By: Charlotte McParland
Lavender flowers take over the country side of Hillier Ont.
Source: tripsetter.com
BELLEVILLE – During the hot months of June and July, most Ontarians think of strawberry fields and peaches, but many forget that it’s also the peak flowering season of lavender.
Almost an acre of lavender, its smell unmistakable, is blossoming in tiny Hillier, Ont., about half an hour’s drive southwest of Belleville, in preparation for the Lavender Festival this July.
The third annual festival is happening the July 5-6 weekend, and Rolande Leblanc and Derek Ryles, the owners of the lavender farm, have added many new features that will set it apart from the previous two years.
Leblanc and Ryles moved to Prince Edward County in 2005 from Yukon and started growing lavender immediately. They opened up their farm to the public three years ago for the first Lavender Festival.
One of the brand-new additions this year: lavender cotton candy.
Suzanne Latchford-Kulker, owner of Heal with Horses Therapeutic Centre, which is also in Hillier, took on the challenge of making this one-of-a-kind treat.
“We were asked if we could develop a Lavender Floss for the Lavender Festival,” she said. “Luckily I have a culinary background and enjoy recipe development.
“I was able to find an all-natural lavender powder specifically for candy and then found a natural reddish powder from a product made from beets to assist colouring the floss naturally. I then played around with flavouring the organic cane sugar, and voila! The lavender cotton candy came to life.”
The festival will also include free tastings of lavender, herbs and home-grown teas; a craft corner where participants can make something lavender-themed; a geological activity called Find a Fossil; and the chance to pick some of your own bouquets for the road home.
All weekend long there will be entertainment from Chuckles the Clown, David Eliot Magic, and several live bands.
Lavender “has a fragrance nothing can compete with,” said Leblanc. She welcomes everyone to come try it for themselves at 732 Closson Rd. in Hillier.
For more information visit: peclavender.com.
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