Growing 'Mona Lavender' is a pleasure for any gardener as it is relatively adaptable and trouble free. It does very well in either shaded or partly sunny positions. When it receives sun it tends to stay smaller and more compact and the leaves exhibit a much more intense colouring  especially on the purple undersides of the leaf.

Like most Plectranthus species, 'Mona Lavender' enjoys a rich soil with plenty of humus, and won't say no to extra compost! It is quite a thirsty plant, so water every few days to keep it fresh and turgid.

The plants enjoy being pinched back to induce better branching and compactness. They make a great bedding plant and look good when they are planted en masse or as individuals in an existing bedding display. They also make good pot plants which can be moved around as needed and will fill a 25cm pot in a matter of months.

They enjoy feeding too, which should be carried out at any time but preferably not before or during flowering. The fertilizer may consist of a general all-purpose 2-3-2 as a granular or liquid feed. Be sure to water it in well as it is easy to burn the tender roots, or use a purely organic fertilizer to avoid this.

One of the only downfalls of 'Mona Lavender' is that, like most Plectranthus, it doesn't tolerate very cold conditions, although it has been known to survive light frosts in Pretoria. If you live in an area prone to winter frosts then plant it in spring and it will flower in the autumn before the winter frosts take their toll. For all other parts of South Africa that don't receive heavy frosts, it can be planted at any time of the year.

'Mona Lavender' should be available at all retail garden centres throughout the country.