Almost everyone knows the lavishly violet blooming, seemingly endless fields of lavender from Provence. In Germany, too, lavender can be planted as a hedge or even as a ground cover.
Plant lavender to cover the ground
Although lavender is not a classic ground cover - after all, the plant naturally grows tall and does not crawl along the ground - it can still be planted as a ground cover. As a result, you will be able to grow a more or less low hedge, which is ideal for edging beds or as a border for paths. To achieve this goal, you need between 12 and 16 plants per square meter, which you plant as evenly spaced as possible. The best time to plant is late spring or early summer. Hardy lavender varieties can also be used in August. However, before you get to work, the first thing you should do is check the soil conditions in your garden. Lavender needs sandy to rocky, nutrient-poor soil. Heavy clay or peat soils, on the other hand, are not very suitable. In addition, lavender is a sun lover and prefers a full sun location.
Suitable lavender varieties
The low-growing lavender varieties of the hardy type "Lavandula angustifolia", the so-called real lavender, are particularly suitable as ground cover. Varieties such as "Hidecote Blue", "Peter Pan" or "Dwarf Blue" are only between 25 and about 40 centimeters high. They are not only available in the typical lavender blue, but also in white or pink flowers.
Maintain lavender hedges
Lavender is a perennial shrub that tends to become woody. You should take proper care of your hedge so that you can enjoy your hedge for many years to come. Lavender bushes should be cut at least once a year, preferably twice a year. Otherwise, they'll wilt and literally fall apart. Cut your plants down by about two-thirds in spring - in good, warm weather if possible as early as March - but without cutting into the old wood. A second cut is then made in summer, at the latest in early August, when the shrubs gradually fade. This second, less drastic pruning encourages the plants to flower a second time.
tips and tricks
Some people would like to plant ground-covering lavender between their roses to keep aphids and ants away and to control the rampant weeds. Unfortunately, roses and lavender do not get along due to the very different demands on care and soil conditions. Weeds can also become a problem, because the lavender does not keep them away. Instead, you need to weed regularly.
IJA