Summer has finally arrived in England and it's lavender season! As temperatures eased towards 30°c this weekend, we took advantage of the blue skies and sunshine and headed out to Castle Farm in Kent.
Castle Farm, a family-run farm near Shoreham, hosts its annual lavender season each year from mid-June to late July. The first time I visited Castle Farm, I took the guided tour and learned all about the distillery process and the difference between lavender and lavandin.
On this occasion, we opted to simply explore the lavender fields and lose ourselves in their tranquility.
I certainly needed it! May was a very difficult month for us here in Kent. My 18-month old cat Poppy went missing for 21 days and it was only after a relentless campaign of posters and leafleting that I managed to track her down again. Thank goodness for my local community who kept me updated with sightings of her!
It's strange how mental health works though. I seemed to cope just fine while Poppy was missing, only to fall apart when I got her back. She was very thin after losing a third of her bodyweight but a visit to the vet told us she was miraculously okay otherwise.
Visiting the lavender fields and taking a moment to breathe it all in really helped.
There is nothing quite like connecting with nature to soothe the soul and heal our hearts.
That feeling of breathing in deeply and taking a long, controlled breath out is like nothing else.
And relax...
The scent of the lavender is so heady. It is not overpowering, unless you're a drunken bumblebee in which case it certainly is!
Poppies for my Poppy.
After pottering about in the field and gazing into the distance, we headed back to the Castle Farm shop to buy a lavender gin and tonic. We also bought some lavender products to take home including lavender cookies, lemonade and sleepy time tea.
Having worked up an appetite, we drove through to Eynsford for lunch at the Plough restaurant. Being such a lovely day, it was no surprise that the Eynsford riverside was full of families enjoyed picnics and paddling in the ford.
In the mood for more Bloom Scrolling? You might also enjoy reading about my first visit to Castle Farm.
Did you know that Poppy and her pack are on Instagram? You can follow Pebbles & the Chaos Kittens for cuteness and feline escapades!
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