My tired nose is on a brief hiatus from perfume-sniffing. Right now, I’m devoting my appreciation of scent to what’s blooming in the garden: mock-orange/Philadelphus (one of those glorious floral aromas that no perfume can duplicate), honey locust trees, roses, wallflowers, gardenia, jasmine, clove-y “pinks,” peonies…and lavender.
West of Seattle, a large area of land near the town of Sequim, Washington, is devoted to lavender production, and I’m heading there next weekend to breathe in lavender's pungent, herbal aromas. Lavender…in soggy western Washington, you ask? Sequim is located in what residents of Seattle fondly, yearningly call “the rain shadow” of the Olympic Mountains in the Sequim-DungenessValley. Rainfall is usually less than 20 inches a year in the sunny rain shadow, so lavender thrives. As Seattle is the “Paris of the Northwest,” so Sequim is the Provence of the U.S. (Relax! You may laugh!)
I lived in Seattle well over a decade before venturing to the Sequim Lavender Festival. When I read or heard the words “lavender festival,” images of dotty grandmothers (think Northwest versions of Mrs. Slocombe from Are You Being Served?) with big hats and big hair came to mind, older ladies who were more interested in buying lavender sachets, wreathes, and lavender water by the gallon than enjoying the open fields and landscape of Sequim. (Yes, snobbish of me, but I DO enjoy a truly dotty grandma when I meet one.) After going to Sequim in person last year, I realized the festival is full of people from around the U.S. and abroad: every age, sex, sexual persuasion, ethnicity and political affiliation was represented. There was even a tough-looking motorcycle “gang” in attendance, adorned with bushy moustaches and tattoos galore (none of a lavender sprig, as far as I could tell). I was just as likely to meet Indian women in gorgeous saris in the lavender fields as Seattle earth-mothers in North Face® jackets and Birkenstocks, or homespun grannies in flowered shifts and white tennis shoes.
My favorite moment at the festival last year was finding myself, almost alone, in a lavender field, as a man, sitting on a stool beside a clump of bright-red opium poppies, played his fiddle. The tune was Dvorak-esque — quiet, meandering, folksy, emotional. To hear beautiful music from a single instrument in a field full of flowers was a magical experience.
At 2010′s festival, in addition to smelling many varieties of lavender as I walked through the gorgeous fields, there was lots to eat, drink and buy (every type of lavender product imaginable). At the street fair, lavender-accented food and drink was for sale: grilled chicken and lamb with lavender leaves; lavender flavored teas, cocktails, lemonade, spices, honey, jams, jellies, syrups, sauces (lavender-chocolate sauce is delicious, as is lavender BBQ sauce); lavender salad dressing; lavender-honey ice cream; lavender sorbet; lavender brownies; and lavender-vanilla cheesecake. (Most lavender farms sell lavender plants, too.)
What did I buy? I became a fan of Purple Haze Lavender soaps (my favorite scents are plain lavender; lavender-patchouli-rosemary; lavender-tangerine; and lavender-lemon). There’s also a useful soap for travelers: the shampoo bar made with lavender and rosemary essential oils. (And I guess I should admit I bought a couple mini-lavender wreathes that looked rather “French Country” when I attached them to the tops of two late-19th century family portraits on the walls of my living room.)
There were lots of interesting animals on the farms — I spotted llamas and, at Sunshine Herb & Lavender Farm, miniature Southdown sheep (used as “weeders”). The Sequim valley is HOT: leave your dogs at home. Dogs are not allowed in the lavender fields and they can’t be left in the car unattended (you will, rightly, be ticketed and your dog rescued — even if it means breaking car windows — if you do so). Since the dog will stay at home, buy him or her something nice, like The Lavender Connection’s lavender-infused pet bed or pet blanket, or one of the many pet toiletries at Moosedreams Lavender Farms (where a portion of the profits from pet products are donated to animal welfare and rescue organizations). I’m going to check out Moosedreams’ calming mist for dogs, with notes of vetiver, lavender and sweet orange (sounds wonderful...even for humans).
The Sequim Lavender Festival is the largest lavender event in North America; it’s held on July 15, 16 and 17, 2011. This year’s featured lavender farms are: Blackberry Forest; Martha Lane Lavender; Oliver’s Lavender Farm; Nelson’s Duck Pond & Lavender Farm; Lost Mountain Lavender; Peninsula Nurseries and The Lavender Connection. If you prefer a quieter experience and won’t miss the festival’s food, music, and street fair, you can visit Sequim after the festival ends. Sequim lavender fields continue to bloom into September, and most of the lavender farms’ shops are open year-round.
Note: images of lavender by the author (from the 2010 Sequim Lavender Festival); image of Mrs. Slocombe (actress Mollie Sugden) via Wikimedia Commons.
Kevin, thank you for reminding me about this one! Will go there too, hoping for relaxing and good smelling experience. It is not far from I Seattle..
Tonight I am going to San Francisco for a few days. Any interesting perfume shops there??
behemot: you’re welcome. Maybe someone from SF will have a favorite shop they can mention…I just like going to the Diptyque Boutique there…otherwise there are just big department stores…..
Let me start you off with a few choices. Jacqueline Perfumery at 103 Geary Street; Barney’s at 77 O’Farrell St; Neiman Marcus at 150 Stockton St; Saks at 380 Post St; the Diptyque Boutique at 171 Maiden Lane and Chanel Boutique at 155 Maiden Lane. They’re all downtown within a few blocks of each other.
Oh, and Gump’s at 135 Post St and Hermes at 125 Grant Ave. Both close to the other shops I listed above.
GG: Thanks…I made note of these myself since I’ll be in SF for the big G Stein shows.
This sounds absolutely fabulous, Kevin! I’d love to go. Recently I was gifted with a bag of organic lavender sugar from Little Sky Lavender Farm. It smells like heaven when I open it up. I’ve been using it in my tea.
I’m going to be busily clicking on these links. The soaps also sound marvelous.
Rappleyea: lavender sugar or lavender-vanilla bean sugar is good!
How beautiful!
I have a cluster of munstead lavenders growling along the front walk that have just passed their first wave of blooms. Last weekend when I was weeding around them, each time the wind blew it wafted the scents to me and surrounded me. Heaven!
Operafan: it’s always nice to smell lavender in the HOT sun, isn’t it?
I would love to visit this festival. I’ve been in the area immediately after the festival, on one of my favorite vacations, hitting not only the Sequim Lavender fields, but also Olympic National Park, with its mountains, hot springs, Crescent Lake, the rainforest, and the coastline. It’s a truly gorgeous area. My husband and I have still have dreams of retiring to a lavender farm in Sequim. In the meantime, we’ve lined the walkway to our house with lavender. Not quite the same as being in Sequim, but for now it will have to do!
Jirish: Crescent Lake is gorgeous…as are the Pacific beaches. I need a trip to the coast.
The Oregon Lavender Festival is this weekend. We’re not as renowned as Sequim, but it’s quite lovely with lots of nice crafts, food, and drink, and of course the opportunity to stroll through some gorgeous fields. Highly recommended! (And the weather has just gotten nice.)
Jalee: here too…the last two days have finally topped 80 degrees F.
Texas has lavender fields and fesitavlas too! And they all sound heavenly – wish I could get away. A lavender dog bed sounds perfect for my basset, Nessa, who has been smelling rather…basset-y…lately.
Maggie: with Bassets you just learn to LOVE their smell. HA! (Same with beagles….)
“Sequim is the Provence of the U.S. ”
Kevin, I have to say, I’ve never thought of Sequim that way.
I’m not a fan of lavender, but I love lilac, so when I lived in Washington I’d get my outdoor-fragrance-fix at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland. Though there were plenty of dotty grandmothers, I can’t say I remember seeing any bikers there.
Love those photos of the lavender fields. Gorgeous!
Aparatchick: my tongue was inserted into my cheek for that ‘Provence’ comment! I went to that lilac festival the first year I lived in Seattle…I’m afraid there had been a FLOOD and the trees were not looking so nice…
I would meet you there Kevin-if you haven’t already gone…my girls love the ferry ride over there…
I love lavender and those small town events-being in Snohomish I am used to them and they are always a quaint ,enjoyable way to spend a afternoon.
Today is beautiful isn’t it?
I hope it’s this lovely around the time the festival starts..<3
Tamara: this year I’m waiting for a few weeks after the festival to visit…the shops I like will still be open, though I may miss out on the delicious lavender honey ice cream.
What a beautiful and unusual post, Kevin – thank you!
I’m with you in thinking Moosedreams calming mist would work nicely on humans, too – very tempted to order up a bottle for the office!
Noz: and it supposedly repels ticks/fleas, etc. Last night I was attacked during sleep by the only mosquito in Seattle I think….a zillion bites.
Hey, if you need more mosquitoes, I’ll be happy to send you some from the Gulf Coast! I’ll even throw in some fire ants and cockroaches too, if you like. We have an abundance of six-legged wildlife here! No lavender, though. I’ve tried several varieties, in different locations around the yard, and all of them have died. Either we get too much rain and they drown, or we get no rain and they fry in the heat.
50 Roses: how about I just send you my ONE mosquito? You’ll never notice her there!
Well, if it’s really just one, why not just swat her and solve the problem?
reading this made me giddy, mostly because i’m in the middle of reading The Unlikely Lavender Queen by Jeannie Ralston. This festival sounds truly heavenly!
Mariclare: hmmmm…surely there’s a Lavender Queen or Princess crowned at Sequim too. HA!
I think I just talked my brother and sister-in-law into slightly altering their itenierary so they can attend. They’re flying into Vancouver BC on Saturday.
) Puyallup was the hardest one for me to pronounce. For some reason that word is like a tongue-twister for me.
Fyi, for anyone not from around the PNW, Sequim is pronounced as one syllable “squim”. Luckily, when I moved out there I had natives to teach me all the pronunications (however they all asked me to pronounce it how I *thought* it would sound first so they could get a good laugh at my expense.
*itinerary. Should have just said schedule. :rolleyes:
Lamaroc: when I first moved here I always pronounced it “suh-KIM”..ha! No one knew what I was talking about so didn’t correct me…there are many tongue-twisters here.
LOL! I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.
“however they all asked me to pronounce it how I *thought* it would sound first so they could get a good laugh at my expense.” I confess to having done that to friends. **Is ashamed** For Puyallup, just say Pew-Wallop. There are those who say Pew-al-up, but hey, tomato, tomahto.
BTW, Puyallup will always smell like the Fair to me: hay, manure, dirt, onion burgers, raspberry scones.
Will store this in my memory, if I am ever in USA over the period, I would love to be at that fair! LOVE lavender!
Has anyone been the the Lavender Daze Festival in Hood River, OR? It’s happening at the same time as the Sequim Festival. I’m traveling from Chicago to my first ever lavender fest, I hope it’s as good as the Sequim Fest sounds. I would love to try the Sequim Fest one year just from reading this informative NST post. Thank you for writing these great articles.
DFS: you’re welcome…and I bet you’ll have fun at the Hood River festival.
Very good article, perfectly timed-lavender was blooming on friends’ doorstep last evening. I have never been much for lavender as food. My brain says “soap!” Last fall, my wife served a lavender-encrusted cheese as appetizer on the same day I wore a bit of Caron Pour un Homme and it really gave me a moment. Edible or not? The cheese was delicious. But lavender has such extensive non-food connotations, unlike thyme or rosemary.
“Edible or not?” I laughed as I read your question, because it would surely be mine too. No matter – I love lavender for its scent and would rather wear it than eat it.
My sister swears homemade lavender ice cream is wonderful.
I can picture that. I think the cream and the cold temperature would both be agreeable to the lavender, so be sure and notify me if a batch comes up!
Mals: IT IS!
Donnie…you know the lavender leaves, as opposed to flowers, always remind me of rosemary a bit…but I really love rose and violet foods/drinks too so maybe I’m not a good judge for you.
The Pacific Northwest is a true American treasure trove of organic growers and distillers, lavender being the top crop. A dear friend went to the festival a few years ago and gifted me some Purple Haze soap and oil. I believe the prominent variety grown in the NW is stoechas or spike, and they’re great for clearing the sinuses. Did you find any growing true (vera aka angustifolia), the one most associated with calming, linen drawers and the most traditional lavender scent?
Oh, and your field and fiddle experience sounds wonderful!
Hi, Anya: Yes, I saw Lavandula angustifolia growing in Sequim…on which of the zillion farms I cannot remember. Some of the clumps were HUGE. I need to hire a fiddler to follow me around MY garden.