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Updated Farm Hours!
July 16, 2017
Yes, the dog days of summer have arrived. We are preparing plants for the winter(cutting them back) and weeding. We are also planting some new starters, and doing some propagation(plus we are warming up the still to make more hydrosol).
For the remainder of July and early August, here are our farm hours and planned trips to the Farmers Markets:
Farm Hours…Wednesday through Friday 10-4. Saturday Noon to 4 and closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City both Saturday July 22 and July 29 from 7-2 each day, We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market Saturday August 5 from 7-11.
The Farm store will be closed the week of August 6 through 13 for normal repairs.
Please come see us at the farm or at the farmers markets, and thank you to all for your support!
July12, 2017
And, it is never a good idea to argue with a gnome! Yes, we have had folks doing their holiday shopping for the past two weeks, so, we thought we would mention it(or at least have the gnomes do it). Speaking of gnomes, lately we have had a "run on gnomes." Thank you!
As you know if you have been following us, all of our products are hand made and we are working hard to keep up. So, it is not too early to place your holiday order on-line or see us at the farmers markets.
This Saturday,July 15 we will be at The City Market in Kansas City from 7-2. Our Farm store will be open for the remainder of July from 10-2 Wed-Fri and noon to 4 on Saturday.
Field update: Nearly all of the harvesting is completed. Just a few plants here and there that have some stems. We are now trimming them back and believe it or not getting them ready for winter!
more to come…
July 4, 2017
First, a Happy 4th of July and we wish you a terrific rest of the summer. Second, as we have mentioned up top, the harvest is complete.
Now we begin the trimming of plants as we get them ready for the fall. Also, our new Munstead field is coming along(300 new plants!). There is still lots to see at the farm from the new plants, to the "older ones," the drying barn and of course just a nice walk in the fields!
This Saturday, July 8 we will be at the City Market in Kansas City from 7-3. Our farm store will also be open Wed-Fri from 10-2 and Sat. & Sun. from noon to 4.
more to come…
June 27, 2017
Yes, our harvest is just about completed. Given any kind of break in the weather we will be finished by the end of the week. As we are harvesting we are seeing more bees than we have seen in the past couple of years!!
This Saturday July 1 we will be at The City Market in Kansas City from 7-2. We will have loads of new products and some freshly cut lavender.
Please come by and say hello. Also, our farm store will be open on both Saturday and Sunday from noon-4. We will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.
more to come…
June 23, 2017
First, a big Thank You to all that responded to our request for folks to harvest. We have filled all the slots and again Thanks to everyone for their interest.
Second, we will be at The City Market in Kansas City this Saturday, June 24 from 7-2. We have a limited number of freshly cut long stem Grosso Lavender(pictured above), some Buena Vista, plus all of our other handmade Lavender products.
Please come by and say hello!
More to come…
June 19, 2017
A couple of updates: We are just starting our harvest and we need some additional help for the next few weeks. Work hours vary but are mostly in the morning from 8-1. Must be 18 years or older. If interested please call 785-748-0678 or e-mail us at email@example.com for further information.
Also, we will be at The Kansas City Market this Saturday June 24th from 7-3. Our farm store will also be open as indicated by the picture above!
More to come…
June 16, 2017
Due to unforeseen circumstances we will NOT be at the City Market on June 17. Nothing serious, just life getting in the way of farming! But. our farm will still be open from noon to 4. If coming to the farm please remember to check the directions on the left side of this posting and be careful trusting your GPS.
June 15, 2017
As the summer heats up we just want to reiterate our hours:
We are open on the farm Wednesday thru Friday from 10-2
Saturday & Sunday from noon-4.
We are closed on Monday & Tuesday.
Saturday, June 17 we will be at the City Market in Kansas City from 7-2. And, the farm will also be open from noon-4 as well.
Also, please note the permanent icon on the upper left side with directions to our farm. If you plan to come to the farm please follow these directions as in many cases GPS systems will not have accurate information(due to detours).
Field update: We have started to harvest. The white Mellisa lavender is now drying in the barn and we will begin the Buena Vista harvest today. Our Grosso is way behind so it will be at least a week before we start its harvest.
more to come…
June 12, 2017
First and foremost Thank You to all who were able to make our weekend Open House. We thank you for finding us given all of the road construction. Second, we apologize to those who tried and could not find us. Our hope is that you will give it another try this summer. To this end, we re leaving the "detour" directions posted for the next few weeks.
We will post our market schedule later this week and again Thank You!
more to come…
June 7, 2017
Here are directions from the west: Come to Stull, take 1023 south(which is E 250 Rd.). This will take you around Clinton Lake and right to 800 Rd. There is a Washington Creek Lavender sign on the right. Turn right on 800 Rd. and go a mile south past the white church and we are up the hill on the left. This is actually, from the west, easier than the 59 Highway detour.
We are pleased to announce that internationally known harpist Erin Wood will be playing in the lavender field from 1-3. We are extremely excited to have her join us!
June 5, 2017
For the next couple of weeks we will leave the detour map to our farm at the top of the page. Route 458 closes on Thursday June 8 and our Open House is Saturday and Sunday June 10 & 11. Timing is everything!! We are excited and look forward to seeing everyone.
We thank the Lawrence Journal World, and espically Jennifer Smith for a story about our farm. Please go to http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2017/jun/03/garden-variety-glimpse-lavender-farming-washington/
Also, later this week we will have some exciting news about a special guest artist that will be performing during the open house. Stay tuned!!
May 31, 2017/Edit June 2
After much "toing and froing" we finally have the edit system back for our web page. A big thank you to Trent Flory!
Now, reference the above. It looks like the road to the farm, Route 458 will be closed for 3-4 months beginningThurday June 8 and therefore the map above then becomes the "way to find us"! There are detour signs thanks to the county and we hope those will be helpful.
We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday June 3 from 7-11 and our farm will be open this weekend from noon-4 both on Saturday and Sunday. Also our Spring Open House will be June 10-11 from 10-4 on both days. We have been cutting back lots of plants to make them grow even better and we are in the midst of planting an additional 1,200 plants.. And, the hint, just the hint of purple is beginning to show..
more to come...
May 24. 2017
Well, we seem to be in the "weekend rain pattern" again. We gambled last weekend and went to the City Market and got a bit of rain when they called for NO rain. This weekend they are calling for a 50% chance so we are keeping our eyes on the radar. Here is our list of what we are up too for the next few weeks: Sat. May 27, City Market in Kansas City... Sat. June 3 Lawrence Farmers Market... Sat. & Sun. June 10/11 our Open House at the Farm...Our summer hours are Wed-Fri 10-2, Sat. & Sun Noon-4. We are closed on Monday and Tuesday. All weather permitting !
As you May know, the county is closing Route 458 from the Dam at Clinton Lake to 800 Rd(which is our road ) from June 1 until the fall. We will be posting detour directions to the farm later this week.
Plant update: We are finding lots of green growth on the plants and stems are starting to be seen. We have a "hint" of purple on some of the plants so we will just have to wait and see.
We will post pictures later this week(the computer is giving us fits and at the moment and will not let us do it. We WILL fix it).
more to come...
May 17, 2017
Yes, it really does depend on the weather--so say the gnomes. Our lavender products, just like lavender itself, do not like wet feet. So, we are planning on being at the City Market in Kansas City Saturday, May 20 unless it is pouring rain. Our farm shop will be open from 12-4 on both Saturday and Sunday weather permitting.
A field update: We are cutting back a lot of plants that suffered from "winter kill" and we are adding an additional 1,100 plants(300 Munstead in a dedicated field) and 800 Grosso through out the fields. Also, we are putting in a demonstration garden with 20+ different varieties of Lavender.
Purple update: As of today there is no purple to be seen. Some green but no purple. The plants are a good month behind.
Please see the May 10 update for our hours.
more to come...
May 10, 2017
It has been quite a winter and spring. Extreme cold in December(-12), virtually no moisture until March/April and then "buckets." All of this to say that our plants are about one month behind. They are gray in color with green at the bottom. Also, we have to replace a good number as a result of the weather,
Now the good news. We will be planting more than 1,100 plants beginning the week of May 15th, with a new field in front of the barn dedicated totally to Munstead. Tilling is coming along for the new field and we should be ready to plant, again in a week or two.
We open the farm this Sunday, Mother's Day and invite you to come out and see what we are doing and the changes we have made in the fields. There is however no purple to see.
As for our schedule, we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday May 13th, open the farm on the 14th and then have begin our regular summer hours: Wed-Fri 10 am-2pm
Sat & Sun noon-4 pm.
We will be closed on Mondays & Tuesdays(please call for appointment, 785-748-0678)
And finally we are hiring for the summer. If you are interested please call at the number above or email us at email@example.com
...more to come
April 30, 2017
We will be at the City Market in Kansas City, Saturday May 6 from 7AM-2-PM
We will be opening the farm on Mother's Day, Sunday May 14th from noon until 4pm. Our hours will then be(weather permitting):
Wed-Fri 10 am-2pm
Sat & Sun noon-4 pm
We will be closed on Mondays & Tuesdays(please call for appointment, 785-748-0678)
Our Spring/Summer Open House will be on June 10 & 11 from 10 am -5 pm
April 26, 2017
Getting to the markets this weekend April 29/30(if the weather folks are correct) may be real tough. So, we(and the gnomes) urge you to order that special lavender gift for Mom right away. Just click on the store button just to the upper left of the gnomes! We will ship it out the day we get the order to ensure(as best we can) that she will get it for Mother's Day!How about an exclusive handmade lavender mug or a set of dryer sheets, or a neck comforter!
Also, remember we open the farm on Mother's Day May 14th. No purple as of yet but we have our fingers crossed for late May/early June!
more to come...
April 21, 2017
The picture above is of a couple of our new lavender products, our Gnomes and their Peeps. Great gifts; great fun; and a great fragrance!
Since the weatherman is not "really" sure about the chances of rain for tomorrow, April 22, and since lavender products, just like lavender plants, like dry feet, we have decided to go to the City Market in Kansas City on Sunday when it is supposed to be clear! The hours are from 8-3.
We are really excited about being there on Sunday(as we are usually there on Saturday)and we look forward to making many new friends and hopefully seeing many of our old ones!
April 12, 2017
Our spring/Summer hours are below and our first Lawrence Farmers Market(weather permitting) will be Saturday, April 15 from 7-11. Lots of new lavender products from the "Lavender Gnome"(please see our Facebook page or our web store for more about the gnome) to distilled Lavender Hydrosol. Please come by and say hello!!
...more to come.
March 29, 2017
We will be opening the farm on Mother's Day, Sunday May 14th from noon until 4pm. Our hours will then be(weather permitting):
Wed-Fri 10 am-2pm
Sat & Sun noon-4 pm
We will be closed on Mondays & Tuesdays(please call for appointment, 785-748-0678)
Our Spring/Summer Open House will be on June 10 & 11 from 10 am -5 pm
Groups welcome!
Our first farmers market will be the Lawrence Farmers Market on Saturday April 8th from 7-11am.
more to come...
March 12, 2017
As an old TV news anchor often said, "And so it goes?" Little if any snow most of the winter and then a dusting on March 11. We really need as much moisture as we can get so "bring it on!" Here is the way a very small portion of the field looked yesterday with the snow coming down.
We said last time we would make a couple of sugestions for plants you may want to use this year. For a nice purple we suggest Buena Vista and/or Folgate. Both often used for culinary as well as for decoration. They are Angustifolias, usually bloom before other varieties, and are a bit shorter than the next variety we suggest which is Grosso. Grosso, an X-Intermedia, also has a beautiful purple color, will bloom slightly later, will have longer stems and therefore will be taller. This is what we use for most of our products(it has a very strong fragrance so the products will last a long time).
And finally, here are a number of questions we have been asked:
Is your farm open for tours? Yes, and we will be posting our hours later this month. For larger groups please call so we will be expecting you(785-748-0678). Also our farm store will be opening in May for the season.
Do you give talks? Yes, just give us a call and we will be happy to discuss where and when(no charge)785-748-0678.
Do you hire summer help. Yes. If interested please send us an e-mail at email@example.com
more to come...
February 20, 2017
The answer is, "We don't have a clue!" The question is, "What will this weather do to your/our lavnder plants.?" One day it's 70 and two days later it's in the 20s. We are pretty sure the plants are confused and we are positive we are!
So, having said this, what might we do? Our simple answer is to do NOTHING(about the plants), just wait until late May and see how all the plants faired. Many farmers have made the mistake of pulling their plants out figuring they were dead. NO! Just wait. It is way too early to even consider taking some out.
But what can you do? We suggest planning. Plan where you want your plants(in rows in a field; as a hedge row down the driveway; in groups out in the yard). Then the qustion becomes which plants? Tall ones, short ones, early or late blooming or both, Some for the front, some behind. What color? Purple, blue, pink, white(yes, there is white lavender).
So, as the days get longer and the time to plant gets closer, we suggest doing some research on what you want and where you want it. Next time we will look at a couple of varieties that may help with your decision.
More to come...
January 28, 2017
Can't believe typing 2017 for the first time on the website. Where did '16 go and the first month of 2017? A lot has happened since we were last here; but now it is on to spring and getting back into the fields! Tired of paperwork, tractor "fixing"(still doing that) and booth maintenance. But so it goes.
As you will note from the calendar picture above Valentines Day is almost upon us. May we suggest a gift of lavender--a mug, teapot, sachet or eyepillow. Maybe a handmade sachet trio or even some dryer sheets/pillow inserts. All gifts that will provide the fragrance(and beauty of lavender) for years to come.
Much more to come....also when making a purchase from our web store between now and February 14, please note in the comment section the date of the order and receive a 15% discount(we will make the adjustment on the order). Again, thank you!!
December 25, 2016
A big thank you for a terrific 2016. We wish you the very best for a super 2017. Our barn shop is closed and will re-open in April; however, our on-line store will continue to be open.
We will be back on line in January, so again, Thank You and Happy New Year!
...Much more to come...
December 14, 2016
A big thank you to all that made it to the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market. It was a great day and again we thank you.
There are only a few more days left until Christmas, so if you have not found that gift for that special person let us suggest lavender. Please go to our store icon in the upper left hand corner and see if there may be something there that will "fill the bill." We still have sachets and eye pillows, and some pottery ready and waiting(our Nicholas Mosse Pottery offer listed below is still available).
If you don't see what you would like please give us a call and we will see what we may do to be of help! 785-748-0678.
More to come...
December 6,2016
Nicholas Mosse Pottery Special Offer
Our lavender mug, and teapot are hand made in Ireland exclusively for Washington Creek Lavender. Susan and Nick Mosse have developed what we feel is the "spot-on" lavender design(as they say in Ireland).
They are perfect holiday gifts for that special someone. Here is our special offer. We only have a couple of teapots left.t
Mugs(2)…………………………………. $64
Teapot……………………………. $119
Total normally ............... $183
Special offer, all three..........$139
This offer is not listed in our store. To order please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com. We only have three teapots left so we will only be able to fill the first three orders.
We do have plenty of mugs and bowls.
More to come...
December 2, 2016
Golly, it is December already! Where did 2016 go? Weeding, planting, harvesting, stripping, and making all the products, where did the time go? Soon we will start all over again, but first we will celebrate the holidays.
If part of your holiday season is gift giving, let me suggest you come to the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market, December 10 from 9-5 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 200 McDonald Drive in Lawrence. This will be your last time, this year, to see many of the local farmers, crafts persons and ranchers that were at the Lawrence Farmers Market this year. To be able to exhibit at the Holiday Market, an individual must have sold their products at the Lawrence Farmers Market for a minium of six times. We are truly a local market!
We will be there, and we hope you will as well.
More to come...
November 24, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the farm, Kathy, Jack, Sydney & Orchi(the two dogs) and Muffler the 18 year old cat(yes, found her under a car, hence the name Muffler).
We will be at the Pendleton's Country Market on Saturday and Sunday(Nov. 26 & 27). Besides our products being available at the Pendletons, they are also available( a limited number) at both Lawrence HyVee Stores, Au Marche on Mass. St., The Prairie Elf Christmas Tree Farm, Strawberry Hill Christmas Tree Farm, The Flower Farm in Gardner, and of course here on-line in our farm store. Also, we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market on Dec. 10. Again, we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. Oh, yes, the plants are now "asleep" for the winter!
more to come...
November 13, 2016
First, a big thank you to all that have come to the farm this past year. We hope you enjoyed it and we thank you for your support. The farm will be open sporadically for the rest of 2016, mainly by appointment. If you are interested in some of our products for the holidays please go to our farm store(click the button in the upper left). It is a secure site. If you can't find what you are looking for please call us at 785-748-0678 or see us at a couple of upcoming events: We will be at the Pendletons Open House for the next two weekendsand at the Holiday Farmers Market on December 10.
More to come...and again, THANK YOU!
November 7, 2016
A big thank you to all that came to our Fall Annual Open House this past weekend. The response was so terrific, that our phone has been ringing and ringing asking when folks could come out to the farm again this fall.We have had e-mails asking us as well. So, we decided to do the following: we will be open Thursday and Friday November 10 & 11 from 10-2 and then on Saturday, November 12 from 10-4. After this it will be by appointment only(or if we are working in the fields and the gate is open come on up).
So, come by later this week and walk in the fields, see the drying barn and tour our gift shop. Again, THANK YOU!
November 3, 2016
Our new sign above. Martha & Dean Nieder offered to put this up on their land and we accepted. A big THANK YOU to them.
The sign is just before 800 rd on 458 going west. Follow the arrow on the sign(turn left) and go until you arrive at the farm(about a mile).
The weather is supposed to be super so please come by and enjoy the farm!
more to come...
October 31, 2016
The fields look like this; the drying barn like this; the shop like this; and some of the new products like this; for our Fall Annual Open House.
"They" say the weather will be great so come and walk in the fields and enjoy a beautiful day in the country. You may even find that unique gift for that special someone. We are located at 858 East 800 Rd in Lawrence(just south of the white church in Lone Star).
more to come...
October 27, 2016
OK Since we posted the last update about our Fall Open House, we have had calls asking if we were going to be open this Saturday, October 29th. Yes, we sure are, from noon until 4. The fields look great and the weather is supposed to be terrific. Why not make an afternoon trip to the farm and enjoy a beautiful fall day!
Also, Kathy has just finished some new, handmade lavender Trios that will be available in our barn store. Yes, three individual sachets with color coordinated fabric make up the trio, with a total of more than 1/2 pound of lavender. No stuffing, just pure organic lavender. These are just some of the new products we have for this holiday season.
Hope to see you and more to come...
October 26, 2016
Yes, please join us for our fall annual Open House, Saturday & Sunday November 5&6 from 9-5 on the farm, 858 East 800 Rd. in Lawrence, KS. We are located just 500 yards south of the white church in Lone Star.
Bring the entire family and walk in the fields(weather permitting), tour the drying barn, drink coffee and hot chocolate, eat wonderful cookies, and maybe even find that special lavender holiday present in our gift shop.
Lots of new lavender wreaths are being handmade, new mugs from noted potter Helen Martin, and the Nicholas Mosse Pottery Co. are available(a limited supply), dryer sheets, sachets, new lavender dolls, lavender soap, yards of lavender, eye pillows, and neck comforters will fill the store--plus lots of surprises. And, a big Christmas tree will adorn the drying barn.
So, please mark your calender and come and enjoy a lavender farm in Kansas(everything will be green as the plants are "asleep" for the winter. Purple arrives again in mid-June).
more to come...
October 18, 2016
A big thank you to all the folks that came by this past Saturday & Sunday at the Baldwin Maple Leaf festival. Again, THANK YOU!
We are excited to announce that Washington Creek Lavender has been selected as the Local Artisan at the Williams-Sonoma Store in the Leawood Town Center Plaza 5204 119th St. in Leawood Kansas, for their Thanksgiving Open House on Saturday October 22, from noon until 5. Please come by and say hello. It should be great fun.
Also a reminder, our Holiday Open House at the farm is Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6 from 10-5 each day.
A great Christmas tree in the barn, hot coffee, and cookies, and a chance to roam in the fields(weather permitting). Plus, a great opportunity to find that special lavender holiday gift for that special someone!
And finally, if you can't make it to any of our upcoming events, please check out our web store by clicking the link that is above and to the left. We have lots of new items...from new hand made "lavender" pottery by Helen Martin and the Nicholas Mosse Pottery Co.--to yards of lavender and great Lavender Trios. Again, all hand made and great gifts for the holidays! ...more to come..
October 12, 2016
WOW! What a great couple of weekends coming up.
First, we will be at the Baldwin Maple Leaf Festival Saturday and Sunday October 15 & 16. We will be in the old Lumber Yard building right in the center of t0wn(9-6 Sat. & 9-5 Sun).
Second, we are excited to announce that Washington Creek Lavender has been selected as the Local Artisan at the Williams-Sonoma Store in the Leawood Town Center Plaza 5204 119th St. in Leawood Kansas, for their Thanksgiving Open House on Saturday October 22, from noon until 5.
All of our products are hand made and we use certified organic lavender that we grow right here in Lawrence, Ks. We hope you will be able to come by and find that unique gift for that special someone!
As a result of the above, our barn store will be closed both weekends but opening Nov. 5 & 6 for our Holiday Open House at the farm. Please see below for our updated farm schedule...
Much more about this later.
October 6, 2016
We will be at the Baldwin City Maple Leaf Festival in booth 415 in the old lumber yard building Oct. 15 & 16. We also have new Fall hours for our Barn Store. We will be closed on weekends until early November when we will be open for our Holiday Open House(more about this later). We will be in the fields a good bit of the time for the next few weeks so if you do want to come to the store Wed-Fri please give us a call to make sure we are there(785-748-0678). We will be putting the plants to bed for the winter.
The next time we will be at The City Market in Kansas City will be in mid-November.
A BIG THANK YOU to all that came out for the KAW Valley Farm Tour. We had hundreds and hundreds of folks and we greatly appreciate your support.
And last but by no means least, a super thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the event possible. We could not have done it with out you(please see our Facebook page for a picture of some of the volunteers).
Much more to come as we finalize other events for the remainder of October, November and December. Please stay tuned....
September 27, 2016
This is one of a number of terrific events this year, the KAW Valley Farm Tour. Visit 32 farms in one weekend(or as many as you desire) for only $10. per car. That's right, both days, all the farms for only $10. To get your ticket on-line go to kawvalleyfarmtour.org or go to the first farm of your choice and get your ticket there. We hope you will come and see us. The fields are green and in good shape and all the harvesting has been completed.
The hours are 9-5 each day and your ticket has a map of all the farms and what they have to offer(we have pretty fields--no purple--and great lavender holiday gifts). Plus we have free cookies, and free smells!
We hope to see you.
more to come...,
September 20, 2016
The fields are looking terrific and weeding and harvesting(yes, much to our surprize we are getting a second harvest on a number of plants) are progressing.
We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday, September 24th from 8-noon, at Au Marche on Mass. St. in Lawrence from noon-4, and our Farm Store(on the farm) will be open from 12;30 -4.
Also, we are in need of volunteers on the farm for the KAW Valley Farm Tour October 1 & 2. There are three shifts per day...9-12, 12-3, 3-5. We need three people for each shift. You will take tickets, direct folks to the fields, and the gift shop, etc. As our way of saying thank you there will be lavender in your future. If you would like to help out for any or some of the shifts please send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will get right back to you...and thank you in advance.
September 14th, 2016
Quite a week. Four, count'em, four flat tires. But, they are all fixed and up and working. A big, huge, super, thank you to Henry Nieder the farmer, no, the "man that can fix anything" and always with a smile on his face, for all of his help. We really could not do what we do on the farm without his help. Again thank you!
Now our update: We will not be at any markets this coming Saturday, September 17. Truck(s) at the truck "doctors" and tons of work to do on the farm before the KAW Valley Farm Tour on October 1 & 2. The weather is supposed to be great, with little rain on Saturday, so we hope to take advantage of it in the fields.
In the last update we mentioned our up coming Lavender Day at Au Marche. Here is the flyer with the info. We will add more later. We will also be at the Lawrence Farmers Market on September 24th.
More to come...
September 7, 2016
A quick update: We get many calls asking us what the fields look like. The picture above is a great example. The harvest is "almost" completed so the fields are green rather than purple. However, there is much to see and enjoy; a walk in the fields with the trees just starting to turn color, as well as the drying barn and Barn Store. Having said this, believe it or not, we still have a tiny bit to harvest. Every time we think we are done we discover another few plants(usually Buena Vista) that are giving us a second harvest. They really are pretty.This morning we WILL be finished!
Also, here is our schedule for September, given good weather: Lawrence Farmers Market Saturday September 10 & 24. The City Market in Kansas City September 17. Also on September 24th we will be at Au Marche in Lawrence from noon-4 to talk about lavender(lots of new products to see as well). More about this as we get closer.
September 1, 2016
Mary Beth is hard at work weeding the fields. There really is a method to all of this. In the spring first we weed. Then we plant our new starters and immediately afterward we start harvesting the older plants. This takes us to late July and August(if we are able to get a bit of a second harvest). Then it is back to weeding, by hand and with a weed wacker.
We are now in the weeding stage as all the harvesting has been completed. Here is a snap shot of a small portion of the fields. As all of this is going on, we are making new products for purchase in the Barn Shop and at the farmers markets(plus special events we will mention later). Here is one of our latest products, Lavender Goats Milk Soap. What a great fragrance and it lasts and lasts.
This Saturday September 3(can you believe it is September already) we will be at The City Market in Kansas City from 7 am-2pm. This will be our last Saturday at The City Market for a few weeks, so please come by and see some of the new products we have.
more to come...
August 24, 2016
Yes, we need the rain in the fields every day except Saturday when we hope to be at the markets. We are planning on being at The City Market in Kansas City given good weather. Since our products are lavender & "fabric" based, it does them no good to get wet. This past weekend rain was predicted; however, it turned out to be a super day at the market so who really knows! Please check the weather and we hope to see you there. As an old Cubs fan used to say, "wait till next year." For us, if it rains Saturday we only have to wait until next week.
more to come...
August 18, 2016
A big thank you for the photo above from Ann Deddens one of our customers. It was taken a few weeks ago. It is a picture of some of our one-year old Grosso lavender! Please send us your pictures and we will try and share them.
We are having a second growth on our Buena Vista lavender and we will be taking a limited number of bunches to The City Market this Saturday. This is a picture from an earlier Buena Vista harvest.
Please come by and say hello and start your holiday shopping early. We have a couple of new surprises!
Our Barn shop will be open on Saturday from noon-4. We will be closed Sunday-Tuesday and open on Wed., Thurs. & Fri. from 10-2.
more to come...
August 12, 2016
The picture above is from our drying barn. We have been asked a number of times this past week if the fields are purple. They are not as the harvest has been completed; however, the drying barn is full with lavender in various stages of drying. We will be stripping bunches all next week. Also, lots of weeding!
As for our hours and location: We will be at the Lawrrence Farmers Market this Saturday, August 13 from 7-11. Our Barn shop will be open on Saturday as well from noon-4. We will be closed Sunday-Tuesday and open on Wed,. Thurs & Fri. from 10-2.
August 4, 2016
Yes, we are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday August 6. Kathy has been busy making lots of new lavender products plus we have dried lavender as well. We kid, but it is never too early to start your holiday shopping(honest)!!Could not resist the picture! The Market is open from 7-11 AM. Our Farm Store will be open from noon-4 on Saturday as well. We will be closed on Sunday.
Weeding continues and today we started stripping some of the lavender in the drying. We did it for a couple of hours and then it got too hot(100 degrees)! Tomorrow is another day.
More to come...
July 28, 2016
Yes, weeding continues and will continue until early fall. We will begin tilling for new rows of lavender starters, to plant in the spring, within a few days.
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City Saturday July 30 and our Barn store and fields will be open from noon-4. We will have lots of dried and some of the last freshly cut lavender plus loads of holiday gifts.Honest, it is not too early to start and finish your shopping.
*Beginning this weekend we will be closed on Sundays for the remainder of the summer.*
More to come...
July 22, 2016
The picture above says it all. Pictured are 500 of the nearly 2,000 plants we planted this spring. They seem to be doing extremely well(weeded and weed wacked), fingers crossed.
Now for our hours update. We will be CLOSED July 23 & 24. We had a temperature heat index of nearly 110 for the past couple of days and they are calling for the same this weekend. We will open again on Wednesday July 27. For the remainder of the summer we will be closed on Sundays.
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City Saturday July 23.
More to come...
July 17, 2016
Yes, the harvesting is finished and we have now moved on to the ever exciting weeding! A big thank you to all of our super workers!
There is however still a lot to see at the farm. The nearly 2,000 plants we planted a couple of months ago are doing real well. The drying barn is full and as someone said, "It smells like a lavender sauna," with great color. And of course the Barn Shop is open with lots of hand made, hand painted lavender products. Please come by and say hello!
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City this coming Saturday July 23 and the Barn Store will be open on the same day from noon-4. We will be closed July 24th.
More to come...
July 10, 2016
We have been asked so many times how our Nicholas Mosse Pottery is hand made for us that we asked them if we could share their process. They said certainly, so every few weeks we will add a few of "their steps" in "their words" to explain the process. So, here we go:
Every piece of Nicholas Mosse undergoes a 20 step handmade process...
Basic Forming
"Clay comes from the ground and we mix different sorts of clays to create our own, high quality earthenware. We dig, blunge, sieve, filter and pug the clay to form extruded logs of wet clay, which are then cut into the exact size and weight for each item. The thrower takes this lump and centers and forms it on an electric pottery's wheel. The jug then emerges!"More to come on the Nicholas Mosse process in future updates.
Harvest update: We should be finished this week and then we will start stripping the lavender. We will have loads of freshly cut lavender and dry lavender at the farm store and at the markets.
More to come...
July 8, 2016
Yes, the harvest is almost finished. This coming Wednesday it should be done and then we switch to weeding. We have been doing a bit of that each morning before we start to harvest to give the plants a little extra time to dry.
This Saturday July 9 we will be at The City Market in Kansas City and both Saturday and Sunday our barn store will be open from noon-4. We have loads of new handmade bowls from Ireland in the shop and lots of freshly cut Grosso Lavender both there and in Kansas City!
More to come...
July 1, 2016
As the result of the rains(which we really, really needed) we will be closed Saturday, Sunday & Monday(we are always closed on Tuesday) and re-open for our regular hours on Wednesday from 10-2.
Thank you for your understanding!!!!
more to come...
July 1, 2016
So as not to confuse and mislead, we will not be at The City Market in Kansas City or the Lawrence Farmers Market on Saturday July 2. We are believing the weather folks who say it will be coming down in " buckets!" If it does, we will not be open at the farm either.
Thank you for your understanding.
June 28, 2016
We will be open from 10-2 Wed-Fri and from Noon to 4 Sat. & Sun weather permitting. We will be closed on July 4th.
Weather permitting, we will be at the City Market in Kansas City this coming Saturday July 2.
Much, much more to come.
June 22, 2016
Yes, we are well at it! We have a terrific crew(pix later) and they are working very hard.
Pictured above are two types of lavender, Grosso/purple and Edelweiss/white. Yes, white lavender. We also have Melissa which is a pink lavender. Yes, pink! These are just three of the eight varieties we grow. This Saturday June 25th, we will be at the City Market in Kansas City with fresh cut Grosso, Edelweiss, and Buena Vista(above).
More to come...
June 17, 2016
Yes, we have started harvesting. We start in earnest on Monday. It should take about five-six weeks give or take a bit depending upon the weather.
Again, we thank the hundreds and hundreds of folks that came out last weekend for our open house. We hope you enjoyed being here as much as we enjoyed having you.
The fields are really getting purple. So, if you missed coming out for the open house plan on stopping by in the next month or so. Our hours are 10-2 Wed-Fri., and Noon-4 Sat. & Sun. We are closed on Monday and Tuesday.
We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday, June 18th. Hope to see you there!
More to come...
June 14, 2016
First and foremost a big thank you to the hundreds and hundreds of folks that came out to our open house this past weekend. We greatly appreciate your support. Second, thank you to our staff that did, and we hope you agree, a super job. And finally, a big thnak you to Erin Wood(pictured above) who made both days just a bit more special!
Here is what the field looks like today, Tuesday.The purple just keeps coming on!
And finally, as Jack has wont to say, "We don't make the same mistake twice, we make it seven or eight times;" well, we did it again. We took very, very few pictures. So, we are asking if you took some pictures and would allow us to put them on our Facebook page or here on our website we would love to have them. If so, please send them to email@example.com and we will do it.
And yes we are open for the rest of the summer: 10-2 Wed-Fri., and Noon-4 Sat. & Sun.
More to come....
June 10, 2016
This is the weekend of our Open House! We hope you are able to come by and walk in the fields. The weather report is calling for mid-nineties so please drink plenty of water, wear a hat and wear sun screen. Again our hours are from 10-4 both days(with Erin Wood playing her harp in the fields from 1-3 each day). Please click on "Contact Us" for directions.
June 8, 2016
Just a couple of days until our open house. We are really looking forward to it and the weather reports seem to be good--hot but good.
We have two questions that keep popping up and so here are our answers: Will we be able to cut our own flowers? Unfortunately no. As we lost so many plants due to the hard winter we use all the plants to make our products, etc. Maybe next year we can give "You Cut" a try.
And question two, Have the plants turned purple? Here are two pictures to give you an update(as well as the one at the top)Those that haven't turned purple are very close(Grosso lavender). Of course there is Melissa( pink) and Edelweiss(white) that are doing very well. Yes, they are both lavender! More to come...
June 6, 2016
We've ordered the cookies, the coffee, and checked the weather. We are weeding, cutting and cleaning. And we are making lots of new products!
The Open House is almost here June 11 & 12, 858 East 800 Rd in Lawrence. Hit the Contact Us button above for a map and directions. Our goal is for you to appreciate the beauty and fragrance of lavender. So, no need to hurry or rush just come and enjoy the serenity of 5,000 lavender plants.
And finally we apologize. We have been talking about the open house for so long, the bridge finally being fixed, what was going to happen, etc. and each time, we did not give the hours. The open house will be from 10-4 on both Saturday and Sunday June 11 & 12.
We look forward to seeing you...
June 3, 2016
We are pleased to announce that internationally known and award winning harpist Erin Wood will be playing at our Open House June 11 & 12. She will be performing both days from 1-3.
Here is a bit about Erin...Erin Wood joined the faculty of University of Kansas in 2011, having previously taught at University of Nevada Reno, Indiana University Southeast, and the Arts Institute in New Albany Indiana. She has served as the principal harpist of the Reno Chamber Orchestra and the Utah Festival Opera. Erin has enjoyed performing as a soloist and chamber musician for the Seventh World Harp Congress in Prague, the American Harp Society Summer Institute in Los Angeles, and the Harp Carnivale in New Orleans. She was a prize winner in the Prix Renie and National Society for Arts and Letters. In 2014 Erin was elected to serve on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the American Harp Society. Erin studied with Susann McDonald at Indiana University where she earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Harp Performance as well as being awarded the Performer's Certificate. Beautiful flowers, great fragrance, and now terrific music, we hope you can come.
Much more to come as we get closer...
Update June 1, 2016
To get directions to the farm, that are hopefully "not" confusing go to Contact Us in the bar above(where the lady is pointing) and there is a good map. The road "picture" they use is out of date but the map is super.
We hope to see you at the farm for our Open House June 11 & 12!
More to come...
Update May 31, 2016
As we end May here is a "purple update. The angustifolia plants, Folgate, Buena Vista, Melissa, French Fields and Royal Purple are our early bloomers. As you see from the pictures they are doing very well. Our Grosso(purple) and Edelweiss, a white lavender--yes, white, are both doing very well and should be blooming by our Open House June 11 & 12.
A big thank you to all who came to the farm this Memorial Day weekend.
We will be at the City Market in Kansas City this coming Saturday June 4. Can you believe it is June already? Where has Spring gone?
More details on our Open House coming soon.
Update May 28, 2016
Yes. the bridge just north of the farm, after being closed for three months, is now OPEN! WE are so excited!
Directions to the farm from the East...take 458 west to 800 Road South. Go two miles and you are here. From the West take 458 east to 800 Road South. Go two miles and you are here.
We are open Saturday, Sunday, and Memorial Day from noon to 4.
Hopefully with sun we will dry a bit. Fingers crossed!
More to come...
Update May 26, 2016
One just has to keep smiling. This is almost a repeat of last year with all the rain we have been having, and are still getting. We have the "high" water(not really but it seems like it) so we thought we would build an Ark(pictured above).
The Open House is still on and "they" tell us the bridge will open very soon! To that end, we thank all of you who have "found" us during this crazy time and apologize to those who tried and were unable to do it. Again, thank you to all!
Now a question: We are looking for a harpist to play during our open house. If you know of one please have them contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or pass on their information and we will call them.
The fields are starting to "purple up" and we hope the rain will help."Hope" being the operative word.
Please remember we are open in the barn shop Wed-Fri 10-2 and Sat & Sun noon to 4.
We will not be at any farmer's markets this Saturday, May 28th.
More to come...
Update May 18, 2016
First a clarification: In our hours we say Closed on Monday & Tuesday. For tour information call 785-748-0678. Open Wednesday-Friday 10-2, Saturday & Sunday Noon-4. The "tour" reference is just in case you want to bring a large group. By letting us know we can be prepared. The hours as listed are when the farm and shop are open. If you can only come and see us on Monday or Tuesday please call and we will try and make arrangements. We hope this clears up any confusion.
Now, our Open House is scheduled for Saturday & Sunday June 11 & 12. The fields should be purple, and the bridge which is currently causing a detour should be finished (fingers crossed). Please check the May 2 update for detour directions. Much more on this as we get closer; but, please save the date!
Today we weeded and prepared to plant an additional 600 plants later this week. It was way too wet to plant today; but a beautiful day none the less!
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City this Saturday May 21.
Update May 10, 2016
A terrific "Thank You" to all who "found us," braved the rain, and came to the farm, in many cases, to celebrate Mother's Day. Again, thank you!
Yes, we are now open(see below for hours & directions as the bridge north of the farm is still under repair). And more great news, we finished planting 1,200 new starters!Yes, they are in the ground and we got them in before the rain so the new moisture has really been great. Each row in this picture has 40 plants so there are lots more! Now it's time to weed so we will be ready for our Spring/Summer Open House June 11 & 12. The fields should look like this.
Given good weather we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday May 14.
Much more to come...
Update May 2, 2016 May Day!
Well, the bridge is still closed north of the farm so we have decided to have an "If You Can Find Us Mother's Day Sale." All of our hand made lavender products will be discounted 10% on Mother's Day. We will be planting, weeding and doing normal farm chores and we would love to have you come out. Please remember, the "purple" really starts about the first week in June.
Here's a link to a map with directions on how to get to the farm. The easiest way seems to be to follow the green line on 850 rd.
Once again, here are our new hours: We open on Mother's Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General hours begin for the summer on May 9th. They are: Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Closed on Monday and Tuesday. For tour information please call (785) 748-0678).
We will be at the City Market in Kansas City Saturday, May 7, 2016.
More to come...
Update April 27, 2016
Yes, the season is about to begin. We have been working hard to get ready. Having said this, we can only push Mother Nature so hard(or "think" we can push her).
As we open on Mother's Day we can guarantee there will be no purple(pictured above) as the plants have a couple of months of work yet to do! But we will have lots to show. There will be 1,800 new plants to go with the 3-4 thousand that are in various stages of growth and green.
We can't guarantee the weather outside but we will have our shop open with lots of new lavender products and our drying barn and still on display.
We can guarantee that "finding us" this year will be more difficult as the bridge just north of the farm is closed for repair. But, check in with us here at our website once the calendar turns to May for some "interesting" offers that may make a trip even more worthwhile, plus detailed directions on how to get to the farm.
Once again, here are our new hours: We open on Mother's Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General hours begin for the summer on May 9th. They are: Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Closed on Monday and Tuesday. For tour information please call (785) 748-0678).
Also we will not be at the Farmer's Markets on Saturday, April 30.
More to come...
Update April 15, 2016
This is a short update and we do apologize; however this has been quite a week. You do all your farm maintenance during the winter so when you need the equipment it will be ready to go, right? Wrong! Two flat tires, one broken tiller belt, one dead battery, etc. However, all are fixed, and we have tilled and mowed.
We have made l0ads of new products and we will be at The City Market in Kansas City Saturday April 16. Saturday the 23rd of April will be our first Lawrence Market of the season.
Much, much more to come...
Update April 7, 2016
Yes, the Farmers' Market season begins for us this Saturday, April 9th. We will be at the City Market in Kansas City from 7AM to 2:30 PM. The Lawrence Farmers Market opens this weekend as well; however, we will start there later in the season.
We will have loads of new products from closest hangers and yards of lavender(sachets) to our old standbys dryer sheets and eye pillows. Also, we will have a number of dried lavender bouquets! Plus our Nicholas Mosse mugs hand made exclusively for us in Ireland!
Please come by and say hello. They "say" the weather will be super!
More to come...
Update March 29, 2016
We open on Mother's Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General Hours begin for the summer on May 9th. They are: Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. For tour information please call (785) 748-0678).
Within the next week we will have exact directions for the detour to our farm. Hopefully this detour will last only a few weeks and then back to normal.
Our Open House is June 11 & 12. Much more on this to come later.
Update March 4, 2016
And so it begins! We just found out this past week that the bridge on 800 Rd. 200 yards north of our farm will be closed until June 7. What a surprise to say the least. However, this will not stop us from opening on Mother's Day, May 8th and having our regular hours for the summer.
Here is how to get to us:
If you are coming to see us from the south you come north on 800 Rd. off of 56 Highway until you get to the farm(858 E. 800 Rd.) If you go too far(200 yards) you will come to the bridge that is out--not good.
If you are coming from the north take 850 Rd south to 600 Rd. Go west to 800 Rd.(which they call 1039) and take it north to 858 E 800 Rd. Again, if you go too far, yadda, yadda, tc. You get the picture. This is really a big but we hope you will come and see us! It will be worth it!
We open on Mother's Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General Hours begin for the summer on May 9th. They are: Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. For tour information please call (785) 748-0678).
Update March 1, 2016
The picture above is of our drying barn. This is really the end of the "growing process." To date, nearly all the lavender has been taken down(after it has dried) and stripped, and is being made into our lavender products, packaged and readied for sale. But before this, we must grow it. Here is our progress growing lavender from seed. The little guys are making great progress. We hope to plant these and another 2,000 starters in late April!
As for other dates,we will be at the City Market in Kansas City on April 9 and we will open the farm and farm store on Mother's Day, May 8th. We will add more dates to include the Lawrence Farmers Market as we get further along in the year.
One note: 800 Rd(we are at 858 E. 800 Rd) will be closed just north of the farm from March 7 until early June for bridge repair. This means that if you are coming to visit us during this time you must come to the farm on 800 Road from the south. As we get closer to opening we will provide specific directions and post signs. Ah yes, progress....
And finally, once again a big thank you to the Kansas City Star and Anne Brockhoff for the aritcle about our Nicholas Mosse lavender pottery and our farm...http://www.kansascity.com/living/food-drink/food-issue/article62215692.html
more to come...
Update February 12, 2016
It still seems funny writing 2016; where does time go? This is a quick update on our attempt to grow lavender from seed. As of today we have GROWTH!! These were planted 12 days ago. What fun!!
Yesterday we put a 1200 gallon water tank in the field to help water-in the 2,000 plants we will put in the ground this spring. It is getting close!!
More to come...
When we receive an order for the mug between now and February 12 we will automatically include a free 1/2 oz. organic lavender sachet. We have a very limited number of mugs so please act now! Thank you
Update February 3, 2016
Yes, we too are getting antsy! Spring is just next month and planting is hopefully soon after. As we have noted before, we are planting 2000+ new starter plants and more than one hundred from seed. Here is how were are germinating our new plants from seed. The lid will go back on the second tray(in the front) and the combination of both trays gives us between 100 and 144 new plants(we hope).
We get asked all the time, "What type of lavender should we plant?" Given the cold winters of the past(so far this one has not been terrible---oops, we probably just jinxed it) it's important to keep a couple of things in mind. Angustifolias, Folgate, Buena Vista, Melissa, and Royal Purple, to name just a few, seem to handle the cold very well. The x Intermedias, Grosso and Provence not as well(at least for us this past couple of years this has been the case).
There are trade-offs. Grosso and Provence have the strongest scent and provide beautiful long stems so we are gambling and nearly 2/3 of our new plants will be of these varieties. Where angustifolias have some of the richest purples, blues and pinks and are much shorter; these will make up the remaining 1/3.
With more than 450 varieties of lavender the choice is really up to you as to what results you desire. Our suggestion is TEST. Plant a number varieties, see which you like best and which are the hardiest and go from there. It is great fun!
*Please note that our experiences may differ from others given location and climate.*
More to come...
Update January 22, 2016
We needed a bit of spring to make up for the cold and snow; hence, the picture on top! Yes, yes, we know it has been a mild winter but we are looking forward to spring. Looking forward to planting between 2,500-3,000 plants. Looking forward to getting our hands back in the dirt and looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
One date to keep in mind is our Annual Spring Open House, the weekend of June 11 & 12. Keep your fingers crossed that we don't have as much rain as we did last year at that time(you may remember we had to cancel due to rain--35 days plus or minus in a row, and lavender does not like wet feet!).
A number of folks have asked what they could do now to get ready for spring planting? We suggest planning, planning, and planning. First decide where you want to plant your lavender and why--as decoration--maybe in a row to devide your garden or as a center piece or focul point. Or to use it for cooking, so you may want to plant it near the house to make it as accesable as possible. Or you may to use it to line your driveway. What we do is print an overhead shot of the farm and decide where we will next plant our starters. It is important however to remember that lavender likes full sun, dry feet, and loves to be on a hill.
Now select the type of lavender, and we will talk about that next time.
And so, we too will be planning, planning, and planning for this coming season.
Much more to come...
Update December 30, 2015
First and foremost, THANK YOU for your support of our lavender endeavors in Kansas. We greatly appreciate it!
Now it is on to 2016. My how this year has flown by; many hurdles, many challenges, many surprises and in the end many new friends, and old friendships strengthened. Quite a year!
We will start 2016 with the planting(indoors of course) of hundreds of lavender seeds from Seeds of Italy. This will be a first for us and we look forward to moving them to the fields in the spring.
Speaking of spring, we have also ordered 2,000 new starters and we will be planting them(given the weather) in late May after the last frost(hope we guess correctly).
And so, again we say thank you and we will talk again soon. Happy New Year!
More to come...
Update December 14, 2015
There is still time to find that unique gift for that special someone(or even for yourself!). For example, we just received another shipment of mugs, bowls, and teapots hand made for us in Ireland. We also have our Sachet Trios, 1/2 oz. and 1 oz sachets plus the ever popular dryer sheets(yes, the dryer sheets do make great gifts. They are hand made and hand painted and last for more than a year). These are just a few of our products available in the store. To shop in our store please click on the Visit Our Store button to the left of the Christmas tree.
Thank you for your interest and continued support!
More to come...
Update December 9, 2015
A number of folks have asked us if we are going to be at the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market this
Saturday, December 12? The answer is a resounding YES!
We are really looking forward to it. We have lots of new products to include a special Lavender/Sage Holiday Soap, beautiful lavender wreaths, Irish handmade mugs, bowls and teapots, lavender closet hangers, dryers sheets, eye pillows, and neck comforters, to name just a few. All of our products are handmade and we grow our own organic lavender(we are certified). Lavender makes a terrific gift and a super stocking stuffer!
There is loads of parking, no admission fee(so it's free to get in) and since we are inside it's rain or shine.
Please come by and see us and the other 54 vendors. We will all be there from 9-5.
More to ccome...
Update November 30, 2015
Where did the summer go, the lavender in bloom, the scent wafting across the fields? As they say in sports, "We will have to wait until next year!"
As the cold sets in we are getting questions as to whether or not it is too late to put some lavender plants outside(plant them)? In our area the answer is yes, it is too late. We have never been able to make fall plantings work(that may just be us) even in early fall let alone this late. So as we said earlier, "wait until next year!"
With the holidays upon us, once again we remind you that you may purchase our hand made lavemder items from our on-line store(click on the button above) or come see us at the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market.
Lavender has a special fragrance with special qualities. Make it "your" special gift during this holiday season
Update Novemeber 23, 2015
Bee ready for the holidays and give the gift of lavender. Not "black Friday" or "cyber Monday," let's make it Lavender Friday!
Why you ask give lavender? Well, it is calming and at the same time uplifting . It contributes to normal sleep patterns and, it supports both immunity and a healthy digestion. Plus its fragrance is wonderful!
Lavender is a unique gift. We are excited to grow it and to make the products. From our neck comforters and eye pillows to our dryer sheets and sachets, each product is handmade and handpainted by us. Yes, a couple of our products are not made by us, but in fact they are made "just" for us; the Nicholas Mosse pottery and the Helen Tiley Martin pottery are prime examples.
If you are looking for that unique gift that will last and last please give lavender a try on Lavender Friday by clicking on the lavender store button right to the left of the Bee!!
More to come...
Update November 22, 2015
It looks like winter has arrived. It just seems to sneak up on us every year. But as an old TV producer used to say, "And so it goes!"
A big thank you to all the folks that went to the Pendleton's Open House and the Au Marche Open House this weekend. We really appreciate your support!
This past week we had two phone calls from folks that said exactly the same thing: "We just got our lavender teapots and they are even more beautiful than the picture!" And so, that is the reason for the teapot picture up above. We have just a few left and they will make super holiday gifts(one lady indicated that it "was" going to be a Christmas gift but now she was going to "keep" it as a gift for herself)! Please check it out by clicking on the "visit our store" button right next to the picture.
If, while in the store, you don't see something that you know we have please send us a message at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will get it to you.
Also, coming up in just a few weeks is the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market. A big thank you to KLWN and the Lawrence Journal World for their continued support.
More to come...
Update November 11, 2015
The Pendletons are having their Open House later this month and we are excited that once again our products will be there! Save the dates, November 21 & 22 and November 28th & 29th at their farm 1446 East 1850 Rd(just east of Lawrence)! Lots of local vendors will be their with special products for the holiday season.
More to come...
Update November 6, 2015
Saturday and Sunday November 7 & 8 we are having our fall open house from 10-4 each day. Come and enjoy the lavender fields(very little purple but lots of green--purple is in June). Coffee from J&S coffee, cider, and cookies from HyVee. And our shop is stocked -full of great gifts for this holiday season. If you can make it we would love to see you!
More to come...
Update October 27, 2015
Yes, fall has arrived and our Barn Open House is fast approaching. Please mark your calenders for Saturday and Sunday Novembverr 7 & 8. We will be opening the farm and the store from 10-4 each day rain or shine.
As you may remember, we tried to have an open house in late spring but the rains had been so bad that we were unable to do it. We are giving it another try. The plants will be asleep for the winter but they still are fun to see. We will have hot coffee and cider plus there may even be "special" decorations in the drying barn! Our shop will be loaded with gifts for the holidays from handmade lavender wreaths to lavender dryer sheets, neck comforters, lavender dolls and eye pillows. Plus much, much more!
Speaking of gifts. Just a quick update: We have just five handmade Nicholas Mosse teapots remaining and five bowls, both of which may be purchased from our web store. These items have been very popular and we thank everyone for their interest.
The weather should be crisp so please bundle up and join us for a walk in the lavender fields.
More to come...
Update October 20, 2015
It was great seeing lots of old friends and making new ones at this past weekend's Maple Leaf Festrival in Baldwin. Thank you all for coming by.
This coming weekend October 24 & 25 we will be at the Mother Earth News Fair at the Kansas Expo Centre in Topeka. We have booth 5017 on a corner right in the middle of the exhibit hall! From all that we have read it looks like a super fair, so if you get a chance bring the whole family and come to the fair!
Also, we have lots of new products that will make terrific holiday gifts.
A new shipment of our exclusive mugs handmade for us in Ireland is due any day and we still have a limited number
of teapots and bowls available. Also, our handmade trios make super gifts as well. If ordering please indicate your color palette as fabrics change all the time.These products are all available, along with many more, in our on-line store and we will have them at the Mother Earth News Fair as well!
More to come...
Update October 14, 2015
Once again a big thank you to the hundreds and hundreds of folks that came to the farm for the KAW Valley Farm Tour!
And now we are on to the Maple Leaf Festival
in Baldwin Saturday October 17 & 18. Then on to the Mother Earth News Fair in the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Saturday & Sunday October 24 & 25.
We will not be doing anymore outside markets in 2015.
Also, a number of folks have called to tell us they tried to order from our web store but could not. Once again the computer "gods" got us but today we got it fixed.
So please, if you have tried before we apologise for any problems and ask that you give it another try. Just go to the button next to the picture and "Click Here to Visit Our Store."
more to come...
Update October 2, 2015
This weekend, October 3 & 4 is the KAW Valley Farm Tour. Thirty-two farms in the KAW Valley open their doors for the weekend and show what they do. Our farm will be open from 10-6 each day. We have been working hard, as have all the farmers, to put that little extra shine on our operations. If you are in the area the tour is a great adventure. For lots of info go to KawValleyfarmtour.org.
As a result of the tour we will not be at any of the farmers markets this weekend.
More to come...
Update September 25, 2015
What is the the old line, "So much to do, so little time." This sure is true, so here go. We will be at both The City Market in Kansas City(7-3) and the Lawrence Farmers Market(8-12) Saturday, September 25th.
The KAW Valley Farm Tour is October 3 & 4 from 10-6 each day(we are part of the tour,www.kawvalleyfarmtour.org).
The Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin, KS is October 17 & 18. We are in the Lumberyard Arts Center right in the middle of town(www.mapleleaffestival.com).
And, OUR Fall Holiday Open House here at the farm is November 7 & 8 from 10-5 each day. Whew, what fun!
Update September 18, 2015
Yes, progress is being made in the fields. Nearly 60% has been weeded and we are hot on the trail of the other 40%. Saturday we will harvest some of what is left of the "second" growth on the Buena Vista, dig out a number of plants that have not made it, and till and close-cut in the mid-field, all weather permiting. Kathy will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market and Jack will be in the fields(again weather permiting). We will next be at the City Market in Kansas City on Saturday September 26th.
On another note, we are pleased to announce that noted Kansas potter Helen Martin has designed and made a limited edition lavender mug for us which we are offering for the holiday season. They are beautiful pieces of art and are now available in our internet store. It is truly limited as only eight have been made! Just click the icon above left to learn more. Again, thank you for your continued support.
And finally, our Barn Store will be open this Sunday, September 20th from 12:30 until 4.
More to come...
Update September 9, 2015
As you may hopefully see from the above picture, and this onein another week or so we should have the entire fields "wacked," weed wacked that is. The fast majority of the plants are looking good and the 500 new ones we planted are doing better than we could have hoped. Fingers crossed for a mild and maybe snowy winter( for a blanket of protection). In the spring we will put in an additional 1,500 plants!
Lots of upcoming events: We will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City this Saturday, September 12; the KAW Valley Farm Tour is the first weekend in October(please come and see us); The Maple Leaf Festival is the third weekend in October in Baldwin, KS, and our Holiday Open House on the farm is the first weekend in November; then lots more in November and December!
The response to our web store has been super. If you have not had a chance to take a look please do(click the button in the upper left). We will be adding new items later this week!
More to come...
Update September 2, 2015
Yes, as the day light gets shorter, we find it necessary to change our hours. First, beginning this Saturday, September 5, the Lawrence Farmers Market hours will be from 8-noon(rather than 7-11). We will be there. We will also be at The City Market in Kansas City on Saturday from 7-2. Our Barn store will be closed on Saturdays except for special events like the KAW Valley Farm Tour(first weekend in October and our Holiday Open House, first weekend in November). We will be open on Sundays. Any questions please call us at 785-748-0678!
Our on-line store is open all the time for holiday shopping and we urge you to take a look. We are updating it all the time(almost!).
Field update: We are still weed wacking and moving plants getting ready for the KAW Valley Farm Tour. We will be ready(we think). Also, if you have any questions about lavender, planting, etc. please feel free to drop us a note at firstname.lastname@example.com or call us at the number above and we will try and answer them or get you an answer! Please remember lavender likes dry feet and full sun!
...more to come
Update August 23, 2015
Yes, we are still working in the fields; as a matter of fact this past week we pulled out another 500 plants(about 1,000 more to come out). They were " done in" by the cold from the winter before last and the wet spring--so we believe. We have planted 500 new starters with another 1,500-2,000 to plant this coming spring. That should get us back to more than 6,000 plants.
There are still loads of things to see on the farm: 4,000 plants looking like big green basketballs, the drying barn loaded with drying lavender ready to be stripped, the fields all weed-free(ok, "almost" weed-free--still have loads of rows to work on) and of course our barn store. We had quite a number folks this past weekend at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in KC start their Holiday shopping with some of our lavender products--thank you! Also, add in the the fresh fragrance of lavender mixed with the coming smells of fall and fall color--WOW what fun!
Our hours at the farm for the next couple of weeks will be the same: Wed.-Fri. 9-1 and Sat. and Sun. 12:30 -4. In early Oct. we start the fall season to include the KAW Valley Farm Tour, first weekend in October(come to the farm!), the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin(third weekend in Oct. in Baldwin) and our Holiday Open House the first weekend in Nov.! What fun!! More on all of this later.
The response to our new handmade Nicholas Mosse teapot and bowl has been terrific. So much so that we are placed another order that should be arriving in the next two weeks. If you have not seen these or any of our products please click on the Store button in the upper left hand corner and take a peak.
And finally, one again, thank you again for your continued support. We really enjoy what we are doing and we are glad you like our products and our farm. Thank You!
Schedule update: We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market Saturday Aug. 29th from 7-11 and at the HyVee on 23rd St. in Lawrence from 10-3 on the 29th as well!
more to come...
Update August 9, 2015
Computer "hiccups" for the past week. Working on getting them solved. The next time we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City is August 22nd.
Working hard on the farm. Weed whacking, weeding, cleaning the barn, restocking the store with new products for the fall, etc. Really is great fun. Unable to provide pictures(computer.)
Now, back to computer "fixing!"
More to come...
Update July 29, 2015 Addendum
We will be at KC Farmers Market(7-2) and the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11) this Saturday, August 1. Also, our Barn Store will be open on both Saturday and Sunday(12:30-4).
As many of you know, we have been working with the Nicholas Mosse Pottery Company in Ireland on exclusive handmade mugs for Washington Creek Lavender. The response has been terrific. So much so that people have asked us for additional items, a teapot and a small angle bowl to be specific.
Well we are proud to announce that we have just received word that they have shipped a limited number to us and they should be here in a week.
Before we advertise these to the general public we are making them available at a reduced price to those that have continued to follow us on our web page and Facebook. This really is a limited time offer. The price of the teapot is $101 and the bowl is $29. On August 7 they will move to EBay and our web st0re for $119. and $35 respectively.
The Mosse folks say: We seriously love our tea at the pottery and spent a long time making sure that this teapot worked well, with its round belly allowing the tea to swirl for the proper brew, and its spout angled for a perfect pour. The handle is also comfortable to the hand. All this makes the tea better and the serving of it more elegant(15cm (h). This lavender small angle bowl has a modern, clean look and is just the right size for almost anything, pudding, soup, nuts and cereal(14.5cm dia).
Both make super holiday gifts! To order please just e-mail us your phone number at email@example.com and we will get right back to you. No need to leave a credit card number as we can get it, and shipping information, when we call back.
Yes, we are truly excited!!! And, more to come!!!!
Update July 24, 2005
Once again a big thank you to all the folks that harvested with us this summer. Yes, still lots to see! We ended up with nearly 5,500 "bunches," all but a few now hanging in our drying barn.In just a few weeks we will begin stripping the lavender as it takes from 4-6 weeks to dry. We may have a small second harvest on our Buena Vista; keeping our fingers crossed. That may happen in the next six weeks. The fields look lush and green!
This Saturday July 25 we will be at the City Market in Kansas City(7-2) and our Barn Shop will be open from 12:30-4! Only five months until Christmas so it is not too soon to start picking up that special gift for those special friends and relatives!Yes, we know it is 90+ degrees; however, this may help you cool off just a bit. Also, please remember our web store. Just click on the icon next to the picture at the top.
Again thank you and more to come...lots more!
Update July16, 2015
As of the last count this afternoon we have nearly 5,000 "bunches" hanging in the drying barn, Given the Winter weather and the wet Spring we are very thankful for this harvest; and, we still have a day or two to go.
A big thank you to all the folks that are working in the fields. More about them when we are all finished,
Also, after many requests from customers, the Nicholas Mosse Pottery Company in Ireland, has agreed to produce a teapot and a bowl to go with our exclusive mugs. We should have pictures in a couple of weeks and the product by mid August. There will be a limited number produced so please when you see the pictures let us know if you would like one or both. We will be handling this on a first come first served basis.
We will be at KC Farmers Market(7-3) and the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11) this Saturday, July 18. Also, our Barn Store will be open on both Saturday and Sunday(12:30-4).
More to come...
Update July 7, 2015
Yes, harvesting is happening! The two folks above, Heathr(yes, proper spelling) and Andy are two school teachers spending their summer with us working on the farm. They are two of the six folks we have who are doing a super job. We have more than 3,500 bundles currently drying in the barn and we should double that by the end of next week(given the weather).
We will be at KC Farmers Market(7-3) this Saturday, July 11. Also, our Barn Store will be open on both Saturday and Sunday(12:30-4).
Finally, we have some exciting news about new products that will be available in a few weeks. More about these later.
Also, as a heads up, since the harvesting is moving along quite quickly we urge you to come out to the farm sooner rather than later(even if you miss the purple there is still the drying barn, the beautiful plants still in the ground and informative tours)+ the Barn Store.
Please don't forget our on-line store. Just click the icon above left and take a look. Again, thank you for your interest in our farm
...Much more to come...
Update June 30, 2015
We wish everyone a happy, safe, and healthy Independence Day Weekend.
The harvest has begun and given all the "wet" we are very excited about the process. So far we have harvested more than 2,000 bundles!
Given the weather, we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11) and The City Market in Kansas City(7-3)on the Fourth! Also our barn shop will be open both Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 -4.
Again, Happy Fourth of July and our best wishes to all the Troops here and around the world! Thank you for all that you do!
much more to come...
Update June 22, 2015
We are pleased to announce that Au Marche in Lawrence and Washington Creek Lavender will be holding a Lavender Day at Au Marche Saturday June 27(921 Massachusetts).. This will go on all day; however, Jack will be there from 2-6 with both fresh cut culinary lavender, and fresh cut bouquets from our fields-- plus lots of other "special products." He will also answer questions about how to grow lavender(the pros and cons); but remember, he is from New Jersey so factor that in to all answers. Just kidding, it should be fun and informative.
We will also be at the Lawrence Farmers Market from 7-11. And, as you may have read, the Lawrence Farmers Market has been voted the Best of Lawrence for Fresh Produce!!!
more to come...
Update June 16, 2015
With all the rain we have had(are having) we figured the picture above was really appropriate! We WILL however be open before the Christmas Holidays. Honest!!
In fact, our schedule for this weekend(June 20-21) is: We will be at the Lawrence Famers Market on Saturday from 7-11; The City Market in Kansas City from 7-3); AND, we will open the farm(weather permitting) from 12:30-4 on both Saturday and Sunday!
This has been quite a Spring. We have torn out plants(hundreds), planted in the muck, mire, and rain. Tried to cut the fields(not the lavender) in the rain. Pushed cars out of the mud; And closed the farm for a few weeks. BUT, all is good.
An aside: This morning we checked the weather forecast, looked at the radar and decided no rain in sight. So, we gathered our toys, went into the fields and started to plant. Fifteen minutes later the skys opened up and we were soaked. We stopped. Everyone went home. And now, the sun is out two hours later. You just have to laugh.
And so, we hope to see you this weekend and once again we apologize to those who tried to come to our postponed open house.
More to come...
Update June 5, 2015
After much thought and an additional 3+ inches of rain last evening we have decided to POSTPONE our Open House until later this summer. In fact, we are closing the farm for the next couple of weeks to give the land a chance to dry.
They say it was the wettest May in recorded history(or close to it) and you sure could prove it with us. Ground between the plants is saturated(inches deep with each step); water pooling around almost all plants; and, the road and parking area are muddy and wet(two cars earlier in the week got stuck up to their hub caps).
We want you to come and when you do we want you to have a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, this is not the time(and they are predicting rain most days next week).
And so, we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you; but hope when it drys you will come visit the farm!
More to come...
Update May 29, 2015
Yes, it continues to rain; however compared to our friends in Texas and Oklahoma we are very lucky. We have lost plants, and the ground is saturated; but again we are the fortunate ones. We have been able to plant some new plants in between rain showers. How well they will do only time will tell. As for the field that we had to "rip out" that will be many weeks before we can work the land and get it ready for new starters. Hopefully by the end of June we will be planting there(the sooner the better so they have a chance to root before the first frost)
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City Saturday May 30th(7-2) and our Barn store wil be open(12:30-4). Please come by and say hello!!
Update May 24, 2015
We will be closed today(Sunday) and on Memorial Day. The rain gage had more than three inches in it from last night, added to the rains from the week, and we have good soggy fields. More rain is anticipated for today so we have built this!All the farmers in the area have been bringing animals two-by-two! You just have to keep laughing!
More to come(pun intended!)...
Update May 22, 2015
Planted some plants today and it felt wonderful. The crew worked really hard. A big thank you to Holly, Nadina and Heathyr for a great job. It was just dry enough(we think). We are still waiting on the weather to see what happens for us and the farmers markets but our Barn Store will be open from 12:30 -4 on Saturday and Sunday.
More to come...
Update May 21, 2015
And so the rains continue! We are thinking of building an Ark and taking the lavender plants two-by-two!
Monday we made the tough decision that "winter kill" had done in our oldest plants and yesterday we dug up more than 450 plants in our eastern most field. Today we piled up the plants and now must wait until the field drys to plant new starters.
Yes, it was emotionnal but we feel like this is a new beginning for this field. The other two fields are coming along and purple should be here soon(given it ever stops raining).
The crew, Holly, Nadina and Kathy(Jack took the picure) did a super job! Lots of mud, rain and heavy plants made it an interesting and rewarding day.
As for rain, it will determine if we will be at the Farmers Markets this Memorial Day Weekend. Please stay tuned!
Update May 13, 2015
And so it began. Our first open weekend day on Sunday and lots of folks braved the crazy weather to come and see us. Today was our first week day opening and folks came as well. We were planting and weed wacking; but we gave tours and had a great time! Thank you to all. Oh yes, and it is raining as well!
As for the plants, no purple yet but it is coming(the above picture shows where we are). It should be here in early June just in time for our Weekend Open House, June 13 & 14. Much more to come on this as we get closer.
Again our hours are: Wednesdays through Fridays from 9-1. Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 4. Other dates by appointment.
More to come.
Update May 8, 2015
We will not be at the Lawrence Farmers Market or The City Market in Kansas City on May 9. We are not going to chance the weather. Opening on Mother's Day is OK as our barn store is inside. The grass will not be cut nor will all the weeds be pulled. That will just have to wait until the rain stops(we are building an Ark--lavender plants two-by-two).
We will officially open the farm on Mothers Day, May 10, 2015 from 10-5. The plants will just be starting to "green up." After that we will be open Wednesdays through Fridays from 9-1. Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 4. Other dates by appointment.
More to come...
Update May 4, 2015
The above picture is the color we hope the fileds will be in in mid-June this is how they look now.They are greening up and should begin the stem and purple phase later this month.
We are tilling, weeding, and planting all at the same time. Exciting and great fun. On a more somber note, we are not sure how may plants bit the dust this winter. Unfortunately the last two winters, for some reason, have taken their toll unlike other years. We will just replant and drive on(old army saying).
Hope you can come by and see us.
More to come...
Update April 29, 2015
Yes, we know, the picture above( is blatant promotion but we just could not resist because it is true. This mug will make a great Mother's Day gift.--the new Nicholas Mosse Lavender Mug designed especially for Washington Creek Lavender.
All of Mosse's mugs go through a 20 step handmade process. Their mugs, bowls and plates have been in our house for more than 20 years and we noticed that they did not have a lavender pattern. Working with them for nearly six months they developed the pattern you see here. It is truly exciting! Order soon and we will do our darnest to get it you for Mother's Day. Just go to our web store icon and give a whirl!
We hope to be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City Saturday May 2. We love the rain but for us, Monday through Friday would just be wonderful.
We are gambling on frost(or lack of) and planting new plants. Also, we are weed whacking the entire field and putting in new trees along the road.
More to come...
Update April 25, 2015
We will be at The City Market in Kansas City:
Sunday, April 26 from 8-3 and Saturday, May 3 from 7-3
We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market:
Saturday, May 3 from 7-11
We have lots of new and exciting products(O.K. so we think they are exciting) that would make great Mother's Day gifts...dried lavender in burlap(really neat), little "Peeps" handmade and filled with lavender, eye pillows, neck comforters in loads of colors, plus all of our old stand bys.
Please come by and say hello!
More to come...
Update April 18, 2015
We will officially open the farm on Mothers Day, May 10, 2015 from 10-5. The plants will just be starting to "green up." After that we will be open Wednesdays through Fridays from 9-1. Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 4. Other dates by appointment.
It already been an exciting Spring. We have been repairing "stuff"--barns, tractors, etc. We have started to weed the plants and mow the grass. And the shop will have a somewhat different look as we are lowering the ceiling. This coming Monday we will pick up our plants from The Flower Farm in Gardner. Keith, Roberta and "the kids" have taken cuttings from our plants and have propagated them over the winter--nearly 800! Can't wait to see them!
We will be at The City Market, Saturday, April 25. What fun!! We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones!
Much more to come...
Update April 6, 2015
And so it begins and we are really excited. We will be at:
The Lawrence Farmers Market Saturday, April 11. 7-11
The City Market in Kansas City Saturday April 25 and May 5. 7-3. We will add in additional dates as they develop. Our farm opens on Mother's Day, May 10.
AND, we are having a Washington Creek Lavender Open House Saturday and Sunday, June 13 & 14. Much more to come on this later.
A number of people have asked us when we put in our new plants. Lavender, in most cases, is a perennial and we try and put in additional plants after the last frost in the spring. A great guessing game but early mid-May usually works.
much more later...
Update March 18, 2015
Hopefully the above picture is what our fields will look like in late May, June, and July. When you think about it, it really is less than 90 days to the middle of June. Wow, where has the time gone? We will offically open the farm on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10th. We will then be open Wednesday-Friday 9-1, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4. Other times by appointment.
We have "practiced" with our still and should be ready for a "real" batch soon. We have just received our 4th shipment of our handmade lavender mugs from the Nicholas Mosse Pottery Co. in Ireland. The response has been super. Here is an example: Got them today! They're are really pretty with such a nice, shiny glaze! I hope there will be more pieces to go with this! I love the lavender that you sent, mmmmmm! It is the most fragrant that I have ever smelled. Thank you.
No, no thank YOU! These are handmade just for us and are available in our gift shop, and in our on-line store.
And so, it is back to the fields. More to come...
Update February 28, 2015
First, as the snow is coming down we could not help but post the above picture. In a few months that is exactly how it will bee(punn intended and fingers crossed).
Second, the response was terrific to our "What do we do about our hours" question with almost a 100% agreement . One person wanted an early morning opening with coffee and scones and we just might add that every once in a while and get some help at the same time harvesting. More about that later. A big THANK YOU to all that responded!
So, here goes. We will officially open the farm on Mothers Day, May 10, 2015. After that we will be open Wednesdays through Fridays from 9-1. Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 4. Other dates by appointment.
We also are planning an Open House/Lavender Festival for the weekend of June 13 & 14. Much more about this to come.
Finally, this year we will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City. Please check here as spring draws closer for exact dates for each market.
Again thank you to all for your continued support.
More to come!!
Update February 11, 2015
The season is beginning and we are getting ready--repairing tractors and equipment, planting grass seed, and making lots of new products for our store.
Speaking of the store and farm, we need your help. For the past four weeks we have been discussing our farm hours for this year. Back and forth we have gone and we are still not sure we have them right so, we wanted to ask you what you thought. So, here it goes: Farm and store open Wednesday through Friday from 9-1. Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4. At other times we would be open by appointment only. Our thinking was this: It gets real hot after 1 PM so best to close; however, we would stay open until four on the weekends.
And so, if you could find the time to send us an e-mail and agree or give us your thoughts we would greatly appreciate it. Our e-mail address is email@example.com
Also, we will open for the summer on May 16th.
More to come...
Update February 2, 2015
In less than two weeks Valentine's Day will be here. As a gift for that "special someone" consider our new Irish handmade lavender mug. There are less than 75 in existence and they are made just for us! If you purchase one between now and Valentine's Day we will send you a hand painted 1/4 oz sachet as our way of saying thank you! Just go to the store icon next to the mug picture above and you will be taken to our store.
Also, our new STILL is being delivered today(we hope) so we will be moving forward with our essential oil and hydrosol production. It came! What fun!
In our next update we will hopoefully announce the dates for our late spring early summer open house lavender festival and our farmers market schedule!
More to come...
Update January 17, 2015
Yes, Valentine's Day is less than one month away. It does not seem possible. Lavender makes "the" perfect Valentine's Day gift. Please check out our on-line shop by clicking the store icon next to the picture above. As our way of saying thank you for each order you make, we will include an organza bag filled with 1/4 oz of organic lavender as our gift to you. Just a reminder, our latest order of one-of-a-kind handmade Irish lavender mugs have arrived! A perfect gift!
Spring IS just around the corner. The temperature today reached 50+ and there are buds on the trees. Yes, buds! Our ground has been tilled and we are waiting to be able to plant more than 700 new lavender starter plants that are being propagated from our plants.
And so, on such a beautiful day it's back to work!
More to come...
Update January 14, 2015
Just had to post the above picture to remind us all that SPRING is really just around the corner! We are making plans for this year, farmers markets, our summer and fall open house schedule, our daily hours when the store will be open. We think we learned a lot from the folks who came by as to what may be the best times(and we thank them for their input) for our summer hours. A couple of more weeks and we should be ready to announce everything. We really are excited
Also, our latest shipment of our exclusive Mosse Lavender pattern handmade mugs from Ireland arrived yesterday. They look super and to everyone that wanted one, they are here! Please check our store(button next to Bee picture) for ordering information.
And so again for one more time a big THANK YOU for your support in 2014 and now it's on to 2015.
More to come...
Update January 2, 2015
A big Thank You and Happy New Year from all of us here at WCL. Lots to share as the winter moves on!!
Update December 26, 2014, Boxing Day
It is Boxing Day! But what you may ask "is" boxing day. Our best research(and speaking with an old Brit friend), Boxing Day is(or was) a day off for the hired help in the UK when they received a Christmas present or Christmas "Box" from their boss; hence, Boxing Day. Nothing really to do with lavender but a fun fact anyway!
Yes, that is our tractor above, not this year but last year. We hope we get snow soon(don't be angry) because it provides good insulation against the bitter cold! This past winter was brutal on our plants we think because we did not have a good snow cover before the extreme cold set in. So, here's hoping for a good old fashioned snow(before the cold)...!
Since winter is here our store is closed; however, our on-line store remains open. If we may be of help please give us a shout.
Again, Happy Holidays and the best for 2015.
More to come...
Update December 15, 2014
A big "Thank You" to all that were able to make it to the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market this past Saturday. We saw lots of old friends and made many new ones. Again, "Thank You!"
As we have said in the past, lavender makes a great gift. We still have a small number of our Irish handmade mugs and our dryer sheets/pillow inserts. If you are looking for that special gift please take a look at our on-line store(eye pillows, fire starters, sachets, lavender trios plus much more. And were are certified organic! You may find just what you want! Thank You!!
More to come...
Update December 4, 2014
Where is 2014 going? It does not seem possible that 2015 is just around the corner! As we were talking about the lavender fields last evening and what we may do "in 2015" we decided to post a picture of the cut lavender to remind us, that in fact ,it "is" fast approaching.
Our next big event will be the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market on December 13th. If you can make it we would love to see you. This is really the last time in 2014 that the farmers have a chance to personally talk with their customers/friends and offer their products. We will have lots of items that make great holiday gifts, from the new mugs to our ever faithful dryer sheets. Plus our sachets, neck comforters, closet hangers, sachet trios to name just a few. Also special holiday items to include--lavender tree ornaments, dolls with lavender filled aprons, eye glass and Iphone holders with lavender! If you can't make it to the Holiday Market please take a look at our on-line shop by clicking on the "Click Here Visit Our Store" icon next to the lavender picture.
Lavender has so many great uses from being a terrific sleep aid to replacing moth balls to keep moths away from your wool items. It is a unique, functional, and fun gift! Again thank you!
More to come...
Update November 26, 2014
The holiday season is upon us and we take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support. We really do appreciate it and we will continue to work hard to earn it!
The mugs are here, the mugs are here(pictured above)!
Yes, as we mentioned about a month ago we have been working with the Nicholas Mosse Pottery Company in Ireland to develop a lavender pattern. The first item is the mug.
All of Mosse's mugs go through a 20 step handmade process. Their mugs, bowls and plates have been in our house for more than 20 years and we noticed they did not have a lavender pattern. Working with them for nearly six months they developed the pattern you see here. It is truly exciting!
The mug along with many of our other products are available in our on-line shop. To go to the shop please click on the "Click Here to go to Our Shop" button located next to the picture of the mug.
Lavender products make great holiday gifts. There are many things that they are NOT. They are not food, clothing or jewelry. But they ARE gender neutral, have great soothing qualties, help releave stress, are great as a sleep aide, and have a terrific scent(to name but a few qualities). As we have mentioned many times our products are handmade, hand painted, we grow our own lavender, and we are Certified Organic!
So, for that unique gift for that special someone, please consider one of our lavender products!
Again, thank you for your support and Happy Holidays.
More to come...
Update November 22, 2014
"Oh, the weather outside is delightful..." Yes, spring is back for a day or two and that is super as today and tomorrow(Nov. 22, 23) we are at the Pendleton's Country Market Open House from 9-5 and at Au Marche on Mass St. from 1:30 -3:30 for their open house! Lots of fun lavender products for the holidays. If you are out and about please stop by and say hello!
More to come...
Update November 14, 2014
And so, winter is here for a while! Tomorrow four inches of snow?? So, we thought the above picture, which looks like our farm(take out the mountains)fits perfectly.
As for our holiday plans, we will be at the Pendleton's Country Market all day on November 22 for their open house! Also, we will be at Au Marche on Mass. St in Lawrence from 11-2 on the same day! Temperatures are supposed to be in the high 40s to low 50s!
We will also be at the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market on December 13th.
We are hoping that the plants are dealing well with the cold weather. We will know in the spring.
If you are unable to make the three events mentioned above please have a look at our farm store(click on the button next to the barn picture) or find our products at the HyVee stores on 6th and 23rd streets in Lawrence, and the Flower Farm in Gardner, Ks.(20335 S. Moonlight).
More to come...
Update November 10, 2014
A big THANK YOU to all that came to our open house this past weekend. We saw many old friends and made many new ones!
Also, a big thank you to J&S Coffee at 4821 West 6th St. in Lawrence for super coffee, HyVee on 23rd for terrific cookies, and our friends at the Flower Farm 20335 S. Moonlight in Gardner for the Poinsettia plants and for taking cuttings from our plants to propagate some 700 plants over the winter. Again, thank you!
A number of folks asked us when we trim back our lavender? We mainly cut ours back in the spring. Of couse the plants get a "bit of a shave" when we harvest in early to mid summer. Some folks cut their plants back in the fall as well.
More to come...
Update November 8, 2014
Thank you to all the folks that came by to see us today. We have one more day of the Holiday Open House tomorrow, Sunday! If you can make it please stop by. Lots to see, cider, water and J&S coffee to drink and cookies to eat. That's Buddy in the picture. We rescued him many, many years ago. He loves the fields and we hope you will as well!
More to come...
Update November 6, 2014
It's almost the weekend and we are getting the barn ready for the Open House(10-5 both Saturday and Sunday). The fields are in the process of being tilled(areas where we will plant in the spring) and the Christmas tree is almost trimmed! Hope you will be able to stop by.
Again, our address is 858 East 800 Rd in Lawrence(please scroll to the bottom for a link to a map).
Thank you for your support and we hope you can come by and say hello(J&S coffee and HyVee cookies--what fun!!). Thanks for your support.
More to come.
Update November 3, 2014
It's November so now it is OK to talk about the holidays, yes?
When we were last at the farmers market we were talking with a customer about "why" lavender for the holidays(or anytime for that matter) was good to give as a gift. The things that lavender "isn't" as well as "is" make it perfect. It is not food or alcohol, male or female, clothing or jewelry. It is for all ages. It is light so it may be shipped easily and relatively inexpensively. It lasts for years and is "unique!"
All of the above along with all the soothing, healing, relaxing properties of lavender in general make it a perfect gift!.
If you are looking for that special gift for that special someone and you want to really enjoy buying it, please come to our Open House Saturday and Sunday November 8 & 9 from 10-5 each day. Walk in the fields and enjoy the serenity of the lavender as it is readying itself for a cold winter(we hope not too cold!). Then, come into our barn shop, have some refreshments, see the tree, and peacefully look at our hand made, hand painted products. Just enjoy! We hope you can make it this weekend. Rain or shine we will be open. We are located at 858 East 800 Rd in Lawrence(just south of Clinton Lake and just east of Lonestar Lake).
If you can't make it please look at our web store by clicking the button just above and to the left of the tree(this takes out the serenity part but still provides an opportunity to find that special gift).
Let us be the first to wish you happy holidays and the best for 2015. Can you believe 2015? Where does the time go?
More to come...
Update October 28, 2014
Yes, we are having an open house at the farm on November 8 and 9 from 10 -5 each day! Please come by and enjoy the beautiful out doors and look for that holiday gift for that "special" someone! we have loods of new handmade products from dolls to beautiful Kansas mugs and Irish lavender mugs designed especially for us. And then there are our Dryer sheets/pillow inserts; hats to sachets, "Doggie banndannas" to eye pillows and neck comforters to closet hangers, all handmade with great loving care.
More to come...
Update October 24, 2014
Please consider giving lavender as a gift this holdiay season. It is a unique gift! We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market on Saturday October 25 from 8-12. The weather will be beautiful!
Much more to come...
Update October 20, 2014
First, a big thank you to all the new folks we met and our old friends that came by to say hello at the Maple Leaf Festival. Again, a terrific thank you!
Second, we are having a Holiday Open House at the farm Saturday, November 8 and Sunday November 9 from 10-5 each day. Come by and see the fields as they are getting ready for the winter and do a bit of holiday shopping in our farm store. We will have a great tree, refreshments and lots of items for the holiday season. More specifics as we get closer.
Also with each update we thought we would provide information on different uses for lavender. So, here we go: Scientific evidence suggest that aromatherapy with lavender may slow the activity of the nervous system, improve sleep quality, promote relaxation, and lift mood in people suffering from sleep disorders...Source, Lavender/University of Maryland Medical Center. Our pillow inserts and eye pillows fill the bill!
More to come...
Update October 13, 2014
We will be at the Baldwin Maple Leaf Festival Saturday October 18th and Sunday October 19th each day from 9-5. We will be in the Lumber Yard Arts Center right in the center of town. If you get time please come out and see us.
We are announcing a couple of new products, one is the new Nicholas Mosse Lavender Mug designed especially for Washington Creek Lavender. All of Mosse's mugs go through a 20 step handmade process. Their mugs, bowls and plates have been in our house for more than 20 years and we noticed that they did not have a lavender pattern. Working with them for nearly six months they developed the pattern you see here. It is truly exciting! Needless to say the mug is available in our shop( on top left next to the leaf picture).
Finally, we hope to have a lavender farm open house in early/mid November...Christmas tree and all! More on this later this month!
More to come...
Update October 10, 2014
Yes, a big thank you to all that went on the Kaw Valley Farm Tour and to those who stopped by our farm. We had more than 500 people come by and again, THANK YOU!
Now, some may say we are rushing the season; however, so many folks have been asking us about holiday gifts(and doing a lot of their Christmas shopping on line) that we thought we would mention our store(button just to the left of the picture) which has new products for the holidays. If there is something you don't see but might like, give us a shout and we will see if we can make it(lavender of course).
Also, we will be at The City Market in Kansas City Saturday October 11th and at the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin on October 18th & 19th.
Again, THANK YOU for your support.
More to come...
Update September 29, 2014
The Kaw Valley Farm Tour is Saturday and Sunday, October 4 & 5 from 10-6 each day. We will be on the tour and below is a google map of our location. The address in the tour booklet is INCORRECT. Our farm address is 858 East 800 Road in Lawrence, KS.
Update September 25, 2014
Just a quick update for this weekend, September 27th, Saturday, we will be at The City Market in Kansas City, weather permitting. The weekend of October 4th and 5th is the Kaw Valley Farm Tour and our farm will be open both days from 10-6.
As we discussed in the past, this last winter was really tough on many of our plants. Grosso was the variety that took the biggest hit; yet, until this year it had thrived. We are hoping this last year was unique and this winter will not be as cold(fingers crossed). Having said this, two of our varieties did very well tolerating the cold, Buena Vista and Folgate both of which are angustifolias where Grosso is an Xintermedia.
You may want to take this into consideration when you are planning your Spring planting. We have tried planting in the fall and have been very unsuccesful so we do all of our planting in the Spring(this coming spring we are increasing our Buena Vista by approximately 300 and filling in where we have lost Grosso with 200+ plants). But again, all of this may jsut be a result of "where we are" and depending on your "zone" fall planting may work very well.
There is a terrific book that really provides lots of great information for all "things" lavender: growing, planting, pruning, weather tolerance etc.---The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader. It's a super guide and a great resource.
And finally, we are in the process of updating our store(products and pictures). So, if you get a minute, please click on the "Store" button at the top left next to our unbrella picture and give it a look. Thank you for your support!
More to come...
Update September 17th, 2014
OK, so maybe we did rush the season a bit with the last update picture.However, it really is never to early to plan for the holidays. Today's high 70s and humidty brought us back to earth. A number of folks have asked us where we would be this fall, so here is a brief schedule for the next few weeks:
September 20, Saturday, Lawrence Farmers Market weather permitting.
September 27th, Saturday, The City Market in Kansas City, again weather permitting
October 4th & 5th the KAW Valley Farm Tour "weather" or not it rains or shines we will be open from 10-6 each day. There was a small problem with the ticket book and the map for the tour, our address is incorrect. Close but not quite correct. The Farm address is 858 East 800 Road. We will put up full directions as we get closer to the tour.
Also, we will be at the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin, October 18th & 19th in the Lumberyard Arts Center!
We will be filling in other markets as we move in to fall.
An update on the fields. We have all of the plant rows weeded and we are working on pruning. We have been unable to mow as our tractor broke down; however, it was fixed today by Lonnie Downing and we are ready to roll(once it drys out a bit). Next time we will take a look at what "they" say are the best lavender plants for this area to make it through a tough winter.
More to come...
Update September 12, 2014
Brrrrrrr! Golly, when did winter arrive? It sure got cool/cold all of a sudden! It just reminds us all that the holidays are fast approaching and as it says up top, "It's Never Too Early" to plan ahead and pick up that "special" gift. Please note that we will be at The City Market in Kansas City tomorrow September 13th in booth #69. We will not be at the Lawrence Farmers market until next Saturday, September 20th.
Also, we are currently working on our web store(button in the upper left) and adding new pictures and new products! We have some exciting news about some new products that we will be announcing later this coming week. Please check it out as the week progresses What fun!!
We have had phone problems(oh those land lines!) and messages have been received, but garbled. So, if you have called and have not heard back, we appologize--we could not understand the number. We ARE getting a new phone(we think a cup of tea may have been the problem). Oops!
As for the fields, all 6,000 lavender plants have been weeded and now we are in the final stages of preparing the plants for winter(pruning, etc.) Speaking of the fields, our farm will be open by appointment only from now until the KAW Valley Farm Tour( which is Saturday and Sunday October 4 & 5 from 10-6 each day). Much more to come on this as we get closer!
And finally, a big Thank You to all that have come by our farm or stopped by to see us at the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City. We look forward to being of continued service!
More to come...
Update September 5, 2014
As you cn see by the picture above our harvest is done and the bunches are drying. A great feeling!
Our farm will be open Saturday, September 6 from 1-4 and we will also be at the Lawrence Farmers Market from 8-12. Please note the farmers market hours have changed for the fall.
The farm will be closed Sunday as we will be working at the Bluejacket Crossing Winery for the Grape Stomp to benefit the Lawrence Farmers Market.
This fundraising event will take place from 1-5 at the winery 1969 N 1250 Rd in Eudora Kansas. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the vineyard, watch and or participate in the "grape stomp," bid on silent auction items donated by the Lawrence Farmers Market vendors, and have a wonderful day in the fields(also great games and activities for the kids).
More to come...
Update August 29th, 2014
We will be at both The City Market in Kansas City(7-3) and the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11) Saturday, August 30th. Also, the farm will be open Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 but we will be CLOSED on Labor Day!
Yes, we are just about there. Another couple of weeks and we will have all of the weeding around the nearly 6,000 plants completed. We are gearing up for the KAW Valley Farm Tour to be held the first weekend in October! If you have time we hope you will stop by the farm.(More about this later). Also, we will be at the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin the 3rd weekend in October! A lot to do but great fun!
More to come...
Update August 20th, 2014
As we sit here in the late August heat we could just not resist posting this picture from last winter. If the snow had only come a bit earlier it may have helped better insulate the plants and saved some 'winter kill;" but it didn't and so it goes. As we mentioned last time we have been doing a lot of farm/plant maintenance...finishing the harvest(some stragglers still had buds and flowers); doing plant surgery(some minor some major to see how they make it through this coming winter)and making lots of products for this late summer/fall season.
We will be opening up the farm again this coming weekend(August 23 & 24) from 1-4. We will also be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11) and The City Market(7-3) in Kansas City this Saturday the 23rd.
Now to hopefully answer a question we are getting quite often, "I can't seem to grow lavender. I give it plenty of water just like my other plants and it still won't live. Why?" The answer may be just as simple as "you may be giving the lavender too much water. Lavender likes dry feet and therefore does not need nor want as much water as other plants. Try cutting back on the water(after the plants have been established) and see what happens! Hope this helps.
And, it's never too early to start thinking about those special gifts for the holiday season. We just could not resist...
More to come...
Update August 10th, 2014
It was great seeing old friends and making new ones at the farmer's markets this weekend.
Just a quick reminder that our farm will be closed for maintenance this coming week, August 11th-18th. It just has to be done.
The lavender is drying in the drying barn and the fields are 1/3 ready for winter.
Thank you for your continued support!
More to come...
Update August 4, 2014
During the month of August our farm hours are: 9-12 Wednesday through Friday and 1-4 Saturday and Sunday. We will be closed the entire week of August 11th(11th through the 18th) for farm maintenance. We will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City this coming Saturday August 9th(weather permitting.
More to come...
Update July 31, 2014
Now that the initial harvest is over it's time to get the fields ready for fall and then winter. We are trimming the plants and we will be tilling new rows in the next few weeks. Lots of other things are going on as well, from stripping the dried lavender to setting up the still to making new products for the fall!
We have been getting many questions about when to plant lavender? Our best luck has been in the spring after the last frost. We have given fall planting a try with mixed results. So our suggestion is to plant in the spring.
We will be open at the farm this weekend, August 2 & 3 from 1-4 in the afternoon(858 East 800 Rd., in Lawrence) and also at the Lawrence Farmers Market(on New Hampshire between 7th & 8th) on Saturday from 7-11AM. Please come by and say hello and remeber, it really is not too early to look for that special holiday gift! Honest!
One final note: We are fortunate to be highlighted in this weeks High Plains Journal--cover and all. Here is the link: http://www.hpj.com/archives/2014/jul14/jul28/Specialty_Crops_MACO_DRsr.cfm#.U9rUOva7ncF
Thank you!
More to come...
Update July 22, 2014
In just the nick of time the harvest is complete. We beat the 100 degree heat by less than 24 hours. We will begin to strip the lavender after it drys in our drying barn. Please come by and see the drying barn and walk through the fields of green mounds. AND, even in this heat it is never too early to start thinking about the holidays(a lady came by this past Saturday and started her holiday shopping!). No groans please.
We will be at The City Market this Saturday, July 26, 2014 with lots of newly cut and dried lavender.
More to come...
Update July 16th, 2014
Yes, the cutting is almost done. We will most likely be finished with the harvest early next week if not before(depending on the weather). There are still lots of things to see--the plants, the drying operation, stripping, and the Barn Shop. Our hours this weekend on the farm are 1-4 on both Saturday and Sunday.
If you are planning to come and see us please be advised that there are numerous detours in Lawrence. There are two seasons in Kansas(and every other state as well) Winter and Road Construction. If you are coming from either the east or west our suggestion is to take 70 to the Lecompton exit, cross the dam at Clinton Lake and take 458 south to 800 Rd. Turn left on 800 and come approximately 1 1/2 miles and we are on the left(in an earlier update there is a google map(but please be advised that 458 from 59 Highway to the Dam is closed)
We will be at both The City Market in Kansas City(7AM-2PM) and the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11 AM) on Saturday July 19th.
More to come...
Update July 9th, 2014
Yes, the harvest has begun and we have nearly filled the drying barn for the first time. We hope to do it at least once more!
We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday, July 12. We will be at The City Market in Kansas City, Saturday July 19th.
Please come by and pick up an early holiday gift or a fresh bouquet of organic lavender just for you!
Finally, we hope to be in full "distilling mode" before the end of July. What fun!
More to come...
Update July 6th, 2014
A big thank you to all for a super weekend. We saw many old friends and made many new ones at the Lawrence Farmers Market, The City Market in Kansas City and at our barn store on Sunday.
And what a treat to read the story by Jan Biles in the Topeka Capital Journal about our farm http://cjonline.com/life/connected/2014-07-05/couple-grows-fields-lavender-south-lawrence. As a result, we met lots of folks from Topeka who came to the farm. Thank You!
Monday we continue the harvest and hopefully fill the barn by the end of the day. We shall see...
More to come...
Update July 4th, 2014
First, Happy Fourth of July!
Second, we are having one terrific harvest! We will have fresh lavender bouquets at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City tomorrow morning July 5th. The fragrance is super and the stems are long and wonderful. We hope to see you there!
Also, they are available at our barn on Saturday and Sunday!
More to come...
Update June 30, 2014
Buddy our rescue Irish Setter is enjoying the fields so plan on stopping by and enjoying them as well this holiday weekend! We will be open as indicated above and we will also be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market from 7-11 and The City Market in Kansas City from 6AM to 3PM both on Saturday July 5!
We are in the throws of harvesting and the plants are reaching their purple best. AND, if all goes well within the next couple of weeks we will begin distilling our lavender to make essential oils!
More to come...
Update June 27, 2014
We will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market Saturday, June 28th weather permitting. We have had folks ask us why the weather causes us not to do the market(s)? All of our products are soft goods based lavender products...eye pillows, sachets, etc. It is not good for them to get wet or really damp. Even with a tent they would stand a good chance of water damage so we don't to take the risk.
Speaking of products, Kathy has made two new ones...a tissue holder with lavender and an eye case that has lavender as well!
And finally, the harvest has really started. Today we harvest Melissa and Buena Vista and take them to the drying barn. Planting also continues with a new lavender(for us) Seal. Long stems and a great fragrance. We will see in the spring!
More to come...
Update June 20, 2014
Yes, the field is "getting purple." Many, many plants are still very distressed; however, a good number of those that we thought were gone have started to rally!
We will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and the City Market in Kansas City this Saturday, June 21. Come see us and welcome in the first day of summer with fresh lavender! We will have a limited number of bunches but we will have some! So please come and see us!
More to come...
Update June 15, 2014
What a great day yesterday. Thirty members of the Manhatten Seniors organization came to the farm and what a delightful group. Wonderful questions, and great fun showing them the barn and the fields. The picture above was taken just before they arrived. Jack had a super time.
Kathy was at the Lawrence Farmers Market and had a terrific time as well seeing old friends and making new ones! Thank you to all.
Due to the rain early this morning on top of what we had during the week we will be closed until Wednesday at 9AM.
The fields are a bit, to say the least "soggy;" however they are starting to gain buds and turn purple(again, as the picture above shows)!
We are planning on being at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Martket in Kansas City on Saturday, June 21st. Kathy has made two new products, a glass case which contains lavender, and a tissue box that has lavender as well. What fun!
More to come...
Update June 13, 2014
Rain, rain, and more rain; but golly did we need it! The plants seem to have taken big drinks and are now in for a rest. Many of the plants we thought had died have again started to "green up."
Tomorrow June 14th we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market from 7-11 AM. Also, our Barn Store will be open from 9-4. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. Also, please check out our web store by clicking on the tab in the upper left.
Yes, lavender will make a great Father's Day gift. An eye pillow for sleeping, a neck comforter for relaxing, perfect ways to say, "Thank You Dad." And a big thank you to you for stopping by our web site. If you get time, come and see us at the farm. A map is posted below.
More to come...
Update June 6, 2014
A big thank you to all that came out to the opening of our fields this past Sunday. It was a beautiful day and everyone was terrific! And, what is also terrific is that many of our plants have started to "color up." What fun!
We will not be at any markets this weekend(lots of rain in the forecast and our lavender products do not do well in the rain); however, we will have our store and fields open on Sunday, June 8 from noon until 4pm! Please see the map below for directions.
Please go by and see our friends at the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City and get your veggies, flowers, and meats for the week!
More to come...
Update May 29, 2014
As promised, here are a couple of pictures from the lavender fields.This picture above shows how far we have come with the weeding, and the plants look fairly good.Here is a closer look at a plant that is awake and doing well.Here is one that is asleep and working hard to come back!
We look forward to seeing you this Sunday or any of the "daze" we are open this summer.
More to come...
Update May 27, 2014
Yes, we are giving it a go and we will open the farm Sunday, June 1 at 9:30 AM. To eliminate any confusion, our address is 858 East 800 Road, Lawrence, Kansas, 66047.
"Lavender Daze" begin!
Our hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 9:30AM till 4PM except for Saturday when it is one till 4PM. We will be closed Monday and Tuesday except by appointment. We hope to be open all summer and well in to the fall. Please come and see us and enjoy the lavender fields.
As we all know, this has been a tough winter and so a good number of our plants are "still asleep;" however, many are just starting to gain their purple hue." Later this week we will post updated pictures.
Please come by and see our drying barn, barn gift shop, and our more than 5,000 plants.
More to come...
Update May 22, 2014
Yesterday was a super day! Mike Neustrom from Prairie Lavender Farm in Bennington, KS and one of the founders of the US Lavender Growers Association came to our farm to look at our plants and give us some advice on the status of our plants for the season. As we all remember this past winter was extremely cooooooold to say the least.
His help and guidance was just terrific! After walking the fields he thinks our plants, like many, are just slow to come back after the winter, and to "Give Mother Nature a chance" before we do any major surgery on the plants. Most have some green on them so he thinks we are fine. A BIG thank you to Mike for taking the time to come to see us and to share his expertise!
Mike's farm, Prairie Lavender Farm will be holding their sixth annual lavender festival this June 21st. It is well worth the trip to Bennington, Kansas to see his farm. Go to http://www.prairielavenderfarm.com/2014_Lavender_Festival.html for all the info on the festival!
One final note: We will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City this Saturday May 24th weather permitting.
More to come...
Update May 21, 2014
We will be at both The City Market and Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday, May 24th.
Please keep our fingers crossed that it does not rain during the markets! Before or after is fine! Also, we are still on schedule to open the farm June 1. As we have mentioned in the past some of the plants may not have made it through the hard winter. Today we are doing an evaluation of the various plants and hope to make a decison on what measures to take...cut back parts of the plant, dig it out and replant or just leave it alone. More to come on our decisions.
We are pleased that Kansas Living Magazine has highlighted us in their summer editon(http://www.kfb.org/news/kansasliving/index.html). We are on page 18.
More to come...
Update May 7, 2014
We are pleased to announce that we will be opening our farm for visitors beginning June 1 and running through the summer. We are calling this "Lavender Daze" Our hours will be from 9:30AM until 4PM Wednesday through Sunday(except Saturdays when we will open at noon.). We will be closed on Monday and Tuesday; however, if there is something special we will open on those days by appointment.
One bit of explanation. This has been a tough winter for perennials and as of this writing we are not sure how our plants have faired. Some look great while others may not have made it. We are following our own advice when asked what to do when the plants don't seem to be coming back in the spring. We say, "just wait and see, and give Mother Nature a chance with some good heat and rain and see what happens." And, so we will do just that.
There still will be plants to see, a new "Compatable Garden(CG)" is under construction and the drying barn will be up and running. In the Compatable Garden we are putting in plants that go well with lavender--culinary, medicinal, decorative, etc. Also, our lavender shop will be open with lots of lavender products made from our organic lavender. Should be great fun! More about all this later
And so, please plan on coming by this summer and enjoy Lavender Daze at Washington Creek Lavender! Oh yes, we will be at the City Market in Kansas City this Saturday, May 10!
More to come...
Update April 30, 2014
Hello from the lavender fields. The plants are starting to "green up" and we are looking forward to a great 2014!
This Wednesday April 30, 2014 , Jack will be at the Hy-Vee on 6th Street in Lawrence from 1:30 - 5. Also this Saturday, May 3 we will be at both the City Market in Kansas City(6AM-2PM) and the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11AM). Well actually, one of us will be in Lawrence and the other in KC!!!
Mothers Day is coming and lavender makes that " special" gift for that extra special person!
In a day or two we will be announcing our summer hours for tours, and when the fields will be open for you to visit. We really look forward to seeing you!
More to come...
Update April 25, 2014
And so we finally had some rain. Now we will be able to see how the plants did over the winter. Please keep your fingers crossed. We will both be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday, April 26th weather permitting. We are loading the truck; however, if it rains we can't be their as our products do not do well in rainy weather. Even if it rains please come by and support the other vendors. More to come...
Update April 17, 2014
We are excited as we are going to be at both The City Market and The Lawrence Farmers Market this Saturday, April 19th. The City Market in Kansas City is open from 6:30 until 3 and the Lawrence Farmers Market is open from 7-11.
We have lots of new products that will make great holiday gifts, and we look forward to seeing all our old friends and to making new ones. Please come by and say hello. "They" say the weather will be fantastic!
More to come about our summer hours on the farm!!
Update April 11, 2014
And so it begins! The Larence Farmers Market opens tomorrow, April 12 from 7-11 on New Hampshire between 8th & 9th. We will be there with lots of new products from eye pillows to dryer sheets to sachets. All made with our lavender grown right here in Lawrence, KS! Please come by and say hello. The weather is supposed to be terrific!!
More to come...
Update April 2, 2014
Winter is gone(we think), spring is here and it is time to go to the markets. And so, on April 12 we will be at the opening of the Lawrence Farmers Market(LFM) and on April 19th we will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City. The LFM hours are 7-11 and the City Market hours are 7-3.
A brief update. Our "compatable garden" has been layed out and tilled and now comes the planting. We should have new plants in a couple of weeks. The still is here and we are getting ready for our first "dry run." It should be fun. And lastly we have just about finalized our hours for the summer and we will be announcing them in a few weeks with what we hope are some exciting surprises.
We look forward to seeing all of our old friends and to making new ones at the upcoming farmers markets! More to come...
Update March 21, 2014
Spring has arrived! The flowers in the garden are starting to really grow and the lavender plants are looking like they want to explode with color; but not so fast. There will certainly be some cold weather and of course some frost. This week is work in the shop and then prepare the fields for planting. Here is a picture of what we hope the plants will look like come June--ready to burst with color. We have some exciting things planned for this summer so please stay tuned!
More to come...
Update February 20, 2014
This past week the Douglas County Conservation District(DCCD) awarded Washington Creek Lavender the 2013 Energy Award.
The DCCD indicates that the purpose of the Energy Conservation Recognition Program is to stimulate a greater interest in the conservation of energy by giving recognition to those Kansas farmers and ranchers who have taken measures to reduce fossil-fuel based energy consumption on their farms and ranches.
We feel deeply honored to receive this award and thank the DCCD for this recognition
Since our last update we have been working on our barn store and getring ready for spring! Yes spring "is" coming. Also our lavender still has arrived and we will be doing some testing in 4-6 weeks in hopes of having lavender essential oil and hydrosol by this fall!
More to come...
Update February 9, 2014
And so as the new year is one month old we have already made some changes. As of today our new on-line web store is up and running. A new look, hopefully easier to use, and easier for us to manage. It is a "work in progress" as every few weeks we will update the product list, provide customer comments and hopefully enhance the look(new pictures and replacing some of the old) and again the usability of the store.
Also, the still was shipped on Saturday so we hope to have it here this week. Then the fun begins--setting it up and making essential oil and hydrosol.
Finally, we have had a number of calls from soon-to-be brides asking about lavender for their summer weddings. From bouquets to lavender to throw(rice is out!) we would be happy to talk about how we may make that special day even more special.
A weather report...we had nearly 14 inches of snow this past week and it is snowing as we are writing this update. We need the moisture.
More to come...(we added the picture as to what we hope the summer will bring!!
Update February 2, 2014
And so a new year does begin. Once again, thank you for your support in 2013. We hope to do even better in 2014. To this end we have updates being worked on for this web site that should be completed in the next few weeks. They should make it even easier to get around the site.
We are really looking forard to this year with lots of new and exciting happenings. First, we have ordered our STILL and hope to have essential oil and hydrosol in mid to late summer! Who knows there may even be some lavender soap in the offing as well! We are going to add an additional 300 plants in mid-May to fill in where we have lost some over the years. Just normal plant life replacement.
Later this winter when it gets a bit warmer we will be putting some of the finishing touches to the new barn store we finished last summer. Lots to do to make it even more friendly!
Also the design work is underway for a "Special Lavender Garden" in front of the barn. We hope to display many different types of lavender and the flowere that go with them. It should be great fun.
And finally, we will be posting our hours later this spring as to when the farm will be open for visitors. We should start sometime in May and run through mid-fall. We look forward to many guests coming by! And so again, we wish you the best for 2014 and hope to see you soon!
More to come...
January 3, 2014
December 28, 2013
It has been quite a year here at WCL. Our road was completed and now it just has to mature. The drying barn and lavender shop we needed for so long was finished in April and we had an open house the last weekend in June. What a super turn out and we again thank everyone for coming. We tilled for a demonstration garden which we will plant in late spring of 2014. We planted lots of new plants early this past spring and they seem to be doing very well.
We just joined the United States Lavender Growers Association and look forward to learning a great more about lavender!
If you look back at the past few sentences you will notice the word "we" is used a great deal. That really is because "we" could not do this alone. Many super people have been, and are, helping us along the way. Again, thank you!
This summer should be great fun as we have many new and exciting plans! But first, we wish you the best for a very Happy and Healthy 2014. Stay safe and we will talk again in 2014. Happy New Year!
more to come...
December 18th, 2013
A couple of days have passed and we are getting things back in order after a terrific Holiday Farmers Market. We thank everyone for their support and for coming by in some very questionable weather. Again, thank you!
As we have mentioned before we had been counting the number of people who had come by our booth during the past couple of years to tell us that they had been using our dryer sheets for more than one year. After we hit 100 we said we would stop counting and move on; however, we are now are 101. A lady came by to purchase more dryer sheets and while we were talking she figured out that she had been using the sheets for a year. We almost wish she could have stayed and talked to our customers for the rest of the day. She was so ebullient about the dryer sheets and we thank her!
We are still taking orders for the next few days in hopes of getting everyone to its destination before Christmas. If you are still looking for that unique gift for that "special someone" please click on our web store and browse around. Our products are hand made and hand painted and we are certified organic. Again, thank you for your support!
From all of us here we wish you, as they say in Ireland, "Happy Christmas" and a very happy and healthy 2014!
More to come...
December 13th 2013
Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market is tomorrow December 14th!
December 7, 2013
Just got the link for this so we thought we would share. Jack has his voice back but still has a touch of the cold left. It is -5 on the farm today. Happy Holidays! http://www.6newslawrence.com/news/local-news/7844-back-by-popular-demand-lawrence-lavender-farm-holds-open-house
More to come...
December 6, 2013
Just a quick reminder that the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market is one week from tomorrow, December 14th. A question we get asked all the time is "What does it cost to get in?" The answer is.......There is no admission charge, it is FREE. Lots of great gifts for the holidays from your local farmers. We hope to see you there.
More to come...
December 1, 2013
The holiday season has begun! We had our open house and the Pendleton's had theirs. A great time at both events. There is another big one left and that is the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market.
Only 13 days left until the market. You are certain to find that unique gift for that special someone. Nearly 60 market vendors will be selling their wares, many with items made just for this market. We hope you can make it! We look forward to seeing you there!
More to come...
November 22, 2013
Even though the weather outside is frightful, inside it's so delightful(sounds like a great song lyric--hum) at the Pendleton's Open House, Saturday & Sunday, November 23 & 24 from 9-5. We will be there with loads of lavender products for the holidays. Please stop by and see us. The address is 1446 E. 1850 Rd., Lawrence. KS.
More to come next week...
November 14, 2013
A big thank you to all that were able to come to our open house this past weekend. Everyone seemed to enjoy walking in the fields and shopping in our new barn gift shop. The weather was terrific(except for Friday night when the wind blew off two of our hoop house doors. Quite a breeze!).
We will now be open by appointment only so if you would still like to come out and see the plants please call us at 785-748-0678. Also, please come by and see us at the Pendleton's Country Market on Saturday & Sunday November 23-24 and November 30 & December 1 for their Holiday Open House! Also, there is the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market on December 14th at the Holiday Inn, 200 McDonald Drive in Lawrence from 9-5.
And finally, we will be happy to ship holiday orders and put a hand written note in the package(be assured Kathy will write the note and not Jack. We are sure you want people to be able to read it!). To hopefully guarantee they will make it to their destination in time for the holidays we ask that we receive all orders by December 18th.
More to come...
November 3,2013
Just a quick reminder that we will be having our Open House this coming Saturday and Sunday, November 9 & 10 from 10-4:30 each day. We hope you will be able to come by and walk in the lavender fields before the plants got to sleep for the winter. They are not blooming now but they are still beautiful.
Also, this past weekend at the City Market in Kansas City the 100th person came by and told us they had been using our dryer sheets for more than a year. We had decided that if this happened(we had been counting) we would give that person a gift bag of many of our products. It happened, and Katherine Lee of Kansas City, Kansas and her lovely family were #100. We thank them for there kind words!
And so again, we look forward to seeing you this next weekend for some hot cider and a walk in the lavender fields at our open house!
More to come...
October 27, 2013
Please join us Saturday November 9 or Sunday November 10 from 10-4:30 for our open house and tour of the lavender fields before they go to sleep for the winter! A great opportunity to see the fields and to select from the new handmade lavender products for that special gift for the holidays! Hot cider and cookies will help to make the fall day even better!
Also, we will be at the City Market in Kansas City on Saturday November 2.
More to come...
October 17, 2013
This Saturday we will be at The City Market in Kansas City, and Saturday and Sunday we will be at the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin. We look forward to seeing our old friends and making new ones.
Also, this coming week we will be working in the fields getting them ready for winter, and we will be stripping the lavender that is still hanging in the drying barn. Our barn shop will be open during this time from 9-3!
More to come...
October 10, 2013
After nearly two months of not being able to go to the City Market we will be there this Saturday, October 12, 2013. Jack had emergency eye surgery and has been unable to read, drive or lift anything heavy. It is amazing what a detached retna will do. But that is close to being history. He has to be careful; however, he can drive and a full recovery looks(no pun intended) to be just around the corner. And so, we hope to see all our friends this weekend at the City Market in Kansas City.
More to come...
October 1, 2013
Much has happened since our last update and more about that later. Coming up this weekend is the Kaw Valley Farm Tour. We urge everyone to visit the farms on the tour and support local agriculture. This past spring we did not think we would be ready for the tour so we are not on it; however, we will be open with our new shop and a harvested and weeded(almost) lavender field for you to visit. So again, we urge you to go to the farms on the tour and if you have a spare few minutes please come and say hello. We are located at 858 East 800 Rd in Lawrence.Just 800 yards south of the Lone Star Church.
More to come...
August 9, 2013
Two important things happened back in early June(seems so long ago). The organic certifier was here and we are pleased to say that once again we have been certified organic!
The second was that we had just about completed the weeding. Well we did and they are all back! With the good rain came the surplus of weeds. And so, we start over again on Sunday to weed; that is if we don't need an ark. We are not complaining as we needed the rain as it helped the "new kids" really begin to grow; however, it sure did help the weeds return. And so it goes...
Saturday the 10th Kathy will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market and Jack will be at The City Market in Kansas City. We have lots of new products so please come by and say hello!
We thank everyone for their continued support, guidance, and help as we move forward on this new(eight year) adventure. We are so fortunate to live in such a terrific community!
July 26, 2013
The harvest is finished and a big thank you to all who helped. It took more than a month but it is finally completed. We are now going to open the farm for the next couple of months by appoinment. So, if you would like to come by and see the plants all trimmed and see the status we are making on the "English Garden" give us a call at 785-748-0678. We would love to see you.
This Saturday, July 27, 2013 we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market. We have some wonderful dried lavender bouquets highlighted with Kansas wheat. Really beautiful! Also, we are starting to get ready for the holidays. Yes, yes, we know it is way too early; however, before you know it we will all be shopping for holiday gifts. Consider lavender, it makes a super gift! And so, it is back to packing the truck for the market.
More to come...
July 18, 2013
Well today is a hot one and tomorrow they say will be hotter. We called the harvesters in from the fields at about 11AM. We have just about finished the harvest and it should be completed on Tuesday of next week. Here is a picture of the drying barn! We are going to close the farm tomorrow(Friday)and Saturday, and reopen on Sunday from 9-1.
On Saturday Kathy will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market(7-11) and Jack will be at The City Market in Kansas City from 6AM-3PM. Please stop by and say hello!
July 15, 2013
Again we say thank you to all the folks who came by this past week to walk in the fields and say hello. We greatly appreciate your interest in our farm!
And, as promised we have posted the links to the tv stories and newspaper article that ran last week. They are "hot-linked" and may be found by clicking on the word press at the top of this page. We thank Channel 6, Channel 41, KNST in Topeka and the Lawrence Journal World for the coverage of our efforts! There were 14 "harvesters" in the fields this morning and we have lots of Grosso Lavender hanging in the drying barn.
More to come...
We will be open this week(July 15-19) from 9-1; closed on Saturday so we may be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and The City Market in Kansas City; and open on Sunday from 9-1. We hope you will be able to stop by and say hello!
July 9, 2013
The response to the farm has been super and we thank everyone that has come by to say hello and walk in the fields. We will continue our daily 9-1 hours for this week and possibly next week as the harvest continues. So please stay tuned! There are still thousands of plants in the field with beautiful purple and white(yes there is white lavender)flowers to see. The butterflys are everywhere! As it is getting very hot the best time to come is between 9 and 10 to beat the heat!
Kathy has been hard at work with the harvesters and at the same time developing new products. The fresh lavender this year is extremely long with stems nearly 24 inches! Great for bouquets. Lots of culinary lavender, both pink and purple is available. So, if you have time please steal a few hours, come by, and enjoy the beauty of lavender.
Also, we have been fortunate to be featured in a KSHB CH 41 news story out of Kansas City about our farm, and in a Lawrence Journal World story about agritourism in Kansas. We greatly appreciate the coverage! Links to follow! Again, thank you for your interest in our farm and stay cool and safe in this warm weather!
More to come...
July 2,2013
Yes, it has been three years in the making(road, barn, shop) but are finally open. Our hours for the rest of this week and "probably" next week are 9-1 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Closed on Saturday as we will be at both the Lawrence and Kansas City Farmers markets, and then open on Sunday from 9-1+. Also there has been some confusion as to our address. A small "bump in the road" but a bump none the less.
Our address is 858 East 800 Road, Lawrence Kansas 66047. The best way to find us using google or any of the map programs is to locate the Lone Star Church on 800 Road in Lawrence. Go south on 800 Road 800+ yards past the church, look to your left and there is a Washington Creek Sign. Come up the hill and you have found us!
We have lots of fresh lavender, pottery by two terrific Lawrence potters, and loads of the products you see here in our web store. Please come say hello and walk through the fields. Please remember that we are a working farm so we ask that you are careful in the fields. Take lots of pictures. We hope to see you soon. Hooray we are OPEN!!
More to come...
June 30,2013
And so it has begun. We are harvesting and we have opened the shop! Our hours for the next two weeks will be Tuesday-Friday 9-1. Closed Saturday as we will be at both the Lawrence Farmers Market and the City Market in Kansas City! And open on Sundays from 9-1. We hope this makes sense. Our address is 858 East 800 Road, Lawrence, Kansas. Google seems to send people way out of the way. So, if you want to come out to the farm go to Lone Star and the Lone Star Church. Pass the church going south on 800 Road and when you have gone about 800-1,000 yards farther look on your left for a Washington Creek Lavender sign. Go up the road and you are there!!
It also has been quite a week. We had NBC/Channel 41 from Kansas City out at the farm and they did a piece onm what we are doing. It can be found at http://www.kshb.com/subindex/videoand scroll down to Lawrence farmers or Lawrence couple. Quite a nice story.
The harvest is well underway with much more to do. Again, if you would like to harvest please call us at 785-748-0678. And so, here we go!!
More to come
June 18, 2013
A great week. Nine hundred new plants arrived and nearly 1/2 are in the ground. The barn shop is nearly completed and we hope to open by the end of the month. And the weeding is almost completed and we hope to start harvesting by late next week!
If you are interested in harvesting please contact us at email@example.com
More to come...
June 10, 2013
What a super weekend! With lots of help we have nearly 3/4s of the field weeded. This picture shows some of the progress. With another good week we should have the entire field weeded!
The organic certifier was here this week and all looked good for another year of being certified organic!
Our barn shop is almost completed and our road is coming along. We hope to have both completed before the end of the month. More than 1,000 new starter plants arrive this week and they will hopefully go right in the ground before the end of the weekend(wish they would just "jump right in" but it does not quite work that way--we are finding out!). Everything seems to be 2-3 weeks behind so we will probably start our major harvest sometime in late June; yet, with the heat expected this week stay tuned!!
This coming week we will be at two farmers markerts, the Clinton Parkway Nursery in Lawrence on Wednesday from 5-7 pm and, the Lawrence Farmers Market from 7-11am on Saturday.
More to come...
June 5, 2013
A rainy day but no complaints here; however, we do need a few days to get ready to plant our new starters. They are scheduled to arrive on June 13th and we hope to get them right in the ground and then begin to harvest the existing crop!
Our barn is just about completed and we are starting to load in the cabinets, tables, etc. in the lavender country store. Keeping our fingers crossed for a July date to open the store!
The organic certifier was here today and all seemed to go well. We walked the fields in the rain and reviewed logs, filled out paperwork, and talked about our plans for the future.
This past Saturday at the Lawrence Farmers Market the 85th customer came by and told us they have been using our lavender dryer sheets for more than a year. It is fun to receive this positive feedback. We thank everyone for their continued support and we look forward to a super summer.
More to come...
May 22, 2013
Much has happened in the past couple of weeks. Yes, the barn is "almost" completed. The solar power is working well and we are able to work early in the morning and late into the evening to get it finished. We are now in the trim/paint phase of the shop. One more week--we hope less--but probably it will take that long before we are able to move things in. Soon, we hope, soon.
Our new starter plants should arrive the first week in June and so we will be spending much of that week getting them in the ground. Once they are in we are going to take a "final" count to know exactly how many plants we have(between 6,000 and 7,000). The Clinton Parkway Farmers Market is up and running and we are there every Wednesday evening from 5-7(given good weather). A couple of folks have asked us why we are not at the markets(Lawrence, Kansas City or Clinton Parkway)when it rains? Our lavender products, sachets, eye pillows, trios, etc. all are fabric based. If they get wet they are ruined; so we don't take any chances when it is raining(even if, as in Kansas City we are "under roof)."
Speaking of "wet products" we had the 82nd customer tell us this past weekend that they had been using our dryer sheets for more than one year!! Two customers told us they had used other "paper" dryer sheets with lavender and ours last a lot longer and did not fall apart as the paper ones did. Thank you all for your kind words!!!!
More to come......
May 2, 2013
We sure did need the rain and all that comes is welcome; however, when it rains on Saturdays we can't go to the farmers markets as our products do not do well when they are wet. To this end, if rain is very likely we will have to miss the markets--both Lawrence and Kansas City. We REALLY want to be there but not much we can do. Damp and wet lavender just dosen't work. Speaking of "wet" lavender, at the last market we had the 78th person tell us they had been using our dryer sheets for more than a year. We started counting a couple of years ago when the first person told us and we are excited with the success of the product. We have had two couples tell us they have been using them for more than two years! Hard to believe but true.
Also, a number of folks have asked a few questions and we thought we would answer them here. First one is, "Where do you get your lavender?" We grow it on our farm in Lawrence; in fact we will be planting another 1,000-1,500 plants the end of this month which will give us approximately 7,000 in the ground.
Next one, "Who does your art work?" All of our products are hand-made and hand-painted. Kathy does all the painting(Jack tried and failed terribly!) She also does the majority of sewing as well.
Next question, "Do you give tours of the farm?" We hope to open the farm for folks to come and see the lavender fields later this summer. The new barn is nearly completed but given all the rain we are well behind on the road. Once that is finished we hope to open the gates! Also, both the sate of Kansas and Douglas county have approved Washington Creek Lavender as an agri-tourism site. More on this later.
And finally, "Where do you sell your products other than at farmers markets? We sell them on line(at this site), and at the Merc, Au Marche, HYVEE on 6th street, and at Pendletons Country Market, all located in Lawrence, KS.
And so, when the rain stops we hope to see folks at the farmers markets and remember to follow us on Facebook and on twitter, @wclavender.
More to come...
April 22, 2013
Thank you to all that we saw this past Saturday at both the Lawrence and Kansas City farmers markets. The weather turned out to be super and it was great to see old friends. This Saturday we will only be at the Lawrence Farmers Market.
To all who read these up dates we ask that you send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com so we may put you on our mailing list for our newsletter. In this way we may better let you know about the activities on the farm. To this end, the barn is coming along and we should have electric by early next week and then we can move in, build the new drying racks and put together our new lavender store. It should be great fun. New starter plants should be here around the last week in May and we hope to put those right in the ground. Our road is coming along. The rain has put us back a bit; however, we sure do need it so no complaints from here.
More to come...
April 18, 2013
Finally spring is here; well almost. It's currently 35 degrees and raining(or sleeting depending on the moment!). The barn is up and the electric is being installed. We decided to use solar power and are really excited! Two-thirds of the barn will be used for drying and one-third will be a lavender store. So much to do so we are not sure when the store will open; but we will keep you posted.
In late May we will be planting another 1,000 - 2,000 lavender plants. The main variety will be Grosso with some Buena Vista as well. Then in late June, given the weather, we will start this year's harvest. This should take about two weeks, again depending on how the weather dealt with the plants; no rain last summer and lots the past two weeks!!
Up coming schedule: This Saturday Jack will be at the City Market in Kansas City from 7 AM until 3PM and Kathy will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market from 7 AM until 11 AM. Also, catch Jack on KLWN Friday morning at 7 AM with Kim and Good Day Lawrence with a Farmers Market Update.
And so, it's back to work! More to come...
March 24, 2013
We certainly did speak a bit too early about winter being almost over. Spring officially got here this past week and so did more snow; lots more snow. In some places we have close to eight inches with drifts well more than 12 inches. And it is still snowing. Don't think we are complaining, as we are not. The moisture is needed and we are glad to have it; enough of the weather report.
The barn has been started and really is looking like a barn. It will take a bit longer to complete given the snow; however, in a few weeks we should be working on the inside getting it ready for the summer. Two-thirds of the barn will be used for drying lavender and about one-third will be a small "lavender store" so when you come to visit our farm you may take home some lavender products.
We will be planting another 1,000+ plants later this spring, finishing the road and barn and getting ready for summer. We are not yet sure what our hours will be but we will let you know. As for farmers markets, the Lawrence Farmers Market starts on April 13th and we will be the there. We also hope to be at the City Market in Kansas City on Saturday, March 30if everything has melted!!).
More to come, and again thank you for your interest in our farm!
March 3, 2013
Well, winter is almost over but it sure does not feel like it. We probably have 10-15 inches of snow still left on the ground and that makes it real cold. We are not complaining as we sure did/do need the moisture. Just let this all soak in and we will have a nice start for 2013. It certainly will not get us caught up but it will help.
The new road and entrance is just about completed. Thanks to our neighbor Henry Nieder we made terrific strides. Once the snow melts we will put in a bit more gravel and give it a go.
Later this spring we will build a new drying barn with a small lavender shop. Not sure when this will be completed but we will let you know.
We have also been approved as an Agri-tourism site by the state and we are working on the final papers for the county. More about this when everything comes together.
Finally we hope to be at the City Market in Kansas City on March 30th to start off the new market season. The Lawrence Farmers Market opens on April 13th and we look forward to being there and seeing all our old friends.
Oops, one more finally. We will be planting an additional 1,000 new lavender plants this June and this should take us to more than 7,000 plants. We really have to count each one of the guys this spring so we have a real accurate number.
And so, more to come and hope you are having a super winter. Stay warm…
2013 New Year update
We wish you the happiest, healthiest, and most successful of new years! As we all turn the page, opportunities are endless, and everyone has so much to offer. So again, Happy New Year.
For us the last month and a half has been incredibly busy. Lawrence Farmers Market ending and then the Holiday Market in early December. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see us at the markets and to those who purchased our products.
We were on KLWN here in Lawrence all of November and much of December and we thank Kim, Jeremy and Hank for their terrific support. What a great group! Karen and John Pendleton had us out at their place—Pendleton's Country Market-- to sell our products and we thank them for all of their help. What a great couple!!!
Our road is cut and and gravel has been laid and now we wait for it to mature over the winter. Snow has fallen a couple of times which seems to have given our lavender plants a nice coat for the winter. We needed the moisture for the road as well and we hope it is "hardening" as we speak.
Kathy has been hard at work continuing to make new and exciting products and Jack is just beginning to look at "farm repairs!"
We have lots of exciting plans for 2013 and we look forward to sharing them as winter moves on and spring rolls in.
Again, Happy New Year!
More to come...
This has been an exciting fall. First the road to the lavender field has been started. Yes, after more than a year of planning, permitting(if there is such a word), and scheduling, it is now underway. We hope by Thanksgiving to have it completed.
Second, we are sponsoring Kim Murphree's daily show and Jeremy Taylor's About the House program both on KLWN, 1320 AM from now until sometime in December. These folks are just super and we hope you will be able to tune in(either on your radio or on the net. We are on with Kim on Tuesday's from 7:30 to 8:00 AM and with Jeremy on Saturdays between 9:30 and 11 AM.
Coming up later this fall on November 17th we will be at the last Lawrence Farmers Market for the regular season, at Au Marche on Mass. st. in downtown Lawrence and at Pendleton's Country Market on both the 17th and 18th. Plus we will be doing the Lawrence Farmers markets on October 27th, November 3rd and November 10th. We will throw in a couple of Kansas City Markets and of course the Lawrence Holiday Farmers Market on December 8th just to round things out. A busy, busy fall but great fun!
More to come...
September 26, update...
Summer is behind us. The fields are harvested. And now it is time to look at the beautiful color of the fall trees and get ready for the holidays; however, lots of things happening before we get to the holidays.
A quick update on the road. We hope to see dirt moved in early October. So, depending on when you are reading this update we may be well on our way to Lavender Way!
The Douglas County Farm Tour is the October 6th weekend and we are excited and pleased that John & Karen Pendleton of Pendleton's Country Market have asked us to be at their farm during the Farm Tour weekend with our lavender products. We are honored and a big thank you to them!
The Lawrence Farmers Market will continue until November 17th and we will be there! Also, we will be at The City Market in Kansas City a number of times before the holiday season so please check our Facebook page for additional updates.
And coming up on December 8th is the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market at the Holidome in Lawrence from 9 AM to 5 PM. More than 60 vendors will be there with great gifts for the holidays.
If you have an extra moment please take a look at our revamped lavender store. We hope when you are looking for that special holiday gift that you will consider one of our lavender products (Here comes the sales pitch). They are hand made, hand painted and we are certified organic. So please take a peak if you have time.
And finally, we are in the process of laying out our new drying barn that we hope to build in early spring. We have out grown our drying space and need much more room. What fun! A lot to do between now and next summer!
More to come and thank you for your continued support!...September 1, update...
The summer is almost over, even though it still is in the nineties; we have had some rain, the hoop house ground is ready for planting and we are ready to break ground for the new road. Whew, what a month!
All things seem to run in fits and starts and we hope we are now in the "starts" phase. With the help of some great folks, Ray, Henry, Bear, Tom, Jess and Jen to name just a few, the hoop house is ready for lavender plants. The folks gave of their time and expertise and we can not thank them enough! We will start planting in mid-October and it should be great fun and it gives us a jump on next spring(we hope).
Kathy has been stripping lavender and sewing lots of products to get ready for this fall. She has once again developed a new product...a "Dogdanna" a bandanna with a lavender insert for dogs. Pictures will be up soon!
We were not at the markets for the last two weeks of August due to rain. Yes, Rain! Our lavender products do not do well in the rain so we had to take a pass on going to the markets. The lavender in the fields however, love it!
Road construction looks like it will begin in mid-September. We are poised for the movement of the first bulldozer. We just can't wait.
And so, it is back to the fields for Jack and back to the sewing machine for Kathy!
More to come...
August 1, update...
We are surviving the drought, but just! For the first time we have had to put in a basic irrigation system. It will help a bit; however, we are not able to get it to all the plants. It is really a wait-and-see game.
As for the hoop house, we have made major progress. It does however seem like it is a "life-time" project; but no, we "will" have it completed by mid-August. We must!!
The road up the hill progresses. Well, it moves along through the final planning stages. We hope to have it started later this month and then completed a few weeks after that. It now is a race between the hoop house and the road!
We met with the folks at the state tourism department and the Lawrence Convention Center and they were super. Lots of tips, suggestions, and real worthwhile help. They are all a great resource.
Again, we hope you will consider our products for holiday gifts. Honest, it is not too early to think about that. In mere moments it will be.........
And so, it is back to the fields, finish the hoop house, and then drive up the road with our windshield wipers going. One can only wish. Until next time...
July 9th update...
The lavender harvest is complete! A big thank you to all the folks who worked to bring in our 2012 crop. Even with the extreme heat we have had a bumper crop with the drying room being filled more than twice.
Our plants from the recent planting seem to be surviving. We have lost a number but the vast majority is holding on. We will post pictures. The difference between lavender in full bloom and "bald" plants is amazing.
Our high tunnel/hoop house is more than two-thirds complete. All the steel work is up and now it's the side curtains and then the top and ends and in another couple of weeks we should be finished(did not make June 30th!).
We are still on track to have our road put in before the end of the year so we may have The First Annual Lawrence Lavender Festival in June of 2013. If we don't plan it won't happen so we are moving forward and look forward to a super time.
And finally, it is not too early to start thinking about that special gift for the holidays. I can hear many of you saying, "Oh yes it is too early." But why not get out ahead of the rush and give lavender for the holidays. Jack has "Deck the Halls" as his ring tone. Some people ask if he forgot to take it off and he tells them he is early for this year. The truth is he has it on there ALL the time.
Until later...
June 11, 2012...Just had to call your attention to the article in the Lawrence Journal World this past Sunday, June 10, 2012. We think Jennifer Smith did a great job capturing our venture and we thank her for taking the time to come out to the farm. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/jun/10/garden-calendar-lavender-farm-making-purple-waves/
On another note, harvesting starts in earnest this week so we will be up to our eye balls in Lavender...YES!! Hoop House construction is moving forward and we hope to have it completed by June 30!
More to come...
...And so Friday June 8 is here and we are getting reading for the Lawrence Farmers Market. The Grosso Lavender is in bloom and we will be taking many "bunches" to the market. Our hoop house is coming along. This weekend we should have the rest of the perlins up and much of the wood installed(operative word here is "should." This has turned out to be quite a task. Fun, but a real interesting challenge).We have just finished planting nearly 2,000 new plants--Grosso and Buena Vista. Both will have a beautiful hue and yet look very different. Grosso has an elegant long stem with tight buds while Buena Vista is much shorter and has a more open flower; both are beautiful and delightful. Our road to the top of the hill has not been started as of yet; however we are getting closer to the beginning of construction. We hope to have it completed for next year so we may start an annual Lavender Festival in Lawrence. We hope putting this at the top makes it easier to find and we thank you for your continued interest in Washington Creek Lavender.
More to come...
For more than 30 years, Kathy Sanders was one of the United States leading food photographers. With more than 100 covers on Better Homes and Gardens publications and having shot for nearly all the major food clients, she was at the top of her game in 2003. Jack Wilson, her husband, was a television producer with 11 national PBS specials under his belt and more than 70 business-to-business training DVDs for sale in the international marketplace. Living in a loft in Chicago life was good! Something however was missing. And that was the outdoors. Both Kathy and Jack liked being outside. Yes you certainly could be outside in Chicago but you couldn't really get your hands dirty like they wanted to do.
So, in 2004 they moved to Lawrence Kansas, Kathy's hometown and bought some land. They built a log home and started growing vegetables. The gods did not shine down on this venture— rainstorms, hale and high winds stopped it very quickly. So what to do?
The land was tested and it seemed to be perfect for two things— grapes and lavender and after much reading and study lavender won out as the crop of choice. But what type of lavender and would it really grow in Kansas? Seven different lavender types were tested and one won out.
To be continued...
...And Grosso was chosen, a French lavender with a great fragrance and a beautiful flower. Others were selected as well to include Gros Blue, Edelweiss, Beuna Vista, and Melissa each with a different smell and look from pink to white to deep purple.
The first year nearly 2,000 plants were put in the ground. Make no small dreams seemed to be the motto. But what about deer and rabbits and hail and high winds, and, and, and? Well luck was there. Rabbits and deer don't bother the lavender, and the plants are short enough so the high winds don't seem to bother it. As for hail, well so far it too seems to be gentle to the lavender.
Lavender began growing and the field developed that beautiful purple glow that everyone thinks of when they picture lavender. That's great but now that it's growing what can be done with it? The old marketing theory of "have a market" before you build a product seemed to have been thrown out the window. Well yes and no. The land really had to prove that it would allow the lavender to grow, in quantity, before a major marketing plan could be developed. OK, so maybe that is not quite true but at least it was the idea. But what products to make? How to make them? And most of all who will make them!?
To be continued...
...We had the land and we knew the lavender would grow (hopefully) and now, what to do with it? Kathy again stepped up. She had a list of products she wanted to develop and was going to make them--herself! Yes, she planted and harvested and now was going to make the products as well.
The first product was a 1/2 oz sachet and then a full oz. To make them unique Kathy painted a sprig of lavender on each bag. A two-color job and all painted by hand--no printing or stamp here, all by hand.
In a weak moment Jack volunteered to paint as well. This was not a real success and after eight or nine bags Kathy suggested that he go have a soda (she has kept the bags just incase Jack wants to try it again!).
Then came the neck comforters. Kathy kept testing and talking to customers and came up with lots of innovations; the comforter was segmented so all the lavender would not run to the bottom. Finger "grips" were put on each end to make them easier to grasp. And finally, the outer cover was removable for easy cleaning. When selling them we explain that they may be put in the microwave oven and heated for 30 to 40 seconds to make them work even better. One customer tried to put theirs in for 6 minutes and said it smelled like popcorn. Oops!! Not a good idea!!
Next were the eye pillows. Smooth on one side and and rougher on the other. These too may be placed in the microwave for a very short period of time or placed in the refrigerator to cool them down. Our customers tell us they are great sleep aids and really help relieve headaches.
Dryer sheets came next, three in a pack, and as of this writing 39 customers have told us they have been using them in their dryers for more than a year (two have told us more than two years!). Again, a Kathy design and a neat product. They also may be put in pillows, since they are flat, as a sleep aide.
Now we had the products (and more to come about our new ones) but where to sell them.
Again. To be continued...
Yes, there are more new products. Kathy was at it again and designed a set of coasters in all sorts of colors, each with a lavender insert. So, when you set your hot mug of coffee, tea or hot chocolate on them, they release the scent of lavender. And, she even designed one for coffee or tea pots to do the same thing! Again, Jack was happy to be out in the fields when Kathy came up with this idea.
Oh yes, there is still another new product, "A yard of lavender." Thirty-six inches of lavender divided into three inch squares. All in a long line and double stitched between each square so they may be cut and used in drawers or put in your pillow as a sleep aide.
And finally there are the fire starters to use in your fire place. When the lavender is stripped from the stems the stems are saved and bundled together to use in your fireplace. The bottoms have been cut square so they may also be used as a decoration (no sense seeing money go up in flames!).
Then came the question: "Where to sell the products?" First came the Lawrence Farmers Market. What a terrific group of vendors and customers. Every vendor has been so helpful in showing us the ropes and helping us set up in the dark. Jack still has trouble getting the picture centered that hangs on the booth so Jill of Moon on the Meadow (the vendor next to us) has to stand there every Saturday (if Kathy is coming later) and direct the hanging. It becomes even more funny every week. Then there is Don Flory with his hot cups of coffee that gets us all through the early hours. John and Karen Pendleton have been just incredible with their help, and there is Tom and Stephanie (they got married on our land this summer), Emu Annie, Kathy Hagen, Mike and Kitty Glass, Jozie and Brian and so, so many more. Again, what a great group!
The summer of 2010 found us with our own permanent space (we were floaters for three years— up at 4 am to make sure we got a spot-now we can sleep in on Saturdays until 4:30, wheee!).
The next big selling event will be the Holiday Market at the Holiday Inn Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive in Lawrence on December 11 from 9 am to 5 pm. Should be great fun and nearly all the vendors will be there.
To be continued...
Well the Holiday Market was a success and we have made it through one of the coldest and snowy winters we can remember. Or, are we just getting older and "each" winter seems worse than the last one?
Now it is spring and we are gearing up for the Farmers Market and getting ready to plant another 2,500 lavender plants. This will give us a total of nearly 6,000 plants. The land was tilled in late fall and should be ready to receive the little organic starters in late May to early June. The tractor has been serviced or should we say tractors. We now have a small John Deere and an old (don't let it hear us call it old) 1949 Ford 8N.
Kathy is busy working on product and getting ready to plant. Jack has been up on the hill doing some additional tilling. The land is just about ready; however, each time it rains it sets back the tilling schedule.
Our products are now available at The Merc and at Pendleton's Country Market, at the HyVee on 23rd when the construction is completed, and here on our web site.
To be continued...
Much has happened in the last few months. Our starter plants arrived all perky and ready to go in the ground. As we have mentioned before we get the starters from Oregon and they are all organic. Speaking of organic we are now officially certified organic. We have always grown our plants organically but never went through the "official" process--soil testing, visit by the certifier, etc. They loved the land and so we are OFFICIAL; but, we digress.
The plants arrived after surviving one of he coldest winters/early springs they have had in Oregon. They came into one of the hottest springs we have had in Lawrence. And so, the plants were shocked. Shocked so much that more than 1/2 of them died before we had a chance to get them in the ground. They were shocked and so were we! Many that were planted survived and now we hope they will survive the winter(they had less of a deep root growth than in the past as a result of the cold spring in Oregon so this may be a problem).
We are now back at the Lawrence Farmers Market after taking a few weeks off for a family emergency. All seems to be well and we are looking forward to a super fall!
Kathy is working on some new products. One is a holiday ornament for the Christmas tree-- a ginger bread man filled with lavender. What a great combination of fragrances--pine and lavender. We will have pictures up in a week or so. We also will have some new video up as well!
We have some great plans for 2012 but we will keep those secret until they are finalized. What fun.
To be continued....
Fall is nearly over and winter is fast approaching. The trees are almost bare and the lavender plants seem to be tucking their little heads down to face the tough Kansas winter winds. Still, given all of this it is a beautiful and breath taking sight to look out over he lavender fields and know that we have made this happen! Only a few weeks until the new year and we are all now in the middle of the holiday season; good meals, presents, and great friendships rekindled.
We are so excited to be "doing what we are doing"---raising lavender and making all of our own products right here in America! People are talking on television about how important it is to buy American made products and we agree. To this end for our local friends we will be at the Lawrence Farmers Holiday Market Saturday, December 10th at the Lawrence Holiday Inn. We hope you can come by and say hello and maybe pick up that gift for that "special" person.
To you and yours we wish you the happiest of holidays and a terrific New Year!
To be continued...
And so a new year is upon us! Can you believe the winter; less than 3" of snow for the entire season(as of today). We hope this is not confusing the lavender. It certainly has the Daffys messed up. They are nearly 5" tall and just about ready to bloom. Hope it does not freeze for a while.
When last we were here we said their were some surprizes and we would let you know later if they were going to happen. Well it seems like they will. We are planning to increase the number of lavender plants we have in the ground from about 4,500 to upwards of 10,000. And, we are in the process of putting in a new road to increase access to the lavender fields and hopefully make it easier for you to come and share the beauty and fragrance of our lavender. This will take a while but we look forward to having the road in and working by harvest time in late June. If this works we hope to have a mini lavender festival some time in mid summer. "Hope" is the operative word. The festival will depend on weather, the road and our ability to pull it together. So, along with us please keep your fingers crossed.
We again will be at the Lawrence Farmers Market this summer in our same location(we have applied and hope to hear soon).
Once again, we thank you for your continued interest in Washington Creek Lavender and we look forward to seeing many of you this summer.
To be continued...
Well, as we said when last we were here "stay tuned" for what is coming next. We have good news and news that is not as good as we would like it; yet, good anyway. Make sense? We hope so!
First, the real good news. Our plants are on schedule and we look to plant another 2,500 lavender plants in late May/early June. We are excited and will give you an accurate count on how many we have in the ground as the planting is completed(between six and seven thousand).
And more real good news, our Hoop House was delivered and we will have that up and completed by June 30. It comes in pieces and we have to assemble it. A real task but we are really looking forward to doing it. A couple of weeks ago we helped put one up at Red Tractor Farm. Jess and Jen were terrific to work with and they had nearly 30 poeple helping. A great experience! Having the Hoop House is really exciting as it will give us a chance to propagate our own plants. If you wish to help us put it up please give us a shout!
Now the not nearly as good news as we had hoped but still good news anyway! We have been approved for our road and new entrance; however, this took a "bit" more time than we had anticipated so we are going to have to hold off on the Lavender Festival until next year. We are disappointed; however, pleased that we have made the progress toward completing the road.
And finally, more good news, we will be back at the Lawrence Farmers Market beginning April 14th. We have the same stall so when you walk in the west entrance walk straight forward to the westend of the east lot(next to Moon Over the Meadow) and there we are.
More to come later on our new products and where else we will be selling them. Talk with you soon...
May 1, 2012...
Spring is here and so summer may be as well. The lavender plants don't seem to know what to make of the early warm weather so they have decided that it IS summer and they are going to bloom. Many of the plants may be as much as a month early. Wow, who would have guessed? This means that within the next few weeks we will probably be harvesting some of the "early bloomers!"
Other news...Our Hoop House arrived(in parts of course) and we have begun the construction process. We helped Jess and Jen at Red Tractor Farm with theirs so we learned a ton(also learned about muscles we did not know we had).
And finally the Lawrence Farmers Market is open. We have been in a "soft" opening, whatever that is for the first three weeks and on May 5 all begins(or began depending upon when you are reading this). We look forward to seeing our old friends and making new ones at this year's market.
Another, "and!" We had the 57th customer come by the booth at the market on April 28th and tell us they have been using our Organic Lavender Dryer Sheets for more than a year. They really do work!!!
Until next time...
May 28, 2012...
What a month May has been! First, we have gained momentum on building our 96' x 20' High Tunnel/Hoop House. We have all the posts and the hoops up! Our great thanks to Henry Nieder for all of his help. The wood arrived this past weekend and so you can see how we are spending our holiday!
New starter plants have been ordered(2,500) and we will plant them the first week in June. A number of new varieties but more about that as they get in the ground.
We have begun to harvest some of the "early birds, ' the Buena Vista and Melissa (both of which may be used for culinary purposes) and we will be taking them to the Lawrence Farmers Market. We are excited about this summer and look forward to seeing all of our old friends and making new ones.
Our major harvest will probably be the first two weeks of June. Very early this year as weather has been so warm.
More to come...

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