Lavender Fields Forever

A mere five minute drive from Holmdel and you'll be wading in fields of fragrant, calming lavender amid butterflies and languid honeybees. Ellen Karcher, 47, and her family are the proprietors of Pleasant Valley Lavender, a family-run farm in Morganville where they grow more than twenty types of lavender and where the public is invited in to enjoy. 

English and French varieties are for sale with names like Hidcote, Twickel Purple, Royal Velvet, Edelweiss, Gros Bleu, Dilly-Dilly, and Provence that roll off the tongue like poetry.

According to Karcher, the rounder and more compact English lavenders bloom earlier in the season with flower heads that are shorter, a deep purple, and have a pronounced floral scent. Typically sweeter, it's the type to use in cooking and baking, and she's generous with her recipes. (See recipe below).

French lavenders, on the other hand, typically bloom two to three weeks later and have longer spikes, with a longer and smoother flower head.

“The scent of French lavender is herbier, and it looks more like it's cousin, rosemary, a member of the Labiatae family, like mint,” she said.

A trip to Washington state in 2006 gave Karcher, a former state Senator, the opportunity to check out Sequim. The town is about two hours northwest of Seattle, and known as America's unofficial lavender capital. She returned inspired and anxious for the '07 spring planting season so she could start her own lavender farm. It's "grown" in more ways than one, of course, and has been open to the public since last summer.

“I had to convince my family to let me plant more and more lavender,” she says with a laugh, “until they saw people actually coming out to look.” Word has gotten around.

The lavender is peaking now, so head out into the fields, scissors in hand, and snip your own swag ($5.00 for a small bunch, $8.00 for large), or one of the Karcher clan can do it for you.

“Hang your swag upside down in a dark room until it dries,” advises Karcher. “Once it's dry you'll have a fragrant bundle that will hold its purple color for years.”

Pleasant Valley Lavender farm also sells hand-made sachets, loose buds and vintage lace linens for DIY sachets and potpourris, handcrafted lavender soaps, essential oils and lavender-scented bath salts. Karcher is also a beekeeper and sells her own lavender honey (it's delicious) and handmade beeswax candles.

Lavender is deer resistant, hardy, not too thirsty, and will grow well if it gets plenty of sun.

“Lavender," said Karcher with a smile, "thrives on neglect.”

Pleasant Valley Lavender farm, 288 Pleasant Valley Road, Morganville, is open from May - September (every day except Mondays) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until 7 p.m. on the weekend.

Weekdays in August will be closed.

For more information call 732-740-4832.

Lavender Lemon Sugar Cookies by Aviela Karcher, 16

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 Tbsp. dried Lavender flowers or more to taste

1 Lemon, zest & juice or more to taste

1 egg

2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups white flour

Set oven to 350 F.

Blend butter, sugar, and lavender. Add in lemon zest and juice, then the egg. Blend in the 2 cups flour and baking powder next.

Dough should be soft but not oily. Add more flour by the Tbsp. if needed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds (makes approx. 30-36).

Bake 10-15 minutes max, until bottoms are pale gold. Let cool and enjoy!

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