Gardening tips: Expert on how to grow lavender at home
Gardening expert Sarah Raven explained that as the climate changes and summers get warmer, it’s important to consider ways to create thriving, colourful gardens with less need for water overconsumption.
She claimed that one way to do this is by incorporating “drought-tolerant plants” into landscape and gardens to keep these spaces “looking lively and vibrant without the need for excessive watering”.
The expert said: “These resilient plants have evolved to thrive in arid climates and can withstand extended periods of heat and limited water availability.
“By choosing and planting drought-tolerant species, we can conserve water, reduce maintenance efforts, and still enjoy a beautiful and thriving garden throughout the hot summer months.”
Sarah has shared the benefits of planting drought-tolerant plants and has provided her tips on selecting the right varieties, with practical advice on how to care for these hardy plants in a summer heatwave.
1. Lavandula ‘Hidcote’
This type of lavender produces the most blooms and has beautiful purple-blue flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar so is absolutely loved by bees and butterflies.
To suit its original climate of the Mediterranean, lavandula is both “heat and drought tolerant”. Simply cut back the flower spikes in the autumn but do not cut into the woody stem.
2. Pelargonium
This plant has beautiful pink flowers which look “absolutely fabulous” in pots or growing on borders, according to Sarah. She explained: “Pelargoniums are not thirsty plants, but growth will become stunted if they are kept too dry. You should water and feed the plants well in the summer and deadhead to encourage a second flush of flowers.”
3. Eryngium ‘Picos Blue’
These plants need plenty of sunshine and free-draining soil to thrive. The expert urged that their loops of spikes can be sharp so it’s best to plant them away from the edge of a border or path, especially if little legs will be running up and down.
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4. Limonium ‘Dazzle Rocks’
This plant produces an array of stunning pink-purple flowers, which attract bees and butterflies into the whole garden through summer. It is drought-tolerant and heat-resistant and this compact limonium is actually small enough to thrive in a perennial pot or front of the border.
It dries a truly beautiful shape so can make for a really lovely dried arrangement within the home. Gardeners should apply mulch around the crown in autumn to protect it from winter wet and cold.
A mulch is a layer of material, such as straw or lawn clippings, applied to the surface of the soil to keep in soil moisture, improve the fertility and health of the soil and reduce weed growth.
5. Salvia ‘Cardonna’
One of the earliest varieties of salvia, cardonna produces some of the longest spikes which can readily reach 60cm. It is drought tolerant perennial but will perform best in a sunny spot with rich free draining soil. Gardeners can expect beautiful purple flowers from June through to October but for the best results, cut back in early summer to encourage later flowering.
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6. Gaura ‘Lindheimeri’
Sarah pointed out that this is “the perfect plant” for lining paths and adding interest to flower beds. She said: “It’s a really versatile plant in that it looks beautiful in an arrangement, but also lovely in a cloud on its own.”
They need to be placed in full sunshine and tend to flower from June through to August. They are “particularly drought tolerant” so are “really easy to maintain”. To protect from winter weather, mulch in autumn.
7. Verbena ‘Bonariensis’
The gardening expert claimed that this plant produces an “absolutely stunning display of purple flowers” at head height from late summer through to autumn and tends to be covered in butterflies as soon as there is a glimpse of sunshine.
They are drought-tolerant perennials so need little maintenance, but gardens should protect them with a layer of leaf mould or compost mulch in autumn.
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