Leaving behind Saturday’s housework and chores, the unmown lawn, and weeds beginning to top the flowers, my three daughters and I headed for Oxford, Iowa to see the Calyx Creek Lavender & Lodging Farm.
It was a great escape!
Rows and rows of purple blooming lavender greeted us as we drove into the country lane.
Having only seen lavender fields in pictures before, the real thing is an awesome sight.
Taylor and Stephanie had this dream several years ago of building a lavender farm. Now with their imagination, energy, creativity, and some family help, the dream is coming true
On their website, they say, “We are passionate about flower farming in Iowa and we want to share the lavender joy with everyone!”
Our group gathered in the field to hear suggestions from Stephanie. First, she told us that the calyx in their business name refers to lavender’s flower growth that reaches down to the stem. It is also a word used in the Bible to refer to the growth of life. Then she gave us a pair of scissors and a purple rubber band to bind our cuttings. We spent the next hour surrounded by the fresh scent and the purple serenity of the fields.
We picked two large bunches of lavender to take home to dry and perhaps use in our own creations. Lavender is a magnet for butterflies and bees, too, Honey, infused with lavender, is a specialty sold in their shop.
The shop is filled with items laced with lavender, such as tea, lemonade, hand lotion, face creme, and even fluffy slippers slated for the microwave to bring out the lavender scent. We had lavender slushes and scones to eat on the way home.
This lavender farm is exceptional. It is gardening fun and a special place to visit.
The annual Project GREEN Open Garden Weekend, coming up on July 13 and July 14, features 21 gardens plus the Ashton house at 820 Park Road.
Don and Liz Bolin, 7 Valley View Place NE, Iowa City.
This garden has been featured in Garden Room and An Iowa Garden Blog. Many of the wildflowers come from other countries. It is one of my favorites to tour in the spring, and now in summer the flowers, trees, and bushes overflow in this one-acre garden.
Jane Zukin, 3120 Dubuque St. NE, Iowa City has 2.3 acres known as a “Registered Wildlife Habitat.” Her plantings are all deer-resistant and the garden shows that with management one can have lush plantings among the wildlife. Many new plantings here as she lost twelve mature trees in the 2020 derecho.
Lisa and Mike Haverkamp at 315 Golfview Ave., Iowa City have recreated a 1920s landscape with a cottage garden setting. Look for a pond and a pergola and many perennials and vegetables.
Shirley Lekin's garden on 830 Walnut Street, Iowa City has been a real crowd-pleaser over the years she has had it on the tour. Beautiful setting with some unusual plants like her giant Orienpet lilies.
The Open Gardens Weekend includes many gardens each with their owners' stamp on them.
More on other gardens that weekend in my next column on Saturday, July 13.
Question? Comment? Email me at Walkswithgarden@gmail.com.
Judy Terry is a freelance garden writer who hopes to lead you through many fantastic gardens.
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