Tuesday, August 27, 2013

McReily's Lavender Farm

What a joy it was to visit McReily's Lavender Farm while vacationing in Colorado last week!


In recent years I've been bit by the lavender bug and I'm always excited to discover a new farm to visit.  



Just north of Boulder we drove along
 a scenic country road until we arrived
 at the farm on Monarch Road. 



The farm is easy to find and
 is well marked.  



 I  first "visited"  the farm via the internet and read about the farm at their website  (here)  before our trip. 
They are open on weekends and  I emailed ahead to confirm.   
Most interesting to me was that they have converted a dairy farm into their home, gardens and studio.   


The barn is lovely as a home and they even kept the silo! 
 An old shed became the flower
 shop and studio where Richelle displays her fresh cut bouquets, lavender products and
 gifts for purchase.    




Richelle gave us a tour of her lovely gardens and answered many of my questions about growing lavender.
I shared with her my plans to enlarge my garden with a dedicated lavender garden and she gave me suggestions of some of the best varieties to grow for scent and cutting. 



We also talked about the weather and how she had damage to her lavender plants this year due to late freezes.   She and her crew are hard at work and she plans on transplanting 
more lavender from another field.    



She also grows many other varieties of  flowers for cutting and creates beautiful bouquets that she 
sells in her shop.










When you open the door to her shop the aroma of lavender rushes out to greet you!  It has been said by scientists that smelling lavender reduces cortisol levels and reduces free radicals in the body.  It 's also long been used to promote relaxation and sleep as well as just encourage a spirit of calmness.   Lavender farmers must be the healthiest  people in the world or maybe just the happiest!





Richelle shared that once her 
flower shop/studio was an old leaning building they refurbished.   Now it is a beautiful cottage space that's dreamy with soft white walls and pretty windows.  She shares the space with her partner Mike who uses the space as his landscape design studio. 



I  just loved the giant windmill, the old vintage trucks and the friendly farm dog who seems to have never
 met a stranger!



I purchased some of Richelle's lavender products and a generous bouquet of  freshly cut lavender to enjoy before thanking her and heading on our way.     



 Mr. Bloomer stored my lavender bouquet in his golf bag so it wouldn't be crushed in my suitcase for the flight home...
his golf bag has never smelled better!



13 comments:

  1. Clever way to transport your bundle of lavender. Wishing I had a fresh bundle to enjoy. '-)
    Thanks for sharing our trip. It's a lovely spot. Good luck with the lavender garden. My success with growing lavender has been hit and miss.

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  2. What a beautiful place to visit! I love lavender too, Sonia. I grow Munstead and Hidcote and they seem to do well. They do like well-drained soil. Thanks for sharing this, Sonia. I thoroughly enjoyed your photo story!

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  3. So sweet; what fun! Great hobby you have there Sonia!

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  4. Wow what a nice place to visit! I enjoyed the pictures and the thought of how good it must have smelled. I don't have any lavender growing. I guess I should make an effort to plant some.
    Thank you for sharing the trip.

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  5. I would love to go somewhere like that!

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  6. I am obsessed with lavender and I live in Denver. How do I not know about this farm? I hope it's not too late to go! Thanks for showing me something awesome right in my own state! I am your newest follower!

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  7. what a beautiful place to see, wow I wish I were there in such a quaint cute place...I love lavender, the smell is so incredible, I loved your photos, thanks so much for sharing them with us...Phyllis

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  8. So peaceful and happy a place you have! And who doesn't love everything about lavender? :) Ahhh.

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  9. I have just started growing lavender in my garden the bees love it the smell on the farm must have been beautiful

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  10. Gorgeous images. I think that you cou ld do a lavender map of the USA. Thanks for taking us along. Cherry Kay

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  11. Love your new blog header! Saw your comment on my blog; I just wrote an article about 24 people who likely won't like living in a smaller) space that you might find interesting. Also, I will be featuring some Real Life Downsizers in my e-newsletter; interviewing one this week, so please sign up for that if you're going down the downsizing path! Have a wonderful Sunday!

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  12. What a lovely trip! I have recently fallen in love with lavender and have been thinking about making myself a garden, not sure that I'm up to the challenge just yet though haha. I would love to be surrounded by it though. What a dream life they are living!

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  13. Oh my! I am so incredibly envious of how beautiful that lavender is! I hope mine is that lush and gorgeous. I can just smell it now! Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for sharing!

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