The plants are blooming and the farms are open for Sequim Lavender Weekend and beyond.
Considered the busiest travel time for Sequim, farmers continue an effort to bring back some normalcy following last year’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Many host their own festivals, vendors, music, food and more on July 16-18.
Two farms — Jardin du Soleil Lavender, 3832 Sequim-Dungeness Way, and Purple Haze Lavender Farm, 180 Bell Bottom Lane — offer separate ticketed events all three days.
Washington Lavender, 965 Finn Hall Road, continues its free 10-day festival through Sunday, too.
Owners and operators of Victor’s Lavender Farm, 3743 Old Olympic Highway, shift free workshops, music, food and more to its sister farm Victor’s Rain Shadow Lavender Farm, 1410 Kitchen-Dick Road. Victor’s original farm still offers lavender U-pick and products for sale.
This weekend marks the second year organizers of the Sequim Lavender Festival canceled their Street Fair at Carrie Blake Community Park.
Mary Jendrucko, spokesperson for the Sequim Lavender Growers Association that oversees the festival, said their partner farms will open and their 2020 featured artist Julie Peterson will set up at Kitty B’s Lavender Farm, 82 Cameron Acres Lane, with posters and artwork available.
The festival’s official T-shirts will also go on sale at Nelson’s Duckpond & Lavender Farm, 73 Humble Hill Road, over the weekend too.
For more about Sequim lavender farms, visit sequimlavenderweekend.com.
Sequim Lavender Festival’s official artist Julie Peterson shows her artwork at Kitty B’s Lavender Farm July 16-18. She was scheduled to show her work at the 2020 Street Fair and then the 2021 Street Fair until both we canceled due to the pandemic. Submitted art
Hard hit
Jendrucko said the association has taken sizable hits without holding the Street Fair last year and this year, and paying in advance for products that couldn’t be sold while paying for operation costs.
“We lost a huge amount to just keep afloat,” she said,
“It has been hard because we could not do the advertising and new driving guides to help support our farms like we would have wanted.
A grant through the City of Sequim helped the association print older lavender farms driving guides with new dates on the ferries and other locations, Jendrucko said. They’ve also been able to sell official T-shirts at QFC.
“We as an association do not make much on the Street Fair when all is said and done,” she said, “but having that park event brings in so many visitors to Sequim and all the surrounding farms that we hope by being able to sell our T-shirts at Nelson’s Duckpond during the weekend we will be getting seed money for the 2022 Sequim Lavender Festival in the park.”
For more about the festival, visit lavenderfestival.com.
Krishnaveni Cheruvu, owner of Martha Lane Lavender Farm, stands in a field of lavender at her farm. Her farm is open through the summer each day 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Photo courtesy of Sally Franz
Decisions
Krishnaveni Cheruvu, owner of Martha Lane Lavender Farm at 371 Martha Lane, said 2020 was a hard year for her and the farm.
She missed the 2020 lavender season because she visited India and due to the pandemic wasn’t able to come back home to Sequim until September.
In November 2020, the farm was burglarized taking about $12,000 in farm equipment, essential lavender oil and more.
With the burglar not identified and the objects not recovered, Cheruvu had to pay to replace everything cutting into profits she had from 2019.
She put the farm on the real estate market briefly, but felt led to make it work for her.
“I really want to turn this into a good business,” she said.
“If I’m not doing well, I can’t employ people and support local. The decision is make or break. I really want to open, and conduct classes, but to do that I need to build up income.”
Cheruvu said she shifted from working in Information Technology (IT) to owning a farm because she wants to be here.
“Every farm has had it difficult,” she said. “Buying one or two things really helps.”
Depending on how the rest of the summer goes, Cheruvu said she’s leaning strongly towards only opening the farm up for Sequim Lavender Weekend and the weekend of the Tour de Lavender while continuing efforts to market her business and products at lavendulaherbalinc.com and elsewhere.
Joy Neal, who lives near Washington Lavender Farm and the George Washington Inn, enjoys some lavender ice cream with her granddaughters Summer, 6, and Sloane, 3, Smith last week.
Sequim area lavender farms
• B&B Family Farm, 5883 Old Olympic Highway; open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.daily through Sept. 30. Features U-pick lavender; lavender products and plants; free farm tours; leashed pets OK; July 16-18 lemonade, book signing and painters. Contact: 360-504-2585, bbfamilyfarm.com
• Back to Dirt Farm, 258914 US Highway 101; open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Oct. 15 (Fridays-Sundays). Features U-pick lavender, lavender products, workshops, U-cut flowers and tours; Open July 14-15 for Lavender Weekend with Lavender Flower Crowns workshops. Contact: 360-504-6070, backtodirtfarm.com
• Fat Cat Garden & Gifts, 21 Fat Cat Lane; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Features U-pick lavender, lavender products and plants, and picnic area; Lavender Weekend will host food. Contact: 360-681-6832, fatcat-lavender.com
• Fleurish Lavender of Lost Mountain, 1541 Taylor Cutoff Road; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Monday through Sept. 6. Features: U-pick lavender, lavender products, plants. Leashed pets OK. Lavender Weekend hosts vendors, live music and more. Contact: 360-681-2782, fleurishlavender.com
• Graysmarsh Farm, 6187 Woodcock Road; Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday through September. Features: U-pick lavender; lavender products and plants, berries. Contact: 360-683-5563, graysmarsh.com
• Jardin du Soleil Lavender, 3832 Sequim-Dungeness Way; Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in July; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday Aug.1-Sept. 30. Features: U-pick lavender, products and plants, garden maze, picnic area, and more. Leashed pets OK. Lavender Weekend $10 3-day entrance with crafts, demos, music, food and more. Contact: 360-582-1185, jardindusoleil.com
• Kitty B’s Lavender Farm, 82 Cameron Acres Lane; open daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 10-18. Features: U-pick, lavender products and plants. Lavender Weekend with vendors. Contact: 360-772-2062, kittyblavenderfarm.com
• Lavender Connection, 1141 Cays Road; open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Monday through Sept. 6. Features: U-pick lavender, products and plants, oil distillation, and more. Leashed pets OK. Contact 360-681-6055, lavenderconnection.com
• Martha Lane Lavender, 371 Martha Lane; open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Features: U-cut, lavender and herbal products and Indian sweets. Leashed pets OK. Contact: 425-577-0488, https://www.lavendulaherbalinc.com/
• Meli’s Lavender, 62 W. Diane Drive; open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, through Aug. 29. Features: U-pick lavender, plants for sale, leashed pets OK. Contact: 360-461-9958, facebook.com/melislavender
• Nelson’s Duckpond & Lavender Farm, 73 Humble Hill Road; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in summer; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. Features: U-pick lavender, plants and products; picnic area; leashed pets OK. Contact: 360-681-7727, nelsonsduckpond.com
• Purple Haze Lavender Farm, 180 Bell Bottom Lane; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Labor Day. Features: U-pick lavender, plants and products; picnic area; leashed pets OK. Downtown store, 127 W. Washington St., also available. Contact: 360-683-1714, purplehazelavender.com
• Rancho La Morada Lavender & Flower Farm, 1434 Marine Drive; open 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, through August. Features: U-pick lavender, lavender products, plants, trees, and more. Leashed pets OK. Contact: 360-461-7679, randolamorada@gmail.com
• Sunshine Herb & Lavender Farm, 274154 U.S. Highway 101; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily Thursdays-Tuesdays. Features: U-pick, lavender products and plants; Lavender Weekend hosts food. Contact: 360-683-6453, sunshinelavender.com
• Victor’s Lavender Farm, 3743 Old Olympic Highway; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, through Aug. 30. U-pick lavender, products, plants for sale; picnic area; pets on leash OK. Contact: 360-912-3938, victorslavender.com
• Victor’s Rain Shadow Lavender Farm, 1410 Kitchen-Dick Road; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, through Aug. 30. U-pick lavender, products, plants for sale; picnic area; pets on leash OK. Lavender Weekend features live music, food, demos and more. Contact: 360-912-3938, rainshadowlavender.com
• Washington Lavender, 965 Finn Hall Road; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Sept. 6 with Washington Lavender Festival going through July 9-18. Features: U-pick, lavender products and plants; leashed pets OK. Lavender Festival features vendors, food, essential oil and cooking demos, more. Contact: 360-452-4877, walavender.com
For more about Sequim lavender farms, visit sequimlavenderweekend.com.
Weiling Tu of San Francisco cuts lavender with her daughters Josephine, 14, and Kelly Anne, 12, last week at Purple Haze Lavender Farm. Weiling said they were on a road trip to the Olympic National Park and wanted to see a lavender farm. Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash
Five-year-old Maverick Austin of Sequim cuts a lavender bouquet with his mom Heidi last week at Purple Haze Lavender Farm. Heidi said they go to lavender farms every year and they were happy be outside enjoying places again.
Tuan Pham and Haruka Narutaki of Seattle make a bouquet of lavender together at Washington Lavender last week. The couple said lavender is Haruka’s favorite and in the summer they try to be outside and enjoy the outdoors more. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
