Lavender brings beauty and scent to any garden with its purple blooms and calming fragrance. This hardy Mediterranean plant can thrive in many climates if you understand its basic needs.
Over my years of gardening, I’ve found lavender to be one of the most rewarding plants – but it does have some specific requirements to really flourish.
Whether you’re planting in a garden bed or container, these tips will help you grow lavender that’s both beautiful and wonderfully aromatic.
1. Choose The Right Lavender Variety For Your Climate
Not all lavender types work everywhere. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) handles cold better, while French and Spanish varieties prefer warmer zones. I learned this the hard way after losing three Spanish lavender plants during an unexpected freeze.
For containers in cooler areas, stick with hardy English varieties like ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’. Southern gardeners have more options, including the showy French and Spanish types with their distinctive topped flowers.
Match your selection to your growing zone for the best results.
2. Prioritize Full Sun Exposure
Lavender demands sunshine – at least 6-8 hours daily for proper growth and oil production. My first attempts at growing it in partial shade resulted in leggy, weak-flowering plants with minimal fragrance.
Watch your planting area throughout the day before deciding where to place your lavender. That spot that seems sunny in the morning might be shaded by midday.
Container growers have an advantage here – you can move pots to follow the sun, something I do regularly with my patio lavender collection.
3. Ensure Perfect Drainage
Soggy soil spells death for lavender. Their Mediterranean roots hate standing water and quickly develop rot. When planting in-ground, I always mix in plenty of coarse sand or fine gravel to improve drainage.
For containers, use terracotta pots with drainage holes and add a 1-inch layer of pebbles at the bottom. My potting mix for lavender is typically 60% regular potting soil, 30% coarse sand, and 10% perlite.
After heavy rain, check container plants to make sure they’re not sitting in water.
4. Test And Adjust Soil PH
Lavender thrives in slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 6.5 and 8. My garden naturally had acidic soil (around 6.0), and my lavender struggled until I tested and adjusted it.
Get an inexpensive soil test kit from a garden center. If your soil is too acidic, work some garden lime into the soil before planting. For container growing, add a tablespoon of garden lime to each pot of potting mix.
Sweet soil makes sweet-smelling lavender – I noticed stronger fragrance after correcting my soil pH.
5. Practice Restraint When Watering
Lavender prefers to be slightly underwatered rather than overwatered. Once established, these plants are surprisingly drought-tolerant. The biggest mistake I made as a beginner was watering on a regular schedule regardless of conditions.
For in-ground plants, water deeply but infrequently – usually once every two weeks unless it’s extremely hot or dry. Container lavender needs more frequent watering but should still dry out between sessions.
I stick my finger an inch into the soil – if it’s dry at that depth, it’s time to water.
6. Skip The Rich Fertilizers
Lavender actually produces stronger scents and oils when slightly stressed in poor soil. Contrary to many garden plants, rich fertilizers produce weak, floppy growth with fewer flowers and less fragrance.
If you must feed, use a very light application of balanced, slow-release fertilizer in spring. For my container lavender, I use just half the recommended dose on the package.
Some of my most fragrant plants grow in what looks like little more than gravel with a bit of soil mixed in – they’re tough plants that don’t need coddling!
7. Space Plants Properly For Air Circulation
Crowded lavender develops fungal problems quickly. I’ve found that plants need at least 2-3 feet between them in humid climates, slightly less in dry areas. My first lavender bed failed because I planted them too close together.
In containers, limit yourself to one plant per pot unless using a very large container. The roots need space, and the foliage needs air movement to stay healthy.
Good spacing also allows each plant to develop that attractive rounded shape lavender is known for without competing with neighbors.
8. Prune Regularly But Not Too Deeply
Pruning keeps lavender shapely and promotes fresh growth. I learned through trial and error to never cut into the woody stems – they won’t regrow. Instead, trim about one-third of the green growth after flowering.
For young plants in their first year, I just deadhead spent blooms. Established plants get a more substantial haircut in late summer or early fall, shaping them into neat mounds.
In colder regions, leave a bit more growth to protect the plant through winter. My northern garden lavender gets a lighter trim than the plants at my sister’s coastal property.
9. Mulch With The Right Materials
Organic mulches that hold moisture can rot lavender’s crown and roots. Instead of bark or compost, I use inorganic mulches like white gravel or crushed shells around my plants.
These light-colored stones reflect sunlight onto the plant (boosting growth) and heat (improving oil production). They also prevent soil from splashing onto the foliage during rain, reducing disease problems.
Leave a small mulch-free zone directly around the stem to prevent moisture from being trapped against the plant base – a trick I learned after losing a mature plant to crown rot.
10. Use Terracotta Pots For Container Growing
Plastic pots retain too much moisture for lavender’s liking. After switching to unglazed terracotta, my container lavender improved dramatically. These porous clay pots allow excess moisture to evaporate through the sides.
Size matters too – choose containers at least 12-16 inches in diameter with ample depth. My most successful potted lavender grows in a 16-inch pot that allows proper root development.
The weight of terracotta also prevents tipping in windy locations, a problem I had with plastic pots on my exposed deck.
11. Protect From Winter Wet More Than Cold
Many lavender varieties can handle cold temperatures, but winter moisture often kills them. In my rainy Pacific Northwest garden, I cover in-ground plants with clear plastic supported on hoops to keep rain off during the wettest months.
For container lavender, I move pots under eaves or into an unheated garage during prolonged wet periods. The plants don’t need much light when dormant in winter.
Avoid covering with heavy materials that trap moisture. A friend lost her entire lavender collection using bark mulch as winter protection – it held too much dampness against the stems.
12. Refresh Container Soil Annually
Potted lavender benefits from yearly soil renewal. Each spring, I carefully remove my plants, trim away about one-third of the roots, and repot with fresh lavender-friendly potting mix.
This root pruning prevents the plant from becoming root-bound and rejuvenates older specimens. I’ve kept the same container lavender thriving for over 5 years using this method.
If you can’t repot completely, at least scrape away the top 2-3 inches of old soil and replace it with fresh mix to provide new nutrients and improve drainage.
13. Harvest At The Right Time For Maximum Fragrance
Timing makes a huge difference in lavender’s scent intensity. I’ve found the best moment to harvest is when flowers are just beginning to open, but before they’re fully bloomed. This morning ritual has become one of my favorite gardening tasks.
Cut stems in the morning after dew has dried but before the day heats up. The plant’s essential oils are most concentrated at this time. Use sharp scissors to avoid tearing the stems.
Gather stems in loose bundles secured with twine, hanging them upside down in a dark, dry place for the best fragrance preservation.
14. Combat Humidity With Strategic Planting
Lavender struggles in humid climates unless given extra help. In my friend’s sticky southern garden, her lavender thrived after she started planting it alongside rosemary and near rock features that absorb and radiate heat.
Raised beds improve drainage and air circulation in humid areas. Adding a handful of crushed oyster shells or limestone gravel around plants also helps – both materials slightly alter the microclimate around the lavender.
Avoid planting near sprinklers or in low spots where damp air collects. My best-performing plants sit on a slight slope that lets air move freely.
15. Prevent Woody Sprawl With Early Training
Lavender can become woody and sprawling without proper early shaping. When plants are young, I pinch the growing tips to encourage bushy growth rather than legginess. This simple technique has given me much more attractive, compact plants.
For the first two years, focus on developing a good plant structure through gentle shaping rather than heavy pruning. Light trims after the first bloom cycle encourage a second flush of flowers on many varieties.
I’ve noticed that plants shaped early maintain their attractive form much longer than those left to grow naturally.
16. Companion Plant For Mutual Benefits
Certain plant neighbors benefit lavender while others cause problems. I’ve had great success planting drought-tolerant herbs like thyme and sage nearby – they share similar water needs and don’t compete too aggressively.
Roses and lavender make classic companions in my garden beds. The lavender’s strong scent helps deter some rose pests, while both appreciate the same well-drained soil conditions.
Avoid planting lavender near water-loving plants like mint or heavy feeders like cabbage family vegetables. My lavender struggled terribly when I mistakenly planted it near my broccoli one season.
17. Address Pests Naturally
Lavender has few pest problems, but spittlebugs and whiteflies occasionally appear. Instead of reaching for chemicals, I spray affected plants with a strong stream of water to dislodge bugs, repeating every few days until they’re gone.
For persistent issues, I make a spray from 1 tablespoon of mild dish soap in a quart of water. This solution works especially well for the occasional aphid outbreak on new growth.
Encouraging beneficial insects helps too. I plant alyssum nearby to attract hover flies, which control many common lavender pests naturally.