Lavender is HTA’s Plant of the Month

Lavender is nominated as the Plant of the Month for April by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). A great value garden plant: year round you can enjoy its aromatic, silver-grey foliage; in summer it produces an abundance of scented flowers in blues, purples, pinks or white; and is a good food plant for bees. Once established, it is also a tough, drought tolerant plant.

A popular garden plant whether in the border or grown in a container. Lavender is an easy herb to grow on its own or as a companion plant with roses or other summer-flowering bulbs and herbaceous perennials such as Echinacea, helianthus, phlox, monarda and rudbeckia..

HTA’s David Gilchrist comments “Lavender can add real value to a garden in many ways with its shades of blue flowers and silver leaved backdrop, its scent and the fact that it attracts all sorts of insects and butterflies. ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’ are two of the hardiest and most commonly planted cultivars of lavender. To successfully grow lavender, it needs to be planted in a warm, well drained soil with full sun. Chalky soils will enhance the lavenders fragrance. There is also the French lavender to choose from, Lavendula stoechas. This is attractive and unusual lavender which is best grown in a warm position, sheltered from the cold winds and frost. It can be container grown very successfully and it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit as a worthy garden plant.”

Nominated and agreed upon by British growers and retailers, the HTA’s Plant of the Month campaign highlights the plants that are widely available and looking especially good in garden centres each month. Different varieties are recommended together with simple planting and care hints and tips.

Plant of the Month point of sale materials can be purchased through HTA partners Hortipak and Floramedia.

The plants included within Plant of the Month have been nominated and agreed by the HTA Ornamentals Committee and the HTA Retail Management Group to ensure the campaign meets the needs of both growers and retailers.

The aim of the Plant of the Month campaign is to make it easier for gardeners by selecting a plant on a monthly basis that will be looking great, is widely available from UK nurseries and easy to maintain in the garden.

For further information and to see the full calendar for 2012 visit www.the-hta.org.uk/plantofthemonth2012

Source: Hortitrends News Desk

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