PLANT PORN: LAVENDER

Beautiful scent, looks good in pretty much every type of garden, loved by butterflies, bees and people alike - lavender is a plant that's basically got it all!

Whether it's in your cottage garden, your cocktails or your cosmetics, chances are you've already got a bit of lavender in your life, but if not, get ready to join the hype.

THE DEETS

Lovely low-level shrub with silvery aromatic foliage topped with buds of dense fragrant flowers. The most common colour is the classic purple, but white, blue and even pink can be found too! You can also get lots of different looking flowers, from the delicate spikes of English lavender to the showier blooms that you get French lavender, so no matter what your garden looks like you'll most likely find one that works for you.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

You name it, lavender can probably do it. Best known for its calming effects, a lot of its benefits link to this such as improving sleep, reducing blood pressure and reducing skin inflammation.  It's also thought to help with hot flashes, promote hair growth and to relieve asthma symptoms.

RATING

Trickier than you might think but not too bad once you get the hang of it. Chose a sunny spot with well-draining soil (no soggy roots, please!) and prune it back in the autumn for lovely bushy plants the following year.

Sound more than you want to commit to? Go for a bunch of no-maintenance dried lavender!

Looking for more lavender? We've got you sorted here.