Lavender comes from the Mediterranean region and came to Northern Europe via the Alps in the Middle Ages. The pretty pink or purple-flowering, strongly scented plant quickly established itself here, so that it was often planted together with roses in monastery gardens - like other Mediterranean herbs, including: Sage, oregano and thyme are included, too. However, this combination is not an entirely uncomplicated one.
How to plant lavender in a rose bed?
To plant lavender in the rose bed, place lavender at the edge of the bed and roses 50 cm away from it. Give roses nutrient-rich soil, while lavender needs sandy, lean soil. Make sure there is good drainage so that water from the roses does not reach the lavender.
Lavender is a classic rose companion
Lavender and roses have been together for centuries and there is a good reason for this: the intensively scented essential oils of the herb reliably keep aphids and other pests away from the otherwise vulnerable roses. In addition, the long-flowering lavender ensures that a rose bed does not become too bare even at the end of the flowering period. Instead, the two flowering plants form a perfect melange and make the flower bed shine in terms of color. Lavender looks particularly beautiful in front of white or pink blooming roses.
Demands of roses and lavender do not go together
However, there is a not-so-small downer in this combination, which seems so perfect on the outside, because lavender and roses have completely different requirements, especially when it comes to the soil. Although both plants like the sun and need a lot of light, in contrast to the nutrient-hungry roses, the Mediterranean lavender, which is used to poor soils, feels very comfortable in nutrient-poor, sandy and dry soil. So if you were to plant roses and lavender together without taking these specific preferences into account, the result would certainly not be as hoped - quite the opposite, because the lavender quickly dies in rose soil.
Planting lavender in a rose bed - This is how it works
Fortunately, however, there are ways to harmoniously put the two plants, which seem so incompatible in their respective preferences, together in a bed. To do this, you should plant the cushion-forming lavender plants at the edge of the bed, while the roses should be planted at least 50 centimeters further into the middle. While nutrient-rich rose soil, well supplied with compost, is spread in the middle of the bed, thin out the edge of the bed for the lavender with plenty of sand.
Tip
The bed should also be designed so that the excess moisture from the roses - which ultimately need a lot of water - does not flow to the lavender, which in turn loves dryness. The soil should be well-drained and the bed should not slope towards the edge.