It’s officially lavender season. Eastern WA fields are scent-sational and tasty
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Three Tri-Cities U-pick farms offer culinary-grade lavender for picking.
- Lavender season in the region runs from the beginning of June to mid-July.
- English lavender is typically used for cooking while French lavender suits bath products.
Where there is lavender, the bees are never far behind.
“When we go to harvest (the) plant,” lavender grower Tom Binder from Crockett Road Lavender Farm. “The bees just go to the next, also hooked on the lavender.”
It’s prime time for the lavender fields around the Tri-Cities region. And the soft buzz of the insects flying from plant to plant, row to row, compliments the faint lavender scent of the fields.
There’s a spot in Washington state known as the lavender capital of North America: Sequim. The Olympic Peninsula town has over 20 lavender farms because of its unique climate in the rain shadow of the Olympics, according to the Lavender Festival’s website.
But there’s no need to drive five hours.
The hot, dry climate and hours of sunshine that make lavender thrive in Sequim and, more iconically, in Provence, France, make it increasingly popular in the Tri-Cities region.
In our own backyard are some prime U-pick boutique lavender farms that offer fragrant bouquets of blooms but also delicious treats like lavender ice cream, lavender jelly, lavender-infused lemonade and shortbread lavender-dotted cookies.
Each site features different events and activities during the season that begins in June and lasts until mid-July.
In all, there are over 450 different varieties of lavender, from Royal Velvet to Provence, each with its own scent undertones or flavor profiles.
While the France may be renowned for its cooking, French lavender is what perfumes oils and bath products. For culinary matters, English lavender fits the bill.
Here are three places to visit in the Tri-Cities region for your own cuttings or for some beautiful photo-ops among the purple sprigs and, of course, the bees.
Sunkissed Lavender
With the house and farm on the market, Sunkissed Lavender, at 130 S 58th Ave, West Richland, is in what could be their last season of U-pick.
Terri Szendre, known to many as “Lady Lavender,” and her husband have been operating the farm since 2014.
In addition to selling the skincare products she makes, they also operate U-pick hours on their blooms. Hours can be found on their Facebook. Across the several hundred plants they have, they grow 13 varieties.
“It’s science,” Szendre said. “Everything we do here is nothing but science.”
This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that Szendre clones her plants, cutting out the need to buy starts from other farmers.
On the culinary side of things, Szendre likes to use lavender in certain drinks, like lemonades, or in cupcakes she makes for specialty occasions.
In her shop, she sells lavender lemonade mixes and lavender shortbread cookie mixes.
Szendre’s best tip for people who want to come pick their own lavender is to wear tennis shoes.
Blue Mountain Lavender Farm
As you drive through the gate of Blue Mountain Lavender Farm at 345 Short Road, Lowden, your attention will be grabbed by the European flair the Grimauds have worked so hard to cultivate.
Rest and recharge after a day of picking lavender with food that’s served at Blue Mountain Lavender Farm.
This farm has lavender ice cream, lavender lemonade and Blue Mountain Coffee Co., which offers a lavender latte. However, check their website for what days each service is open.
The Grimauds started their lavender journey back in 2000 when they moved to Walla Walla.
“My husband is a Frenchman,” Karen Grimaud, co-owner, said. “So we kind of had lavender on our radar.”
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, there are several culinary variates available on their farm. Additionally, they sell dried culinary lavender on their Etsy shop.
Grimaud has noticed an uptick in the amount of culinary lavender that they sell and has a few favorites of her own.
“For me,” Grimaud said, “It’s the visual impact. A nice dark, blooming lavender that has a reasonably long stem.”
The culinary options in that realm include Purple Bouquet, Royal Velvet and Edgerton Blue.
Something to note about Blue Mountain Lavender Farm is that they are closed Tuesdays and Saturdays. Their last day of the season will be Wednesday, July 15.
Crockett Road Lavender Farm
Just minutes south of the Washington border, tucked away in a neighborhood, is Crockett Road Lavender Farm, at 53671 W Crockett Road, Milton-Freewater, Ore.
Pulling into the gravel driveway, you’re greeted by three black and white dogs that bark their hellos and 10,000 lavender plants, painting the yard in varying hues of purples.
Binder first owned the property back in the 80s, but sold it to a farmer who started growing native plants. When Binder and his wife, Louise Dejur, bought the property back around 2014, they wanted to find a crop that spoke to them both.
“We were looking at different crops that we could grow on a small acreage,” Dejur says. “Lavender was one of them that came to the top (of the) list, and we were both really excited about that idea.”
During lavender season, Binder and Dejur open their farm to visitors seven days a week, hoping people make the most of a short growing season.
Next to their fields, they have a store that sells all sorts of lavender goodies. From themed jewelry and T-shirts to bathe products and recipe cards, their storefront is like a treasure trove.
Most notably, they carry lavender hot chocolate mix, lavender jelly, a variety of lavender syrup options, like lavender ginger and lavender pear.
Binder and Dejur’s favorite thing to make at home with their product is lavender ice cream.
Want to read more about localizing national food trends? Send your story ideas to emma.zawacki@tricityherald.com
