If I see a new garden project that has plenty of sun and a nice free-draining soil, I instantly think of how I can incorporate some lavenders into the scheme because they are universally loved — the sight and scent of summer. On a hot day especially, the grey-green foliage pumps out its soporific perfume through its essential oils (“lavare” derives from the Latin meaning “to wash” because it has been used for centuries in one medium or another to help us smell fragrant).
Visually, when the flower spikes emerge in late spring, I love the way lavenders change in volume — in some cases doubling in size — to introduce upright brushstrokes to a garden before bursting into colour. The subsequent combination of purple
