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Not All Lavender Is the Same: The Right Lavender for Your Garden

Not All Lavender Is the Same: The Right Lavender for Your Garden

June 10, 2026

English lavender is the classic choice for low perennial borders, fragrant pathways, and cottage gardens. Compact and tidy, it integrates beautifully with other perennials and comes back reliably year after year. The blooms are narrow and upright, exceptional for drying, cutting, and culinary use. If you have ever made lavender sachets or used lavender in cooking, this is almost certainly the type you were working with.

We carry three true English lavenders in our perennial department, all sold in one gallon size and guaranteed to return:

Hidcote — rich violet-blue flowers and a tidy growth habit. Perfect for edging walkways or creating a fragrant border. Its intense color and strong scent make it a favorite for dried arrangements.
Munstead — soft lavender blooms and a compact form that thrives in smaller spaces. Easy to grow and incredibly versatile. Ideal for containers, herb gardens, or mixed perennial beds.
Blue Cushion — a dense rounded mound covered in blue-purple flowers. A perfect choice for rock gardens or front of border plantings. Its neat shape and long bloom season make it a low-maintenance standout.

Mediterranean Breeding — Larger Displays, Bolder Color, Hotter Beds

If you want lavender that makes a statement — a mass planting along a sunny slope, a bold grouping in a hot dry bed, or simply the biggest most fragrant plant you can grow — this is where to look.

Phenomenal, Provence, and Sensational carry Mediterranean Lavender characteristics with English Lavender hardiness. This delivers the vigor, heat tolerance, larger flowers, and deeper blues of lavender from warmer climates, while retaining the cold hardiness to come back reliably in Ohio winters. They perform at a level above standard English lavender without sacrificing the dependability that matters most in our region. These are sold in one gallon size in our perennial department and are guaranteed to return year after year.

Phenomenal — vigorous growth and remarkable resilience. Thrives in heat, humidity, and even poor soils. Silvery foliage and abundant blooms create a striking display in any landscape.
Provence — prized for its long stems and fragrant blooms, making it exceptional for cutting. Perfect for bouquets and sachets. Its graceful form brings real elegance to garden borders and containers.
Sensational — large vibrant blooms and a rich aroma that fills the air. A bold choice for statement plantings or mass displays. Lush flowers and strong fragrance make it a centerpiece in any garden design.

Spanish Lavender — The Upright Container Plant

Spanish lavender is the showstopper of the group. The flowers are topped with distinctive petal flags — sometimes called rabbit ears — that make it instantly recognizable. It blooms earlier than other lavenders and has a bolder, more dramatic upright presence that works beautifully in containers and mixed plantings. We sell Spanish lavender as an annual here in Ohio, and planted in a container on a sunny patio it will flower continuously through fall.

We grow two Spanish varieties in house:

Blueberry Ruffles — deep purple blooms with prominent flags and a compact upright habit.
Frost Purple — silvery foliage with rich purple flowers. Exceptional in containers.

French Lavender — The Container Spiller

French lavender has a relaxed, mounding habit that softens and spills over the edge of a container in a way that most lavenders do not. It is not a true trailing plant, but it fills a pot and then flows — which makes it an excellent choice for container design where you want something a little less formal. Like Spanish lavender, we sell French lavender as an annual here in Ohio, and it will flower continuously through the season into fall.

We grow two French varieties in house:

Goodwin Creek — silvery serrated foliage and deep violet blooms. One of the most striking lavenders we grow.
Meerlo — variegated foliage with creamy edges and soft lavender flowers. Unusual and beautiful. Fills a container and spills over the edge with a relaxed elegance.

A Lavender for Every Spot

Whether you are building a perennial border that comes back stronger every year, planting a bold mass display in a hot sunny bed, or designing a container for a porch or patio, there is a lavender that fits. Come see the full collection at Beavercreek or Middletown and we will help you find the right one for your space.

Join us this Saturday, June 13th at 11am for our Lavender Walkabout at both locations. Staff led, free, and a great way to see everything up close. Meet us inside at the workshop.