For the love of lavender
The Bloom, planned to become an annual event produced by La Grange Lavender Co., took place last weekend.
A-Chord, a duet of John Two Hawks and David Blakenship of Los Roscoes, performed while local artists and artisans offered goods and services. “Our set list is a mission statement writing itself,” Blankenship said.
There was everything from yoga classes in fields of lavender to a Mexican food truck. Purveyors of products such as pottery and plants pitched their tents.
Matt and Kat Nickles explained how they started La Grange Lavender Co. and how the love story of this grow cycle was five years in the making. It became apparent that the blooming of good things is enjoyed by those who wait and keep their intention pure.
“As a physical therapist, I was burned out on corporate healthcare,” Matt said. “I was ready to quit and just mow lawns. When I first got out of school we called the shots, but towards the end it was just business. I always lived humbly and tried to reinvest. So, I was prepared. I was dying. My soul was goin’.”
“I told him if he wanted to retire, we needed to make a plan and have something to do, we needed to get some acreage or something,” Kat said. “When we started this process, he commuted six days a week. After the first season I was like, yeah, I got to quit my job as a high school art teacher. This is what we’re doing. So, we make all our products. We make all the art. It’s been a labor of love, for sure.”
“We came up to get back to old Arkansas, and Eureka didn’t change,” Matt said. “Fayetteville did. It used to be funky. We are so happy to be here in Eureka. I’m tearing up and didn’t think I would. I’m happy. I’m blessed. This is crazy. I appreciate it. I didn’t know these emotions were here. This is real. There’s a little bit of soul still out there.”
Since they knew nothing about lavender, they began a one-year research period.
“We started looking at lavender for whatever reason and took a deep dive,” Kat said. “We started going to lavender farms all over the United States and got in with United States Lavender Association.”
They started to look for land and found it on Keels Creek. Four years ago, they bought their property, raw land with an old barn. First, they put the plants in the ground and let the building catch up.
It took them two-and-a-half years to build a retail store/event space and restore the old barn. It is worth noting that not only was the barn restored, but extra time and money were spent to retain the historic aesthetic, keeping its culture intact. “The whole time I was asking myself if I was crazy. I poured so much love into it,” Matt said.
In 2024, La Grange Lavender Co. opened. Matt describes it as an ‘80s-ish Mom and Pop.” They currently grow three different strains of lavender: Grosso, Phenomenal and White. They are preparing the bed behind the barn for a fourth strain, Hidcote, their first culinary option. Because of all the rain, they want the plants to get more sun to strengthen their roots before planting. Currently, they outsource culinary buds from a farm in Washington. Not one process on the farm has been mechanized, it is all done by hand.
They also grow loofah and German chamomile.
Kat makes lavender jelly, one of their more popular products. She also makes lavender sugar, blends teas and makes bath salts. Matt makes all their soaps. They make lavender lemonade and just last week they got a beer/wine license.
The barn was originally built with all 4x4s placed 4 ft. apart with cross bracing. Since the barn was built up on a perimeter and not on the ground, it did not suffer rot from water. Matt kept the original tack room, openings that lead to the hayloft, doors and ornamentals. “I’m glad I was ignorant at first because I didn’t know how much work it would be to save this,” he said. He has replaced some of the 4x4s with 6x6s, and also laid a cement floor but kept inlaid strips of the original timber.
The lavender farm is open to the public April through October. They rent their venue from November through March for weddings, receptions and private parties. They can open the doors to the building when it is nice and put vinyl panels around the patio when it is not. They’re considering hosting a weekday evening live music night.
La Grange Lavender Co. is located on Keels Creek, 1755 County Road 329, Eureka Springs, and can be reached at (479) 244-8293, open Thursday-Saturday from 10-4.