The new releases are marketed in flower and the tried and true varieties are also beginning to bloom and are loving a bit of this year's early-spring sunshine.

Lavenders are hardy and long blooming, requiring little attention, but be warned, they can dislike our humid summer, particularly the English varieties. So I'm always loath to suggest them for hedging as one plant can spoil the effect when it turns up its heels, leaving an unwanted gap.

The best-performing lavender for the coast is French - its flowers continually and doesn't seem as prone to fungal diseases during the summer.

Care should be taken with all lavenders so that they don't grow to "dead wood" as pruning then becomes difficult and the plant will react.

The secret is to prune each time flowering finishes - never cut back to that hard wood.

The latest releases in flowerinclude Lavender Lace, Violet Lace, Winter Lace, Lavender Blueberry Ruffles, Avonview and The Princess.

Lavender Lace bears soft lilac blooms. Violet Lace has deep purple flowers, whereas Winter Lace is purple, highlighted by a soft lilac crown.

Lavender Blueberry Ruffles is compact, only growing to 60 centimetres.

Avonview is a vigorous Italian variety, which will grow to 80cm and flower in part shade.

My favourite was plant of the year for 2014 - The Princess. It is covered in large vibrant pink flowers from winter, through spring and summer, grows to 70cm and bees love it.