Smell the Lavender

At harvest time, this Hill Country spot welcomes visitors to come and pick the flowers.

When you get to Blanco, Texas, roll down the windows, and take a deep breath. Perfume scents the air around the Hill Country town less than an hour southwest of Austin.

Celebrate the Harvest

Known as the Lavender Capital of Texas, Blanco welcomes harvest time with a festival June 10-11. Some of the nine lavender farms in the area open to visitors around mid-May.

The crop got its start after photographer Robb Kendrick visited France on a magazine assignment to shoot the lavender harvest in Provence. Robb noticed that the climate and soil were similar to the Hill Country. He and his wife planted the same type of lavender found in Provence and opened Hill Country Lavender.

Sweet Smell of Success

Other growers followed their lead. Programs at the festival show visitors how to grow lavender, give tips on using it in cooking, and demonstrate lavender oil distillation. A market on the town square showcases products made with the plant.

Most people love the fragrance, but growers such as Jack Williams of Hummingbird Farms are thankful that one group is turning up its nose. "The deer won't eat it," Jack says. -LES THOMAS

For more information: Contact the Blanco Chamber of Commerce, (830) 833-5101 or www.blancolavenderfestival.com; Hummingbird Farms, (830) 868-7862 or www. hummingbirdlavender.com; or Hill Country Lavender, (830) 833-2294 or www.hillcountry lavender.com.

FOR MORE INFO

Texas Hill Country: the next NaPa?

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Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2006
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