Pruning Lavender

Over time Lavender plants can become leggy. The way to avoid this is to trim them back just as the flowers are fading. Don't wait until the spring, or the woody stems will have "gaps" between healthy foliage, and the plants will loose their compact habit.

So, once you have enjoyed the purple flowers during June and July, then one day notice they are no longer colourful THAT is the time to get out the shears and give them a good haircut.  Usually around late July to mid August. By pruning now, they have several weeks to put on new fresh foliage well before any winter frosts, and look good all winter.

In our own front garden this hedge is made up of just 3 Lavandula Angustifolia Plants, planted approx 60cm apart. It's amazing how quickly they bulk up into substantial plants, so if planning a new border, allow for each plant to grow into a space of around 60x60cm square. Therefore, if planting next to a path,  or lawn, position the plant at least 30cm from the path edge.

I not only take off the tops, including a few inches beyond the flower stalks themselves, ie into the foliage, but also the sides. This is because otherwise the plant becomes too wide.












The second photo shows them after pruning. Admittedly the sides look a little sad, but in just a few weeks they will have greened up once more.

The sides will soon recover with fresh new shoots.

A very easy plant, proving several weeks of interest, and taking about 10-15 minutes of maintenance a year. A bonus that our compost bin also smells of Lavender!

Attracting Wildlife

HOW TO ATTRACT BIRDS, BEES AND OTHER INSECTS.

Many customers include "attracting wildlife" on their garden "wish list". This is really easy to do, and I am proud that my own garden attracts loads of wildlife.

Birds prefer to be able to land on something tallish initially, to check out the area, then gradually  move lower down. So, a small tree works really well as their landing post.  We have a sparrow whose routine is to land on a Acer just 6 feet from our window, clean his beak, then fly down to get water at the waterfall.

Water is a big attraction, so if you are not able to have a pond, then do have a bird bath. If you do have a pond, a few vertical plants such as Iris encourage Dragonflies who prefer to land above the water to lay their larvae. Although we enjoyed one a couple of years ago laying its larvae in amongst some moss on a rock on the pond edge. I used a macro lens to film it so, it's really up close and personal! (See film link below)

Butterfly on Verbena Bonariensis
Photo by Anne Massey

A variety of flowering plants are of course also key for attracting different types of insects with different food needs. These are the ones which are doing a job of providing nectar this month.

Bee on Geranium Rozanne. A great plant for ground cover and flowers for many weeks.
Photo by John Massey

Bee approaching Geranium Rozanne

Photo by John Massey

Gypsophila Rosenschleier

Photo by John Massey

Gypsophila Rosenschleier

Photo by John Massey

Teucrium Lucidrys

Photo by John Massey

Verbena Bonariensis

Photo by John Massey

Tiny Fly on Fennel
Photo by Anne Massey

Butterfly on Verbena Bonariensis (1)
Photo by Anne Massey

Bee Approaching Penstemon (1)
Photo by Anne Massey

Bee Approaching Penstemon (2)
Photo by Anne Massey

Bee Approaching Penstemon (3) here you can see the pollen on its back legs already collected.
Photo by Anne Massey

If you would like to see some of the wildlife in our garden in ACTION, here is the link to a one minute film I made a couple of years ago, call "Them and US", which was runner up in a TV competition.  Poem written by me too, with me also doing the commentary.

https://youtu.be/UJYIxdVzZmw