By Womble13
Wiltshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi everyone, I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine. I'm after some advice on what to plant next to lavender. Last year renovation work started on my garden at the new house and we have created two rows for bedding at the back of the lawn area. I've learned from my last house I cant just have perennials in the borders and I need some evergreens too. With that in mind the first row (55cm deep) I plan to have evergreens, I'm guessing shrubs. The second row (65cm deep) will be cottage garden/perennials plants, such as lupins, foxgloves, Salvia, hollyhock etc. I want to keep the colour to purple ideally but maybe add some pink. So my question is can anyone suggest a evergreen plant which could go between the lavender (anouk dark purple)? I was thinking a rose bush but I don't know if they are evergreens. I've just tested the soil and according to my Wilkos ph level thing I have acid soil. Part of the row will have full sun all day but there is some of the row which will be in shade for the afternoon due to my neighbours high trees and the fence line.
On the back row there are 2 peonies and a hydrangea which will be moved later in the season when the other bedding areas are ready.
7 May, 2016
Answers
It would not be advisable to move your hydrangea and paeony during the growing season - wait until they are dormant in late autumn or very early spring.
You are wise to plant to include some pink among your purple - it can be an attractive combination. If there is more space than Bamboo suggests have a look at Helianthemum Ben Levi.
7 May, 2016
Hey Bamboo, the gap is about 80cm so in theory there could be room to put something. Such a shame Roses are not evergreens. :(
Steragram, thanks for the advice I have no plans to move them until they are dormant. Helianthemum Ben Levi looks very pretty, I shall add it to the list for when I visit the garden centre. Although I'm torn I desperately want to get out in the garden and fill the borders but I plan to go to Hampton court flower show in July for inspiration and feel I should wait and see what ideas to get from there.
9 May, 2016
Well, I feel the need to point something out - I think your spacing's a bit off with the lavenders. Think about it a minute - each plant needs 40 cm of space, which means 20 cm either side of the central part of the plant. Now, maybe its just a visual effect in the pic, but it looks to me as if the ones either end are planted too close to the ends, which means it'll be spilling over on the steps one side and hard up against the fence the other side. If there isn't 20 cm of space between each end plant and the steps one end and the fence the other, you'd be best of repositioning them now, before they all settle in properly.
What's the overall length of those beds, from one side to the other?
9 May, 2016
You won't have room for anything in between - Lavender stoechas Anouk has a height of of 30-40 cm and a spread the same. It's hard to gauge scale from the picture, but I'm guessing the space between the plants currently is probably 30 cm at most.
Roses are not evergreen, by the way...
7 May, 2016