Lavenders for a Fragrant Garden

Lavender is one of the most beloved plants in the gardening world, celebrated for its calming fragrance, stunning blooms, and versatile uses. From culinary recipes to beauty products, lavender brings a fresh, floral aroma that’s both uplifting and soothing. Growing lavender in your garden not only enhances its visual appeal but also fills the air with a delightful fragrance, making outdoor spaces feel peaceful and inviting.

With a wide range of lavender varieties available, choosing the right one for your garden can be challenging. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best lavender varieties for fragrance, resilience, and beauty, including Phenomenal, Provence, English, Otto Quast, Munstead, Sweet, French, Grosso, Meerlo, Hidcote, Green French, and Goodwin Creek. Along the way, we’ll discuss planting tips and essential care techniques to help you create a thriving lavender garden.

Why Grow Lavender?

Lavender offers numerous benefits, making it an excellent choice for gardeners of all levels:

• Fragrance: Lavender’s signature scent is both calming and refreshing, perfect for adding fragrance to gardens, patios, and walkways.
• Low Maintenance: Lavender is a drought-tolerant plant that requires minimal care once established, making it suitable for Mediterranean, dry, and low-water landscapes.
• Pollinator-Friendly: Lavender attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, supporting biodiversity in your garden.
• Versatile Uses: Lavender flowers can be harvested for essential oils, dried arrangements, sachets, teas, and culinary uses, adding an extra dimension to your garden’s value.

Essential Tips for Growing Lavender

Before diving into specific lavender varieties, it’s important to understand the basics of lavender care. Here are some essential tips to ensure that your lavender thrives:

• Sunlight: Lavender thrives in full sun, needing at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. More sun equals better blooms and a stronger fragrance.
• Soil Requirements: Lavender requires well-draining soil with a slightly alkaline to neutral pH. In heavier soils, consider amending with sand or gravel to improve drainage.
• Watering: Lavender is drought-tolerant once established, so avoid overwatering. Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
• Pruning: Prune lavender lightly in early spring and again after blooming to encourage bushier growth and prevent the plant from becoming woody.
• Spacing: Lavender needs good airflow to prevent mold and mildew. Space plants about 2-3 feet apart, depending on the variety.

With these care tips in mind, let’s explore some of the top lavender varieties for a fragrant and beautiful garden.

1. Phenomenal Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Phenomenal’)

Phenomenal Lavender is known for its resilience, stunning blooms, and outstanding fragrance. It is a hybrid lavender that combines the best traits of English and Portuguese lavender, making it both beautiful and hardy.

• Height and Spread: Grows to about 2-3 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Lavender-blue flowers appear on long stems, creating a showy display.
• Fragrance: Strongly fragrant, making it ideal for aromatherapy and drying.
• Hardiness: Tolerates both heat and humidity, making it suitable for a range of climates, including warmer regions where other lavenders may struggle.

Phenomenal Lavender is a fantastic choice for gardeners looking for a robust, low-maintenance lavender that can handle both cold and hot weather conditions.

2. Provence Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’)

Provence Lavender is a favorite for its long flower spikes and strong aroma. Named after the famous lavender fields in France, it embodies everything we love about lavender.

• Height and Spread: Reaches up to 3 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Produces long, slender spikes of pale lavender flowers.
• Fragrance: Highly fragrant, often used in sachets, soaps, and dried arrangements.
• Ideal Uses: Excellent for border plantings, hedges, and cutting gardens.

Provence Lavender’s fragrance and long-stemmed flowers make it ideal for fresh and dried arrangements, adding a touch of French elegance to your garden.

3. English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

English Lavender, also known as True Lavender, is one of the most popular and versatile varieties. Its compact growth habit and rich fragrance make it a perfect addition to any garden.

• Height and Spread: Typically grows 1-2 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Deep purple or blue flowers bloom on short stems, giving a neat, compact appearance.
• Fragrance: Known for its sweet, traditional lavender scent, often used in culinary recipes and sachets.
• Hardiness: Cold-hardy and can tolerate some humidity, making it suitable for various climates.

English Lavender is a top choice for gardeners looking to grow lavender for both ornamental and culinary uses. It’s perfect for borders, herb gardens, and containers.

4. Otto Quast Lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’)

Otto Quast Lavender, also known as Spanish Lavender, is a unique variety with eye-catching blooms that look like “rabbit ears” atop the flower heads.

• Height and Spread: Reaches about 2 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Dark purple bracts with showy, bright purple “ears” on top.
• Fragrance: Mildly fragrant, but it adds strong visual interest with its distinct flower shape.
• Ideal Uses: Perfect for borders, containers, and Mediterranean-style gardens.

Otto Quast Lavender is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a visually striking lavender variety. Its unique blooms add a touch of whimsy to the garden.

5. Munstead Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’)

Munstead Lavender is a compact, hardy variety that produces an abundance of fragrant flowers, making it a classic choice for lavender gardens.

• Height and Spread: Grows to about 1-2 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Light purple flowers bloom in clusters on short stems.
• Fragrance: Sweetly fragrant, ideal for sachets and potpourri.
• Hardiness: Cold-hardy and well-suited to temperate climates.

Munstead Lavender’s compact size makes it perfect for edging pathways, creating low hedges, or planting in containers. Its strong fragrance adds a sensory experience to any garden.

6. Sweet Lavender (Lavandula heterophylla)

Sweet Lavender, also known as Lavandula heterophylla, is a vigorous variety that grows quickly and produces a sweet, floral scent.

• Height and Spread: Can grow up to 3-4 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Tall spikes of light purple flowers.
• Fragrance: Exceptionally sweet, making it a favorite for fresh bouquets and sachets.
• Growth Habit: Fast-growing and often used for large plantings or hedges.

Sweet Lavender is ideal for those who want a fragrant lavender that grows quickly and has a pleasant, sweet scent.

7. French Lavender (Lavandula dentata)

French Lavender is known for its serrated leaves and long-lasting blooms, providing both visual interest and a soft fragrance.

• Height and Spread: Reaches about 2-3 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Small lavender-colored flowers with distinctive fringed leaves.
• Fragrance: Mildly fragrant, with a slightly herbal scent.
• Ideal Uses: Great for hedges, mixed borders, and Mediterranean-style gardens.

French Lavender is well-suited for warm climates, and its long blooming period makes it a valuable addition to any fragrant garden.

8. Grosso Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’)

Grosso Lavender is one of the best lavender varieties for oil production due to its high essential oil content and strong fragrance.

• Height and Spread: Grows to about 2-3 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Large spikes of deep purple flowers.
• Fragrance: Highly fragrant, ideal for making essential oils and perfumes.
• Hardiness: Tolerant of heat, humidity, and frost.

Grosso Lavender is perfect for gardeners interested in harvesting lavender for essential oils, as its fragrance is both strong and long-lasting.

9. Meerlo Lavender (Lavandula allardii ‘Meerlo’)

Meerlo Lavender is a beautiful and resilient lavender variety with striking variegated foliage and a pleasant fragrance.

• Height and Spread: Reaches about 2-3 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Light purple flowers, though it’s often grown for its attractive foliage.
• Fragrance: Mildly fragrant, with a hint of rosemary.
• Special Features: Variegated leaves with cream edges, adding visual interest even when not in bloom.

Meerlo Lavender is ideal for gardeners who want a unique, visually appealing lavender that stands out in both foliage and fragrance.

10. Hidcote Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’)

Hidcote Lavender is a compact, highly fragrant lavender that produces deep purple flowers, making it a favorite for ornamental borders.

• Height and Spread: Grows to about 1-2 feet tall and wide.
• Flower Characteristics: Dark purple flowers, highly saturated in color.
• Fragrance: Sweet and aromatic, great for dried arrangements and sachets.
• Hardiness: Cold-hardy, perfect for cooler climates.

Hidcote Lavender’s deep color and fragrance make it one of the most popular lavenders for traditional garden designs.