A Little Update on This Year's Lavender Bloom

If there's one thing farming teaches you, it's that nature is always in charge.

This spring brought us one of the latest frosts we have ever recorded at Castle Farm. On the nights of 12th and 13th May, temperatures dropped to around -2°C as cold air swept across the fields - sometimes damaging the tops of the bushes, at other times channelling down the between the rows and nipping the buds at the sides of the plants. We weren't alone in feeling the effects - fruit growers and vineyards across Kent also experienced damage from this unusually late cold snap.

For us, the frost affected some of the tenderest heads on our early-flowering Folgate lavender variety in the Lavender Walks field. Rather than flowering all at once as it usually would, the plants have been busy producing new flower spikes, resulting in some uneven early flowering across the field. Photo below taken on 14th June. 

How Does a Late Frost Affect Lavender?

Many gardeners may have noticed something similar in their own gardens this spring. A late frost can damage tender, fresh growth and young flower buds but more mature stems may survive unharmed. Plants have to re-grow new shoots which can take several weeks. This doesn't affect the long-term health of the plant, but it can delay flowering and make blooms appear more patchy early in the season.

In this photo you can see the different stages from, on the left, a frosted, brown head to a very tender young bud, immature flowerheads developing a bit of colour and finally a couple of stems which have got full colour on the buds and the flowers are opening. All of these may be found at the same time on plants affected by frost. See if you can spot all these stages when visiting the field! 

If you live in a town or built-up area, you may not have had a frost. Urban areas tend to stay slightly warmer overnight, whereas here in the Darent Valley, cold air naturally settles in the lower ground, making frost events more pronounced. 

What Does This Mean for Visitors?

Our Lavender Field Walks will still open as planned. While some areas of the field are already showing lovely purple colour, other areas are still catching up after the frost. The good news is that flowering is building day by day. Peak colour may be a little later than usual but the later flowering may help extend the season and keep the fields looking beautiful for longer!

If your main aim is to experience the lavender at its fullest colour, you may wish to move any June Lavender Walk bookings to a date in July. This can be done easily using the amendment link in your original booking confirmation, where you can view all available dates.

Our team will be on hand throughout the season to help direct visitors to the most colourful areas of the field and those all-important photo spots.

Everything Will Be Running as Usual

From opening day, visitors can still enjoy the full Castle Farm lavender experience. The Lavender Barn will be open, our field stalls will be stocked, fresh lavender bunches will be available, Lavender Ice Creams and G&Ts will be on sale, and the Coffee Cabin will be serving refreshments throughout the day.

The later-flowering Lavender grown for our Guided Tours and Lavender Picnic experiences was less affected by the frost and is continuing to develop well.

We'll also be sharing regular flowering updates, photos and videos on our social channels, so be sure to follow @castlefarmkent to track the progress of the bloom.

Thank you, as always, for your understanding and support. As farmers, we work with the weather we're given, and while we can't control the conditions, we're delighted with how the crop is recovering.

Every season is different, and we're looking forward to welcoming you to the farm as this year's lavender story unfolds.