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writing > articles Strolling the lavender fields of Lotus Land Stopping to smell the flowers, I take a deep, relaxing breath. All around me are purple blooms, vineyards and cherry orchards. While it may seem like Provence, I'm actually touring a lavender farm in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley. Rose and Neil Tanner, who have planted 12 varieties of lavender here on just over one hectare, talk about the Mediterranean herb's versatility. You can enjoy lavender fresh, dried, or distilled, they say. You can cook with, wash with it, and inhale it to help you sleep. Grow a lavender hedge. Drink lavender tea. Make lavender lemonade. It's a multi-purpose plant, all right. But as I pinch off a stem of Royal Purple, releasing a distinctive heady scent, it occurs to me that lavender is also an agri-tourism developer's dream crop. Lavender is romantic. And even the most starry-eyed of growers would be hard-pressed to say that about a field of peppers or a tomato operation. Lavender blooms in rolling fields of voluptuous colour. It sways with the wind. It inspires artists, painters and photographers. But simply staring at a field of lavender won't do. You want to stroll through the flowerbeds, inhale the aromas and gather bouquets. And if you're travelling through British Columbia or Washington State in the summertime, you can. Over the past decade, a handful of lavender lovers have launched small farms in B.C., including three among the vineyards and wineries of the Okanagan Valley. The newest, Lavender Harvest Farms (watch for a big purple sign on Highway 97), owned by the Tanners, opened in May along the "Golden Mile" of prime grape-growing country just south of the town of Oliver. While visiting the farm, on a former apple orchard, guests can sip lavender tea and buy lavender plants. In the lavender shop (a converted garage), bunches of dried lavender hang from the rafters, and shelves are stocked with organic culinary lavender, soaps, bath salts and massage oils. (If these items look familiar, Lavender Harvest Farms products are also found in some Sheraton hotels in Western Canada and in both Mission Hill and Summerhill wineries in Kelowna. The Tanners also have a lavender shop in Canmore, Alta., just outside Banff National Park.) If you're following the winery route farther north through the Penticton area, head for the village of Naramata to check out Claybank Farm Lavender. Scenery is a big draw here. The road to Naramata skirts Okanagan Lake, unveiling dramatic panoramas at every turn and snaking past no fewer than 10 wineries. Behind the village, in a manicured setting on a hill overlooking the lake, you find Claybank Farm. Lavender enthusiasts rave about the herb's therapeutic properties, but to be truthful, in this setting, you can probably attain a sense of calm simply by inhaling the view. Claybank also produces a line of lavender products, inspired by owners Pati and Doug Mathias' studies in Grasse, the perfume capital of France. For inspiration on lavender-flavoured cuisine, pay a visit to Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm in Kelowna. July through September, the farm hosts weekly food and wine pairing seminars. Wines are from Quails' Gate Estate Winery, which has a vineyard next to the lavender farm. Try vegetable wraps with organic greens and herbes de Provence mayonnaise or brie and goat cheeses on baguettes with lavender jelly. You can also pick lavender bouquets, visit a farm shop and take guided tours of the farm on a dreamy hillside setting. Beyond the Okanagan, you'll find lavender blooming in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, on Vancouver Island and on the Gulf Islands. Lavender is a drought-resistant perennial that likes hot, dry summers and doesn't tolerate cold winters or humidity, making growing conditions in many parts of Canada unsuitable. Alan Mayfield, who farms four hectares of lavender on B.C.'s Salt Spring Island (on a former Christmas tree farm), attributes the herb's current popularity to growth in agri-tourism, a passion for gardening among people aged 55 and up, and a trend for personal care products that are organically grown and locally produced. "It's hard not to like lavender," he adds. If you really get caught up in lavender fever, you'll want to skip across the Canada-U.S. border to Sequim on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. (If you catch the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Wash., Sequim is just a 20-minute drive away.) In July, lavender harvest celebrations here attract 30,000 visitors. Sequim, which calls itself the lavender capital of North America, puts on a big street fair with music, 125 lavender vendors, lavender-flavoured goodies and Washington wines. During the festival, eight of the more than 30 lavender farms throughout the Sequim-Dungeness Valley are open to visitors. Pack your bags: WHEN TO GO LAVENDER FARMS For more information on lavender farms in Washington State, visit the Sequim Lavender Growers Association website at lavendergrowers.org. FESTIVALS |
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