Never tried it and I never will. Strawberries like more moisture and richer soil than lavender. I wouldn't ever expect them to both thrive in any given location.

FataMorgana

Lavender prefers a slightly alkaline soil, strawberries prefer slightly acidic soil.

Add that to FM's comments, and perhaps - 'nuff said!

They are not just fit to be to gether. Strawberris is sort of wild cool weather loving, aggressive rooters, loves water, moisture, likes semi-shade, etc. Lavender is warm weather, dry, well drained souil lover, with slow growth , perenial sun.
THEY ARE JUST VERY DIFFERENT. Plus, strawberries are not my recommendation for herbs garden,because they are not traditional herb and have aggressive rooting habbit.

Plus, strawberries are not my recommendation for herbs garden,because they are not traditional herb and have aggressive rooting habbit.

It depends which herbal traditions you are talking about. Strawberry has been used for food as well as herbal means by the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), the Native Americans that live in New York State. It is a very special plant to them and even figures into ceremonial observances. Besides other Native peoples, it was used by herbalists in Eclectic and Thomsonian herbal traditions.

But that said, I agree. Strawberries are not good at respecting where you want them to be. They will spread and can make an effective groundcover so they are not a good garden "neighbor."

FataMorgana

I also wouldn't necessarily grow lavender and strawberries together. Although, I do have one bed where roses, lavender and alpine strawberries happily co-mingle. I also have a mini-field of 250 lavenders by their lonesome and a few raised beds of "regular" strawberries by themselves. If you want to mix strawberries and lavender, make jam! I have several jars sitting in the pantry of home-made Strawberry/lavender jam made from my home-grown stuff. It's delicious. Basically, let your strawberries, sugar and a handful of fresh lavender (stems and all) sit it a bowl overnight, then make your jam the next day. So good!

Thanks for all the comments. lol Very different than what I got on the Fruits forum..

1 response someone said "Peacekneads: No."

I'm planning a 'potager' style veggie/fruit/herb garden, and I have a diamond shaped bed that I thought I could plant a Lavender plant in the middle, and strawberries around. Just thought it would look nice as a central focus in the garden.

I was also thinking about making a seperate 'bed border' in a smaller size and put it on top of the other (so I'd get a 2 level bed) and plant the Lav in the top 'bed' and strawberries below.

Any thoughts about that? Thanks again for the input and ideas!

I see that you were not treated very cordially over in the Fruits forum, lol!

Have you thought about what your strawberry bed is going to do once the harvest is over? And where are you in zone 8b where lavender does well? I tried (once) in coastal SC 8b, but the humidity took it out rapidly.

I didn't think Fruits was very polite either! lol

Strawberries: I figured I'd leave it there for the next year. (?) I understand you have to tend to it a bit, but I'd really to have a lot of them for next year also.

Lavender.. Oh yes! I actually live in the Lavender capital of America. :)

Cyrus, if I offended, I apologize. But I could not know what you were thinking. Only what you wrote. Herbs for many varied uses are discussed in this forum including but not limited to culinary and medicinal uses. I merely wanted to point out that the strawberry is an herb in herbal traditions originating in North America. Check out the link I included below for a strawberry bread recipe that uses the strawberry leaf (used in a culinary sense!) as well as the fruit.

Peacekneads, while having a 2-tiered garden may work better, I don't not think it would still give you optimal conditions for both plants. How about a rose instead of a lavender plant? Roses and strawberries seem more compatible. A rose would give you a focal plant and still give you a scented plant with multiple herbal uses.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Strawberry - A:hgwa (Strawberry Bread)

Rhizo: Also, I'm in the PNW on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. :)

FM: I may give a rose a try.. I've never been a rose bush fan.. but maybe for the herbal uses.

I'll let you know what I end up with. ;)

Herbalbetty- I'm glad to see you say that lavender and alpine strawberries do well together. I'm planning to add some alpine strawberries into a border with lavender and roses. It's Hidcote lavender and so far it loves water and my heavy clay soil...or maybe it's just the horse manure fertilizer :)

I need the lavender to keep the deer out of the strawberries. I also need a ground cover that is safe around kids, horses and cats, which kind of limits my options. I figure I'll try it and if it doesn't work, I'll move the plants around.

Peacekneads- as for your potager...have fun and go for it! PNW is completely different than most parts of the country (I used to live on the other side of the state) and if lavender will grow there at all, it's probably going to be okay with extra moisture. The two-tiered bed sounds like a great idea and may solve any potential problems with drainage. Roses would be beautiful with your potager. I hope you'll post pictures when it's completed :)

As for the fruit forum, there are some helpful people over there, usually. I hope you give it another chance :)

I have strawberries and Lavender growing in a bed together. I have not had any problem with it. This is the second year for the strawberries. They have both thrived.

I use compost for my bedding. Lots amd lots of coffee grounds etc.

Mine are ever bearing strawberries.

The lavender was well established.

Before I planted the strawberries last year.