This beautiful and cherished herb is at the root of several flourishing businesses in our region

I’m willing to bet a bouquet of fresh lavender that many of us were introduced to this fragrant herb via Yardley’s Old English Lavender, as it was formerly called. Maybe it was the beautiful purple flowers on the packaging and bottles (or the china pomander I still have on my dresser to this day). Maybe it was the crisp, clean scent. Maybe it was the old song, “Lavender Blue, Lavender Green.”

Whatever it was, those of us who love genuine lavender, love it immensely. Some love it so much that they run thriving lavender-based businesses right here in Atlantic Canada.

 

Fragrant fun in Seafoam

Imagine standing in a field of lavender in full bloom, the air laden with fragrance and with the song of happy bumble- and honeybees. You can do this when you visit Seafoam Lavender, not far from River John, NS. Here, Dave and Suzy Belt, their daughter Kiva-Marie and son Collin, along with 26 seasonal staff members, create their lavender magic, growing some 4,000 plants in their main fields and creating a host of delightful products. The company debuted in February 2010 following an amazingly fortuitous sweepstakes win just after they purchased their long-fallow farm the previous year.

The Belt family business now offers more than 100 handmade lavender items, which are sold throughout North America via their online store, from the farm shop, and at dozens of boutiques throughout Canada. Additionally, in normal years (pre-COVID-19), the gardens attract some 25,000 visitors annually. Dave says, “Our aim is to provide an oasis from the everyday noise and troubles of life; to provide a tranquil, aromatic experience so guests leave feeling relaxed and refreshed.”

Given the renewed emphasis on personal hygiene in these virus-laden days, Dave says not surprisingly, the top sellers are hand sanitizer and both liquid and bar soaps. Beyond that, it’s a tight race between linen sprays and lavender teas.

Growing lavender can be a tricky process in Atlantic Canada, but Seafoam Lavender’s production species, Lavendula angustifolia ‘Krajova’, also known as Czech lavender, is well suited to the climate here. Dave Belt says they also grow about two dozen annual (planted yearly in our climate) varieties in the Educational Garden, where visitors can see many colours, shapes and sizes of this fabulous plant—including the very rare yellow lavender.

 

Learning lavender the hard way

Welsh native Carly Boileau met her husband Paul when both of them were working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean 26 years ago. She says, “I followed him to Bouctouche where he was born, and we’ve now been married 25 years.”

Carly loves gardening and was looking for a way to use their gorgeous property. Some lavender she had planted a few years previously had flourished with benign neglect and this prompted her to explore the possibility of commercial growing Research showed her several large lavender farms elsewhere in Canada, so she and Paul discussed it, and, she says, “I talked him into it…here we are, 6 years and 4 acres later.” They do it all themselves, and admit to having learned the hard way through many mistakes; they have hand planted and harvested and weeded every single one of their 13,000 plants on the property they call a little bit of Provence: Lavender at Ocean Breeze Farm.

As with other growers, Carly and Paul raise primarily L. angustifolia. 2020 was their first year making lavender essential oil—they purchased a still for this purpose in 2019 and managed to get a nice yield, which Carly uses in creating her lotions and potions.

Visitors and customers love the offerings from Lavender at Ocean Breeze Farm; Carly’s top selling items are Sweet Lavender Body Butter, Sweet Dreams Pillow Spray, and Lavender soap. She also sells culinary and decorative lavender bunches—fresh in season, and dried the rest of the year. A local beekeeper put his honeybees into their lavender field and the resulting honey was much sought after.

Carly and Paul Boileau of Lavender at Ocean Breeze Farm, Bouctouche, NB;

The lady of invention

Trish Tymstra calls herself “the lavender lady with a dream.” From her family farmhouse in Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island, she had a desire for naturally-based beauty products, so she started creating some for herself. Sharing them with others led to selling at the farmers market in Charlottetown, and then opening the farm and gift shop (under the name Island Lavender Distillery) throughout the summer months.

Trish’s husband Paul, a pilot by profession, dug their first planting hole in 2014, not long after they relocated to Atlantic Canada from Sarnia, ON, where they also grew lavender. The red sandy soil of their farm offers the right growing requirements, including good drainage, for the 5,000 lavender plants they now nurture, including the varieties ‘Hidcote’, ‘Munstead’ and ‘Phenomenal’.

Trish’s background in psychology, pharmaceuticals and aesthetics led her to develop a full line of lavender-based items for mind and body wellness. She’s joined in the business by daughters Nikki, a pharmacy technician and artist who paints beautiful greeting cards, and Lauren, who is experienced and educated in business. Trish says proudly, “Both help in growing our family dream.”

Every cream, spray, soap and lotion the family create features all-natural ingredients, including lavender essential oil distilled right on their ten-acre farm. Their current bestsellers include lavender mist pillow spray, essential oil luxury soaps, shea body butter laced with lavender essential oil for skin, and hand poured soy candles for relaxation. Trish is also excited to say they hope to expand their lavender line to include culinary lavender jams and jellies, and with this in mind, they are also working on a lavender recipe cookbook. “Nothing could be sweeter!”

 

Not just for skin care

While many people love lavender in lotions, they may not be aware of its use as a herb in foodstuffs including teas, seasonings, chocolate, and other delights. Dave Belt says, “Lavender, like any herb or spice, requires knowledge of how to use it. Too little doesn’t influence flavour, whereas too much can be overpowering.”

Interested in trying your hand at culinary lavender? Dave suggests making a batch of oven-roasted potatoes using either their Lavender Sea Salt or Herbes de Province mixture) accompanied by a glass of their delicious cranberry-lavender tea. And for dessert? Mrs. MacGregor’s Lavender and Lemon shortbread, made by fellow Pictou County business operator Helen Buchan, and which they just happen to usually have in the shop. They also carry lavender honey, jellies, and (my personal favourite) lavender oatcakes.

You can purchase culinary lavender, which is carefully cleaned flower buds—perfect for experimenting with in the kitchen. Lavender can be ground in a blender or with mortar and pestle, then added to gravies, whipped cream, cookie and cake recipes, ice cream…be creative!

The main thing to remember if you’re growing your own lavender for culinary purposes, is to use a variety of L. angustifolia like they do at the farms—commonly available varieties include ‘Munstead,’ ‘Hidcote,’ and ‘Lady.’ These tend to be sweeter in scent and flavour. Avoid using the showy annual types that are often sold in department stores—they’re beautiful but have a camphor-like scent and flavour that isn’t especially pleasant.

 
Some of the products Trish Tymstra produces.

Lavender love in the time of COVID-19

As we know, 2020 was a challenging time for businesses of all sorts, and those involved in lavender were not without their issues. However, everyone agreed that the buy-local movement worked extra well, with people taking time to support local businesses. Trish Tymstra says, “Locals, bubblers (within the Atlantic bubble) and distant Canadians have been extremely supportive (the latter through the online shop) and we are extremely thankful to them all!”

Dave Belt echoes her sentiments. His biggest challenge came from unexpected disruptions to his manufacturing supplies, especially packaging. “Not only were bottles suddenly unavailable, but many raw ingredients also experienced delays.” This meant scrambling to find alternative suppliers for their manufacturing line. These issues aside, he says, “We are extremely grateful for the overwhelming support of Atlantic Canadians during this pandemic time. Thousands of visitors came in 2020, and our online sales soared 580 per cent over 2019 sales—much of that coming from online regional shoppers.” In the spring the Belts are building a greenhouse so they can offer lavender plants for sale from May to August.

Carly Boileau says 2020 was the first year to be open to the public, “kind of a ‘soft opening’ and we had an incredible turnout.” The only promotion they did was through her Facebook Page but after the first day, the turnout kept growing as the first visitors shared their pictures—so many visitors to the farm and to the market that she ran out of inventory to sell!

With an eye to a future life after COVID-19, she and Paul are renovating their 130-year-old barn this winter and will have it available in the future as an event and wedding space. A second house on the farm is available to rent for vacationers—it’s called, not surprisingly, Lavender Manor and overlooks one of the big plantings of the herb.

Have we whet your senses for lavender? Check out other local businesses featuring lavender in some of their creations, including Homestead Lavender, (featured in Saltscapes Aug/Sept 2018) New Scotland Candle Company in Kentville, Meander River Farm in Newport, Nancy’s Seaweed Soap in Chester, and the delightful herbal preserves and ice creams at Tangled Garden in Grand-Pré.