Lavender & its cultivation and uses at Lakeside Hotel and Spa. Here at Lakeside Hotel and Spa we grow Lavender for several reasons, even though in our Cumbrian climate it can pose a bit of a challenge. More on that in a moment. Our main criteria for including this sun loving, dry climate shrub is that Lavender has for the longest time been a staple in English country gardens and our gardens are no exception in this regard. It's charms are obvious. The perfume, colour and contrast of 'glaucous' (blue/green) foliage as well as it's shape and size does undoubtedly please the eye, the nose and the heart. We choose from several varieties which are known to be hardier in cold conditions. That being said Lavender's are not tolerant of very cold weather and our Cumbrian winter's have proven fatal on occasion to these Mediterranean woody herbs. 'Hidcote' is a strong grower and if planted early in the year, after the frosts have gone, will stand a good chance of surviving for a good few years. 'Munstead' is another good performer, larger than Hidcote but still quite tough compared to other varieties. We lay down a thick dry mulch for our plants over winter. Bark chips generously applied work quite well. You could use straw. The idea is to prevent frost, snow or ice from settling on the bare soil, freezing the roots and subsequently killing the plants. Remember that Lavender's originate in hot, dry zones and in fact grow better in fairly impoverished soils. Too much nutrient rich organic matter in the soil, such as livestock manure or other fertilizers may bring an end to the plant. It is possible to kill Lavender with kindness. Ideally a very well drained loam soil is best. Loam is soil with equal parts sand, clay and humus (humus being organic material which has completed it's decomposition cycle). Covering your Lavenders with a winter fleece, before the first frosts arrive, will greatly improve your chances of keeping them alive in the often very cold English winters. Lavender like Rosemary resents disturbance and so lifting them out of the ground (to overwinter in a greenhouse for example) is very risky to the life of the plant. There are ways you could keep your prized specimens thriving for years though. You might like to plant your Lavenders in pots for example. This has the advantage of portability (they can be moved indoors during the colder months). You also have the option of relocating them should you wish to re-arrange how they are displayed in the garden. If you want to use them
in a border display you could even bury the pot in the ground which means the specimen can still be safely lifted, pot and all, for overwintering. Lavender after a few years can get quite woody if not clipped lightly at the beginning of spring (again, once the frosts have disappeared). They will not re-shoot from old wood so you musn't cut them back into the woody stems. A light trim of the soft, new growth (from last year) will maintain the size and shape you want as well as removing last years spent flower stalks. I mentioned several reasons why we grow Lavender here. I have talked a bit about the sensory value as well as it's sentimental value. Lavender is also a very popular plant with pollinating insects, especially bees. We have started a new planting of Lavender 'Hidcote' on our recently improved Kitchen Garden with it's mixture of herbs and culinary flowers. Besides being a visually interesting space we provide our hotel kitchen with an assortment of foliage, fruit and flower's. Our bee attracting Lavender's will prove an integral part of this space as they mature, inviting any visiting critters to avail themselves of the pollen they need whilst helping us by pollinating our collection of regional espaliered apples and pears. Lavender has of course a myriad of uses in a range of health and beauty products and here at Lakeside Hotel's Spa we offer a selection of Lavender infused products and treatments for our guests and day visitors.