A Pleasant Visit to Pleasant Valley Lavender Farm
Full bloom lavender season is still approaching in July, but the lavender farms are open for the season! I wanted to visit a farm relatively close drive to New York City to avoid spending too many hours in snarled traffic—and found Pleasant Valley Lavender Farm in Morganville, New Jersey. It was a little over an hour drive midday on a Saturday, but we made it nonetheless!
The Farm
The farm consists of approximately four or five smaller lavender fields surrounding the shop and house. Some of the English lavender varieties were in early bloom already, but it was clear that the plants were gearing up for a large bloom. One of the people minding the shop said that he expected the fields to bloom in the next two weeks—mark your calendars for June 22!!
As you arrive, you pass two of the fields, the purple porta potty, and the bee hive, and then you will find parking right outside the shop. If you step through the shop and go around to the back of the building, you will find more lavender fields and some animal friends! Goats are housed in a fenced off area and will come right up to the fence to say “hello” (watch your fingers). The chickens are next door neighbors to the goats, but they seemed to have at least some free roaming privileges. It was slightly difficult to keep my toddler from chasing the chickens into the bushes! The chickens generally ignored us though.
However, I think my toddler’s favorite part was walking through the lavender fields. Imagine: he is roughly the same height as many of the larger lavender plants. Now if you imagine yourself in his shoes, the lavender becomes an immersive experience. The blooms envelope your sight and smell. The stems impeding the pathways become a maze. Suffice to say, he loved it!
(Obviously, we were right with him and made sure he didn’t injure the plants at all.)
The Shop
Overflowing onto the patio area, the shop houses lavender plants, culinary items, household items, and much more. I found the owner and her assistant to both be knowledgeable about the lavender plants, offering advice with planting in the ground or in a pot (city problems here). We selected an English lavender plant, destined for a pot on a patio deck. So far, the plant is thriving…and blooming!
Of course, the shop becomes dangerous to a lavender lover like myself, but it was delightful to look around while hubby kept the toddler busy. We eventually decided on a few items: the lavender popcorn, the lavender honey popcorn, a lavender shampoo bar, lavender deodorant, and three sets of lavender designed paper napkins.
I haven’t tried everything from our little shopping haul, but I can say the lavender popcorn from Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn is definitely praiseworthy! I have ordered more directly from the company. I’ll update when I’ve tried the other items!
As we left, happily munching our new favorite popcorn, I reflected on a nice day spent with family and the coming promise of a full bloom lavender season. Many of us are programmed through our school days to have a summer holiday, but it’s not always feasible as an adult. What better way to get out and enjoy the nice weather than to visit a lavender field? Enjoy the relaxing scent and beautiful shades of purple while soaking up some sunshine and fresh air!
Pleasant Valley Lavender Farm is one of those easy-to-reach farms if you are driving from the NYC area. However, definitely check out my list of lavender farms in the USA to find one near you!
