830-833-2294

www.hillcountrylavender.com

The distant vista from the field at Hill Country Lavender, the first commercial lavender farm in Texas, is a spectacular panorama of undulating land and beautiful live oaks. But it's the close-up view that's most stunning. More than 2,500 lavender plants spread in neat rows across a two-acre hilltop.

This year, will mark Hill Country Lavender's eighth season open to the public and its third year at the current location—behind McCall Creek Farm's Store on U.S. 281, 3.5 miles north of Blanco.

Robb Kendrick and Jeannie Ralston started Hill Country Lavender in 1999, after Kendrick, an award-winning photographer, traveled to Provence to shoot a lavender harvest for National Geographic story on perfume-making around the world. In 2001, Jeannie, a magazine writer, opened the lavender field to the public for viewing and harvesting, and a new agricultural industry in Texas was born. Since it's founding, Hill Country Lavender has been the subject of numerous articles and TV features.

Blanco native Tasha Brieger, who came to work for Robb as a photo assistant in 1999 while a high school junior, was later recruited by Jeannie to help with the growing lavender business. Tasha was involved with the development and expansion of the lavender product line, and during the 2004 and 2005 seasons was the farm's manager. In 2006, Jeannie and Robb decided to move to Mexico so their children could attend a bilingual school, and Tasha—already well versed in all things lavender—purchased Hill Country Lavender.

At its store, snuggled into the lavender field, and on its Website, the farm offers more than 70 lavender-related products for sale, including nine varieties of soap, sachets, lavender oil, linen spray, lavender bubble-bath, eye pillows and a variety of lavender-growing publications.

Visitors are invited to cut their own lavender throughout the lavender season, which will open May 10th (Thursday — Saturday 10 — 4 / Sunday 12 — 4), and Saturday and Sundays only July 5th — 27th. Visitors can also schedule lunches in the lavender field, for large groups, throughout the season.

During the Blanco Lavender Festival, Hill Country Lavender will offer Cut Your Own Lavender and Texas-grown lavender plants. Classes to be conducted at the farm during the festival will include lavender-wand making and aromatherapy classes, which you can reserve online. Hill Country Lavender will also offer lavender blackberry gelato (ice-cream) and lavender lemonade, homemade by McCall Creek Farms.

Farm talks will be lead by Jeannie, who will be visiting for the event, or Tasha, the new owner of Hill Country Lavender. The most exciting event during the lavender festival will be Jeannie's reading and book singing of her newly released book entitled, THE UNLIKELY LAVENDER QUEEN: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming on a Texas Farm, published by Morgan Road Books, an imprint of Doubleday. Please check the website for the time of her reading.

On festival weekend, guests can relax and listen to live violin music under the beautiful live oak in the middle of the lavender field. For more information, contact Hill Country Lavender's owner, Tasha Brieger, at 830-833-2294 or visit www.hillcountrylavender.com.

Hill Country Lavender also has a retail store, featuring a full line of products, inside of Brieger Pottery, which is on the north side of the Blanco Square. For information on the retail outlet, please call, 830-833-2860.