Lavender Ridge Farms

Although Lavender Ridge Farms is not on the scale of French Lavender Fields, it is still a pleasant surprise to come across rows of lavender growing near Gainesville, Texas and close to the Oklahoma border. There is also a cafe where all the delicious dishes are infused with lavender (even the brownies). And you can wander around the fields and cut lavender to take home with you. The gift shop is painted a restful shade of lavender and we found lots of great gifts to take home - handmade soap, deet-free insect repellent and lavender bath salts.
The fields were a little sparse after the drought last year and a lavender festival the previous week-end, but it was still worth the visit.
The owner told me that he and his sister decided to move to the melon and strawberry family farm a few years ago and with a degree in horticulture, he came up with the idea for lavender fields. The farm has been in their family for over 150 years. This is a great time of year to visit.