L avender - A Powerful Herb

Lavender is a herb many of us love, but did you know it is also one of the most powerful herbs of all time? It has long been used for its aromatic and healing properties, and during medieval times was thought to be able to ward off evil spirits. Medicinally it is regarded as a relaxant, sensory stimulant and nerve tonic, and herbalists use it to treat exhaustion, digestion, headaches and arthritis.

Lavender was originally known as elf leaf or spike – the word lavender is derived from the Latin ‘lavare’, meaning 'to wash', due to the Romans' use of the herb in laundering – bed linen and clothes were dried over lavender bushes, which acted to scent the cloth. Lavender has been used for centuries in herbal remedies, teas, cooking and perfumes, and was the main ingredient in 'tussie-mussies' (posies of flowers and herbs), which were used to ward off illness. Its perfume comes from oils in its flowers and leaves.

At home
Here in my garden at home, I grow lavender because it’s easy; it instils peace, creates a blanket of colour and has a serene fragrance that is unsurpassed. After rain the garden is full of that distinctive sweet and spicy lavender fragrance. The silvery-grey foliage provides a delightful foil for the flowers, which can be blue, purple, mauve, pink, white or green. While you may not have seen some of these colours before, they are not new – the white variety has been grown for about 400 years.

Types of lavender


There are four main groups of lavender. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is known as true lavender, and is typically used in the production of potpourri and oil. Italian lavender (Lavandula stoechas) has two brilliantly coloured 'wings' at the top of each flower.

French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is a large and billowy shrub with grey-green serrated leaves and a flat, furry-spiked purple flower. Winged lavender (Lavandula 'Sidonie') has ferny foliage and forked flowers.

Due to its Mediterranean origins, lavender prefers hot summers and dry winters. This is a concern for us, as many parts of Australia have high humidity during summer. If you have been disappointed in the past with lavenders that drop dead overnight and seem to dry from the inside out, I recommend a range of lavender called the Bee, Bella and Baby series; these plants have been bred in Australia to relish humid conditions.

Guaranteed to flower through most of the year, they take a well-earned break in summer and come back in autumn, winter and spring. I love their showy wings, brilliant colours and masses of scented blooms. The Bee series grows to 1 metre and the Bella to 50cm, while the Baby range includes miniatures that grow to 30cm. Colours include pink, rose, purple, white, plum, icy blue and musk.

Where to grow
Lavender is best grown in neatly clipped hedges, in pots, in a herb circle, knot garden or courtyard. Coastal gardens, rocky slopes and planter boxes are all good environments for lavender. Lavender enjoys the company of other Mediterranean plants – its soft silver looks beautiful with rosemary, sage, rock rose, scented geraniums and the lemon Jerusalem sage, while huge heads of purple Pride of Madeira will match the intense purple and mauve of lavender. Look to the sword-shaped leaves of bearded iris for a brilliant leaf contrast, while roses, violets and lilies can all be combined with lavender to give you an English cottage garden effect.

Soil success
The key to success is well-drained soil. To see if your soil is suitable, dig a hole and fill it with water, then monitor how long the hole takes to drain. Any longer than one hour means the soil is not well-drained enough and your lavender will fail unless improvements are undertaken. Lavender is best grown on slopes, or in pots and planters. It is difficult to grow in clay and acid soils; clay soils in particular hold too much moisture, which can cause lavender to 'drown'.

Aromatic bath oil
This recipe for bath oil was first published in the 17th century. Add 1/2 cup of each of the following herbs to a large saucepan: dried lavender, wormwood, peppermint, thyme, bay and lemon balm. Add 2 litres of water then bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes then remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain the liquid through a double layer of cloth then discard the herbs. Add a dash of brandy and bottle the liquid. To use, add a small splash to bath water.

Soothing Qualities
Today lavender products are popular for their soothing qualities.  Lavender oils are added to bath water and are used in herbal medicine against a variety of ailments including insomnia and hyperactivity.  Lavender can be used to make a variety of products such as eye pillows, perfumes and spritzs, incense, wands, and clothing dryer pillows.

Dried Lavender also has other uses.  Lavender sachets can be placed into drawers and hung in closets to repel insects.  Lavender oil is also used in mixing oil paints by artists.  Some artists prefer lavender oil as a spike oil because it smells better than other types of oils.

Lavender and lavender products have been widely recognized through recorded human history for a wide variety of uses.  From lavender oil to lavender blossoms, people today continue to use lavender to improve their lives.