Why growing lavender is good for wellbeing
From its role in the garden to its many uses in medicine, cosmetics, cooking and beyond, here’s why lavender is a quiet hero for our mental and physical health
From the earliest days of recorded civilisation, lavender has been cultivated and cherished for its ability to support human wellbeing. People discovered its benefits long before they understood the science behind it, making it a favourite in traditional remedies, culinary uses, toiletries and much more.
Today, gardeners everywhere are realising that growing this aromatic herb is a simple yet wonderfully rewarding pleasure. Beautiful, invigorating and healing, lavender is an outstanding addition to any garden designed with wellbeing in mind.
A reward for the senses
Lavender is a garden favourite, loved for its beautiful fragrance and strong colours
In 2025, Susie designed The Garden of Simples at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival as part of a category dedicated to the Lamiaceae family.
The Garden of Simples, designed by Susie Kennedy for the 2025 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
Susie’s border was designed to celebrate the healing properties of the Lamiaceae plant family
“In an instant we’re back in a childhood garden, helping to gather lavender for little muslin bags, opening an old wardrobe scented with dried flowers, or walking along a sun-warmed path alive with the gentle hum of bees. Few plants have such a remarkable ability to connect us with people and places we’ve loved,” says Susie.
A home-grown treatment
“Science continues to explore lavender’s calming properties, but gardeners perhaps understood its effects long before laboratories did,” says Susie, whose border at the 2025 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival was inspired by medieval monastic healing gardens.For her border, the designer handmade a decorative lavender lamp using plants from her garden and recycled materials from her greenhouse
Lavender flowers are also used in potpourri, linen sachets, herb pillows and often arranged into delicate wands to create a thoughtful gift. They can be cristallised or used to make bath oils and perfumes that promote relaxation, as research suggests that fragrances such as lavender – as well as rosemary, rose, bergamot, grapefruit, cedar and cypress – can help reduce stress and support emotional regulation.
An old bottle of lavender water
“Monks cultivated plants not simply because they were beautiful, but because they understood their ability to comfort and soothe. Those early medicinal gardens became the foundation of the physic gardens and botanical collections we know today, and lavender has earned its place in them for centuries.”
