The new season begins, Jersey Lavender opens in alignment with Beltane, the ancient festival in early May that marks the mid-point of springtime, between the Spring equinox and the Summer Solstice. The wheel of the year has shifted, the energy of the season has clearly changed, with longer days, and warmth in the air.
Beltane was a fire festival celebrating the beginning of summer…and certainly, as you can see from the photos, the sun is shining and some of the lavender is already blooming in the fields. We welcome you to visit our farm to see the regeneration of the lavender fields.
Lavandula is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean, with an affinity for maritime breezes. (Wikipedia). Lavender is a sun-lover, needing free-draining soil and thrives in poor, sandy or chalky soil.
“English lavender”, L. augustifolia, is a fragrant, much-loved variety, typically with paler flowers than “French lavender,” L. stoechas, the latter easily recognised by its dark purple flowers surmounted by a tuft of purple bracts.
We have been planting L. x intermedia ‘Grosso’ in the fields, a hybrid variety of English and French lavenders. Grosso is typically taller than other varieties, reaching around 90cm from the ground to the tips of the flower spikes. It’s the widest used lavender in the world for oil production, as it produces a high yield, however is not as fine a quality as L. augustifolia. It makes a wonderful large vigorous plant ideal for filling large spaces in the garden.
The farm produces essential oil from L. augustifolia and ‘Grosso’. Their fragrances vary, and individuals vary in their preferences for the scent too! Both essentials oils are used in the wide range of lavender products available to buy form our shop, in-person at the farm, or online.
This season is looking very promising!
