Timeless favourites which bring to mind the perfect cottage garden, butterfles and bees, and summery clumps of purple lavender.

"English lavender" is generally used to describe L. angustifolia, the hardiest species. The name is shared with the hybrid L. angustifolia x L. latifolia (spike lavender).

L. stoechas (French lavender), pedunculata cultivars and other hybrids are less hardy and can suffer in hard winters.

Genus of about 23 species of aromatic, evergreen shrubs and subshrubs from dry, sunny, exposed rocky habitats from the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean (English lavender) and northeastern Africa to southwestern Asia and India.

Leaves and flower heads, when harvested before fully open, are dried and used in pot-pourri.

Many species have a very high nectar content making them particularly attractive to bees.

All are suitable for containers where the environment can be controlled to suit less hardy varieties.