Blue Earth ~ Terre Bleu
Hello Wednesday! Hope you had all a fantastic Canada Day long weekend, celebrated #Canada150 with family and friends, not to mention the delicious meals and spectacular fireworks! Yours truly spent the long weekend in Waterloo and kick started it in style with a trip to Terre Bleu, a.k.a. lavender heaven in Milton Ontario,with Jordana of White Cabana.
With over 40,000 lavender plants planted (in 8 varieties) over the last couple of years, I simply couldn't wait to check out the fields to see which kinds are in bloom right now!
Did someone say this stage is THE ideal venue for wedding ceremony? I may have to look into this one day. I could only imagine how heavenly it would be to get married in pure serenity with a light scent of lavender.
Now it is time to shop! Contemporary in style, the store is dressed in creamy white walls with natural wood accents: a refined and elegant backdrop to showcase all the exquisite lavender products. All products are made locally and infused with lavender elements from Terre Bleu. From pure lavender honey / culinary lavender buds, french macarons, to pure essential oils / gorgeous soaps, I simply want them all!
A little design side note, don't you just love this vignette?
Check out the goodies we selected + a must-have delicious treat on every visit! I wish Terre Bleu sells their lavender ice cream by box!
Thanks Ian for an informative and entertaining tour of Terre Bleu! Jordana and I truly had a blast and we can't wait to visit again soon!
Terre Bleu had me at hello the moment I walked up the front gate. The main building looks simple yet sophisticated (LOVE that opening in the middle), modern yet inviting (thanks to the sun-kissed wooden exterior), and the view is breathtaking.
Jordana and I met up with Ian, the owner of Terre Bleu, for a warm welcome before embarking a fun and educational tour of the organic working family farm!
With over 40,000 lavender plants planted (in 8 varieties) over the last couple of years, I simply couldn't wait to check out the fields to see which kinds are in bloom right now!
The first stop of our tour is the distillery, and this is where all the oh-so-fragrance lavender essential oils are steamed, condensed, and then aged for 1 year to purify before being bottled. Do you know that it takes 80kg of lavender to produce 1L of essential oil?
The apiary is next to the distillery and Ian gave us a little preview of the hard working honeybees who give us the delightful lavender honey, another top seller at Terre Bleu.
One our way to the Yellow Bench Trail, we stopped by the Herb Bar: a new popular spot for visitors to check out together herbs and to enjoy a fresh fruit mocktails or two. Lavender Peach Bellini or Pineapple Lavender Mojito, think I will need to try both!
The Yellow Bench Trail is the perfect place for us busy city dwellers to slow down our minds, to live in the moment and to appreciate the beauty of nature. Just as Lavender could ease us to sleep, relief stress, and heal small superficial wounds (with its natural disinfection quality), this short trail doesn't not only serve as a passage way to the Big Yellow Door, it is also an emporium of natural wonders (a 200 year-old cedar forest) that brings us joy and peace.
The Big Yellow Door is one of the most photographed features at Terre Bleu. Sitting on top of the english lavender field, this vibrant and cheerful yellow door surrounded by the sea of purple immediately caught my attention.
"Walk through the door, your worries behind you, your joys are ahead"
What a brilliant phrase by Ian's 10 year-old daughter!
And as we left our worries behind, I couldn't think of a more perfect spot to enjoy a cup of refreshing tea. From architectural details to attention to our needs (body and soul), Ian has thought about everything to make sure Terre Bleu is not just a working organic farm, it's also a retreat / sanctuary for all visitors.
Of course Jordana and I couldn't resist to pose by this giant white bench. To give you an idea how big this chair is, I decided to sit at the top!
And here we are among the blooming lavenders. Wish I am there right now!
Did someone say this stage is THE ideal venue for wedding ceremony? I may have to look into this one day. I could only imagine how heavenly it would be to get married in pure serenity with a light scent of lavender.
On a slightly less sentimental occasion, who would love to sit by the patio to take in this spectacular view of full lavender glory?
Jordana and I had selected our favorite lavender varieties at Terre Bleu. Of course we both love Melissa, an off-white variety with light pink flowers. As for a deep purple variety perfect for cooking (check out these special recipes) and as dried flower arrangements, I am going for Purple Bouquet.
Now it is time to shop! Contemporary in style, the store is dressed in creamy white walls with natural wood accents: a refined and elegant backdrop to showcase all the exquisite lavender products. All products are made locally and infused with lavender elements from Terre Bleu. From pure lavender honey / culinary lavender buds, french macarons, to pure essential oils / gorgeous soaps, I simply want them all!
Summer is the official lavender season and with so events happening in July and August, you have got to visit Terre Bleu to experience the power of lavender.