The IHA post-conference fieldtrip went to Virginia.
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The IHA post - conference fieldtrip went to Virginia . One of the highlight of the tour was a visit to Blooming Hill Lavender Farm with an herbal dejeuner cater by Kim Labash , proprietress of Loudon Valley Herbs . Blooming Hill is a midget “ farmlet ” owned by Cyndie and Peter Rinek and situate on four acres in the rolling foothill of the Blue Ridge in Western Loudoun County , Northern Virginia . The Rineks are collectors of many things besides lavender as you could see in the photos of their farm in Purcellville , Virginia .
Blooming Hill is a delightful venue to hold an event , and Host Cyndie and Peter hold lot of them from their one-year Lavender Festival to parties , reception and social gathering . ( https://www.bloominghillva.com)The outdoor gardens are both elegant and capricious and the household is home to many assemblage from blueish and whitened roosters on the stoop to turquoise blue spatterware . There is something endearing or strange to look at at every turn .
A few of us arrived a bit early before the autobus , so we had the garden to ourselves and were capable to have a great walkabout in the lilac beds and other garden plot of ground full of herbs and vegetables , flowers and bush , before the rainfall come . The collection of over 600 lavender plants in almost fifty different varieties are run throughout the dimension . I count nigh 100 cultivars of lavender on Cyndie ’s inclination – and I was particularly excited to find a single plant ofLavandula‘Susan Belsinger ’ also known as ‘ Short and Sweet ’ name by my dear protagonist Thomas DeBaggio back in the 1990s . This plant life is a scrap severe to grow – I’ve lose a number of them – it seems to do much better on the lavender farms in our American Northwest , however the Rineks have managed to keep one alive . I was also delighted to see ‘ Sleeping dish ’ also known asLavandula‘Carolyn Dille ’ and Tucker ’s Early Purple name for our ally and confrere Art Tucker .
Kim Labash , of Loudon Valley Herbs is a form number – her catered tiffin was beautfiul to the eye and very tasty . After appetizers on the porch , we moved indoors for a dejeuner of Garden Gazpacho with Rosemary Focaccia ; Tossed Green Salad with Edible Flowers and Herbs , Tabbouleh with Mint ; Chicken Marbella or veggie option of Curried Carrot Slaw with Avocado and Pea Shoot Pita Pockets . The Grand Finale was two flavors of Blooming Hill ’s homemade ice cream – blueberry - lavender and blush wine - lavender – dish with Kim ’s Petticoat Tail of Lavender Shortbread . Kim and Cyndie make a great team for arrange on an herbal affair . ( [ e-mail protect ] )
After browsing the gardens , we set off down the drive to the darling little talent bungalow , which was palisade by all sorts of statuary and plants for sale . Inside the fragrance of lavender prevailed . There were home maturate and forgather lavender mathematical product as well as handmade natural wreaths , singular plants and everlasting flower , and garden décor accumulate specially for the garden fancier , not to mention bundles of lilac spikes – short , fat , tall and slight , in every chromaticity of lavender . If you get the chance , a visit to Blooming Hill is well deserving the drive – insure the Web situation for time of day as they are only open on the weekends from April to December , or by appointee .
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Posing with a ‘Susan Belsinger’ lavender at Blooming Hill Lavender Farm–I was surprised and delighted to find this cultivar there–I was more than honored when Tom DeBaggio named thisLavandulafor me back in the 1990s.Photo/Illustration: Sharon Crain
