The 'Physician' of Purple
Sequim’s Dr. Lavender prescribes the top 3 species to grow around Seattle — along with lots of deep breaths.
Lavender’s sweet and herbal fragrance is said to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, fatigue, stress and tension, making it ideal for addressing, well, you know—life. Turns out lavender can also preserve farmland and generate a thriving agri-tourism community grounded in environmentally responsible and sustainable farming practices.
In 1995, fallow dairy pastures throughout the Sequim-Dungeness Valley were transitioning to accommodate a growing population and commercial development. A small group of concerned citizens decided to come up with a practical and productive solution that would help preserve the region’s agricultural tradition and serve the community economically. Their search for a crop that would adapt to local growing conditions—minimum water/maximum sun—led them to lavender.
Today, this pocket of purple paradise on the North Olympic Peninsula is home to the Sequim Lavender Festival (lavenderfestival.com) and has grown into the Lavender Capital of North America®. What began as eight lavender farms, planted between 1995 and 1998, has grown to include more than 30 additional farms.
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