Sharon Harris likes to refer to it as the adult version of a kid's lemonade stand.
Harris is one of three owners of Lavender Fields, Delaware's only lavender farm. Harris, Marie Mayor and MaryAnn Etu, three retired friends, bought the farm located a few miles west of Lewes in 2003.
Today, the farm bustles with 20,000 visitors a year. The sweet smell of lavender wafts down the driveway and greets you well before you see the long rows of purple blooms dotted with honeybees.
There are award-winning dahlia gardens, bee hives and a shop which sells anything lavender.
[caption id="attachment_27314" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Lavender Fields 5 acre farm is dedicated to growing a variety of variations of lavender. (Click to enlarge)"]
Mayor and Harris (Etu is retiring from the operating the farm) sell plants, host weddings and art shows, grow and donate vegetables and teach local Cape Henlopen High School students about the farm.
There is a meditation labyrinth, which is year round, for those who want to reflect amidst the butterflies and blooming plants. Tea is occasionally served and people actually volunteer to help weed the plants.
Visitors walk across thyme plants as they climb steps to the old farmhouse. Herbs were traditionally planted so that visitors would carry the fresh, clean scents inside with them on their shoes and clothing.
It's a regular stop for the Delmarva Hosta Society and the dahlias are a magnet for brides every summer. The farm has a rosemary garden to the delight of local chefs (although the winter was not kind to rosemary).
"People love to come here to see what is happening," said Mayor, who is the new president of the Delaware Agritourism Association, an organization that encourages sustainable farming. "There is always something different here. It's usually laid back."
There are now an estimated 3,000 lavender plants at Lavender Fields. Dozens of different varieties of the ancient herb populate the fields. Lavender can be baked in cookies, made into tea, used to soothe, relax and calm.
Local restaurants like Abbott's Grill use the lavender to flavor teas and lemonades.
[caption id="attachment_27314" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The shop at Lavender Fields sells all things lavender from teas and soaps to insect repellent. (Click to enlarge)"]
You can buy lavender jams and jellies, soaps made by local business The Soap Fairy, lavender bug repellents, eye and neck pillows, sachets, delicate cross stitch, lavender honey, soothing lavender sprays for pets to keep away ticks and fleas, dish soap, teas, oils, clothing, wreaths, teapots and other items at the store.
Mayor says on the farm website that "Lavender evokes memories of days gone by, the scent of a grandmother's house, of sweet-smelling lingerie drawers and comforting bubble baths. It's referred to in the bible as spike and was cherished in ancient Rome for its distinct, delicate aroma and used in bathing, healing and calming fevered brows. Cleopatra used it to entice, Queen Victoria used it as a perfume and Florence Nightingale used it as an antiseptic."
Mayor says it’s a surprisingly easy plant to grow, although it needs to be watered sparingly. “It is a wonderful little plant. It just wants hot sun, a little water and to be appreciated. The beach is the perfect place to find it."
Mayor and Harris literally came to buy a plant and stayed and purchased the farm. "Off we went to see a realtor and we signed a contract that afternoon," Mayor said.
"We knew how important the lavender farm was to the community. It's somewhat like a community development center," she continued. "People come here to buy a little plant, particularly lavender, or to (bring a) lunch . . . or breakfast on Sunday morning. They bring bagels and coffee and read the New York Times under the trees. We have a good time out here."
"We really enjoy people coming out here and just relaxing, sitting under the shade trees, taking a deep breath and enjoying the summer," Mayor said.
"We have put a lot of our heart into the place," she said.
Mayor hopes people will "stop and smell the lavender and the roses."
For more information on the farm, go to www.lavenderfieldsde.com or email info@lavenderfieldsde.com or call 684-1514. The farm is located at 18864 Cool Spring Road in Milton and the ideal time to visit is July because it is peak bloom season.
