Lavender fields forever: How can we keep our plants happy?

Some plants need little or no maintenance, but others require good care. Peter Dowdall tells us exactly what we need to do 

Sunset over a summer lavender field. Lavender will bring colour and vibrancy to any garden but will need regular trimming to keep it looking well. Picture: iStock

Like fine wines, most plants will improve with maturity. If a plant is in the right place with the correct conditions, it will get better and better with each passing year. I will go a step further and say, nervously, that nearly all plants require little or no maintenance. 

Now: I’ve said it and I can imagine many laying down the newspaper thinking that I have finally lost it. But I haven’t, if a plant is growing in the correct soil type, in the right aspect and position in terms of exposure to wind and sunlight and finally, if it is growing in a space where it has enough room to reach maturity without competition then it will really require very little care unless it gets some type of infection or pest attack.