LAVENDER STOECHAS MAJOR - THE PRESS PLANT OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 2008
From mummification and purification to food enhancement, cosmetics and aromatherapy to name just a few uses, Lavender is one of the most widely cultivated plants and as a herb has been in documented use for over 2500 years.
Lavender Stoechas Major, from the western Mediterranean beauty is one of New Zealand gardeners' most successful and rewarding plants. Its silvery grey foliage and prolific rich dark purple flowers put on a real show from early spring into summer. Our cold winters adeptly test its endurance, but it deservedly should be presented with a medal for its flowering capabilities and showmanship. Performing best in full sun, this scented beauty is a wonderful choice for low hedging, in mass plantings, potagers, for topiary or quite simply placed in large terracotta pots in a courtyard for that Mediterranean look.
Planted alongside roses, it offers a delightful combination of scent and colour. Or for real definition in the garden try planting it with combinations of the silvery green leaf of Convolvulus Cneorum and the lime green flowers of Euphorbia Kea. Plant in well-drained soil and clip to about two thirds it size after flowering.
Press Gardening has five Lavander Stoechas Major plants to give away. To enter the draw, write your name and address on the back of an envelope and send it to Lavender Stoechas Major Giveaway, Press Gardening, PO Box 1005, Christchurch 8140, to reach us no later that noon on Wednesday 10th September 2008.
Congratulations to Alison Fleetwood, Mrs S Barlow, Ross Marks, R Wilkinson and Belle Melzer, who each won a Gardening Solutionz Lavender Stoechas Major by entering our competition in The Press.
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