Lavender Farm Tour with Andrea K. Grist

Lavender season is upon us and Andrea K. Grist shares a tour of a Kansas lavender farm near her.

On a recent trip to Lawrence, Kansas, to enjoy a day of rodeo with my daughter, I came across Washington Creek Lavender Farm.  Those that know me well know that I truly get giddy when I come across unexpected gems like this.

Washington Creek Lavender Farm’s charming red barn.
Bunches drying in the barn for future sales.

After we traveled a winding gravel road and ascended a bit of a hill, a small red barn appeared off in the distance. Beyond it appeared the rows of lavender.  We were greeted by Kathy Wilson, owner of the farm. She led us into the drying room and explained how the lavender is harvested and bunched. She also showed off the farm’s new still used to make essential oils and lavender water.

Lavender entrepreneurs, Kathy and Jack Wilson

Jack, her husband and co-owner, then bounded into the drying room with a hearty welcome. Love this guy, and boy does he love lavender.  He whisked us off to the fields and filled us with information about all the types of lavender they grow, challenges facing them farm during the winter months, a preview of new plants soon to come, and their plans for the future.

Here’s more about Kathy and Jack’s background and how they became lavender farmers.

From the gift shop . . .
Fragrant sachets. Sweet dreams if you place this near your pillow!

Our tour ended in their quaint gift shop with a selection on hand-made products mostly made by Kathy and other family members, including sachets, wreaths, embroidery, soaps, oils, etc.

Jack shared with us the partnership they have with Nicholas Mosse Pottery in Ireland who designed custom pottery exclusively for them with a beautiful lavender design.

Thank you, Jack and Kathy, for the farm tour and for sharing the passion you have for lavender and helping us all to enjoy its benefits.

Andrea K. Grist is the owner of Andrea K. Grist Floral Art in Lees Summit, Missouri. She is a Slowflowers.com member who can often be found on a road trip seeking out flower farms to support and promote. All photos here (c) Andrea K. Grist

Debra Prinzing

Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker and leading advocate for American-grown flowers. Through her many Slow Flowers-branded projects, she has convened a national conversation that encourages consumers and professionals alike to make conscious choices about their floral purchases. Debra is the producer of SlowFlowers.com, the weekly "Slow Flowers Podcast" and the American Flowers Week (June 28-July 4) campaign. Debra is author of 11 books, including Slow Flowers (2013), The 50 Mile Bouquet (2012) and Slow Flowers Journal (2020). She is the co-founder of BLOOM Imprint, the boutique publishing arm of Slow Flowers.

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Slow Flowers Journal is brought to you by SlowFlowers.com. Slow Flowers is an award-winning online directory created to help consumers find florists, studio designers, wedding and event planners, supermarket flower departments and flower farmers that supply American grown flowers. Founded in 2014, the site has grown to 850 members across the U.S.

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