lavender hates lime??

As a teenager I worked on a Norfolk Lavender farm and this is what I learnt.On lime-rich soils - alkaline or chalky soils. Lavender, Rosemary, Bay and Fennel will thrive, and dont need constant watering. On acid soil you can add lime when planting and then an annual top dressing. On heavy soils when digging a deep hole to plant add a bottom layer of stones to promote better drainage and add sand to the soil. To establish healthy plants you can add manure.
Once every spring I use a general purpose liquid feed .High potassium feed promotes flowering, but too rich a soil may result in a limp leafy plant.

Lavender does well here in my part of London, where the soil is just slightly acidic. The planting instructions in my RHS book say to plant lavender in "ordinary, well drained soil". It's the well drained they need, they don't particularly like being wet all the time.

they certainly dont mind the chalky yorkshire wolds.

Thanks DRC and BAMBOO :-) Its basically well drained soil for them then. Theres so much to learn about plants and gardening. But bit by bit & day by day im getting there. :-))

We all pick it up as we go along Blah if the interest is there the rest will come.