9 Benefits of Growing Lavender in Your Garden

Lavender is one of the most popular plants in our homes, gardens and backyards. And this is for good reason. Lavender has many benefits and can be used in many ways.

You can use lavender simply to decorate your garden, however, there are other benefits and uses as well, such as in cosmetics, food or crafts.

In this article, I am going to present to you the 9 benefits of growing lavender in your garden.

1. Looks Amazing

Lavender is often used in English gardens because it is so beautiful. It can be planted as a border or a walkway plant.

Lavender can add more color to your garden or backyard, as they have such a lovely purple, blue, pink or even white color. The pretty little flowers which can be so different from variety to variety are special and can last for several weeks.

Lavender’s silver-grey and green-grey foliage looks nice in the gardens also.

2. Have a Strong Smell

If you ever walked in a summer afternoon in a garden that has lavender along the pathway, then, for sure, you realised how lovely the smell can be.

Lavender is often used for its strong scent as well, not only for its look. So, if you want to have a lovely lavender smell in your garden or even in your house, you can plant next to your house. When you open your windows, the smell will filter into your home.

3. Easy to Grow

Lavender needs relatively small space, lots of sunshine, and little water in order to grow well. Lavender is easy to grow in the ground and in a pot as well, in most climates.

Lavender doesn’t need too much attention and is very hardy. You can harvest the flowers during the summer and then prune them back about a third every autumn.

According to your climate, you can choose from several varieties such as English, French, Grosso and Provence.

4. Provides Lots of Flowers

Another benefit you get if you grow lavender in your garden is that this will grow lots of flowers.

The older and bigger the plant gets, the more flower you will enjoy. Harvesting the flowers and then pruning the lavender plant will also encourage the plant to produce even more flowers.

So, if you want to have a visual enjoyment watching the lavender plants blooming, or even better if you want to harvest the flowers for decorative or other reasons, you should grow lavender.

5. Attracts Beneficial Insects

Lavender attracts beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinators and beneficial insects.

Now we live in a time when bees are in decline, so, I think, it is an important and good step towards their saving, to plant as many flowers bees love, as we can. And lavender is one of their favourites.

If you ever walked next to a lavender hedge, you must have been noticed how many bees and bumblebees are enjoying lavender.

6. Repeal Bad Insects

Lavender does not only attract beneficial insects, but this can repeal bad ones.

Insects such as spiders, mosquitos, flies, moths and other insects that you don’t want around, will keep their distance because they don’t like the scent of the lavender.

If you don’t have a garden, you can still benefit from this feature of lavender. You can have a lavender plant on your window sill whenever you open your windows, and the scent of the plant will stop the mosquitos to fly into your house.

Lavender is used very often in homemade bug sprays as a repellent. This can also keep away fleas and ticks, so, it is beneficial to have in your garden if you have animals as well.

7. Good for Crafting Projects

Lavender can be used in many ways in crafting. You can use it dry or fresh. You can use it as a cut.

Fresh lavender can be used for a wreath, crown, lavender wand, or any other crafty idea. From the dried lavender you can make sleeping pillows, or you can use it when you make homemade candles or soaps.

When it is about crafting projects, the sky is the limit. Because lavender can be used in so many different ways.

8. Rabbit & Deer Resistant

Whoever lives in a rural area or near a forest and have a garden, knows that their garden can be damaged by rabbits or deer.

The good news is that you can keep them away by planting lavender around your vegetable garden. This trick is a double win because this way you can keep away other pests as well from your vegetables.

Deer and rabbits cannot stand the scent of lavender; therefore, they will search for food in other places.

9. Safe for Pets

Another benefit you can get from growing lavender is that it is safe for your beloved pets.

Lavender contains the noxious compound linalool. However, this can be found in a low concentration; therefore, the lavender plant is not considered toxic for pets. So, lavender is listed as a safe plant to grow in gardens where cats and dogs are present.

Lavender can cause sickness to your dog or cat ONLY if this is indigested in a large quantity and/or it has been treated with pesticides.

If your pet eats a big amount of lavender, this can lead to vomiting and diarrhea.

Wrap Up

Lavender is not only beautiful and smells good, but adds wonderful colors as well to your garden.

Lavender has many benefits, but I spoke only about 9 of them. I think these are the basic ones.

The best thing about lavender is that they don’t need too much attention, they produce many flowers and these lovely flowers attract beneficial insects, while they repel the bad ones.

Lavender is safe for your pets, while they can keep away rabbits and deer from your garden.