My quest for small gems to visit in Texas continues as my assistant (aka Mom) and I get on the road and make our way to Brenham, Texas; also known as Bluebonnet Country. The road trip from San Antonio was pretty, full of winding roads, and lots of lush trees. I know when you think of Brenham, you think of Blue Bell Ice Cream; the quiet little town has much more to see and do then you think. This weekend in Brenham was the Chappell Hill Lavender and Wine Festival; we picked a great time to visit. The Chappell Hill Fest is held annually on the Chappell Hill Lavender Farm located in between Austin and Houston. The visit is totally worth it whether you are spending the day there or enjoying a weekend getaway.
We were able to meet the lavender farm’s owner, Debbie. She shared with us a bit of the history of the farm. They began the farm by planting 20 plants to see how they would grow. With 20 plants surviving Texas weather and growing, they began planting more lavender fields in groups of 600. After two years the farm had approximately 4 acres of lavender planted. Due to the rainfall every year and the high humidity, the fields have to be replanted every 4-5 years. Even with replanting lavender, that didn’t stop them from adding to the farm. Fruit trees and blackberries give visitors a reason to stop by between lavender blooming cycles. Debbie says what they like most about being lavender farmers, is meeting so many awesome people that love lavender as much as they do. It takes passionate people to do all that goes on at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm; you can definitely feel the warm and tranquil energy on the farm and I’m sure it comes from everyone that keeps the farm thriving.
The lavender farm is beautiful; we took a small break from the sun and sat in the gazebo admiring the farm’s pond. When we toured the lavender farm, we met some of the locals and listened to some country music. The annual event is held on the farm and included local vendors of all sorts. The hospitality was so great, they even had golf carts picking you up from the parking area. We had a great time meeting others that love lavender and enjoyed lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade. Chappell Hill Lavender makes many of the products they sale in their lovely gift shop. The shop carries a variety of aromatherapy, culinary, pet, bath and body, and home lavender based products. Be sure to visit their site to purchase their amazing aromatherapy products and to keep up with the status of the lavender blooms.
The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means “to wash.” Lavender most likely earned its name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. Lavender is considered a natural remedy for insomnia, anxiety, and mood disturbances. Research has confirmed that lavender produces calming, soothing, sedative and healing effects. The historic use and recognition of lavender is almost as old as the history of man. Lavender has been in documented use for over 2500 years. Lavender has many other helpful and healing benefits such as healing burns, restoring skin complexions and reducing acne, alleviating headaches, improving eczema and psoriasis, and slowing down aging with its antioxidants.
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