Baby Lavender (seedlings) in the warmth of the greenhouse.
At the old Stirling farm, Lavenders were planted in traditional rows by hand
The greenhouse is stocked with new lavender seedlings throughout the year.
The first harvest takes place.
Lavender isn’t just a beautiful & fragrant plant, there are many healing properties.
The Stirling fields were labour intensive, if you visit Brighton, the new garden format is much simpler
Drying lavender keeps all that fragrant beauty within the stems.
Ground preparation
Distilling lavender.
Distilled lavender creates our beauty line.
Little Lavender Shop, Brighton
June 2008, Flowering just beginning.
The New Garden Format Visitors can enjoy thousands of Lavenders at close hand
Brighton gardens in full bloom
When you order from the Little Lavender Shop you talk to the farms owners.
Lavender Hills, a family business; started with Ontario soil & frost maps, so to find an ideal location for lavender farming. The harvest of lavender does have its up-hill battles, a mass of weeds attack on a regular basis + bitter winters can definitely slow the progress.
In 2007, we transplanted all of our 10,000 Lavenders to the new Brighton Garden Location, it took six weeks of hard manual labour by our family and friends. Now we are very close to Lake Ontario and have a micro climate, thanks to the Lake effect 4 degrees warmer than our previous location, so we hope to expand our range of Lavenders grown.
Mid to late summer, the Lavender flowers are cut and bundled, then hung in the dark to dry naturally in the Drying Loft above the Little Lavender Shop. When dry, the florets are removed from the stems by hand rubbing, ready for dried flower sachets. Don't forget, when your Lavender sachets lose their aroma, a gentle squeeze will release more of the naturally trapped Lavender scent.
Weather permitting a second flowering can be cut. Fresh cut Lavender is packed into the distillation unit and by passing steam the essential oil of Lavender is separated from the plant material and stored for future use.
Fall is time, to move baby lavenders from the greenhouse to the winter safety of the farmhouse basement, the Lavender fields are pruned and after their first frosting, mulched with straw in readiness for the Canadian winter.
Fall is time, to move baby lavenders from the greenhouse to the winter safety of the farmhouse basement, the Lavender fields are pruned and after their first frosting, mulched with straw in readiness for the Canadian winter.
Summer 2008, has been an eye opener, the Lavenders have been a blooming experience to remember, even the Grosso, Provence and Fred Boutin have survived the winter and are now full height dwarfing the English Angustifolias. A sight worth the trip!!!!
