Lovely Lavender Fields To Check Out The 2024 Bloom

07.05.2024 - 16:38 / forbes.com

Rows of purple, fragrant flowers are a treat to see and smell. But when lavender is in full bloom, destinations around the world celebrate their flowers with everything from lavender-flavored ice cream to yoga sessions amid the fields.

From Provence to Albuquerque, here’s where you can check out the prettiest lavender-filled fields during this season’s bloom.

In the Northern Hemisphere, lavender blooms in the summer months, typically from mid-May until August in the United States.

For instance, the peak bloom at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Farm, a 25-acre lavender farm in Albuquerque, is expected to be late June or early July. Farmers then harvest the lavender when flowers are about half to three-quarters of the way open, which is typically mid-July, depending upon growth. Lavender paints Provence and the south of France purple in the summer, with July typically the best month to visit.

In Australia, lavender blooms year-round in Kooroomba, which, about an hour from Brisbane, Queensland, doesn’t experience a true winter, making it ideal for these sun-loving flowers.

While lavender is synonymous with Provence, there’s an abundance of flower fields in the U.S. where you can check out this season’s lavender blooms.

Here’s a list of popular places to see and experience the lavender blooms in the U.S.:

Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Farm harvests its lavender for everything from gin to lotions and incorporates the flower into treatments at its spa. This summer, the farm will host an outdoor music series from May through September every Wednesday evening with creative cocktails from the Rio Grande Valley Rescue Truck.

In Thurston County, the Thurston Bountiful Byway is a 60-mile loop in the Pacific Northwest that connects farms and locally owned shops, and lavender fields are in peak bloom in July and August, beckoning visitors to stroll through the fields. Some highlights include the Evergreen Valley Lavender Farm, where 13 varieties of lavender blooms, and the Schirm Loop Homestead Lavender Farm where you can see views of Mt. Rainier in the backdrop. While in the area, get a coconut-lavender lemonade at Shiplap Shop and peruse the Olympia Farmers Market.

Over on the Long Beach Peninsula, the Willapa Valley Lavender Farm hosts a free music festival among the fields. For those who want to grow their own lavender, the farm also leads tours, teaching newbies how to propagate, grow, plant, and harvest lavender, as well as how to dry and distill oils.

See a field of lavender at a fairytale-like castle in Kentucky. The 5th Annual Lavender Festival at the Kentucky Castle is June 20-22.

At Peace Valley Lavender Farm just outside of Philadelphia, visitors can pick their own bunch of lavender for $8 to $12. Then,