Tall Grasses and Goat Trainers

Tall Grasses and Goat Trainers by Melissa McLaughlin I have been spending the early mornings and evenings pulling weeds in the lavender while the boys play various games throughout the large lavender plants. I work my way up the rows, clearing out the tall grasses within the plants so that, when we harvest, the bouquets will be… Read more »

Lavender and the Ice Cube: Preparation for Life (and Birth)

Lavender and the Ice Cube: Preparation for Life (and Birth) by Melissa McLaughlin From the time I was pregnant with our first child, lavender has been a part of our “toolkit” for surviving and thriving through birth and parenthood. Over time I will share some of the ways we have used lavender as parents. Our… Read more »

Spring and Lavender

Spring and Lavender Our son Casey, daughter-in-law Melissa, and grandsons Wesley and Sabien, join us on the ranch with the lavender and aromatic cultivation and marketing. They will be sharing their experiences over these next months as they weed, harvest, and distill to get the lavender to you! By Melissa McLaughlin After a week of heavy rain which soaked… Read more »

Lavender Engenders Trust

Lavender Engenders Trust In a Leiden University study out of the Netherlands, lavender aroma was shown to engender a state of trust. The research reported  in Frontiers in Psychology, “A question of Scent: Lavender Aroma Promotes Interpersonal Trust,” found that individuals under the calming influence of lavender were more trusting in interpersonal relationships than individuals presented with  scents which are more stimulating,… Read more »

Lavender, WW I, and My Grandmother

Lavender, WW I, and My Grandmother  Cristin McDonnell has studied Ayurvedic medicine and brings her interest in healing to our work here at Harms Vineyards and Lavender Fields. This is one of a series of her blogs on healing. Moving to California has certainly opened new doors in terms of thinking about my family. It… Read more »

Deciding Which: a Hydrosol or an Essential Oil?

Deciding Which: a Hydrosol or an Essential Oil? Cristin McDonnell has studied Ayurvedic medicine and brings her interest in healing to our work here at Harms Vineyards and Lavender Fields. This is one of a series of her blogs on healing. I was in the process of writing this blog when my mom called. I… Read more »

Gemini: Working with the Moon

Gemini: Working with the Moon It’s a “flower” day, the moon in Gemini, an air sign, and ideal for working with aromatics. This morning we are pruning the lavender  back into the little mounds in which it will stay for the next ten months. It is important to finish this pruning now so the plants… Read more »

Cristin McDonnell: A New Face on Our Ranch

Cristin McDonnell: A New Face on Our Ranch We are happy to introduce Cristin McDonnell, who will be helping us with marketing our lavender and aromatic products over the next few months. She is a native of Virginia and has been drawn to the West Coast to study sustainable practices in farming and business. She is particularly sensitive… Read more »

Valerian and Frost

Burrrrrr!!!!! (Okay,  I know, some of you are much colder! But we Mediterranean climate people aren’t used to frost!)     When you need gloves to walk the goats in the morning, and when the grass sparkles at sunrise like stars, you seriously consider spraying Valerian on tender young plants, if you didn’t the evening… Read more »

The Blessed Greenness!

  Morning light through remaining frost cloth. The Blessed Greenness! The great wind played havoc with our new lavender plants’ frost cloth. The cloth gives six degrees of frost protection, enough to protect the tender plants while transmitting 75% of the light. The rain goes right through, so we leave it on all winter, if… Read more »