Trinity Gardens Lavender Farm, heavy with heady aromas
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald Wild bees flock to oily lavender blossoms when the flowers start to bloom, adding a spark of black and yellow to a field of purple and gray.
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald Three generations of the Putnam family consider this lavender garden part of their lives, working, playing and taking in the aroma.
Stepping onto the Trinity Gardens Lavender Farm on a hot summer day, the smell of hundreds of lavender bushes in full bloom washes over guests like a high-pressure system before a hard rain.
For the Putnam family, creating this small slice of aromatherapeutic paradise was a happy accident that all started with a small plot of land at a price they couldn’t turn down. At the time, it was a simple square of shrubland lost in between other properties.
More than a decade later, the cultivated swathe of purple and gray flowers is not only a source of pure lavender oil for the Putnam’s homemade bath and body products, it’s also a scenic, scented venue for weddings and weekend getaways. The bees bumble their way between the blooms this time of year, lighting across the shaded seating of the field’s two pergolas.
This is the first year Trinity Gardens has been open to the public, and business has been good for the Putnams, with bookings revolving largely around scheduled concerts or events at the nearby Gorge Amphitheatre. Located close to I-90, the property is located roughly 10 minutes from the state’s biggest music venue by car.
Daily tasks on the property are almost entirely managed by the Putnam family, made up of David and Julie Putnam, as well as their two children Chelsea and Matt.
Chelsea heads product development for an ever-growing list of products. For loggers (or hipsters), the lavender farm offers everything from beard oil to bars of soap swaddled in red-and-black flannel. There are also scented pillow sprays, hair repair serum and assorted body butters for those looking for a gentler touch.
For a complete product listing and to schedule a stay, call 509-423-3986.