How to plant a lavender hedge that looks good all year long
By planting a lavender hedge you can create a defined area within a garden, add a soft border to paths and walkways and attract plenty of beneficial bees and pollinators. Low growing, this is a hedge which will not get out of hand or cause neighbourly disputes. It is easy to care for and with just a little attention, it will last for years.
Lavender is a stalwart of the classic cottage garden, but it fits all styles, from Mediterranean gravel spaces to chic urban courtyards. It has a long flowering period, from around June to September, and the fragrant foliage keeps its colour year-round, even when the plant is dormant over winter.
All you need if you want to plant a lavender hedge in your garden is a sunny spot and our simple lavender growing tips for success.
How to plant a lavender hedge
- Fork over the soil in the area of your garden landscaping where you want to create the hedge. Space the plants about 30cm apart (or 45cm for larger species, check the plant label for height and spread). If the soil is heavy, incorporate plenty of horticultural grit before planting.
- Dig a hole which is just a bit larger than the plant’s root ball.
- Take the plant out of its pot and place in the soil. Fill the gap, and then firm around the base.
- Water in thoroughly, aiming for the roots, not the foliage. After planting, keep watered regularly in dry weather for the first growing season. After that, it should look after itself. Usually, lavender does not need feeding. You could do it just occasionally using an all-purpose feed to improve the overall health of the plants, but it is not essential.
Lavender hedge planting essentials
Spear & Jackson
Spear & Jackson 4550DF Stainless Steel Fork
Dig over the soil to prepare it for your lavender hedge planting with this stainless-steel fork. It’s rust resistant with a weatherproof hardwood handle for durability. Comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Thompson & Morgan
Horticultural Potting Grit
This horticultural grit can be added to heavy soil to help improve drainage and aeration when planting a lavender hedge. Also suitable for use with planting alpine plants, cacti and succulents.
Srendi
Srendi® Heavy Duty Mattock
Our editor, Beth Murton, has this in her garden tool collection, with her husband saying it’s the best £20 he’s spent on a garden tool! It makes light work of digging holes for planting and easily breaks up soil, especially if it’s compacted or has lots of rocks in it.
When is the best time to plant a lavender hedge?
Although the autumn and winter months are a good time to start planning your lavender hedges and thinking about what sort of plants you want to include in your design, you need to wait until the soil has warmed up before you can plant them.
In the UK, this can be any time from mid-April until the end of July. If it is a cold spring, it’s best to wait to plant until May. Lavender roots will grow much more quickly in warm soil.
What’s the best lavender for a lavender hedge?
English lavender is the most robust and long-lived. This hardy perennial has tiny flowers on grey/green stems.
French lavender, which has tufty top petals that look like a butterfly’s wings, is less hardy, so unless your chosen spot for a hedge is extremely sheltered, it is best to go for an English variety.
There are more than 250 English lavenders, and these include dwarf plants, which won’t grow taller than 30cm. Lavender ‘Dwarf Blue’ (available from Thompson & Morgan) and ‘Miss Muffet’ are two examples.
Larger, bushier choices for bigger gardens include Lavendula Intermedia ‘Grosso’ (available from Thompson & Morgan) which tops 1m in height and spread.
Lavenders don’t just come in blue either. You can go for white, misty purple or even pink too!
Lavender varieties to plant in your hedge
Crocus
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Munstead’
An absolute classic, it has true green foliage and purple spires of flowers. A compact variety, this popular favourite will grow to around 45cm in height so is a good option for a low-growing hedge alongside a path or patio. It will flower throughout the summer months.
Thompson & Morgan
Lavender ‘Alba’
There’s something super stylish about white lavender, especially when it is grown en masse. This white-flowering variety is vigorous and robust, making it a great choice for a low-maintenance hedge. It will grow to an eventual height of around 75cm.
Thompson & Morgan
Lavender ‘Rosea’
Another lovely alternative to purple-flowering lavender, this rose pink variety both looks and smells delicious. It flowers between July and September and will grow up to 60cm tall with a spread of 75cm.
Where should I plant a lavender hedge?
Good drainage is the key to success with lavender. As a Mediterranean garden plant, it will not thrive in damp or heavy, soggy soil, so a well-drained site is a must.
Choose a sunny spot and your lavender hedge should thrive in the right conditions. It’s a great choice for low-maintenance gardens as once established your lavender hedge should require very little watering or care.
If you don’t have the right type of soil or conditions in your garden, another option is to plant lavender in a series of garden planters to mimic the effect of a hedge. This will allow you to have more control of the soil in which your lavender is planted.
When should I prune a lavender hedge?
English lavender should be pruned twice a year to keep the hedge bushy and compact. This will stop leggy brown stems appearing. When the flowers have faded in late summer or early autumn, trim them off with a pair of secateurs. These Spear & Jackson bypass secateurs are highly rated on Amazon.
Then cut about 2.5cm from the plant’s leaves, making sure that some green stays on. This lets light into the plant and enables new shoots to form before the lavender becomes dormant over winter.
In late February or in early March if it has been a cold month, trim the lavender plants lightly again using a pair of sharp garden shears.
Whether you want to plant a lavender hedge as a garden screening idea or simply want a natural way to zone different areas of your plot, this pretty scented plant is a classic choice.
Growing trees in pots is another good option if you’re looking to break up a space and create additional privacy.
The original version of this article previously appeared on Gardeningetc, a sister website to Homebuilding & Renovating.