Lavender’s Biggest Challenge in Auckland: The Soil
Auckland’s native soil is predominantly heavy clay. While rich in nutrients, it holds onto water, and that’s the number one enemy of lavender. Excess moisture leads to root rot, which will quickly kill your plant.
- Our Best Advice: You have to prioritise drainage. If you’re planting directly into the ground, dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the root ball. Before planting, mix in a generous amount of coarse sand or horticultural grit to improve the soil’s texture and help water drain away freely. Creating a raised garden bed is also an excellent way to get around poor soil entirely.
Make the Most of Your Space: Pots and Containers
In central Auckland, many gardens are small, and outdoor spaces are often limited to patios, balconies, and courtyards. This is actually a great thing for lavender!
- Our Best Advice: Planting lavender in pots and containers is often the most reliable way to grow it here. It gives you complete control over the growing medium. Choose an unglazed terracotta pot with excellent drainage holes and use a free-draining potting mix. This method is perfect for ensuring your lavender thrives in a city environment.
Choose the Right Variety for Auckland’s Humidity
Not all lavenders are created equal. Some varieties are far better suited to our humid, wet winters than the traditional English lavender you might expect.
- Our Best Advice: For successful Auckland landscaping, we recommend focusing on French (Lavandula dentata) or Italian (Lavandula stoechas) varieties. They are more tolerant of humidity, have an extended flowering season, and are often more resistant to the fungal diseases that can plague other types in our climate.
The Best Plants to Grow With Lavender
A key part of great garden design is companion planting—placing plants together that have similar needs. Lavender loves full sun, well-drained soil, and doesn’t need much water, so it pairs perfectly with other tough, sun-loving plants.
- Roses: A classic, beautiful combination. While roses need a bit more water, planting them a little way from the lavender and mulching the lavender with gravel helps to keep both happy.
- Mediterranean Herbs: Rosemary, sage, and thyme share the same requirements and will create a fragrant and functional herb garden.
- Ornamental Grasses: Plants like Lomandra or various ornamental grasses provide beautiful contrast in texture and form while thriving in the same conditions.
- Sun-loving Perennials: Consider planting it with perennials like Echinacea (Coneflower) and Salvia, which also appreciate a sunny, dry spot.
On-going Care for Lasting Beauty
Even with the perfect spot, a lavender plant still needs a little care to stay healthy and looking its best.
- Watering: While establishing your plant, water it regularly. Once established (after about a year), you will only need to water it infrequently. Wait until the soil is completely dry to the touch before watering again.
- Pruning: After the main flowering flush, give your lavender a light prune to maintain its shape and encourage new growth. This is a crucial step for maintaining good airflow and preventing it from becoming woody and leggy.
- Mulching: Avoid using bark chips or compost as mulch, as they can hold too much moisture. Instead, opt for a gravel or shell mulch. This helps to keep the roots dry and healthy.
- Fertilising: Lavender thrives in lean soil, so it generally doesn’t need to be fertilised. Adding fertiliser can cause it to produce excessive foliage at the expense of flowers.
Ready to add the beauty and fragrance of lavender to your garden? Whether you need assistance with Auckland garden design, soil preparation, or selecting the perfect plants, our team is here to help. Contact us today for a consultation and let’s get your landscape blooming.