Dwarf French lavender Monet

Prostrate rosemary hangs over the side

Monet lavender hedge at Diggers, Dromana

Typically mediterranean plants, lavenders and rosemaries love well-drained, sandy soils and lots of sun, but hate humidity. More are killed by overwatering or planting into heavy soils, than for any other reason. Once planted in the right position the only care needed is regular pruning. French lavenders (Lavandula dentata) are great because they flower for most of the year, have a lovely mentholy lavender scent and provide nectar for bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.

The ‘Monet’ cultivar is much smaller growing than the more common full sized French lavenders, reaching only 50cm in height and 40cm across. This makes it ideal for hedges, either along paths or at the back of vegetable beds. Tip prune a couple of times a year to maintain a good shape and stop it becoming too woody. Because it flowers for so long, its hard to pick the right time to prune, so just do it when you have time and put up with not having flowers for a few weeks. New plants can be easily grown from cuttings.

Prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’) is the perfect rosemary to grow in a pot or raised bed where it can hang over the edge creating extra depth and interest. It has the added benefit of producing beautiful pale blue flowers in winter when not much else is in flower, as well as being a delicious herb used in a variety of dishes as well as herbal tea. Drink rosemary tea to sweeten the breath and ease indigestion, as well as helping a headache and improving memory.

Look at my facebook page to find out how I have been using this lavender and rosemary in an urban setting. Prostrate rosemary is fairly widely available but I have only seen dwarf French lavender ‘Monet’ for sale at Diggers

Prostrate rosemary hanging over the edge of a garden bed

Spanish lavender needs to be pruned in summer.

Italian lavender 'Avonview'

In the cool of the early morning and late in the afternoon I have been tidying up my garden. We had so much rain in spring that everything grew rapidly with lots of plants being overgrown, swamping nearby plants. I am just now finding time to do something about this and while most of the garden should have been cut back weeks ago (I always seem to be running weeks behind), now is the perfect time to prune most lavenders. They have been glorious right through spring but now the flower heads have largely finished and are starting to brown off, so its time to cut them back. All the Spanish and Italian lavenders (Lavandula pedunculata and L. stoechas) benefit from an allover trim. Just hold a clump of flowers in your hand and cut back well below the flowers, taking about a third of the leafy stem as well. You should end up with a compact, shaped shrub with no flowers.  One of the joys of pruning lavender is the scent, I find it makes me feel cheerful and clearheaded. Not unexpected as in aromatherapy lavender is calming and antidepressant.

English lavender 'Egerton Blue' in full flower

Neatly pruned English lavender

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the true lavender for cooking and medicine, and it too should be pruned now, if you haven’t already pruned it to collect the flowers. The flowers are held well above the bush, so cut the stem at the base, tip pruning the leaves at the same time. Even though the flowers are well past the best time to harvest for dried flowers or oil, it is still worth stripping the stems and drying the flowers. Spread them out on paper out of direct light for a few weeks, then fill small bags with the lavender flowers and use them to repel moths while sweetly scenting your clothes. French lavender (Lavandula dentata), flowers for most of the year so it can be hard to choose the best time to prune. It can also be pruned now, just cut back about 25% all over, but I would normally prune it in spring, when the other lavenders are looking good. That way you have lavender in flower in your garden all year round.

French lavender grown as a hedge

French lavender can be pruned at any time of the year

Prune this lavender when the flowers die off