LAVENDER FARMS OPEN DURING BLANC

Wimberley Lavender Farm
11300 FM 2325, Wimberley, TX 78676
830-833-1595 www.wimberleylavender.com

Wimberley Lavender Farm is situated on a beautiful hilltop midway between Blanco and Wimberley on FM 2325. Visit the farm, cut your own lavender or walk the lavender labyrinth with more than 600 plants lining the path. Karen and O’Neil Provost have thousands of mature plants of the Provence variety and have planted several new varieties as well. Sip refreshing lavender lemonade, sit on a swing and look over an amazing view, visit with their gentle longhorn cows, or toss feed to the chickens – it’s a great break from the city and the Provosts look forward to seeing you. Shop in their gift shop offering lavender blooms, soaps, lotions, books, teas, sachets, plants and more. Light lunch fare, cookies, treats and baked goods will be available.

Wimberley Lavender Farm will be open from 9 to 6 both days of the festival, as well as weekends during the cut-your-own season. Visit them at Wimberley Market Days the first Saturday of each month beginning in April, at booth 235. They’ll have several varieties of plants for home planting. Check the website for more details as the season progresses.

Texas Lavender Hills Farm & Market
5110 Kendalia Rd., Blanco, TX 78606
830-833-9183 www.texaslavenderhills.com

At Texas Lavender Hills, you’ll discover lavender wrapped around the hillsides with spectacular views of the Texas Hill Country at every turn. The fragrant summer breeze coming off the purple fields just might take you all the way to Provence.

As third-generation Blanco landowners, Jill and Doak Hunter founded Texas Lavender Hills Farm & Market based on their love for the land and knowledge of its great potential. The Hunter family has lived and ranched on this 300-acre property for more than 65 years. On their own 27 acres, Jill and Doak envisioned exciting new opportunities. Inspired by France's Provence region and Blanco's reputation as the new "Lavender Capital of Texas," they blanketed the hillside with lavender plants and sprouted a new company. The hillside provides a sunny, southwest location with excellent drainage that makes it ideal for growing lavender. With its breathtaking 360-degree view of the area, including Twin Sisters Peaks, it is also an enchanting destination.

Farm festival events planned at Texas Lavender Hills this year include: Jan Heaton, a nationally recognized watercolorist, teaching a watercolor class for children; Deborah with Aroma Alternatives with a hands-on class making Salt Glows with Texas Lavender Hills’ own lavender essential oil; Ann McCormick with a class creating lavender stars with Texas Lavender Hills’ own fresh lavender blooms; Paul & Jennifer Buck’s hands-on class arranging fresh flower topiaries with lavender; lavender chair massages under the shady oaks with Cheryl Denny and farm tours and growing lavender with owners Jill and Doak Hunter. Please check the website soon for dates, times and online reservations for classes. Lavender Honey ice cream from P.J. Madison's Ice Cream and fresh lavender plants will also be available during the weekend.

This year during the festival weekend, Texas Provencial Picnic Lunches for Two will be available for purchase for picnics on the grounds. Please reserve your lunch now online at the website, as there will be limited availability during the festival weekend. The lunch will be beautifully presented within a special Texas Lavender Hills’ picnic basket and will include: Spiced Texas pecans, local lavender seasoned feta cheese, Texas summer sausage, market-fresh ripe tomatoes, olives, seasonal fresh fruit, a crusty Baguette and lavender cookies. It will be packed in a beautiful Texas Lavender Hills picnic basket ready for lunch under the oak trees with beautiful views of the lavender hillsides. Bring your own picnic blanket and wine to enjoy!

You are also invited to come shop at the lavender market which includes a full range of all-natural, simply designed lavender products, such as fragrant soaps, lotion, mist, body butter, conditioning scrub, hand wash, salve, sachets, hibiscus lavender & chamomile lavender organic herb tea, lavender-infused honey, candles, simply designed adult, children and infant apparel, and more (available now for purchase on their website). The market is nestled in the valley below the lavender-covered hillsides amongst oak trees. A shady nearby oak grove will be used for picnic lunches and relaxation. Over 4,500 lavender plants (of various varieties) are planted around the hillside, some of which will be available for pick-your-own fresh cuttings.

Miller Creek Lavender
8453 Miller Creek Loop, Johnson City, TX 78636
512-934-1616 www.millercreeklavender.com

Karen and Don Roets caught the "lavender bug" at a lavender conference held in Blanco in early 2002. In November 2005, the couple and some ex friends planted 7,000 plants representing 13 different varieties on 3.5 acres they own in Blanco County. Although currently living near Dripping Springs, Karen and Don plan to make their Hill Country farm, called Miller Creek Lavender, their permanent home in the near future. Please visit Miller Creek Lavender, located on Miller Creek Loop (CR203), 4 miles south of Johnson City and 4/10 of a mile west of the US Hwy 290/281 intersection. During the Lavender Festival, the farm will be open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the Friday before (June 8th) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Festival activities include: * Live music both days featuring CJ & Martha Brandt * Gift shop offering lavender arts and crafts, lavender food products, soaps, lotions, gifts, and lavender plants. Come sample our lavender margarita mix and lavender peach salsa * Massages both days provided by Danielle Delamarter * Developing butterfly garden and trail * Variety garden featuring 22 different varieties of lavenders * Food served both days along with lavender lemonade and ice cold bottled water * Vendors featuring various arts and crafts.

The Meadows at Flat Creek
P.O. Box 1717, 852 Flat Creek Road, Johnson City, TX 78636
830-385-5336 www.lavendermeadow.com

The adventure continues at The Meadows at Flat Creek! Another year of lavender growing under their belts, Tex and Chelita Riley are ready to kick off the 2007 lavender season. In 2006, they increased the lavender meadow to 2,000 lavender plants of different varieties. Drip irrigation was installed in the fall to combat those famous Texas Hill Country dry spells.

During this year’s festival, Katy and Ranger, the family llamas will be on hand to greet new and return visitors alike. Local hill country musicians, including “The Other Band” will entertain you while you sip free lavender lemonade under the shady oaks and elms. The Cooper Hawks, that provided their own music last year, have been sited once again. Live lavender plants, lavender products and crafts will be available for purchase.

For the convenience of those starting their weekend in Johnson City or those planning to enjoy the Johnson City Lavender Evening With Arts and Music, The Meadows at Flat Creek hours will be 7am to 6pm Saturday and 8am to 6pm on Sunday. Free coffee will be available both mornings and breakfast items will be available to purchase. If you haven’t seen a Hill Country sunrise, you don’t know what you are missing!

Ganell and Charley Pemberton christened their 11-acre farm after their hilltop view of the beautiful Blanco River. The couple went from retirement into farming when they planted their first field of lavender in October 2000. By 2002, blooms were lush, and visitors by the dozen came to see the 3-acre field. The following year produced another successful blooming season. To add to their lavender farm, the Pemberton bought a distilling unit so they could produce lavender essential oil.

Visitors are invited to tour the Lavender Hill compound of limestone buildings, including the Lavender Gift Shop, which also houses the distillery. Picturesque landscaping adds to the farm’s lovely setting. Guests may also stroll through the rows of aromatic lavender and clip fresh flowers. Hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during the blooming season.

This year, Lavender Hill is undergoing changes brought by the excessive rainfalls of 2004. Approximately 30 percent of the farm’s field was lost. The Pembertons are abandoning one area for a year, and in another they will plug in new Provence to grow with the old. In order to lengthen the blooming season, the farm has added the Buena Vista variety in a new field. For contrasting color, the Grosso variety will be added. In the new field, the Pembertons are experimenting with a new planting technique that will hopefully reduce weeds around the lavender. A new rock-and-rail fence gives more definition to the garden area.

Hummingbird Farms is a working farm with a history spanning over 100 years. Owned and operated by Jack and Debi Williams, their first lavender field was planted in 2003 after several years of research to determine optimal essential oil production. Lavendula angustifolia, or “True Lavender,” which derives the most highly prized lavender oil is grown at Hummingbird Farms, along with other varieties of English and French lavender.

You are welcome to visit Hummingbird Farms during the blooming season where you can enjoy strolling through the lavender fields and cutting your own fresh bouquet. During the Blanco Lavender Festival guests can enjoy regional cuisine, wine tastings, a personal farm tour, and demonstrations of the essential oil distillation process. Our specialty lavender products will also be available for purchase. Of course, you’re always free to just simply relax beneath one of the many beautiful Live Oaks while filling your senses with the Hill Country. As always, Hummingbird Farms will be offering complimentary bottled water and lemonade.

Hill Country Lavender, Texas’ first commercial lavender farm, has been open to the public for six years, 2006 marked the first year that the farm’s new location—at McCall Creek Farms on U.S. 281, 3.5 miles north of Blanco—was open to the public.

Robb Kendrick and Jeannie Ralston started Hill Country Lavender in 1999, after Kendrick traveled to Provence to photograph lavender harvests for a National Geographic story on perfume-making around the world. Since it’s founding, Hill Country Lavender has been the subject of numerous articles and TV features.

Tasha Brieger who came to work for Robb as a photo assistant in 1999 while a high school junior, was later recruited by Jeannie to help with the growing lavender business. Tasha was involved with the development and expansion of the lavender product line, and during the 2004 and 2005 seasons was the farms manager. In 2006 Jeannie and Robb decided to move to Mexico and Tasha purchased Hill Country Lavender.

At its store, snuggled into the lavender field and on its Website, the farm offers more than 70 lavender-related products for sale, including six varieties of soap, sachets, lavender oil, linen spray, lavender bubble-bath, linens embroidered with lavender, eye pillows and a variety of lavender-growing publications.

Visitors are invited to cut their own lavender throughout the lavender season, which runs from mid-May until July. During the Blanco Lavender Festival, Hill Country Lavender will offer Cut Your Own Lavender and Texas grown lavender plants. We will have teachers leading lavender wand making, and aromatherapy classes, which you can reserve online. We will also offer lavender blackberry gelato (ice-cream) and lavender lemonade, homemade by McCall Creek Farms. There will be chair massages, along with farm tours lead by Jeannie, who will be here from Mexico, or Tasha, the new owner of Hill Country Lavender. The most exciting thing is that Jeannie will be doing a reading from her upcoming book entitled, THE UNLIKELY LAVENDER QUEEN: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming on a Texas Farm, which is due to be released in Spring 2008.

On festival weekend, guests can purchase a box lunch to enjoy on tables under the beautiful live oak in the middle of the lavender field, and listen to violin music, performed by 16-year-old Ria Hodgson. For more information, contact Hill Country Lavender’s owner, Tasha Brieger, at 830-833-2294 or visit www.hillcountrylavender.com.

Chantilly Lace Country Inn Bed & Breakfast and Lavender Farm is located in Johnson City, Texas, the crossroads of the Texas Hill Country. A short drive to Blanco, Fredericksburg, Wimberley, Marble Falls, Austin and San Antonio. Visit all the peaceful beauty of Chantilly Lace Country Inn Bed & Breakfast.

We are pleased to announce the addition of a lavender farm to our country inn property. Over 1500 lavender plants of six different varieties were planted in the fall of 2006. In addition to our other gardens, the lavender farm will provide enjoyment and pleasure for our guests and visitors.

We have a gift shop where we sell handmade soaps, made on the premises by co-owner Sylvia Dunaway, as well as other lavender products. We also sell lavender and other native Texas plants in our garden center.

We are delighted to be one of the ten lavender farms in the Blanco Lavender Growers Association and an Event Sponsor of the Blanco Lavender Festival.

During the Lavender Festival, June 9^th and 10^th, we will be having soap making demonstrations along with other activities. Our restaurant will be open with sandwiches, cookies, desserts and drinks as well as our gift shop from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Downtown Johnson City, is only four blocks from the Inn where there are art galleries, gift shops, antique shops, clothing boutiques, a wine bistro and restaurants. Downtown Johnson City will have activities associated with the Lavender Festival for Friday and Saturday nights, June 8^th and 9^th. Most stores and businesses will be open until 10:00 pm.

Blanco River Lavender Company
4136 Ranch Road 1623, Blanco, TX 78606
830-833-4494

Come and be a part of the Blanco River Lavender Company’s weekend as we celebrate lavender! Live music by local artists will be featured periodically throughout the weekend. A skilled flintknapper will be fashioning beautiful arrowheads. Like those picked up from among the lavender. There will be a craft workshop to make beautiful lavender wreaths – registration and classes will be posted on the www.BlancoLavenderFestival.com website. For you nature lovers, birding tours with a local birding expert will be held Saturday and Sunday mornings (space is limited, so call ahead). And of course, the Country Store and fields will be open all weekend.