The Purple Patch Lavender Farm was born in October 2001 with the planting of 8000 lavender plants - Grosso, Impress Purple and Pacific Blue. The lavender begins showing colour about November but harvest doesn't take place until the flowers are fully open, January or February depending on the weather.

The lavender essential oil is produced by the cut spikes of lavender being placed in a still pot and having steam forced through them. The end result of this steam distillation process is the beautiful liquid gold oil.

Over the centuries lavender has been used in various ways, waxing and waning in popularity.

In the days before chemical fragrances lavender was a popular and easily obtained fragrance. Easy to grow and process, lavender is a herb without economic or ethnic distinctions, available to all. Lavender is antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and may help with skin complaints.

Over the years lavender has been said to cure just about every known ill.

Virginia McNaughton of Lavender Downs at West Melton, south of Christchurch, has an official New Zealand collection of lavenders.

Lavender likes free draining soil with a ph between 6 and 8. In France it grows naturally in well drained limestoney ground. The only thing it doesn't like is wet feet.