Sourcing Ingredients: Our Future Goals

Did you know that Chez Lapin sources it's Lavender straight from these fields?

There are several dozen species of Lavender and over a few hundred varieties. In my opinion, Lavandin (a French hybrid of Lavender, pictured above) is the most fragrant and rewarding variety. You’ll find it in our shop quite a bit; from it's essential oil to dried buds in our skin care and our candles. It’s delightfully strong and herbaceous, making it über beneficial for your skin, house cleaning, and even keeping pests away. For the past few years, we've sourced from a beautiful lavender farm in Roumoules, France, a village in Provence.

However, as Chez Lapin expands and grows, so does my love for cultivating.

My goal, as the years go on, is to be able to source a greater amount of ingredients from Chez Lapin's very own greenhouse and garden. From our own hydrosols, dried herbals, and essential oils- to be able to source directly with my own hands is such a dream!

Which is why I’ve broke ground on our lil’ Lavender plot this Spring, 2021! We’ve researched lots of techniques, tested the land, measured resources, and conditioned the soil to ensure that this special variety of Lavender that can thrive despite Western PA’s humidity, clay soil, and tough winters. We're starting with a 14' x 14' plot and plan to expand next Spring when we find out what worked and what didn't, in our little science experiment!

It was very fun, very tiring, and very dirty. Check out our video to see for yourself. Now let’s hope we get some gorgeous lavender!