We have just completed a succesful Lavender harvest: the true lavenders (Vera and Mailette) in December and the lavandins (Abrialis and Grosso) in January. Although flower production was lower than usual, probably due to the extreme heat over the preceding weeks, the oil yield remained constant. Fortunately, the price of organic lavender oil has risen sharply, so the ultimate benefit has been good. We have now also just finished our first Rose Geranium harvest for the year. The rest of the year will include harvesting Rosemary (February), Buchu (March), Tea Tree (April), Eriocephalus (June/July), Rose Geranium (September) and the remainder of the Tea Tree (October). Interspersed amongst this will be harvests of Wormwood, Blue Mountain Sage and Peppermint Geranium – looks as if the steam-still will be busy in 2013 !
If you would like to come and observe a harvest and the stilling of oil, please contact us and we will be only too happy to make an arrangement. We recently had a group of aromatherapists attend the lavender harvest, which they enjoyed immensely.
