Warratina Lavender Farm

About the farm

Our lavender farm is in the Yarra Valley at the foothills of Mt Dandenong, a 1-hr drive from Melbourne.

Back in 1991, Annemarie planted out a small plot of lavender on land which had once been a cherry orchard. It began as a hobby, but soon people began coming up the driveway, asking what time we were open til – they wanted to come and see the lavender growing.

And so over the years the farm gradually expanded & now has over 10,000 lavender plants and is visited and much loved by tourists from around the world.

The lavender grown on the farm is harvested annually between Nov-Jan, early morning, by hand, using a traditional sickle. The harvested bunches are then taken to the Drying Shed where they are hung to dry before being stripped on a machine. The stripped lavender is sifted three times to remove any unwanted leaves, sticks and dust. Our dried lavender is used in cooking, as decoration, and in household and beauty products.

Grown and made here

We use all the lavender grown on the farm in our own Warratina products and we sell to wholesale and retail customers.

You’ll find our full range of items available to buy online.

Annemarie is an engaging speaker and is regularly approached by Gardening Clubs, Probus Groups, Tourism Organisations & students to speak on subjects ranging from agribusiness to e-commerce.  Fill out the form on our groups page to enquire about Annemarie’s availability to speak at your next event.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately this is a peculiarity of lavenders. The best thing to do is to cut out the die-back & reshape the bush.

You have not pruned the bush severely enough. You must cut your lavender plant back by 2 thirds each year after the flowers are past their best. Use hedge shears or a whipper-snipper for large areas of lavender plants.

After flowering. Cut back by 2 thirds leaving only a small amount of foliage. DO NOT cut back to the dry wood.

Early Summer to late Summer depending on the variety. The best time to visit the farm is from early November when the lavender begins to bloom. We do have some Winter flowering lavenders on display.

One of the intermedia varieties is best for craft work & the wardrobe as they are stronger in camphoraceous fragrance.

The angustifolia lavenders are the only types which can be used in cooking. They have a darker flower, are sweeter in fragrance & have a low camphoraceous content.

The best lavender for fragrance in drawers & cupboards is the intermedia lavender which has a high camphoraceous content.

One of the Dentata lavenders is best for a hedge. They flower most of the year but like all lavenders they must be cut back after the flowers brown off.

Sunny position, well drained soil, not much water. They grow better in the ground.

Usually 15 years but they can be replaced more frequently when they have become too woody. Plants look better for longer if cut back hard each year.

No. Lavender is a drought tolerant plant. Do not water unless it is in a pot & then only keep the pot moist not wet.

Once a year is adequate for fertilising lavender. You only need a small amount of complete fertiliser or dynamic lifter. A little lime every 2 years is also good for lavenders. Fertilise at the end of Winter so as the rains can wash the nutrient in to the soil ready for the Spring growth.

Yes but it does do better in the ground. The Stoechas lavenders are quite attractive in a pot. They have rabbit’s ears on the top of the flower & there are many varieties.

These books are excellent references and some are out of print – if you can’t find them via the links or around the web, try second hand book stores or your local and state libraries.

  • The Genus Lavandula by Tim Upson & Susyn Andrews: published by The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, London – May be available on Amazon AU,
  • Amazon US or Amazon UK
  • The Essential Lavender by Virginia McNaughton: published by Bloomings Books – Available on Amazon US or Amazon UK
  • The Lavender Grower’s Guide by Virginia McNaughton : published by Bloomings Books – Available on Amazon AU, Amazon US or Amazon UK
  • The Lavender Garden by Robert Kourik: published by Chronicle Books – Available on Amazon AU, Amazon US or Amazon UK

There are many smaller publications on uses of lavender in cooking, craft-work ideas and design in the garden.

If you have a question which is not listed here please email us & we will attempt to answer your query.

If your question needs more in depth information we are happy to make an appointment time with you for further discussion. There is a small fee for consultations.

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