On a quiet country road in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, there’s a small lavender farm called Red Oak Lavender Farm. It’s located near the city of Dahlonega known for its role as the gateway to the Appalachian Trail.
It’s an enchanting place especially during the month of June when the lavender is in bloom. Spiky blooms in gorgeous shades of purple and blue spring from mounds of silver and green foliage. The air is filled with the distinctive, fresh scent of lavender. Informative signs identify the different varieties and highlight their primary features. Here are a few examples.
Visitors to the farm have free rein to explore the lavender plantings. Most of the lavender is planted in carefully-tended, well-spaced rows. According to the Red Oak Lavender Farm website, “Lavender needs air space to dry up some of the humidity and wetness caused from rains in summer”. Growing conditions in Northern Georgia differ significantly from the ideal conditions, ie hot, dry summers, cold winters, limited rainfall and dry, rocky, alkaline soil, which allow lavender to flourish in places like Provence, France. Don’t expect to find those Instagram-famous views of mile-long rows of deep purple lavender running off into the horizon. Instead, you’ll find a more accessible, scaled-down version of those beautiful views.
A closer look reveals a myriad of bees and butterflies amongst the blooming wands. The soft yellow wings of this Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly (Phoebis sennae) are a striking contrast to the purple lavender blooms.
A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) goes about its business on the distinctive flower of some French/Spanish Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas). This is the same variety of lavender I grow in my own flower garden (see my previous post Weaving Lavender).
Red Oak Lavender Farm is a shutterbug’s paradise with thoughtfully-placed features, such as this curvy, white gazebo, providing pretty focal points.
Lavender is obviously the main attraction but there are several other floral displays. This cheerful patch of pastel-colored yarrow complements the barn quilt perfectly.
A huge bed of dahlias—over 900 bulbs—promises an amazing floral display later this summer.
A visit to Red Oak Lavender Farm wouldn’t be complete without checking out the gift shop. The cozy shop is a feast for the eyes and nose. Bunches of lavender, such as this recently-harvested culinary lavender, are hung to dry.
A wide variety of Red Oak Lavender bath and beauty products, handmade with lavender from the farm, are on offer.
One might even spot a copper still used to distill essential lavender oil. It takes an astonishing amount of work to reach the stage where a lavender grower can distill their own lavender. “Approximately three pounds of lavender Intermedia flowers are required to produce just 15mL of lavender essential oil. We recommend you have 500 mature (year 3) lavender plants to be able to steam distill to give you enough lavender essential oil for the year. … That’s a lot of lavender needed!” explains the Red Oak Lavender website.
Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t resist taking some lavender home with me. I chose a large bouquet of dried Intermedia Lavender.
A scan through the latest home decorating trends confirms dried flowers and grasses made a comeback. The trend is attributed, in large part, to an increased focus on sustainability. Dried flowers also have the advantage of needing no water so they can be displayed in a variety of innovative ways. To that end, my new dried lavender blooms are perfect for an idea I’ve been planning to try—a wooden display block. I’ve noticed some European home decorating sites, as well as Etsy artists, are arranging dried flowers on long, narrow wooden bars. My Dried Lavender Wooden Display Block is a slight twist on that idea. Here’s how it turned out.
It’s a super simple project—there are only a few steps as shown in the image below.
1. Start by choosing a nice piece of wood and cutting it into a rectangular block. Mine is about 4½” long x 1½” deep x 1” high. Decide how you want the lavender to be positioned. I chose a wavy line for added interest.
2. Drill a series of holes. I drilled 16 holes, spaced about ⅜” apart, about 1” deep, with a ⁷⁄₆₄” drill bit. A piece of tape on the drill bit helped me bore the holes to a consistent depth. Sand the block.
3. Lay out the lavender stems to select an attractive arrangement. I chose to vary the height of my stems—cutting each one about ½” longer than the previous one.
4. And, there you have it… your very own Dried Lavender Wooden Display Block. It’s the perfect size to tuck away on a bathroom vanity, living room side table or bedroom nightstand.
More Info
Lavender wands, made with ribbon and freshly-cut lavender stems, are another easy lavender project. Check out my previous blog post, Weaving Lavender, for instructions.
To learn more about Red Oak Lavender Farm & Shop in Dahlonga, Georgia, USA, check out their website or Facebook page.
The Georgia Farm Bureau sponsors a special outreach program called Farm Passport. “The Farm Passport features over 90 farms included in Georgia Farm Bureau’s Certified Farm Markets program, which was created to help people discover where their food comes from, meet the farm families who grew the food, and create lasting memories with loved ones as they travel the state.” You can learn more on the Certified Farm Markets Farm Passport section of the Georgia Farm Bureau website.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Investigate sources for fresh, farm-raised goods in your local area.
2. Consider supporting a local farmer by paying them a visit and purchasing their products.
3. Explore possibilities for incorporating dried flowers and grasses into your home décor.
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