Lavandula angustifolia Middachten - True Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 'Middachten' is a Dutch variety dating back to 1923, distinguished by dark purple buds that open into light and bright bluish-violet flowers! Its dense and fragrant flowering spikes grow on stems which are 22 cm (9in) long.  With a bushy habit, it forms an evergreen clump of linear green leaves, reaching 50 cm (20in) in all directions. This lavender is quite hardy to -15 °C and vigorous in full sun in a dry, poor and well-drained soil. A versatile perennial, it can be planted in borders, flower beds, rock gardens or containers.

This variety of lavender belongs to the family of Lamiaceae and is native to the Mediterranean regions of southern Europe. It forms a small bushy shrub with an upright, very compact, dense and vigorous habit, forming a rounded bushy clump. Its decorative evergreen foliage is composed of narrow, aromatic leaves which are a beautiful green colour. In summer, this lavender is covered with highly fragrant and honey-bearing flowers, borne on short cylindrical spikes at the tips of woody stems. This blue lavender requires, like most other lavenders, to be planted in full sun in an ordinary (even dry and rocky), very well-drained soil. In sunny and warm situations, its green foliage will be bright and its bluish-violet flowers will exude an intense fragrance.

An ornamental and Mediterranean plant par excellence, lavender can be used in beds, as a specimen plant, in borders, rock gardens, pots, coastal areas, and even as a low-flowering hedge. A multitude of possibilities are available to the gardener with its graphical appearance, the colour of its foliage, and its deep blue flowers. Lavender 'Middachten' can be associated with grasses or gauras, which, with their tousled habit, will contrast with its rounded shape and create a very graphical scene. It will also work wonders at the base of climbing roses, associated with shrubs such as St. John's wort, rockroses, landscape roses, sage; or mixed with Iris germanica and Poppies. You can also plant it to create beautiful containers to be placed on the patio or balcony.  It is also possible to mix several varieties of lavender together, creating an elegant display with a variety of flower and foliage colours, as well as different plant sizes.

Properties: As lavender is a very nectar-rich plant, it contributes to the conservation of bees: the nectar from its flowers attracts bees, making some of the best honey.  The plant can be distilled to obtain highly sought-after essential oil for perfume and aromatherapy.  Lavandula angustifolia is a medicinal plant.  Its numerous therapeutic properties are still widely used: its essential oil has antiseptic, antispasmodic, healing, cleansing, diuretic, and other properties.

Anecdote: During Roman times, women who wanted to secretly taste wine (a drink that was forbidden to them) would chew a few sprigs of lavender to perfume their breath and thus deceive the vigilance of their husbands.