Lavandula angustifolia 'Essence Purple' 26cm

A compact, early-flowering English lavender that brings colour to the garden before most other varieties get started. 'Essence Purple' forms a neat, rounded dome of aromatic grey-green foliage, smothered in fragrant purple-blue flower spikes from early summer onwards. Its tidy, uniform habit holds its shape all season without becoming straggly, making it a low-maintenance choice for borders, edging, or containers.

A magnet for bees and butterflies, this hardy, drought-tolerant shrub thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, and is equally happy in sand, chalk, or loam. Perfect for cottage gardens, Mediterranean-style planting, or a fragrant edge to a pathway — and the flower spikes are ideal for cutting and drying too.

Available at Pengelly Garden Centre, supplied as an established British-grown plant in a 26cm pot.