Gardener’s notebook: lavender farms to visit near London — and how to dry your own at home

Over the next few weekends you can transport yourself to the hills of Provence for a fraction of the price of a trip to France.

Less than an hour from the centre of London you can find fields of lavender to pick, dry and enjoy at home (but leave some for the bees).

Lavender grows well in London, and its familiar fragrance is calming.

Once you’ve picked and bunched your lavender, you should dry it. This should only take a couple of weeks.

Hang or support your bunches so that they’re upside down, in a way that allows air to flow, to ensure damp stems don’t develop mould. If you have to leave them lying flat, turn them regularly so moisture can escape.

Once dry, the flowers may start to fall off, so it’s best to leave them in one place. Alternatively, thresh the bunches and put the flowers in bags or, if they’re from an organic farm, cook with them.

Lavender is easy to grow but also easy to kill. It does best in a spot that gets the sun all day. It also likes free-draining soil around the roots. London clay holds too much water in winter which can lead to the roots rotting.

If you have a garden with clay soil, grow lavender above the ground in containers. It can survive long, dry summers, but requires more support in its first year. Ideally, plant in early autumn, but if you opt for spring or summer, water it regularly until then.

Pruning is also key. Summer flowers can be cut off or left until autumn. At this time of year you can cut the flowering stems back and remove a couple of centimetres of new growth.

The plants can be trimmed again in spring so that they don’t get too woody at the centre. Lavender struggles to regrow from woody stems, so always leave some foliage.

Open until August 20. Take the train to West Croydon and then catch the 166 bus.

Mayfield Lavender Farm, Carshalton Road, Banstead SM7 3JA

Open until mid-August, cheaper to book ahead. Open until 10pm on Wednesday evening for sunsets

Cadwell Farm, Ickleford, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 3UA

Smaller than a full farm, this city park includes a lavender field just a short walk from Vauxhall station.

Lawn Lane, SW8 1JY