Lavender Festival 2024
Lavender Festival preparations have begun! The dates for this year’s event will be June 22 and 23rd, 2024. We are excited to host the only festival of its kind in Windsor Essex where our guests can enjoy live music, food, and local makers, artists and artisan vendors.
This event will feature over 30+ vendors.
Where: 130 County Road 50 East, Colchester, ON N0R1G0
When: June 22nd & 23rd 10 am – 5 pm
Admission: Free
Type of Event: Outdoors
Applications Status: Open. LAVENDER FESTIVAL VENDOR APPLICATION 2024
This is a RAIN or Shine event. The cost is $85 for one day and $150 for 2 days for a 10×10 booth.
All items sold must be original pieces created by the Artisan. All applications will be juried . Artisans are required to provide their own tent and tables/displays.
All applications must be received by April 5th and will be reviewed by May 5th 2024 and the successful artisans will be advised of the decision to participate.
Get ready to plant lavender in your garden this season.
Planning your lavender garden
January is a terrific time to design your landscape, choose the flowers and vegetables that you want to grow this year, order seeds and get leads and information on how to grow your favourite plants. And so, its a perfect time to share some tips on how to grow lavender.
Hidcote Lavender the deepest purple lavender is ready to bloom
The focus is on Lavandula angustifolia which is commonly known as English lavender. It comes in assortment of colours from deep purple to lavender and even a blush pink that is so light that you’d swear it looks white in mass plantings. Lavender with its lovely fragrance is part of the mint family. It has made a come back in recent years and is now commonly grown in home gardens for it’s beautiful aroma, pretty flowers, culinary and therapeutic benefits – and isn’t it just a romantic plant that takes our stress away?
Quick Lavender growing tips
This easy-care plant typically enjoys hot, dry conditions, making it suitable for use in a variety of landscape settings and an excellent candidate for beginner gardeners or those who tend to forget to water their gardens. Once it is established this plant is very forgiving although it is important to keep in mind that lavender is drought tolerant not drought resistant, so in dry years it will still need some TLC.
Lavender Stoechas with its pretty butterfly wings in not suitable for overwintering in Ontario lavender gardens
Although Lavender stoechas is readily available at garden centres across Ontario in the springtime. This pretty butterfly petalled tenSome der heat loving varietal will not withstand overwintering in Ontario even in the mild winters of Essex County. It is more adept to the indoors or more the temperate climates of Spain or Texas and can only tolerate winter temperatures around 45 degrees.
Keep reading to learn more about lavender plant care.
How to Grow Lavender in the Garden
Lavender comes in all colours even a blush pink
Lavender seeds are very slow to germinate and often not successful. Beginner gardeners are best advised to purchase seedling plants in 4 inch pot. This is the most reliable way to grow lavender. Growing lavender plants is an easy endeavor provided you give them what they need. Although lavender can tolerate a variety of growing conditions, this plant thrives best under warm, sunny conditions in well-drained soil.
To grow lavender outdoors choose a area that has full sun. If it is planted in partial shade the plant will reach for the sun and not have any flowers on the shady side. Sandy loams are ideal. If you have clay amend the soil by adding sand, vermiculite and some gravel. Plant the lavender in raised beds or mound the soil. During the first few weeks pinch the flowers so that the lavender plant puts its energy into growing a healthy root system. The plant should be watered weekly and given a light fertilizer feeding for the first 3 months. If it is a dry year then continue watering regularly.
Lavender is native to arid regions, the plant will not tolerate moist or overly wet conditions; therefore,
The deep rich colour of lavender plants
it’s important to consider location when growing lavender plants, especially in Ontario where we have wet springs and falls. That’s why it’s recommended to mound clay soil to raise the plant so if its a rainy year they don’t get their feet too wet.
Lavender should be located in areas with adequate drainage and spaced far enough apart to ensure good air circulation. Be sure to clear away leaves or mulch in early spring. This will help reduce the chance of developing root rot.
Lavender Plant Care
Well pruned lavender
Once established, lavender plants require little care or maintenance. While they should be watered regularly early on, established plants need water in dry years and a bit of fertilizer after blooming. Regular pruning is recommended in the fall time. Pruning not only keeps lavender plants neat looking in appearance, but also helps to encourage new growth. Lavender can be cut back to about a third of the new growth. Severe pruning is only recommended in years of heavy frost.
We’ll share more tips for growing lavender including information about pruning, harvesting and varietals we grow in future blog posts.
Lavender bloom at Serenity Lavender 2020
You grew and cooked with fresh herbs all summer but now as fall is upon us and what will you to do with all those remaining herbs in the garden. This workshop will teach you techniques to preserve the bounty of your fresh herb garden. You’ll learn some of the creative ways to store and preserve those garden flavourings and which technique is best for your favourites. We’ll share some of our favourite recipes and herb blend creations that you can enjoy for months to come. Participants will receive a notebook and complementary bottle of culinary lavender.
Cost $25.00 +hst
Tickets available on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/enjoy-your-garden-herbs-year-round-tickets-50015283058
Why have a beautiful hand made wreath just for Christmas, when we can welcome in Spring with an Easter Wreath too. Come learn how to make an adorable wreath for your door to celebrate spring! We’ll use decorative mesh and ribbon, and lots of Easter extras.
All materials provided. The class is $45.00 plus hst for a couple of fun, relaxing and creative hours… just… for… YOU!!
The class size is limited to 10 participants. Register at www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-wreath-workshop-tickets-43181274354
Sometimes it’s best to brainstorm when you are far away from all the hustle and bustle of the daily routine of home an work. Last year Serenity’s Lavender Festival exceeded all of our expectations. The turnout was amazing, the weather was picture perfect but we did not yet have our new hospitality centre and so with a new building smack dab in the centre of our parking and vendor area, with a full service restaurant open 7 days a week, a brainstorming session was in order. Over the next few months we’ll be rolling out the Festival activities. A sprinkle of new with old making this an even better festival for all ages!
Lavender is, of course still the star of the show and choosing a date can be a challenge not too early and not too late to miss the peak of bloom. And then there are all the other wonderful festivals in Windsor Essex to keep in mind. We’ve chosen June 30th and July 1st and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that mother nature is as kind to us as she was last year! So pencil that date into your calendars and we hope to see you for another Scentscational Experience!!!
