March marked the arrival of Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday or Mardy Tuesday to some, the festival of Mardi Gras to others. Pancake day was celebrated at the Dorset Lavender Farm Project with our community of volunteers. One string to the Dorset Lavender Farm Project’s bow that it is run as a Care Farm that supports adults with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health conditions through providing volunteering in a productive, natural environment. All volunteers enjoyed the pancakes.
March is also the time that the fields are renewed through mowing and ploughing, with our own classic Ferguson tractor. The Dorset Lavender Farm Project is wildlife friendly and uses organic gardening methods. We have a wildflower garden including borage, chamomile and marigolds, which attracts the bees and local butterflies, which then helps pollinate the Lavender and, in the bee’s case, produces very unique honey.
The Dorset Lavender Farm Project has Lavender plants for sale all year round (lavender is a hardy plant), as well as wooden crafts such as bird boxes made on site out of cedar so they don’t need painting. The Arts and Crafts Workshops have also continued including using acrylic paints on plant pots to achieve dramatic and colourful effects and participants making cards for their loved ones including preparing for the special occasion of Mother’s Day.
Next month is Easter season. We’re going to be focusing on the field once again with weeding being a priority. And in the greenhouse we’ll be germinating our own Fiddleford lavender. It’ll take 3-4 weeks, a slow process but worth it in the end.