If your aesthetic leans more towards Provencal countryside than English garden, Anouk is the gal for you. Like her English cousin, Vanda, she's got fragrant purple blooms, but Anouk’s' flowers grow upwards from the top of her stalks, in little bursts resembling rabbit's ears. Like her brother Laurens, her blood runs warm and she can't get enough sun. In fact, she’s specially evolved silvery-grey foliage to reflect the excess rays of sun she doesn’t need. She'll be at her most beautiful and flowery during summer months.
It's not just her looks that are magical either; Anouk the French lavender’s powers range from being a natural antiseptic to anti-inflammatory, and she works great in aromatherapy to help you relax. She can also curb nausea and headaches and works as an insect repellent - basically, there's not much she can't do. Lavendula ‘Anouk Silver’ is amongst the most fragrant varieties of lavender, so cut off its blooms and use them to make your own essential oils, or make sachets of dried buds to keep under your pillow. We think you'll sleep a little easier knowing Anouk is around.
If your lavender is sitting in a nice sunny spot, you might find that its soil dries out really quickly, which means that you'll need to keep an eye on watering, topping up between dry spells. You’ll know it’s thirsty and in need of a drink if its flower heads start to droop - sad rabbit ears. By taking your plant out of its nursery post (the plastic pot that it comes in), and planting it up directly into a bigger decorative pot, you'll not only have to water less but you'll be giving your plant more room to grow.
Did you know?
Since its introduction to Australia Lavendula stoechas has become an invasive species and is considered a weed - as weeds go, there are worse options!
Easy care
Bright light
