Day Trip to Glendarragh Lavender Farm in Appleton
We’ve visited different kinds of farms in Maine, but when a friend mentioned her plan to visit a lavender farm, we were intrigued by the idea. A quick search pointed us to Glendarragh Lavender Farm in Appleton, with 26 acres along the St. George River and a store in their barn. Something new to see off the beaten path in Maine? Sounds good to us.
It was a beautiful drive on a hot July day, through Union, then north past Sennebec Pond to Appleton, passing road signs affixed to birdhouses. There’s a small parking area near the barn that houses the store, with massive hydrangeas in front. The grounds are relatively compact, fairly level and easy to navigate, not to mention lovely. The lawn extends past the barn, where you can stroll to the fields, where lavender grows in mounds.
Beyond the lavender fields, there are some mowed paths up the hill towards the tree line, where you can take a short walk, passing various wild flowers along the way. Coming back, you have a great view of the farm, the fields and the beautiful countryside. There are picnic tables behind the barn and picnickers are welcome. And there are a few chairs and benches placed around the grounds, to sit and soak in the view.
If you’re interested in picking your own lavender, they’ll loan you a small scissor to go cut a small bunch from the field for five dollars. We did, and were out cutting along with a mulit-generation family doing the same. If you’d like a larger bunch, they offer several sizes in the barn store, along with a variety of other lavender items, including lotion, soap, tea and laundry detergent, as well as plants and other crafted items. And in a side room, they have large bundles of lavender hanging from the ceiling to dry — probably the most lavender you’ll ever see in one place!
Glendarragh Farm is Maine’s first USDA-registered lavender farm, and they grow a mix of more than a dozen English and Dutch varieties. The farm is only open in the summer, though they also have a store in Camden that’s open year round. The friendly person behind the register in the barn store told us the best time to come is July or early August when it’s in bloom, until they harvest in August. If you’re a fan of lavender, farms, or beautiful Maine countryside, this is definitely worth a trip!
Mike Yoder lives in Southern Maine with his wife, Cathy, and their dog, Outlaw.
