A few sweet hours were spent at the Prince Edward County Lavender Farm in Hillier, Ontario in July. From the moment you arrive you feel welcome and calm. It must have been the lavender in the air or perhaps it was our gracious hosts – Rolande and Derek. After a guided tour and a sampling of lavender lemonade and lavender cookies, I walked between rows with my camera in hand snapping pics and sniffing the different cultivars of lavender. It was lovely to see the honey bees happily buzzing from bloom to bloom and return to their bee hive at the back of the property. I went over to visit them and was awestruck by the action. The Lavender Festival was the previous week and missed the opportunity to purchase some lavender honey. The farm has expanded to include herbs. I restocked my cupboard with Herbes de Provence, and bought some essential oil and culinary grade lavender for a blueberry lavender cheesecake I saw in the LCBO Food & Drink magazine. The boutique has everything lavender, and if you miss the opportunity to purchase at the farm, you can now order online.

If you are looking for a quaint day trip that is educational, yummy and delightful, grab your kids and take a ride out to Prince Edward County Lavender Farms. The farm is a short 2 hour drive from Toronto, 3 hours from Ottawa. Entrance fees when in flower are $2.00 per person. Children under 12 are free. Parking is also free. Sweet sniffing!