lavender

Picking Purple Perfection: Your Lavender Adventure in the Netherlands!

Picture this: a warm, sunny day in the Dutch countryside, a gentle breeze rustling through endless fields of vibrant purple. No, you haven’t stumbled into a fairytale – you’re at one of the delightful pick-your-own lavender farms in the Netherlands, ready to immerse yourself in a sensory wonderland!

There’s something incredibly therapeutic about wandering through rows of fragrant lavender, scissors in hand, thoughtfully selecting each perfect stalk. It’s not just picking; it’s an experience. The air is thick with that distinct, calming aroma, a gentle hum of happy bees provides the soundtrack, and the sight of those beautiful purple blooms stretching to the horizon is simply mesmerizing.

Whether you’re going solo for a peaceful moment of zen, bringing a friend for a lovely catch-up amidst the beauty, or wrangling the kids for a fun, hands-on outdoor adventure (they’ll love discovering the buzzing bees and filling their own little baskets!), picking your own lavender is an absolute joy. It’s a chance to slow down, connect with nature, and gather a fragrant bounty that’s entirely your own. And let’s be honest, carrying home a giant, glorious bundle of fresh lavender feels like winning a fragrant purple lottery!

Bringing Your Lavender Treasures Home: What to Do Next!

Congratulations, you’ve got your aromatic haul! Now, let’s turn those pretty purple stalks into delightful additions to your home and kitchen.

For the Flower Lover: Decorative Delights!

Lavender isn’t just about the scent; it’s also wonderfully beautiful!

Fresh Bouquets: Simply pop a few stems into a small vase. Their rustic charm instantly brightens any room, and you’ll get bursts of that gorgeous fragrance every time you pass by.
Dried Wonders: This is where lavender truly shines! Gather your stems into small bundles, tie them with twine, and hang them upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot. In a couple of weeks, you’ll have perfectly dried lavender that lasts for ages.
- Sachets & Potpourri: Strip the dried buds from the stems and fill small fabric bags. Tuck them into drawers, hang them in wardrobes, or place them under your pillow for sweet dreams. Mix them with other dried flowers and essential oils for a beautiful potpourri bowl.
- Wreaths & Crafts: Dried lavender makes stunning rustic wreaths, adds texture to floral arrangements, or can be incorporated into homemade candles and soaps.

For the Herb Enthusiast: Sip, Savor & Stir!

While lavender isn’t a vegetable you’d typically cook into a stir-fry, it’s a fantastic culinary herb, especially in desserts and beverages!

1. Soothing Lavender Tea After a day of picking, what could be more relaxing than a warm cup of lavender tea?

Ingredients:
- 1-2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds (or 2-3 teaspoons fresh buds)
- 1 cup hot water
- Optional: Honey or a slice of lemon to taste
Instructions:
1. Place the lavender buds in a tea infuser or directly into a mug.
2. Pour hot (just off the boil) water over the lavender.
3. Steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on desired strength. For a milder flavor, steep less; for a more pronounced lavender taste, steep longer. Be careful not to over-steep, as it can become bitter.
4. Strain out the lavender (if not using an infuser) and add honey or lemon if desired.
5. Sip and relax!

2. The Elegant Lavender Gin Fizz Cocktail Elevate your happy hour with this floral, refreshing cocktail! You’ll first need to make a simple lavender syrup.

Lavender Simple Syrup:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh or dried culinary lavender buds
- Instructions: Combine water, sugar, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for 15-30 minutes (taste after 15 minutes to adjust strength). Strain out the lavender buds and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Lavender Gin Fizz Cocktail:
- Ingredients (per cocktail):
  - 2 oz gin
  - 1 oz fresh lemon juice
  - 0.75 oz lavender simple syrup
  - Club soda, to top
  - Ice
  - Garnish: Lemon twist or a fresh lavender sprig
- Instructions:
  1. Fill a shaker with ice.
  2. Add gin, lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup to the shaker.
  3. Shake well until thoroughly chilled (about 15-20 seconds).
  4. Strain the mixture into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
  5. Top with club soda.
  6. Garnish with a lemon twist or a sprig of fresh lavender.
  7. Cheers to your homemade harvest!

So go on, embrace the purple magic! Your pick-your-own lavender adventure in the Netherlands promises not just a beautiful bouquet, but a treasure trove of sensory delights to enjoy long after you’ve returned home.

Pluktuin ut ouw goed

flowers, fruit, berries

noord-brabant

Ut Ouw Goed is a self-picking garden and food forest located at Middelstraat 41, 5176 NH De Moer, managed by the Van Laarhoven family who transformed a former tree nursery into this diverse outdoor space in 2017. The farm offers a rich variety of produce for self-picking, including a wide array of fruits such as apples, pears (eating, stewing, and quinces), apricots, nectarines, persimmons, peaches, cherries, plums, figs, medlars, mulberries, raspberries, red currants, blueberries, grapes, blackberries, and strawberries. Various nut trees are also present. For vegetables and herbs, visitors can pick rhubarb, along with other seasonal vegetables and herbs. The flower picking garden allows visitors to gather their own bouquets from an assortment that includes Gypsophila, Peonies, Lavender, Anemones, Persicaria, Daisies, Sedum, Lupines, Coneflowers, wildflowers, and flowers suitable for drying, as well as Butterfly bush.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Nestled in the countryside of Rijsbergen, near Breda in North Brabant, lies Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten, an ecological self-picking farm. This vibrant space operates as a social project, sustainably cultivating a variety of produce with respect for people, animals, and the environment. Beyond its fields, the farm is also home to horses, chickens, ducks, geese, and bees, creating a diverse natural setting. Visitors can participate in several ways: Harvest Participants: By becoming an annual subscriber, individuals can weekly pick their own seasonal vegetables, herbs, and small fruits from April to October. This typically provides enough produce for a week’s meals for the registered household members. Flower Picking: The flower garden is open to everyone without a subscription. From June onwards, visitors can freely pick flowers to create their own bouquets, paying based on the bouquet’s size. Stamp cards and gift cards are also available. Direct Purchase: Loose flowers and any surplus herbs, vegetables, and fruits, along with fresh eggs, can be purchased directly at the farm. Apples, pears, and plums are occasionally available in a small farm shop for an additional charge. Volunteering: The farm thrives on the efforts of volunteers, who can contribute their time, learn about ecological farming, and often take home leftover harvest. The farm offers a wide array of produce for self-picking during the season:

de Buytenhof

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

zuid-holland

Boerderij de Buytenhof is a self-picking farm and care farm located in Rhoon, near Rotterdam, offering visitors a tranquil experience of farm life. The farm is dedicated to nature-inclusive agriculture and provides meaningful daytime activities for adults with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities. Visitors can enjoy a variety of self-picking opportunities throughout the seasons: Apples: Available for self-picking from approximately late August to mid-October. Varieties include Delcorf, Elstar, Goudreinet, and Jonagold. Pears: Also available for self-picking from late August to mid-October, featuring varieties like Doyenne de Comice, Conference, and Triumph de Vienne. Strawberries: Self-picking is typically offered for about five weeks around late May to early June. Pumpkins: Harvested by visitors during the annual “Oogstdag” (Harvest Day), usually in September. Potatoes: Can be dug up by hand during the “Oogstdag” in September. Flowers: The flower picking garden is open from June to late September, featuring over 60 different types of flowers, including dahlias, marigolds, daisies, and lavender. Beyond self-picking, the farm boasts a charming tea house (“Theeschenkerij”) serving homemade dishes, cakes, and drinks made with farm-fresh ingredients. There’s also a farm shop (“Boerderijwinkel”) selling local and seasonal produce like fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, meat, eggs, honey, jams, chutneys, and juices. For families, an enclosed playground is adjacent to the tea house terrace.

De Moestuin Utrecht

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

utrecht

De Moestuin Maarschalkerweerd is a biological farm and garden located in Utrecht, dedicated to providing a green space for community engagement and social impact. It operates as a social enterprise, offering activation and learning-work programs to individuals who are seeking to re-enter the labor market. Visitors to the farm have the opportunity for self-picking during the harvest season, which runs from approximately April to December. Those with a self-picking subscription can typically harvest 4-5 different types of vegetables and fruits each week. The extensive vegetable garden cultivates over 50 varieties, including capuchin peas, lettuce, beans, palm cabbage, tomatoes, sweetcorn, Jerusalem artichokes, and pumpkins. For fruits, strawberries, red currants, blackberries, black currants, and raspberries are available for picking in season. The farm also features apple, pear, cherry, and quince trees, as well as grapes and figs grown in a greenhouse. Additionally, a dedicated flower field allows visitors to gather their own bouquets, with a colorful selection of blooms such as dahlias, sunflowers, cornflowers, safflower, marigolds, coreopsis, amaranth, wild carrot, summer asters, liquorice plant, snapdragons, verbena, flax, sweet pea, knotweed, love-in-a-mist, and cosmos typically flourishing from July to September. A diverse herb garden boasts 75 types of culinary, medicinal, and dye herbs.

De Smaak Van Buyten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

zuid-holland

De Buytenhof is a self-picking farm and care facility situated in Rhoon, near Rotterdam, offering visitors an immersive experience of rural life and sustainable agriculture. The farm features a cozy teahouse that serves lunches and high teas crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients from their own land, complemented by an enclosed playground for children. A well-stocked farm shop also sells pure, local, and seasonal products, including a variety of fruits, organic vegetables, meat, eggs, homemade jams, chutneys, honey, and fresh juices.

Stichting Moestuin De Haar

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

utrecht

Moestuin de Haar is a 1.5-hectare self-picking garden established on the historical production grounds of Kasteel de Haar. Operating on the principles of community-supported agriculture (CSA), it invites participants to purchase an annual harvest share, granting them weekly access to harvest fresh vegetables, small fruits, herbs, and flowers during the growing season. The garden is committed to biological farming, prioritizing biodiversity, seasonal cultivation, and maintaining healthy soil without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides. This approach aims to provide wholesome food while contributing positively to the environment. Moestuin de Haar also functions as a vibrant community hub, offering various activities such as harvest festivals, workshops, and educational programs for schools. It serves as an inspiring location for team outings and teambuilding, and volunteers are actively involved in its upkeep.