I grow a lot of lavender.  Our soil is fairly infertile and that seems to agree with lavender.  So far we have twenty lavender plants in the garden on the north side of the house.  They are not planted too close to the house because, being in the Northern Hemisphere, they wouldn't get enough sun otherwise.  During the Summer Solstice the only area in that part of the garden that isn't in the sun is around the corner from the front porch where we grow Shasta daisies and ferns.  Works out quite well!