Whether leading guests up to your home or providing a leafy escape into your backyard, a garden pathway provides a wonderful opportunity to get creative with planting – and this goes far beyond aesthetics.
Choosing richly fragrant blooms guarantees a gloriously immersive experience, especially in the springtime. And to me, there's only one plant you really need to make your pathway smell amazing: lavender.
This reliable evergreen shrub isn't just a gloriously colorful garden path idea; it also offers a wonderfully strong scent that can be transformative in the springtime. Trust me: now is the time to try landscaping with lavender to bring uplifting fragrance and classic beauty to your pathway and beyond. (You can find Lady Lavender seeds for less than $15 at Burpee, or pick up Sensational Lavender Plants from Fast Growing Trees.)
Why Add Lavender to Your Garden Path?
When it comes to the beds and borders lining garden pathways, lavender is one of the most popular plants you can choose – and for good reason.
This gorgeous shrub adds soft color, blissful fragrance, and instant charm to even the most narrow spaces.
It's also one of the best plants for pollinators, which is especially ideal in the springtime: add lavender to your garden pathway and you'll soon be greeted by bees, butterflies and a host of other wildlife every time you step outside.
'I often talk about plants I would never be without, and lavender is right at the top of this list,' says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes and Gardens. 'I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a plant to border a garden path.'
If you're wondering when to plant lavender, spring is the perfect time – April and May are particularly ideal, whether you plant in borders or choose to grow your lavender in pots. Yet no matter when you plant it, lavender is guaranteed to look elegant all year round.
'Lavender's evergreen nature means it looks elegant 12 months of the year, whether that is clipped into a neatly pruned-back state throughout winter, or when it is flourishing with abundant colour, fragrance and bees in the summer,' explains Rachel.
How Best to Grow Lavender on a Garden Path
Knowing how to grow lavender starts with understanding its origins. Since lavender hails from Mediterranean regions, it is best-suited to sunny weather and fast-draining soil, though it can grow in a variety of US hardiness zones (from 4-10, to be exact).
To ensure you've chosen the best soil for your lavender plants, you can add sand or grit – like this horticultural perlite from Walmart – to improve drainage.
A hardy and drought-tolerant plant, lavender is a brilliant choice for a garden pathway in the warmer months, and it requires very little year-round upkeep.
'Brush past the foliage at any time of the year and the leaves will release their signature aromatic scent,' says Rachel.
How to Take Care of Lavender on a Garden Path
Once established, lavender is best left alone; it's important to water it after planting, but there's no need to fertilize lavender.
You can deadhead lavender after its blooms fade – usually in late August – to encourage new growth, but it generally makes a fuss-free addition to your garden pathway.
'Lavender does best in poor soil,' says Rachel. 'It's one of the best low-maintenance shrubs; you only need to prune lavender after it has finished flowering in early fall to keep it in check.'
I'll always have a soft spot for the gorgeous scent of lavender, and it's one of the easiest ways to give your garden pathway a bit of a makeover before you start to spend more time outside in the spring.
Plant lavender now and you can be sure that your pathway is filled with character in the months to come.
'Lavender creates a wild, cottage garden look in the summer, and an elegant neatness in the winter,' says Rachel. 'The real beauty is that it's suited to so many styles of garden – from wild and naturalistic, to colorful and Mediterranean, or more formal.'
What to Shop
You can buy this dazzling lavender variety as either seeds or live plants. It might be picture-perfect, but it's still hardy and simple to grow.
Every gardener needs a reliable set of shears, and these are ideal for tending to your lavender plants. They cut up to 1 inch in diameter.
Add some joy to your gardening setup using these brightly-colored gloves. They'll help you plant and pruning your lavender bushes in style.
Looking for more advice on this brilliant evergreen plant? We asked experts about the most common lavender-growing mistakes, and how to avoid them.
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