Notes from the farm
Journal
Bloom updates, seasonal stories and news from the fields in Richmond, BC.
Inside the Meet Lavender Workshop
A private farm tour, dried flowers from eleven varieties, and a turn at the still. It has finished for this season. Here is what it involves when it...
Outdoor Yoga at the Farm, with Laia Han
Ninety minutes on the outdoor platform, ten people at most. The next class is Saturday, September 26. What to bring, what it costs, and what the farm actually...
The Lavender Is Done. The Farm Isn't.
The bloom is over and most of the rows are cut. Here is what is honestly still worth the drive out to Richmond in autumn, and what is...
Meet Superblue: The Lavender You Can Actually Eat
Camphor is what makes lavender taste like soap. Superblue is low in it, which is why this is the cultivar behind our tea, sugar and edible buds.
Meet Melissa: The Pink Lavender We Call Our Treasure
It opens almost white and turns blush pink. It is not lemon balm, it is not Melissa Lilac, and it gives us less oil than anything else we...
Meet Grosso: The Lavandin We Grow
Grosso is not English lavender. It is a hybrid, it is taller, it is higher in camphor, and it is the one you can still smell in a...
Types of Lavender: What the Names Actually Mean
English, French, Spanish, lavandin, true lavender, Grosso, Hidcote. Four of those are species groups, three are marketing, and only one of them belongs in your food. A grower's...
How to Make Lavender Tea — And What to Blend It With
Most bad lavender tea is bad for one of two reasons: the wrong cultivar, or five minutes too long in the pot. Here is the method, the ratios,...
Is Lavender Oil Safe for Dogs and Cats?
Short answer: not the way it is safe for you. We sell lavender essential oil, and we would rather you knew the actual risks to dogs and cats...
How Lavender Oil Is Made — At Home, and On the Farm
Two different things get called lavender oil. One you can make in your kitchen in a fortnight. The other needs a still and a field. Here is how...
What Is a Hydrosol? And How It Differs From Essential Oil
A hydrosol is the water left behind by steam distillation — not watered-down essential oil. Here is what actually happens in the still, and which of the two...
When Does Lavender Bloom in BC? A Grower's Guide
Lavender blooms in BC from mid-June to mid-September, peaking late June to early August. A cultivar-by-cultivar guide from our Richmond fields.
Visiting Lavenderland: A Guide to Our Richmond Lavender Farm
Planning a first visit to our Richmond lavender farm? Bloom times, opening hours, parking and transit, accessibility, photography rules and everything else worth knowing before you arrive.