English Lavender Farms & Bee-yond
In search of summery, outdoor, and of course, socially distanced activities I came across lavender fields. Expect beautiful meadows of purple, many people taking photographs and lots and lots of bees! This may seem like not my usual subject matter, but I found that lavender itself has an interesting history and the benefits of lavender farms today is environmentally important.
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| Hitchin Lavender |
Lavender fields - I didn't know this was actually 'a thing' until recently. Apparently they are a favourite with tourists who travel from London to nearby lavender fields. As the perfect setting for a shoot, they are also pretty popular with 'grammers of course.
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| Hitchin Lavender |
A Little Lavender History
Lavender is not actually native to England, it originates in southern Europe, the Middle East, Persia, parts of Africa and Asia. It was cultivated in Britain since the mid-1500s.
Lavender has a fair few mentions throughout history, mostly due to mystic and medicinal uses. People believed it protected you from plague (lavender did in fact repel flees that transmitted the disease) and many found lavender helped to heal wounds (the plant is actually antibacterial and antiseptic).
The Romans put bunches between their sheets to fend off bedbugs and washed their cloths with it to deter moths and lice. Queen Elizabeth I had it scattered before her, to guard against stenches and the plague.
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| Hitchin Lavender |
English Lavender Farms Today
English lavender farms seem to have boomed in the last 20 years. While they grow lavender to create products (soaps, lavender oil etc) they also offer a visitor attraction. Paying a small fee, the public can come and pick some lavender, wander the fields, take photos and have a picnic.
Lavender fields usually bloom in July and August, although this does vary depending on the weather. I'd recommend visiting in the week, as there will be fewer people.
In 2020 farms are mostly using timed entry to help enforce social distancing, and for the same reason some places are not allowing visitors to pick the lavender. At most sites you can still buy it from the shop, along with other lavender goodies.
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| Hitchin Lavender |
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| Hitchin Lavender |
Bee Aware
Bee-lieve it or not, I think the best thing about these places are the bees. They absolutely love lavender and these farms do wonders for bee populations, which have been in decline over the past few decades. Apparently 13 species of bee have become extinct in the UK since 1900 and currently 35 are on the threatened species list. Bees pollinate 75% of our main food crops worldwide, including apples, strawberries and tomatoes.
Perhaps not your cup of tea if you have a paralysing fear of these insects, but the bees do not tend to bother you (they are too pre-occupied with all the lavender). Just be careful where you tread as you walk through the rows of lavender!
Lavender farms also encourage lots of other wildlife, including, butterflies, skylarks and swallows. More information on how to help save bees and a list of lavender farms is listed below.
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| Hitchin Lavender |
Links for ...
... Save the Bees!
... English Lavender Farms (near London)
- Hitchin Lavender, Hertfordshire (where I visited) - also check out this post on their blog about their farm and the bees: The Hitchin Lavender and Bee-yond.
- Mayfield Lavender, Surrey
- Castle Farm, Kent