The warm days of July, the unofficial start of summer in the Pacific Northwest, bring a lavender haze to small acreages in the area. Bumble and honey bees busily visit as many of the tiny blooms as possible before the delicate flowers fade and drop from sight. Most of the mini-farms of lavender growers sponsor festivals on the weekends to lure city folk to their lush plantings of lavender mounds.
The visitors, scissors and basket in hand, stroll along the rows of mounded lavenders, clipping bunches to their heart's content. Children chase the bees and squeal when surprised by a worker bee intent on hauling its daily quota of pollen. A band plays and sings folk tunes at the perimeter of the farm amid tented displays of lavender-inspired art, jewelery, foods, soaps and crafts. At this particular farm, all the seating is painted a matching hue of lavender and displays of the fragrant plant are tucked into every possible type of container.
The season is short but the uses of lavender are many: ribbon-woven wands, scented honey and candy, homemade soaps, wreathes, laminated bookmarks, armloads standing in stately vases, small bundles tied to clothing hangers to name but a few. Hurry out to a field near you to enjoy this lovely lavender crop and bring a bit of nature back to your abode.
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