Located just two hours Northwest of Seattle, Washington, the small town of Sequim sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. Receiving less than 20 inches of rain per year, the Dungeness Valley is similar to the Provence region in France where lavender fields abound.
Purple Haze Lavender is one of more than 36 growers of this sweet-smelling purple herb in Sequim, which has been called “The Lavender Capital of North America”. Purple Haze was started in 1996 after then-park ranger Mike Reichner attended a local meeting on the herb.
When Mike learned Sequim had the perfect climate for growing lavender, he planted his first lavender field. Today, he and his wife Roz have created a full-time business with their 12-acre certified organic lavender farm which also boasts a gift shop and vacation rental home on the property. In addition, Purple Haze Lavender has another gift shop located in downtown Sequim open year-round, doing retail and wholesale business all over the world. Agritourism brings many visitors to the farm, and it’s become a popular setting for outdoor weddings. Every year the city holds the Sequim Lavender Festival & Farm Faire the third weekend of July.
Their lavender is harvested by hand and distilled into oils for its many aromatherapy benefits. They sell lavender plants, and they also hang it to dry in gorgeous bundles to create beautiful sachets for weddings. Purple Haze’s lavender products include essential oils, bath & body, candles and culinary items like lavender honey, sugar, ice cream, chocolate and even marshmallows.
When manager Vickie Oen saw the new Lavender Field Collection on the cover of her Nashville Wraps catalog, she was delighted. She said, “It is beautiful and the lavender actually looks like lavender! Since lavender can be made into such a variety of value-added products ranging from soaps, lotions, craft and culinary items, this new packaging line makes a beautiful addition for gift wrapping all of these items and continues the theme all the way!”
Vickie is planning a big display in their downtown store window featuring the Lavender Field shopping bags, which are a Nashville Wraps exclusive design made in the USA from 40% recycled paper. “We are getting a great response from our customers on the shopping bags…they love them!” she says.
U.S. Lavender Growers Association member Lorie Graff says, “Nashville Wraps’ Lavender Field Collection is a beautiful, simple design with lovely colors of purple, white and green. The tissue makes pretty wrapping for bunches of fresh cut lavender.” Anne Knauff of Slipped Disk Farm adds, “Nashville Wraps’ new Lavender Field Collection is beautiful. The stylized flowers and leaves are botanically accurate … I think there is a place for this collection in every gift shop.”
We are honored to have so much support from members of the Lavender Growers Association. We thank you for making this new collection one of our most popular spring designs!
Watch this short video to see Purple Haze Lavender up close, along with their farm house vacation rental and more gorgeous photos of their farm. And read more fun facts about lavender!
Leave a Reply