Lavender

Growing Lavender

It is a plant best suited to sunny locations with good drainage and will sit well alongside other Mediterranean plants like Grapes, Rosemary and Figs. It will tolerate cold winters as long as it doesn’t get waterlogged.

The plants benefit from regular pruning to remove dead flowers and prevent the plant from becoming woody.

Uses

We use lavender a lot in our food forest, primarily to attract pollinators but also as a rabbit resistant space filler. The strong smell seems to keep the little critters away.

It can also be utilised as a crop itself with the flowers being used to produce essential oils as well as being used as a culinary herb and an ingredient in cosmetics. You can find out more about growing it for profit on the New Zealand growers association website here.