Watch: Lavender's blue for this Shropshire farm at harvest time
It's been a good year for lavender – and that means plenty of hard work for workers harvesting this crop in the heart of Shropshire.
The fragrant plant is hand cut at Shropshire Lavender, Wellbank Farm in Pickstock, near Newport.
The crop is used for floral displays as well as being pressed for oils.
It has become a love affair for farm owners Robin Smith and his wife Joanna.
Robin, 62, said: "Joanna initially wanted to plant just a couple of lavenders – I should have smelled a rat. A couple of plants turned out to be 200, and when those grew very well it ended up being 2,000.
"It was a little business, and then we planted more, adding the tea room along the way.
"I took the bunches to a wholesaler a few years ago and they were blown away. Compared to the pale blues of Italy and France, it just knocks them away that we have such deep colour and that they don't lose their leaves. They dry very well in the English air."
Tomorrow Mr Spencer will give a talk on distillation and the benefits of lavender. Visit shropshirelavender.co.uk for details.
He said: "As flowers they look beautiful and the scent is very calming. Lavender tea is good for headaches and migraines. The oils have a lot of positive medicinal effects, helping to heal bones, mosquito bites and burns."
Part of Mr Spencer's talk will deal with some of the weird things medieval distillers would have worked with.
He said: "They distilled human blood and cow pats. If it moved, they distilled it – it was the age of discovery.
"If you rubbed human waste in your hair, they thought it would help your hair grow.
"And when people laugh I remind them that quite a lot of it actually works. Lavender oil has some remarkable properties."
As well as the speech, which take place at 1pm and 2.30pm and costs £5 per person, August will be full of activities at the farm.
It will include Kinder Egg hunts, photo competitions and more. Entry will be free, with small charges for some activities.
Mr Spencer said: "It's free activities so mums and dads can relax while the children are in a safe environment without having to spend a fortune."
For more information visit shropshirelavender.co.uk
