Fresh Kentish hops and lavender for summer weddings
At Castle Farm near Sevenoaks, in the picturesque Darent Valley, the lavender harvest is about to get underway. Many visitors say that the scent on the air hits them before they see the purple landscape! And with many Kent brides looking for more local and in-season options when it comes to their floral choices, now is the time of year to think about lavender! Of the five different varieties that the farm grows for essential oil production, the earliest flowering lavender - 'Folgate' - is the favourite for cut fresh bunches and for drying. With its dense heads of deep purple-blue flowers, it's perfect for making lavender hearts, garlands or table-centre stooks, adding in to bride's bouquets or buttonholes or simply hanging as bunches on chair backs or pew ends. This is available from mid-June until early July.