English lavender is a woody evergreen herb, 18 to 24 inches, with fragrant grey-green foliage and spikes of purple flowers in early summer that bees and butterflies work from the first bud to the last. The flowers are used fresh or dried for sachets, baking and tea, and the plant edges paths and fills gravel gardens. It is the most cold-hardy lavender, which makes it the reliable choice for cold-winter gardens; 'Hidcote' and 'Munstead' are the standard compact forms.
It requires sharp drainage and dies in wet or heavy soil, especially in winter. Plant it in spring on a slope, in a raised bed or in gravel, 18 to 24 inches apart, in lean, alkaline soil in full sun, and water only until it is established; never mulch with bark or compost against the crown, which holds moisture and rots it. Gravel or sand is the right mulch. Prune after flowering, taking the spent spikes and an inch of foliage, and again lightly in spring for shape, but never cut into old bare wood, which does not regrow.
Harvest for drying when the first flowers on the spike have opened, in the morning, and hang bundles in a dark, airy place. Plants are at their best for five to eight years; take cuttings in summer to keep a stock. Deer and rabbits leave it alone. Native to the Mediterranean; hardy in zones 5 to 8, with the hybrid lavandins taking over in the warm, humid South.
Growing lavender? Read the Lavender Growing Guide - which species suits your zone, drainage, pruning, and harvesting for drying, timed to your frost dates.Phytophthora Root Rot
Wilting despite moist soil, yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and dark, decayed roots and crown tissue. Vines may collapse during hot weather.
Plant in well-draining soil and avoid waterlogging. Remove and destroy affected vines. Improve drainage with raised beds or amended soil and avoid overwatering.
Botrytis (grey mould)
Grey fuzzy mould on petals and stems, worst in cool wet conditions.
Remove affected parts immediately. Improve air circulation. Avoid overhead watering. Apply copper fungicide if severe.
Lavender Shab Disease
Shoots wilt and die back individually while the rest of the plant looks healthy. Small dark fungal bodies may appear on infected stems, and dieback spreads over the season.
Prune out and destroy affected stems well below the wilted section, cleaning tools between cuts. Remove severely infected plants. Improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and plant in well-draining soil to limit spread.