How to grow lavender and best varieties

Lavenders have been a mainstay of our gardens for hundreds of years, loved for their scented flowers that can be dried after their finish blooming. Bees love them and they thrive in a sunny spot in well-drained soil.

Which? Gardening magazine grew a range of popular varieties in the north and south of the UK over two years to see which would give us the best display and be hardy enough to get through UK winters.

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Key facts

PLANT TYPE Shrub

POSITION Full sun

SOIL Well-drained

How to grow lavender: month by month

Best lavender varieties

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Full testing results for lavenders

How we test lavenders

Which? Gardening chose 23 varieties of lavender, with a mix of old favourites, previous Best Buys and new cultivars. We planted three of each variety in a sunny border at our Capel Manor Gardens trial site in north London and also at Oatridge College near Edinburgh. 

We watered them well in both years, making sure they got through hot weather and droughts. We didn't feed them. 

We trimmed back the spent flower heads and top 2-3cm of growth in spring to encourage new foliage and flowers. The plants grew for two years and we noted any losses over winter. 

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Caring for your plants

Planting

Lavenders grow best in light, well-drained soil in full sun. Improve the drainage if you have heavy soil, or dig in soil improver, or grow in pots. 

Plants grow quickly in their first year, so buy in 9cm or 1L pots. Plant in April, May or June when the weather is warmer and plants are widely available. 

If you want to grow in pots, choose a compact variety and grow it in a sturdy container with large drainage holes. Use a Best Buy compost for containers and add a controlled-release feed when planting. 

Learn how to make your own compost

Caring for your plants

Water your plants in the ground regularly until they're well established. Plants in their second year will need less watering. Keep pots well watered throughout spring and summer. 

There's no need to feed lavender plants in the border, as excess feeding can lead to leggy growth. 

Deadhead as flowers go over or remove all flower heads once blooming has finished in late summer, also cutting off the top 2-3cm of foliage. You can delay this until spring to leave seedheads for the birds. Don't prune into old, leafless branches as they won't regrow. 

Try our Best Buy secateurs

Put pots in a sheltered position or in the greenhouse over the winter where they won't get too wet. 

Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings from shoots that haven't yet flowered in early or mid-summer. 

Common growing problems

Dieback

Lavender roots can rot in wet or heavy soils, so if plants start to die off in sections, check the drainage and see if it can be improved.

Rosemary beetle

Rosemary beetles can attack leaves and flowers. Damage is caused by larvae and adult beetles, and is usually seen in spring or late summer. The larvae are off-white, while the adults have iridescent green shells with purple stripes. Plants can cope with a light infestation, which can be removed by hand. A heavier infestation may need to be sprayed with an insecticide when plants are not in flower.