SEQUIM, Wash. — For the last 20-plus years Sequim has become the go-to place for anything lavender. In fact, the Sequim Lavender Festival has become such a draw, people from all over the globe attend every year.
The Lavender Festival takes place in Carrie Blake Community Park on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It features over 150 lavender vendors, live music, and food.
Arturo Flores has been farming for more than 40 years and is the farm manager at Graysmarsh Farm. It is one of the largest farms in Sequim and they have nearly 10,000 plants of lavender. But was this the city’s doing, or something else?
“Basically, the city didn’t have anything to do with it," Flores said. "It was the community. It was a bunch of people and a bunch of farmers. They wanted to put some lavender on the property since it was easy to grow here. It’s easy, and it’s a nice herb, you know? And from there the city has kind of adopted this herb, and people love it.”
For those of you who use lavender for relaxation purposes, that’s one of the many advantages of this herb. Here’s five things lavender is known for:
- Relaxation – Breathe it in, and it’ll help you feel less stressed.
- Air freshener – Put some in your house, car, work area, etc.
- Bug repellent – Lavender repels moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes.
- Relieves burns and itches from skin – Use lavender oil to relieve a bee sting or a mosquito bite.
- Use it in food – Many cultures cook with lavender to enhance flavor.