Lavender Farm
A few years ago when pursuing the internet for places of interest to visit I came across the Keys Creek Lavender Farm. According to the information it is nestled in a beautiful, serene valley in Northern San Diego County. There one will find one of the most enchanting places filled with magic, love, and miracles. The working farm makes over 50 lavender products. Since this just happened to be during the lavender bloom season I decided to see for myself what this farm was all about.
Near the entrance of the farm a field with lavender in bloom could be seen.
A closer view shows some of the lavender plants have been harvested from this field.
Lavender is the common name for around 30 flowering plant species in genus Lavandula of the mint family. The word lavender is thought to come from the Latin lavare which means to wash. Lavender was used as a bath ingredient in Roman times where they used it for its scent and as a disinfectant.
If you look closely there are a few bees among the lavender plants. The lavender flowers produce abundant nectar and are a favorite of bees which make a high-quality honey. The honey is one of the products the farm sells.
This overview shows some of the fields and other areas of Lavender Farm.
A little further up the hill shows more of the surrounding countryside. The building with the metal smokestack is the Distillery.
Some of the other things Lavender Farm sells are products made from lavender essential oil. The oil is obtained by distillation of the flowers. The products include perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, lotions, therapeutic and sanitizers. This is the farm’s distilling equipment.
On the wall was this diagram which shows the distillation process. The lavender is put into the retort. Steam rises through the plant material causing the essential oil to come out from the flowers and leaves. The oil vapor and steam travel into the condenser where they they cool back into liquid which goes into the separator. Because oil and water don’t mix the lavender essential oil floats on top where it is collected.
At another building was a smaller distiller which is used with smaller amounts of lavender.
Lavender is often used as a culinary herb. It tends to add a sweet floral flavor to beverages, desserts, savory dishes and meats. Dried lavender mixed with lemon juice makes a very nice rub for fish or pork. It can also be substituted in most recipes that call for rosemary.
Dried lavender can be used for crafting projects. Some of these things include bouquets, flower arrangements, scented candles, sachets, air fresheners, and wands for kids to play with.
There are over 450 different varieties of lavender of which Lavender Farm has more than a dozen varieties. Some of these are planted on this hill. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most widely grown type of lavender in North America. It isn’t from England though as it is native to Mediterranean. It got the name because it grows best in England’s climate. It is very aromatic, makes beautiful bouquets, used to make essential oil, and can be used to cook with. French lavender (Lavandula dentata) has a longer bloom season than most lavenders and is used in crafting. Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) loves hot weather and is grown by those who garden in warm, humid climates. It has very distinctive flowers which are not fragrant but the foliage is very aromatic. These are general types of lavender each of which has many varieties that differ somewhat with the qualities and uses mentioned.
The Grosso variety of Lavandula x intermedia is one of the highest oil producers. It is the variety seen in the lavender fields. Fresh bouquets, dried buds, and crafting are some other things it is used for.
The bougainvillea was also in bloom when I visited the farm and I previously did the Butterfly and the Bougainvillea post on it.
I enjoyed my visit to the Keys Creek Lavender Farm and learned a lot about lavender and its uses. However, the farm was sold in the Summer of 2021 and is not currently open to the public. Some of their products are available online, see the more information for the link to their website and store.
More Information:
Keys Creek Lavender Farm website and store
Lavender Growers Association information on lavender varieties and uses
