For the love of fragrant lavender

FRENCH lavender flowers in early spring and English lavender summer. With the right garden plan for each variety, the same colour can be seen right through the season.

“Hidcote” (Lavandula augustifolia) would have to be my favourite to grow because it’s long lasting and the plumes of flowers are delightful in the garden.

Formally known as L. officinalis, it is a member of the mint family and is derived from hot, dry, Mediterranean climates, which means it grows well with our hot summers.

The fragrant, deep-purple flowers sit above the grey foliage and a general clip after flowering once a year should keep them in shape.

This particular variety is prized for its aromatic flowers and one of the best varieties for oil production. “Hidcote” grows to 40 centimetres by 50 centimetres and makes a great small hedge, which attracts bees, too. The foliage is fragrant, so place it where it can be brushed past to release the aroma.

It needs some care in its first year. Plant in soil that’s not too rich and doesn’t hold too much moisture. The soil pH needs to be around 6.5-7.5 and plant it where there’s space to grow. It’s generally long lived for a small plant and can last for at least 15 years.

Lavenders don’t like being moved, but the best time to transplant them is in spring or early summer and ensure as much of the root ball is intact. little tricky, but there are a few clever techniques online explaining how to extract the seeds from the hard shell without a hammer. jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

For a lavender with different foliage or differ ent coloured flower range, look for Portuguese, French or Spanish lavenders. The latter have grown in popularity over the last few years with a “Bee Happy” series that are pretty and highly fragrant miniature varieties with lovely upright petals at the top of each flower head.

Cut back lavender in the warmer months and, after flowering, give them a feed of a generalpurpose slow-release fertiliser. Lavender cutting can be taken in the summer, and they will root easily and provide lots of new plants for free.

POMEGRANATES (Punica granatum) is an old-fashioned plant that can have many uses in the garden.

It can be a bush or small tree and the autumnal foliage is also a terrific background plant. With the messy growth of this plant, it is also a perfect habitat for small birds all year round.

Pomegranates are a tough plant for our climate and cope with the sunniest, hottest spot in the garden. Trees won’t bear a decent yield until they reach maturity at around five to six years, but a tried and tested variety to try for our climate is “Ben Hur”. It’s an Australian-developed pomegranate and bred especially for the home gardener, producing large fruit up to 1.5 kilograms. While it can be expensive to buy (due to being under plant breeders’ rights and royalties), pomegranate seeds have tremendous health benefits.

I am now looking forward to my pomegranate flowering and, hopefully, fruiting more. Mine’s an unnamed variety from a sucker that I vividly remember cutting from an old shrub in a garden in Deakin many years ago.

Jottings…

• Deadhead chrysanthemums and dahlias to increase flower production.

• Trim spent seed head of agapanthus.

• Look for ants farming insects on citrus and other fruit trees.

• Plant brassicas, lettuce and English spinach.