A Passion for Purple: The Lavender Farm

DIY's The Dirt on Gardening visits The Lavender Farm, a family-run farm in central California dedicated to one famously fragrant flower.

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When the Hertel family left the big city to start their own farm, and decided to plant a few lavender plants, they didn't realize that their decision would lead eventually to a consuming passion and a thriving business. Though it started as a hobby, today their farm is devoted exclusively to cultivating this one flower -- which actually comes in a large number of varieties and even colors. In point of fact, the Hertels' farm includes nearly 200 varieties of lavender spread over 12 acres. It comprises one of the largest collections of lavender on the West Coast.

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