We just dropped off an order of our newest product “Precious Pet Salve” at Gorge Dog in Hood River! We are very excited about this healing salve for our Precious Pets! It is All Natural and Pet safe!

This amazing product was formulated after many requests from our customers for a healing product for pets. Precious Pet Salve is very healing, and we have used this on our own dogs for everything from scrapes to a nasty neck wound from a wild coyote attack! Our Jack Russell was attacked, during the day while he was tethered in our front yard, next to his kennel… that’s probably what saved his life! Joe found him inside his kennel with a large wound on his neck, and we rushed him to the Vet. He received a shot of antibiotics, and we proceeded to care for his wound, cleaning it daily with lavender essential oil,  and applying our shea butter salve, and wrapping it in gaze & medical tape. He looked like a ninja dog In 6-8 weeks his wound was healed.

Our Precious Pet Salve is formulated with unrefined Shea Butter, Mango Butter, and our Lavender Essential Oil along with our Helichrysum Immortelle, and Clary Sage, and other powerful healing oils, and essential oils with natural antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. It moisturizes and encourages rapid healing, and stimulates cellular regeneration, increasing blood flow to wounds, minor cuts, abrasions, dry skin, hot spots, eczema, dermatitis and burns, also helps alleviate pain and itching. Helps calm down anxious pets and hydrate the skin. Precious Pet Salve is made in small batches, and is to be used liberally on the affected areas. Store in a cool area, as it will melt at hot temperatures. This amazing Salve has an earthy aroma from the lavender, Immortell, Clary Sage, Lemon, Cedarwood, Oakmoss etc., that helps prevent further licking and biting of the irritated area on your Precious Pet  Don’t let your pet suffer ….

This question was asked by one of our customers: “Can this salve be ingested by animals? Some will want to lick the salve when you spread it on their sore.”

Thanks for your email. Yes, it is pet safe if they lick it. If they ate the whole tin at one time it may loosen them up a bit, but just licking it when applied to the affected surface, should be fine. This amazing Salve has an earthy aroma from the lavender essential oil and other essential oils that helps prevent further licking and biting of the irritated area on your Precious Pet   All natural butters and oils are used in our pet care formulas, but often products on the market will use other synthetic or petroleum carriers. You can warm the salve up in your palm to make it more liquid if that helps apply it to the animals skin. May your precious pets be healthy, we all LOVE them!

It was a calm, peaceful day and many folks came out to visit and enjoy the beautiful fruit trees in bloom. Lavender plants were purchased for landscaping their homes and businesses. People enjoyed strolling around our garden, laying down in the lawn , greeting our Lab Sadie, and blowing bubbles.  I enjoyed watching a father and his 2 year old daughter blow bubbles and laugh together for about an hour! Lovely & sweet!

An artist from Sisters also visited our lavender farm, sitting under our Arbor, enjoying the calm garden, she captured the beauty of nature on her canvas.

A lot of people relaxed on the patio, sipping on Lavender Mint Tea,  slowing down a few minutes to bask in the calming serene Sunday, while birds sang sweetly, with hummingbirds dancing around their feeder. True quality time happened, and special memories were made!! This is what Life is all about! Thankful!! I do love my job!

We made it over the hurdle, and are leaping into Spring, as 1000′s of lovely fruit trees burst into pink, white, and peach blossoms! This weekend is the 58th Hood River Blossom Festival in our Gorge-ous valley, and we are opening our UPick lavender farm for the celebration!! We will be open on weekends in April, Saturday 10-5pm, and Sunday 11-5pm, then daily beginning in May.  Stop by our farm and pick up some rare Lavender plants to take home for your “herb garden”.

We will have samples of our lavender honey shortbread, and lavender scones, and some Lavender Mint Tea to sip on while you shop and enjoy our little piece of heaven! There will also be several containers of Bubbles scattered around the garden for your fun and enjoyment, as you Relax and De-stress! Happy Spring, and Blossom Festival in our beautiful Hood River Valley! We will look forward to seeing you as we Kick-Off our season with flowers!

Lavender Lemon Honey Shortbread

8 oz unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/3 cup honey
1/3 organic sugar
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons culinary lavender (I used 4 tsp English lavender & 2 tsp Provence lavender)
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanila extract

Preheat oven to 350′F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In spice grinder, grind lavender & sugar together. Cream together the butter, lavender sugar, salt, and honey in a bowl until light & fluffy.
Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Finally, add flour and blend until just combined. Do not over-mix. Roll out the dough between two pieces of waxed paper and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour, just so the dough can firm up. (I always store my dough in refrigerater 2-3 days, to enhance the flavors, allowing them to meld together)
Roll out the dough about 1/4′-1/2′ thick & cut out cookies. Bake at 350′, on parchment paper, for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to turn a golden brown.

Adapted from savorynotes.com

We are pruning the vines around our patio prepping for our opening this Saturday. The Cascade Hops are one of my favorite, and the fastest growing vines. We’ll watch it grow around 6″ per day as it winds it’s way around the posts, transforming our patio into a serene, green safe place.

The lovely Red Leaf Grape has beautiful red tone leaves that Glow in the afternoon sun!

Our Red Trumpet Vine, Hardy Sweet Pea, and Honeysuckle Vines have  flashy and fragrant flowers that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies all summer long.

The birds sing their Spring sweet songs as we tend the garden. They are pairing up and starting to build their nests. Last year one built a nest in our little window box planter. They soon abandoned their nest after our customers started visiting the farm. I wonder if a little feathered friend with be attracted to the planter this year

We’ll look forward to seeing you at our season opening event this weekend. Lots of lavender starter plants, and free samples of Lavender Lemon Shortbread and Lavender Tea. Happy Spring!!

**Our U-Pick Farm is open weekends now in April, 11-5pm. May-Oct. Mon thru Friday 10-5pm, Sunday 11-5pm

Vicki Shuck dropped by our U-Pick Lavender Farm on a slightly overcast fall morning. I had planned to harvest a couple rows of lavender with my wonderful worker, Lupe. Vicki asked if she could observe us and take a few photos, then prepare her paintings for the art exhibit about Rural Life.

She said, “one of the main purposes of the project is to help educate people who are unfamiliar with life in rural, agricultural Oregon, and to let this exhibit be a voice for us, the farmer”.

An Uncommon Beauty–By Vicki Shuck & Janice Druian. Paintings of Life and Land East of the Cascade:

What The Day Brings. People At Work. Lavender Lady harvesting lavender.(gloves, harvesters cycle and basket).

A Day At Work! My awesome employee, dear Lupa. She’s my right arm, and strong back! We laugh a lot, and she tries to teach me spanish. Hola

My wonderful employee, Shelby. She is amazing at anything I ask her to do around our lavender farm, from harvesting bouquets, weeding, helping customers cut U-Pick bouquets, and even running our Retail Shoppe! Shelby is the most  kind, pleasant lady to work around! She is always laughing

Painting of our Vintage Teal Chairs.”Let’s Sit”..by Janice Druian

We greatly appreciate these lovely paintings by Vicki Shuck & Janice Druian! We are thrilled to be a part of this art exhibit about Rural Life. Vicki asked us if we would share a few words that represent us and our business, to be placed near the paintings at the art exhibit this April 6th-30th, at Columbia Center for the ARTS in Hood River Oregon.

Rural Farm Life:  Hood River Lavender Farms

“Owning our own Certified Organic Lavender business, and living in our hometown, Hood River, is a dream come true! We love gardening, managing, marketing, and having our farm open to share our love for lavender with others. Seeing our customers enjoy the calming, soothing aroma of lavender, and slow-down from their hectic pace lifestyles, as they stroll through our gardens, bring us the most joy! We love everything about Lavender, and we immerse ourselves into every part of this plant!  The main characteristic that makes our Rural Life different from city life is that we enjoy a quieter, less hectic lifestyle. Quite often farming families tend to stay in the same area for generations. We know our neighbors well, and rely on each other, helping in any situation necessary. Big shopping trips are planned, since they are a distance away. One of the most meaningful aspects about living in a rural area is the small communities, with family owned businesses. When we support these businesses, we are supporting a family in our own community! The biggest challenges we face is trying to sustain the quality of life year after year with an every changing market, and thus affecting our yearly income. Also the weather, and acts of God literally control our livelihood, so we have to be flexible, adjusting when necessary.  How others perceive agriculture? We would like to see others understand just how much Farmers “respect” the land, and strive to treat it with sustainable practices, &  good husbandry. And also understand that Farmers are more equipped to manage their land better than anyone else could.  Our biggest hope for the future of our farm is that we continue to grow and increase sales, and volume, faster than the economy is recovering. Our company plans to continue innovating and experimenting with new methods of marketing to increase sales, and growth.  Our biggest hope for our Hood River Valley is that it will grow with the individuals and businesses that value and want to integrate into this Rural Life Style.”

I’ve been working steady tending our lavender farm and wild flowers, getting the yard prepped for new growth, and our opening date April 14th.  Today was a perfect day to be outside, truly gorgeous with temperatures around 54 degrees! Spring has officially arrived, and it really feels like Spring! I scattered 1000′s of Iceland Poppy & Rose Scented Bee Balm Monarda seeds in the Wildflower Section. I love these flowers!

I need to spend a few hours packing web-orders inside and I need lavenders aroma to surround me, with my “Fragrance of Sunlight” as I work!  It’s a good thing that I live and work in Lavender Heaven, because inside or outside, I can still have that Fragrance of Sunlight  :)  A bottle of lavender essential oil is always at arms reach..I know I’m “spoiled”!!  :) I like to apply 5 drops of  Angustifolia Essential Oil and 5 drops Clary Sage Essential oil to a tissue, and relax while I inhale these lovely, calming, and balancing aromas. It clears my sinus, balances my mood, and refreshes my spirits! Awww..

Since we have a few days before I’ll be working outside again in the lavender farm, I’ll work inside on web orders. I sent this re-order with 10 Reed Diffusers and Lavender Refreshing Spritzer out to a very high profile celebrity today! Love my job! Love lavender’s calming lovely aroma!

These  lavender items will fill the domain of the recipient with that intriguingly uplifting, and calming , fresh lavender garden aroma! I like to call it my Fragrance of Sunlight!  It gives me that uplifting, energizing boost that helps me through any situation, with calming peace. Our  Reed Diffusers are filled with a special combination of our own Certified Organic Lavender Essential Oils.

I also shipped an order with 2 Reed Diffusers and 2 pounds of Bulk dried lavender buds to a gentleman, for his home!!  He mentioned that he planned to fill decorative containers with the lavender buds. I suggested that he could  purchase sachets to fill with lavender buds, or if he felt creative,  make sachets with vintage hankies or pieces of wool cloth, and tied with hemp or jute twine.

Here’s hoping that the lovely, calming aroma from his lavender will fill his domain with  the Fragrance of Sunlight too !

Calming Vintage Sachets

Sachets made with Vintage Hankies and Lavender wool cloth, filled with our Certified Organic dried Lavandin Grosso. DIY cute sachets for yourself or gifts for a friend.

Wow, when you think you’ve tried it all to help relieve extremely dry, cracked, damaged skin from the elements of winter dryness, wind, and sun …Then you are going to love these skin-nourishing balms and Body Butters to heal, soothe and stimulate healthy tissue, providing much needed relief  for your body, face, lips, and feet.

Today I’m blending a batch of  Lavender Balm, and our X-Treme Body Butter,  made with 100% natural and Unrefined Shea Butter. It is naturally processed, not depleting any of it’s healing and medicinal properties!  Shea Butter is high in linoleic acid which helps regenerate new skin cells. Dry skin indicates a lack of moisture and collagen production, and Shea Butter helps stimulate skin collagen. Our Balm and Body Butters are blended with Shea Butter, our Certified Organic Lavender Essential Oils, and other healing essential oils providing skincare products that are ideal for dry skin, dermatitis, sunburns, ulceration, and other skin irritations and chapping. You can use them freely, and feel confident, and assured that these healing balms are made with the most natural ingredients. All to help nourish you skin back to it’s soft, supple, and healthy state!  :)

X-Treme Body Butter: Unrefined Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Wheat Germ oil, and essential oils of Lavender, Vanilla, Sea Buckthorn, Ylang Ylang, Carrot Seed, Tea Tree, Melissa, Comfrey Root and Geranium.

Lavender Shea Butter Balm: Unrefined Shea Butter Wheat Germ oil, Lavender essential oils( Grosso & Angustifolia Blend) Natural Beeswax.

The RAW natural Shea Butter that I use!

I have a great source for unrefined Shea Butter that comes direct from Ghana. I buy it in 20 lb. blocks, and it has only been melted once to pack it. This ensures the rich nutrients that are inherit in Shea Butter are not lost upon repeated melting to ‘package’ the product. It is a Shea Butter like no other!

I love to add this Lavender Honey Butter to my toasted rustic wholegrain breads, that I make!  The delicate flavor of the lavender honey butter combined with the robust flavor of whole grains is amazing & heavenly!

Lavender Butter

1/4 lb unsalted butter room temp
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dried culinary “Provence lavender buds, finely
ground in a spice grinder

Place the butter, honey and lavender in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until just combined. Transfer to a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Roll into a 1-inch-wide log. Refrigerate or freeze. I’ve made this butter w/o the honey, and it’s wonderful too

Citrus Lavender Herb Butter

6 oz (1 1/2) unsalted butter
1 tblsp grated lime zest
1 tblsp grated lemon zest
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbls lavender vinegar or raspberry vinegar
1tblsp honey mustard
1/2 tsp wasabi powder
1/4 c fresh celantro leaves chopped
1/4 c minced chives
2 shallots minced
1 tblsp grated fresh ginger
1 tblsp minced garlic
In a food processor, combine the butter, lime zest, lemon zest,juices, vinegar mustard, and wasabi. Blend until smooth. Add the cilantro, chives, shallots, ginger, and garlic. Blend until mixed well.

These recipes adapted from The Lavender Cookbook by Sharon Shipley.

Lavandula angustifolia (common, or true lavender) is often used in the kitchen, an ingredient in blends of Herbes de Provence and our own Hood River Spice Blend.

Whole Grain Bread with Lavender Honey Butter