a big bush with blue-purple flowers.
French lavender is a different species and has become popular in recent years.
It carries some relatively large bracts at the top of the flower spike, an added signal to pollinators, and it is an attractive garden plant.
It is small-growing and there are various named forms, such as ‘Papillon’ with several pale lilac bracts; ‘Regal Splendour’ with pale wine-red wings; ‘Purple Wings’, rich purple, and ‘Tiara’ which has greenish white wings over a purple flower head.
While French lavender is gaining popularity, it is not as hardy in cold areas inland as the common lavender.
All kinds thrive in well-drained, poor soil and full sunshine, and tend not to last more than a few years in heavy soil. In dry gravelly soil, self-sown seedlings might appear.
Originally this beautiful flower came from Central America. It is an annual, self-sowing by seed shed each year.
However, it is very tender and not able to survive outdoors and becomes a weed in a cool climate. But it can look spectacular for a few months in summer, especially with warm weather.
Petunias are very long-lasting, being short-lived perennials, although treated as annuals. This means two things.
First of all, they flower very late if well looked after and that means keeping them well watered late into the summer and early autumn and feeding them every couple of weeks to keep them growing.
It is surprising how they can last in autumn if there is no early season frost.
The other aspect of being perennial is that they can be raised from cuttings.
Plants raised from cuttings taken now can be over-wintered indoors on a window sill and planted out next May.
Small plants are not difficult to keep and they can be pinched back to make really tight bushy plants for planting out.
Just take a little cutting of a non-flowering sideshoot, before it gets big enough to carry a flower. It roots well at this stage, using rooting powder, and a sandy compost.
Trees, shrubs and roses
Early flowering shrub roses and ramblers could now be pruned by removing some of the shoots that flowered. Many established trees are showing early autumn colouring, which is strange given the plentiful supplies of water.
Flowers
Stay ahead of weeding in flower beds and borders. Prevent weeds from going to seed now. It is possible to collect seeds of perennial flowers. Take cuttings of tender plants such as geraniums, fuchsias and African daisy to carry over winter.
Greenhouse and house plants
Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers. Take the tops off tomatoes to boost the green fruit that is already present. Tidy up all kinds of plant debris and be careful not to overwater, or to splash water about.
Lawn
With spells of rain and sunshine, and cold weather in much of a late spring,most lawns have done quite well, but some are patchy and have dried out. Wild flower meadows and wildflower lawns have performed well with a good show of colourful flowers.
Fruit, vegetables and herbs
Raspberry canes that have finished fruiting could be pruned out and the new canes tied into position. Remove apples or pears attacked by wasps to avoid even more damage. Dry or freeze herbs that are ready for picking.
SHARING OPTIONS: