About an hour’s drive from the city, knitted with a framework of scenic roads and beset with wildflowers sits a gorgeous family-run farm.
Nettle Creek Lavender Farm located downstate in Morris, Illinois, is a gem of a place, beset with lavender fields, an herb garden, and an airy, vintage window greenhouse. The farm, which is family-run and operates as the owner’s private residence, is open for business, offering summer-ready farm stands, floral workshops, outdoor yoga classes, and lavender picking.
Planted under a wide open sky in Illinois, Nettle Creek Lavender Farm is a quiet oasis populated with lavender fields, fresh flowers, and a mini orchard. Visitors are welcome to come to see the farm, stroll amongst the fragrant rows, and even cut their own lavender stems. Peak lavender bloom season ranges from June to July depending on the variety of lavender. Still, it’s always worth it to call ahead and check on each farm’s individual schedule.
Presently, the farm grows over 17 cultivars of lavender which bloom throughout the year. The Lavandula x intermedia, known as a hybrid cross between English Lavender and Portuguese Lavender, will bloom mid to late July through August, along with some reblooming until frost. The English lavender will peak mid to late June. Many of the cultivars Nettle Creek Lavender Farm grows will have repeat blooming until frost, according to the owner.
Nettle Creek is in the process of obtaining a special use permit which would contribute to the U-Pick lavender portion where customers are welcome to pick over 70-100 stems for $8! The farm provides customers with scissors, a basket, and bouquet care instructions so you can make the most of your finds. This permit would allow them to continue the U-Pick lavender program which allows customers with reservations to wander and collect blooming bundles of lavender.
In addition to lavender picking, the farm also offers a comprehensive tour (for $15) which includes a full ecosystem rundown. This tour will take you over to visit the farm’s apiary, a unique beehive community of honeybees, along with a stroll through the gorgeous vintage greenhouse where they also hold a series of yoga classes and take a look at the herb garden.
Nettle Creek Lavender Farm is located at 8255 Pioneer Road in Morris, IL.
[Featured photo via: Unsplash]