Call it fate.
One idyllic Irish morning, I set out to find the perfect place to spend the day and hopefully enjoy a picnic. “If only the weather would hold,” I whispered to myself. As the sun spilled over the sides of the Irish castle I was calling home for the next several days, I hopped into my mini rental, cranked down the windows and sped off into my future.
As I wound my way down and around Wexford, I caught the faintest glimpse of a sign staked on the side of the road. As the bright purple letters came into sharper focus, I felt a smile spread across my face. ‘Wexford Lavender Farm’, it read, with an arrow indicating that I was to stay on the straight and narrow.
Another 45 minutes later, just as I was about to give up hope that I would ever find it, another sign appeared asking me to turn left in exactly two kilometers. Quietly, I thanked St. Jude that I had not lost my way. As I made the requested turn, I spied what appeared to be the same shade of lilac paint splashed across a charming stuccoed entrance to a long-ish driveway.
“I’m here! I’m here!” I excitedly screamed in my head. As I made my way up the driveway, the delightful aroma of lavender wafted through my car, my clothing and even my hair. Amazing!
When you close your eyes and picture a lavender farm, Wexford Lavender Farm does not disappoint. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Wexford Lavender Farm you can cut your own lavender (they have over two acres!), pick your own lavender plants to bring home and buy tons of lavender goodies handcrafted by local artisans. You can even grab a bite to eat in their cozy cafe. Offering homemade breakfasts, lunches and freshly-baked cakes, I had stumbled upon plenty of tasty treats to fill up my picnic basket.
Now, how do you lilac that!
Sandy Nelson, The Sandy Papers, (703) 975-1747, TheSandyPapers@aol.com, TheSandyPapers.com, Specializing in Europe and the Exotics
