Seasons at Bridestowe Estate
Like any working farm, everything has its season at Bridestowe Estate. We are held to the whims of Mother Nature, something that despite the challenges we see as our utmost privilege.
Although many gather at the estate during summer to see our iconic purple curved rows, there’s beauty to be found year-round. From the hard-worn tracks of our red dirt to the frost-bitten leaves that appear come winter, beauty is all around at Bridestowe Estate. We invite you to seek out your version of beauty here on the estate.
Summer
Come summer our lavender flowers are in bloom and our Farm Team harvest these throughout the summer to ensure we are getting the lavender oil at the perfect time. Bridestowe’s bees pollinate the flowers and begin producing our signature lavender honey.
The best time to visit Bridestowe Estate to see the lavender in bloom is December and January. Come February our fields are mostly harvested and busy being turned into beloved Bridestowe Estate products.
Autumn
Each year after flowering, we prune the lavender bushes by about a third to stimulate growth for the year ahead. Without pruning, the shrubs grow thin and scraggly, which reduces the amount of flowers and oil that can be collected. Our gardens come into their own in autumn as the leaves change, creating a technicolour landscape.
Autumn teaches us the importance of routine, the need to care for the land that gave us so much beauty during summer.
Winter
Winter is a time for regeneration at Bridestowe and we use cuttings to create new plantings. These are always separated by hand and planted by our team. After our team plants the new cuttings, it can take up to four years to achieve good flower density and optimum oil production. So any Bridestowe Estate lavender product you buy, know that it has taken many years of hard work and wonderful patience to create a product you will love.
Lavender plants are very sensitive to competition for nutrients and water, so each winter we weed the lavender fields by hand.
Spring
Weeding continues during spring as the plants grow and buds develop, preparing for flowering in summer. The many bulbs and shrubs in our gardens come to life as the weather warms to complement the landscape art dotted around the estate.
Spring creates an excitement of what is to come, knowing that before long our estate will be filled with friendly faces marveling at our lavender.