Third annual lavender fest this weekend
ATHOL – Lavender is in full bloom, and it’s time for the Northwest Lavender Guild’s third-annual lavender festival near Athol.
“Lavender Fields Forever,” to be held Saturday and Sunday at Mountains View Lavender Ranch, offers the chance to enjoy one of nature’s most versatile plants in a natural setting of Northwest beauty.
Owners Jan and Gary Sylte and members of the Northwest Lavender Guild hold the festival to promote the use of the plant through artisan and horticultural demonstrations, and to display the beauty of lavender fields in bloom.
In the eight years the Syltes have been raising lavender, they have seen its popularity grow tremendously, according to Jan Sylte.
“People are just finding out lavender is a multipurpose herb, and its popularity is growing worldwide,” she said.
Locally, she said, more people are planting the herb, and lavender products sell well at local farmers markets.
Soil and climate conditions in North Idaho are great for raising this flowering plant, a crop some call “bulletproof” because it is easy to grow.
Guild member Cindy dePaulis raises 97 varieties of lavender. While some are used for landscaping only, others are used for making oils or for cooking because of their specific characteristics.
With more than 180 chemical components of lavender identified, scientists are just as interested in the complex herb as Grandma used to be when she needed drawer sachets.
DePaulis says the herb is being studied in cancer research, and new uses for lavender are being found all the time. “In fact,” she said, “one local grower calls the complex herb the ‘Swiss army knife of herbs’ because of its versatility.”
The flowers can be used in cooking, made into potpourri, candied and used as cake decoration or used to produce a high-quality honey for beekeepers. The graceful flower spikes are used for fresh and dried arrangements, and the essential oils are used in perfume and aromatherapy.
The aroma is said to have a calming effect that aids relaxation, reduces anxiety and relieves pain from tension headaches.
Some people use lavender as a mosquito repellent, a treatment for head lice or a treatment for coughs and respiratory infections. It also is used in first aid as an antiseptic and pain reliever for minor burns and insect bites and stings.
Many people believe it to be effective against eczema, joint and muscle pain and asthma and bronchial pain. Research is ongoing for potential treatments for breast, ovarian, pancreatic, liver and prostate cancer.
During the lavender festival, local craftsmen and growers will sell lavender products and will demonstrate how to use lavender for gifts, crafts and decorative displays.
Plant propagation will be demonstrated by dePaulis, who also will explain the essential oil distillation process. Her daughter will discuss using lavender in cooking and will sell lavender tea, cookies and scones.
Other artisans and craftsmen, including a glassblower, members of the Watercolor Society and the Log Cabin Spinners, will demonstrate their techniques. A quilt show will showcase local works. Master gardeners and beekeepers will answer questions.
Ruby Devine and others will provide music for visitors to enjoy as they watch demonstrations in the cabin, wander through the vendor stalls, pick a fresh bouquet of lavender or take their kids fishing in the pond.