Saturday 10 January 2015

Lavender Farm in 2015

Bridestowe Lavender Farm we visited this year, last post two years ago here.
It's a big farm spreading north, south, east and west.  Up hills and down.
The sun plays a large part of the colour of the lavender, and this year was no different.

The Denny family from England settled in the Lilydale area, they brought with them Lavender seeds from the French Alps, Lavandula Angustifolia (the true French Lavender.) before their journey.  They chose Lilydale due to it's climate similar to where Lavender was grown in France.  Eventually the farm was moved to it's present site which is not that far from Lilydale.

The fields contain about 650,000 plants.  The total length of the rows is estimated to be 200km, (124m).


This Oak tree was planted in 1881.


The sun was under but peeking through on the left of the photo.




A selfie with the stick :) The farm is popular with Chinese visitors.


Part of the gift shop.  There is also a restaurant which servers Lavender flavour food and also without.


31 comments:

  1. Lavender farms!!!
    Wow - the smell of the perfume.
    Absolutely beautiful - what have I been missing in
    never going to The Apple Isle???
    Scenery and the food produce should have been an bloody good reason.
    And I always buy Tasmanian cheese.
    Maybe this year???? But will my back tolerate about 3 hours
    in a plane????
    Cheers
    Colin

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    1. Hello Colin,
      Depends on how bad your back is for the flight or drive down, though it's a fair way, then there is the ship to sail on..
      Not much perfume outside however, lots in the shop.
      Good to know you eat some of our cheese :) I do hope you continue to enjoy.
      Lots to see in Tasmania, it would surprise you.

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  2. Glorious photos Margaret - what a sight - love them.

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    1. Thanks Rosemary. It is lovely to see in reality as most things are :)

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  3. Margaret it is a masterpiece. I have never sen that before. The oak looks wonderfully. Looking at your soil I am amazed at its colour- it is reddish. In Europe it is different from yours. Thanks for sharing

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    Replies
    1. Soil is reddish in some areas only. The lavender is lovely with it's curved rows.

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  4. What a beautiful place & I can imagine the pretty smell of lavender would have evaded the air.
    A lovely post.

    "Adelaide & Beyond"

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  5. Hello Margaret,

    Gosh, these Lavender fields must make an amazing sight. They seem to stretch to infinity.

    All so very different in atmosphere from the Lavender fields of Norfolk in England. The air must be incredibly perfumed.

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    Replies
    1. Beautiful to see. So many bees but don't come near as one walks in the field.
      The air is a lovely clean fresh smell, but no perfume, that is in the shop.

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  6. Margaret, these are stunning photos. Becker Vineyards near here has a lavender farm as well as rows of grape vines. They sell lots of lavender products in their winery. Love the aroma.

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    1. Thank you. Each time I go I try to take a nicer photo.
      That sound lovely to have the both. We do have many vineyards in Tasmania, lots more than most people think.

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  7. That's my idea of heaven! So incredibly beautiful and you photographed it so well. Did you try any of the lavender flavored food?

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    1. Thank you :) It's very peaceful out there, all one could here in the field was the bees with the breeze.
      No didn't try any of their food as we couldn't get a seat as we were there at lunchtime, we ate at a seaside town in the end.

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  8. Monoculture but quite beautiful and well captured. It appears to be at its peak.

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    1. Yes definitely monoculture. Thanks re capture. January is the lavender peak time before the harvest. I think they commence that at the end of January.

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  9. Wow, I love the smell of lavender, we had some growing out the front for many years it was nice

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    1. I love the smell to Jo-Anne, I bought a shower gel which is lovely. We have lavender growing here as well, just one bush these days.

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  10. Well Margaret
    Your suggestions on getting to Tasmania are unfortunately for me about 20 at least years TOO late.
    The flying time direct from BNE to HBT is 2 hours 24 minutes! I can now only sit still or in one place for the flight from Brisbane to Newcastle ( just over an hour). No way will insurance cover my back - the left side hanging by one lateral thread! Too much sporting activities when I was young, but I love my sport now only a bloody couch potato to watch.
    Second suggestion: Sea ferry from Melbourne to Devonport! I suffer extreme seasickness - even on the Manly ferry! Did a cruise after I left college, like these end of year "strange rituals" of today and my false teeth are somewhere at the bottom of Bass Strait! Also did a second cruise from Frederikshavn (Denmark) to Oslo where I spent the whole, thankfully summer, night on the bow of the ship.
    Pity about the cost of the First Class cabin - I guess my baggage enjoyed the luxury????
    Still I was awarded with the morning vista of the approach to the Oslo Fiord.

    Thus I shall have to enjoy your excellent photography of Tasmania.
    Anyhow the thought of inadvertently running into some of your Tasmanian Senators, I think
    I am safer on this side of Bass Strait. Good God - Jacqui from Planet XYZ!! No thanks.
    Cheers
    Colin

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    1. Well that puts you out for coming to Tasmania then Colin.
      Backs that don't work - not good, sorry to read of that.
      You made me laugh with you descriptions...new teeth at that time then, hope those that you lost were not new.
      Thanks regarding my photography, I try..
      Regards,
      Margaret

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    2. I am glad you had a laugh - ha ha! But try being a nineteen year old male in Melbourne
      with NO TEETH and hardly opening your mouth for a week!!! Very embarrassing and difficult.
      I can assure you I didn't laugh!
      My first "trip" anywhere sans family and with a college
      mate - who thought the whole episode hilarious and elaborated at great length when
      informing others of the unfortunate incident when we got back to Sydney.
      I was the early owner of false teeth from the age of 12 - I was pushed (??) or fell
      off a diving tower onto the cement below. Long story. If this was to occur today, I think
      the courts would have made me the richest 12 year old in Australia! Anyhow the Moree (NSW) Olympic Pool was the winner - a new and far safer diving tower.
      Aaaaaaaaaaaah as good old Ned Kelly said when the noose went over his head - "Such is Life".
      Cheers
      Colin

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  11. Your picture are so good that you probably can sell them to a magazine.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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    1. Well thank you :)
      I have in the past :) several times different photos I have taken..

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  12. That's beautiful! We had lavender scones on our last trip to Adelaide - they were lovely.

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    1. That sounds as if they are nice, I hope next time I visit there is a seat available :)

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  13. Wow!!! I love lavender, the scent, the colour, it is amazing and soothing...as are your gorgeous photos.

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  14. Fabulous shots of the lavender farm. The colours are magic , in the sun or not. Well done. I loved it there too I have a shot of me jumping for joy in the middle of the lavender .

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