This coming Saturday, June 26th is the Ojai Lavender Festival. If you want to know, see, smell, taste and enjoy everything lavender this is the spot for you!
In my garden I have 3 varieties of lavender growing, which all bloom at various times throughout the summer.
The Lavendua Stoechas "spanish lavender" is the first to pop up and I love it in arrangements. It really isn't all that fragrant but it is a stunner in the perennial beds.
My favorite for drying is the Lavandula Intermedia "grosso" and Lavandula Angustifolia "hidcote". Both have long spiky flower stems and really pretty traditional lavender flowers. Grosso is the most widely used for oils and apothecary purposes and it dries beautifully.
I have this stuff hanging all over the place... on the front porch, in the garage and on the garden gate.
It dries really quickly and then I trim up the stems and wrap each little bundle in raffia. I like to put it in the linen closet and in drawers. It is such a fun little gift to give a friend and so easy to do!
The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa has beautiful lavender beds below. This is a wonderful place to stay for a weekend if you are in the area. With over 220 acres it has a substantial impact on the area and a really interesting history, more about that later!
Our local Farmers market has a great Lavender provider, Rivendell Aromatics. They have acres of lavenders and also sell haas avocados and other interesting fruit.
This farm is up the road from us on the way to Santa Barbara. She sells lotions, soap, oils and dried lavenders that are just wonderful. She will be at the festival this weekend and they are featuring lavender lemonade
Or better yet, how about a lavender margarita?
Yum
Here's to the start of summer...cheers!
~kelley~
hi kelley,
ReplyDeletewe just went to the lavender festival in cherry valley. it was wonderful. lavender ice cream, coffee, lemonade, you name it. this time last year i was at the oaks in ojai but i didn't know you yet, too bad for me! i'm trying to get my sis to go w/me this summer.
~janet
I love lavender! Just posted a couple of pictures of my "Provence" that is growing by the pool. We have over 200 "Grosso" plants also. Although I overwatered last year and lost about a third. Wish I could attend the lavender festival in Ojai. Someday.....
ReplyDeleteLa la la la lavender. LOVE it. I can only imagine walking by and dragging my hands in those clumps! Enjoy it!!
ReplyDeleteHi Kelley,
ReplyDeleteLove the lavendar. Have never tried any drink with lavendar in it and I have only heard of lavendar icecream (infact Merrly Streep made it in 'It's Complicated'). It looks like a really beautiful weekend to go to this feastival. If you go have a wonderful time.
Take care
Janine
XXOO
Tasmania, Australia
Wish I lived a bit closer to Ojai instead of Sacramento. But, I do have some of my own lavender here too and love to make bundles. Does it keep the mosquitoes away, do you know? Wouldn't that be a great thing instead of a pesticide?
ReplyDeleteNot much lavender growing here in Virginia. I did plant some in a large urn this year and it is doing well.
ReplyDeletexo, Sherry
Lavender is a wonderful plant!
ReplyDeleteFunny enough as a child I didn't like it - it immediately sent me into a sneezing fit.
But somewhere along the line, allergies I never had, suddenly appeared and other I had, disappeared! Now I can't get enough!
Wish I was there!
LOVE anything lavender....we usually buy it from the Farmer's Market here....even lavender honey.
ReplyDeleteThe lavender margarita sounds really good & so interesting!!
Have a great day Kelley!
it looks lovely! lavender as far as the eye can see...love it! btw-nothing to do w/ your post but i think you should enter your home for the christmas issue in the Holiday with Matthew Mead magazine!! I bet you'll WIN!!
ReplyDeletegoto: http://www.holidaywithmatthewmead.com/2010/06/our-best-contest-ever.html
xoxo's nancy
I wish I was going to be up the coast this weekend. I love everything about lavender: the pale lavender and gray color, the fresh scent....
ReplyDeleteI'll have to live vicariously through you this year!
Thank you for the beautiful images and the introduction to Rivendell.
xo
Brooke
I've been to the festival in Ojai; I used to have my own lavender farm in Springville, sadly I had to give it up, but lavender is still special in my heart and I love using it. Lavender lemonade is really refreshing in the summer and I have made a lavender marguarita before too.
ReplyDeleteA Lavender margarita sounds divine!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Alexandra