MAKING our gardens beautiful doesn’t have to cost a fortune – and one colourful, cheap plant will stop unwanted pests.
You can go away on holiday this summer without worry it will wilter as it’s super low maintenance.
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It’s a good time to give your garden a makeover Credit: Alamy/PA
Lavender is cheap to buy and can help keep away unwanted pests Credit: Getty
Gardening social media content creator Stacey insists we need to “stop wasting money” on endless trips to the garden centre and instead buy some lavender.
She shared a clip showing her planting lavender in her garden on her Hawkes Home Instagram page, where she boasts over 33,000 followers.
Stacey, who says hidcote lavender is her personal favourite, said: “Stop wasting money on expensive plants each year and buy yourself some lavender instead!
“It’s super low maintenance, it smells amazing, the bees love it and it’ll reward you each year with the most beautiful deep purple flowers.”
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She added: “Just remember to cut it back to the green leaves each autumn to stop it getting ‘woody’.”
Stacey says you don’t need to worry about buying large pots or planting them too close together as lavender grows and spread quickly.
B&Q is selling lavender seeds for as little as £2.50, while Ikea has a potted lavender plant on sale for £3.
Lidl is currently offering cheap lavender plants in their ‘Middle of Lid” section, with French Lavender available from May 21 for £3.49, and Large French Lavender for £4.99.
Lidl’s English lavender plant launches in stores next week and is priced at £3.49
Not only will this fragrant plant make your garden smell wonderful, it can help deter a number of pests including moths, fleas, and wasps.
The strong scent acts as a natural repellent that masks food odors and disrupts their hunting. So your area is protected without harming beneficial pollinators.
Plus, it only needs watering every one to two weeks when it has been planted for a while.
The Royal Horticultural Society says it thrives in warm temperatures, noting: “Lavender is a Mediterranean plant and needs lots of sun and fast-draining soil. It will not survive long in shady, damp or extremely cold conditions.
“It prefers poor, dry or moderately fertile soil, including chalky and alkaline soils.
“Lavender will not thrive in heavy clay soil or any soil that becomes waterlogged over winter.”
