Lavender 'Munstead' Seeds

'Munstead' is the compact English lavender Gertrude Jekyll grew at Munstead Wood, and it is one of the best lavenders to raise from seed. Neat mounds of narrow, grey-green leaves carry short spikes of strongly scented blue-purple flowers in summer. It makes a low hedge, fills a sunny pot and draws bees for weeks. As a true English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia is the type used in the kitchen: a few flowers in sugar, shortbread or a syrup go a long way.

Sowing and growing

• Sow indoors February to April; outdoors in pots April to June
• Barely cover the seed, about 2 mm deep, and keep at 18 to 21°C
• Germination is slow: allow 20 to 40 days, sometimes longer. Chilling the sown pot in the fridge for a few weeks first can help
• Full sun in free-draining soil; it dislikes wet roots
• Grows to around 45 cm tall and 45 to 60 cm wide
• Flowers June to August, with the best display from its second summer
• A hardy evergreen perennial (RHS H5)

What you receive: a packet of about 200 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Explore more seeds to sow at home, or browse our plants for wildlife and pollinators. Seed trays and heat mats are in our propagation range.