Which Lavender Variety for Low Hedge?

I have a "cross path" - which goes across my garden, natch!, bisecting the main paths "up" the garden - which is lined with Lavender:


West view


East view

I didn't trim it back very well last year, and its got a bit straggly - plus it was just Cheap & Cheerful to get me going - Lavender munstead, from van Meuwen which cost me about 20p a plant, I think (for micro-plugs )

So I am thinking that I will replace it and choose a better variety.

Trouble is: What's a better variety?

I suspect the obvious choice is Lavender Hidcote, and I am seriously tempted by this photo:

http://www.downderry-nursery.co.uk/plant-details2/?plant=251

(great site that, lots of varieties offered, and a comparison of Hardy varieties LINK)

Thoughts that I am pondering:

At one end (1st photo) we have a Red border. At other end (2nd photo) we have a Blue & White border.

There is quite a nice White variety (bit smaller than L. Hidcote)

Lavender Nana Alba

but I don't think I will find a "properly blue" or "properly red" variety ...

I also wondered about Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas more typically referred to as French Lavender). The two that caught my eye were:



Ballerina - for the White end

and


Regal Splendour for the "Red" end

Upside of these, for me, is that they will flower repeatedly (if deadheaded), and ordinary Lavender (e.g. L. Hidcote) flowers very early - we do most of our entertaining in July / August, so a variety that flowered later would be better I think ...

Or could I Chelsea-Chop L. Hidcote to make it flower later?

Downer is that the Spanish Lavenders are not very hardy - I suppose not that hard to have cuttings over-wintering, ready to plant in the event of a hard winter ... dunno how big they would be in First Year though, and if they need to be 2+ years old to "fill out" then several hard winters, and replanting, would be a bit of a downer!!

I might just buy one-of-each-variety and grow them on for a year to see what they look like, and in the meantime propagate some Lavender Hidcot as the intended replacement.

Fire away if you have any thoughts

 

Yes, good point. I think the idea is to replace them Here & There so that, over time, they all get replaced - like Triggers Broom Handle and Head But longer-lived would be nice.

 

Thanks. I think my second post was better so I've re-edited them to reflect that - @JWK was the only reply to the first post, and that still makes sense having moved the content around

 

Hi Kristen, luv the Lavender varieties you've posted, especially the Regal Splendour.

I've played around with French Lavender for a few years which I managed to bring back from one of my trips to Greece (Lavandula Stoechas). It's actually done remarkably well over winter (having been planted in an exposed, South facing spot, about 12 months ago). Should be flowering late June to early July. Quite drought resistant as well I found...

Oh and quite right Downderry nursery - great site, great selection and they do have Stoechas.

 

i am growing english lavender due to the fact it has an amazing smell.

 

I know of an organic Lavender farm in Surrey that may be of interest. Mayfield Lavender, might be worth Googling and looking at their site aswell.

 

I had had a look at that site, but on more careful inspection they have a couple that may be "more blue" than the ones I had found elsewhere. Worth buying a couple, I reckon, to see what colour they actually are in practice ... here's hoping that "Pacific Blue" isn't Purple - I mean: "How could it be?"

 

Hmmm ... if it is a new variety then I expect it was "Marketing" that came up with the name, rather than a Carl Linnaeus proponent! in which case Pacific Blue could easily be Lime green with Purple Spots :(

 

I have a slight variation on that

"Get one, check colour, then either sell or mass propagate" ... I need about 150 plants I reckon

Hmmm ... I have it down as "somewhat mauve" - am I wrong in that?

The more often I rub up against this problem the more I wish all vendors would quote an RHS Colour Chart colour ...