The Lavender Garden

 

Lost Hills is a town about 50 miles northwest of Bakersfield California. This small town has a lot going on. The soil is rich in oil and thousands of oil wells are spread across the vast expanse. Parts where there is no oil is used for farming of lucrative crops such as almonds and pistachios. 

Today we took a drive up there to see a lavender farm. Several acres of land are dedicated to this delicate herb that has many uses.  The greens as well as flowers of some varieties are used in cooking, both sweet and savory. Pastas, salads, desserts make use of this to enhance flavor. They also make drinks like lemonades flavored with lavender. Another use is for making essential oils which in turn are used for room fragrances, soaps, bubble baths, lotions, creams etc. Dried flowers are used in sachets and kept in drawers to freshen linen. Dried flower bouquets also help freshen rooms and keep insects at bay. Bees collect honey and the lavender flavored honey is much sought after. The color Lavender gets its name from the color of the flowers if this plant.

It was a lovely day in the valley amidst the lavender bushes. The blossoms were at peak and bees were active all over the place. Pretty little white butterflies were having their own ball dance notwithstanding the bees. A small gift shop was selling a variety of products. The Temblor range of mountains made for a lovely backdrop for the otherwise open landscape. The moon was seen gazing down from above the mountains. Nearby the California Aqueduct flowed by peacefully. A neighboring almond processing factory was quiet for the weekend. 

It was a relaxed time spent amidst the scented flowers. We were back by lunch time. Just two of us celebrating Father’s Day at my husband’s favorite restaurant. Then back to chores at home, preparing for the week ahead.

On a friend’s suggestion picked this cotton Bhujodi for the visit. If the colorful weave wasn’t gorgeous by itself , it is adorned by exquisite painstakingly-hand embroidered soofi embroidery by Kutch artisans.