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PLANTLAND EDITORIAL

THE MYSTICAL

PRINCESS

LAVENDER

When thinking of lavenders, your
mind instantly takes you to the Tuscan
lavender fields filled with rows of grey
shrubs covered in purple flowers. Take

that same thought and change the
flowers to a soft pink on small compact
grey-green shrubs and you end up with
the spectacular Princess Lavender.

What makes this lavender so special and unique? you could plant up an entire block or bed to maximise the look. This
The uniform growth as well as the large, soft pink petals produced on plant makes a wonderful subject for natural, low uncut hedges.
tall stems standing proud are features that make this lavender stand out.
Lavenders produce lots of flowers and when planted in a sunny spot, the They also do well in containers, however these should be no smaller
Princess will continuously produce flowers in abundance throughout than 40cm tall and 40cm wide. Why not combine the Princess
the warmer months of the year. This beauty grows to approx. 60cm in Lavender with low growing blue Felicia, purple Brachycombe or
height and 40cm wide and can handle moderate frost. white Iberis? When combining it with larger plants, use with white
Icebergs, standard Murrayas or even tall blue Solanums.
Using Princess Lavender in the garden
As with most lavenders, the Princess Lavender can be planted in a Transform with fragrance
herb garden, a structured or flexible garden or even in containers. Lavender is the most calming fragrance in the world. Have you ever
Lavenders grow best when planted in well-drained soil and require a tried drying the lavender flowers for long lasting, all-natural floral
minimum of five hours of sun per day. Lavenders are also waterwise fragrance? Cut the flower stems about 10cm long, just as the flowers
plants, which means that you should not overwater them – twice a are about to open and hang them in small bunches upside down in a
week watering when planted in the garden will be sufficient. warm, shady spot with good ventilation. Once dried, these bunches
can be put in small woven bags and placed in your drawers between
Strong Princess Lavender plants clothes or bedding for a lovely, fresh fragrance.
When planting, you should add about a spade of Malanseuns
compost, together with half a handful of bonemeal per plant. By There are various types of Lavender – literally hundreds to choose
composting the soil, you are not only adding organic matter into from. But why choose Princess Lavender? Being a stoechas variety,
it but also introducing vital microbes. Lavenders prefer organic this means it is one of the French lavender varieties. Compact, filled
phosphates as well as calcium for good root development and that with colour and absolutely gorgeous to look at!
is why we add bonemeal to the recipe.
Happy gardening!
Designing with lavenders
When designing with this specific variety in smaller gardens, it is
advisable to plant a few together so that they support one another Plantland Garden Centre
for visual impact and also give each other stability. In larger gardens www.plantland.co.za n

8 Landscape SA • Issue 116 2022