Lavender has to be one of the most calming scents. It literally calms me instantly and brings me to a happy and zen place. So when I discovered there was an expansive lavender farm in Connecticut, I knew I had to make a point to visit. The Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth, CT is a 25-acre farm with a fresh water pond (hence the name!) and over 10,000 lavender plants. The farm opened in May for the 2018 season and you can visit any day of the week from 10 am – 4 pm.
The farm features a store with a variety of homemade products and different types of lavender plants. I stocked up on homemade soaps with a fresh lavender scent and a soothing body scrub. I never even realized before coming here that there were so many different types of lavender varietals.
We spent the afternoon walking around the farm, looking at the varietals of lavender, and playing with the lawn games (like the amazing giant chess board!). I also recently found out they have outdoor yoga classes in the summer, which I am dying to check out. The story of the Lavender Pond Farm is also one that resonated me with – the mission: “to make the world a more beautiful place.” It’s a place where nature is to be enjoyed and we felt right at home touring the farm with Elle.
Next time I plan to bring better walking shoes so I can do a longer walk around the pond. The lavender plants weren’t fully in bloom yet, so I can’t wait to go back later in the summer. Elle loved all the different natural elements – the large rock which worked as a natural jungle gym and the little draw bridge (and we went back and forth, back and forth many times in true Elle fashion!). There were picnic tables set up as well, so bringing lunch and eating among the plants would also be a great way to enjoy the farm.
From the lavender farm, we headed to Chamard Vineyards for lunch (which is only about 10 minutes away). Chamard is one of my favorite CT vineyards. They have a beautiful tasting room and a farm-to-table bistro, which is incredible. The grounds are always stunning and there is plenty of room to either sit inside, on the balcony overlooking the vines, or on the picnic tables by the large outdoor pond. We have been for lunch a few times previously, and on our most recent trip we chose to sit in the tasting room and share a meat and cheese plate (tip: you can do a half portion of both the meat and cheese plates which lets you try it all!). We ordered a bottle of the Stone Red – perfect for a hot summer day – light and fruity, and sat outside so Elle could play in the grass.
Black & White Gingham Dress – Vineyard Vines & Elle’s Pink Gingham Romper – Old Navy