Lavender Garden Pathway

Pathways can seem an extravagance, especially in the smaller garden, but they are a very useful way to showcase a wide range of your favorite herbs. Lavenders and sages (Salvia) will gently sprawl over the edges, softening the harsh outline and can even make a straight path appear to be slightly curved. Temporary avenues of single pavers can be placed across borders and intricate patterns of brick or mosaic can be laid in serpentine trails, but all are enhanced when a rotund, aromatic clump of lavender forces you to slow down or change your stride.

Materials Needed:

• 8 x Lavandula angustifolia cultivars
• 7 x Thymus "Golden King"

Border Basics

Size 6x20 feet
Suits Aromatic, hardy woody herbs
Soil Fertile, sharply drained
Site Sunny and sheltered

Planting and Aftercare

Spacing is of the greatest importance in this type of planting, so before setting out your herbs along the path, double-check the height and spread of each one at maturity. Place the largest plants first and try not to be too regimented—vary the gaps between each plant and consider how tall each will become. Consider the spread carefully as L. angustifolia "Royal Purple" can sprawl over 32 inches, which means that if planted 12 inches away from the path edge, it is still likely in time to cover 4 inches or more of the path. Regular pruning in late summer as the flowers fade will keep the plants neat and more compact, while a thin gravel mulch applied in spring immediately after weeding will slowly work its way into the soil, helping to maintain the soil structure that lavenders love.

Lavandula angustifolia "Hidcote" (image below)
Fully hardy plants, Well-drained soil, Moist soil, Full sun, Award-winning plant.

Thymus "Golden King"
Fully hardy plants, Well-drained soil, Full sun.

Lavandula angustifolia "Royal Purple"
Fully hardy plants, Well-drained soil, Moist soil, Full sun.

Alternative plant idea: Lavandula x intermedia "Impress Purple"
Fully hardy plants, Well-drained soil, Moist soil, Full sun.

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