Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm

HERBS IN FOCUS | LAVENDER

It may look like a garden, but most of what you see growing here is destined for the still.
When our lavender reaches its aromatic peak, we harvest it in baskets and take it to our still. The flowers are packed into the still, where steam gently carries their aromatic compounds through the distillation process.

And then comes one of our favourite moments — watching the essential oil begin to separate from the hydrosol - it's magic ✨

From armfuls of lavender comes a surprisingly small amount of essential oil. Perhaps that's what makes that little golden layer feel so remarkable.

Grown, harvested and distilled here on our Kelowna farm.

Next → a little recognition from New Zealand. 🤍

A little silver from the lavender field - https://mailchi.mp/3e9b3d0e65ea/springing-back-into-action-13928144

HERBS IN FOCUS • ROSE GERANIUM

This is where it begins.

Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) is one of those plants we never seem to have enough of — so we make more.

Rather than starting from seed, we propagate our plants from cuttings. A small piece of an established plant is encouraged to form roots, becoming a new plant with the same aromatic character as its parent.

Even at this stage, brush the leaves between your fingers and you’ll understand why we grow it: intensely green, rosy and wonderfully aromatic.

From one plant comes another.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.

HERBS IN FOCUS • CHAMOMILE

And this is where it ends.

From tiny chamomile flowers gathered by hand, to a slow botanical infusion, and finally into a finished product.

Our chamomile becomes part of an infusion of farm-grown calendula, viola and chamomile in sunflower oil — a botanical ingredient we use in our Lip Balm.

It’s a lovely example of why growing our own herbs matters to us. We know where the plants began, when they were harvested, how they were prepared and, ultimately, where they end up.

From plant to preparation to product.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants

HERBS IN FOCUS • CHAMOMILE

Before there is a finished product, there are jars like this.

Calendula. Viola. Chamomile. Sunflower oil.

Botanical infusions are wonderfully uncomplicated: carefully gathered plant material, oil and time.

As the flowers slowly infuse, their oil-soluble constituents become part of the carrier oil, creating an ingredient we can then incorporate into our formulations.

There is nothing particularly glamorous about this stage — handwritten labels, glass jars and patience.

But this is where formulation begins.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.

HERBS IN FOCUS • CHAMOMILE

Sometimes the gentlest plants earn a permanent place in the apothecary.

Chamomile is one of them.

We grow Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) here on the farm, gathering its small, daisy-like flowers by hand and using them in some of the botanical preparations that eventually find their way into our products.

Its quiet character makes it a natural companion to other gentle botanicals — including calendula and violet — and a beautiful ingredient for skin care.

From a handful of flowers to something you reach for every day.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.

HERBS IN FOCUS • LEMON VERBENA

Look closely.

Long, slender leaves gathered along woody stems—and hidden within them, an extraordinarily beautiful fragrance.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora) has a fresh, intensely lemony aroma, but with a softer green character all its own.

When the plants are ready, we gather the leafy stems and steam distill them here on the farm. The resulting hydrosol captures something quite different from simply squeezing a lemon: fresh and citrusy, certainly, but also herbaceous, delicate and distinctly botanical.

We use our Lemon Verbena Hydrosol on its own and as an ingredient in some of the aromatic blends we create.

From a living plant, through the still, and eventually into a bottle.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.

HERBS IN FOCUS • LEMON VERBENA

Can you spot it?

Tucked along the right-hand side of the greenhouse is our Lemon Verbena.

Growing botanical ingredients isn’t always about beautiful rows in the field. Some plants need a little more looking after.

Our Okanagan climate brings hot, dry summers and cold winters, and Lemon Verbena much prefers the former. So we protect our plants through the colder months, tending them until they can return to the warmth and sunshine they love.

It’s all part of growing a diverse collection of botanicals in a climate that doesn’t necessarily make it easy.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.

HERBS IN FOCUS • LEMON VERBENA

There are some plants you notice long before you see them.

Brush against the leaves of Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora) and the air is suddenly filled with the most extraordinary fresh lemon fragrance—bright, green and almost impossibly vibrant.

Native to South America, Lemon Verbena isn’t hardy enough for our Okanagan winters, so ours spends part of its life protected in pots before returning outdoors with the warmer weather.

We grow it for that remarkable fragrance, harvesting the leaves and stems before taking them to the still.

A rather unassuming plant with an unforgettable aroma.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.

HERBS IN FOCUS • SPEARMINT

Look closely.

The softly textured leaves...
Tiny flowers beginning to open...
The unmistakable cool aroma released with the lightest touch.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) has been valued for centuries for its fresh, uplifting fragrance and gentle character.

After harvest, we steam distill our spearmint to create a beautifully refreshing hydrosol—one of our favourite botanical ingredients for facial toners and skin care.

Nature has already done the difficult work.

Our job is simply to preserve it.

Because exceptional products begin with exceptional plants.