Peter Dowdall: Create your own patch of the Med in the garden by planting lavender

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

The blue flowers of English lavender add to any garden but do give this plant a sunny position in your garden in well-drained soil, says Peter Dowdall. Picture: iStock

Now, I live in a house with three women, so believe me when I tell you I know all about high maintenance. I don’t regard any plants in the garden really as high maintenance though some do require more time and attention than others.

One such plant which needs a bit of work to stay at its best in Ireland is lavender. As with all plants, once we think about where it originated from, we can learn how best to grow it here. Lavender is native to many Mediterranean countries such as Italy, France, and Croatia and it thrives, as you might imagine, in a warm sunny position in very free-draining soil.