2 weeks Ago By Katherine McPhillips
Lavender is a beautiful plant known for its soothing scent, but many people do not realise how useful this purple flower is. Stephanie Leblanc, a gardener and founder of the Celebrated Herb , has shared that growing lavender is “pretty straightforward” as long as you strategically have it growing next to certain plants. Stephanie said: “I started growing companion plants with my lavender mainly because I wanted to make the most of my herb garden space.
What I discovered was that the right companions actually help both plants grow better. My lavender attracts tons of beneficial insects that help my whole garden, and its strong scent keeps many unwanted pests away from my vegetable beds.” Companion planting is the simple gardening practice of growing plants near each other that can support each other and help them both grow stronger.
Having lavender in the right spot in your garden is known to keep harmful pests away, like slugs, while also attracting beneficial insects like bumblebees. It is a natural way to help you get healthier and more abundant flowers so you will have a beautiful garden this spring without having to use any chemical pesticides. Herbs Since it is native to the Mediterranean, it should no surprise that lavender will greatly benefit other warm climate herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano.
All these herbs enjoy being in poor soil and can handle dry conditions, so they will be the most reliable plants in your garden no matter the weather. However, it should be noted that lavender should never be planted next to mint, and even though it is a herb, it has completely different environmental needs to compete for resources. Stephine said: “Don't be fooled because it's an herb! Mint needs regular watering and will quickly take over your garden.
" Crops If you are someone who enjoys growing their crops then lavender is one of the best plants to grow next to tomatoes and strawberries. Stephanie said: “My lavender attracts tons of beneficial insects that help my whole garden, and its strong scent keeps many unwanted pests away from my vegetable beds.” The oils in lavender flowers are known to repel pests like aphids, slugs and whiteflies, which are common pests that love to munch on these plants.
Both tomatoes and strawberries will also get a pollination boost if you have lavender nearby, so you are more likely to get bigger and juicer fruit. Other crops you can grow next to lavender are anything from the cabbage family, like broccoli, kale or cauliflower, as it is also known to repel cabbage moths. Flowers Lavender is known to attract pollinators, so it can help a garden burst with flowers, but note it has low water needs, so it should not be grown next to thirsty flowers.
The best flowers to grow next to lavender are yarrows, purple coneflowers, black-eye Susan, sedums and salvia as they are low-maintenance, so can be planted in the same soil. These companion flowers are not only practical but also come in lots of different colours, so they will also make a garden look spectacular in spring and summer. Stephanie said: “The best companions for lavender are plants that can handle dry conditions and don't need much fuss.
“I've found that many of these companion plants are just as useful as lavender - I use combinations of them in my homemade soaps, cooking, and dried arrangements. Nothing goes to waste in my garden!” However, be aware that hydrangeas are one of the worst plants to pair with lavender as they will drain the nutrients from each other, so keep them far apart if you have both in your garden. Stephanie added: “These beautiful shrubs are water hogs and will compete with your lavender for resources.
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