Back on line!!! / Ya Volvimos!!!

Hiya folks,

New years resolution - write in diary....

....excuse up until now - toddler + working all the hours that god sends can make even the simplest of tasks - (ie keeping up to date with a blog) almost impossible. But now that our little boss is able to talk, imitate and tell us what to do...he's become far far less demanding.....

So where to start - another fantastic year on the farm. The lavender is getting bigger and in getting big we're getting more and more visitors so a big thank you for all your support. We'll be open again in the spring but if you can't wait that long to buy any of our products then check the website , Body butters and Noel's hand sewn Wheat bags have been selling very hotly over the festive period.

Noel, myself and Camilo have just got back after a fantastic break in Argentina where we spent a month celebrating Cami's 2nd birthday and Christmas with the other half of our family and already can't wait for their visit here in the summer! we miss you loads. We got back and noticed that we're still in Autumn... what happened to Winter, or is that tempting fate. The plants are doing well in the polytunnel and March time we'll begin to plant a load of them in the smaller field (about an acre) using 50 or so different varieties. It will take three years to reach it's maximum potential but will be well on its way by next Spring and there should be some great signs of what's ahead even by the end of the 2012 season.



Here are some photos of us from the Summer





Hola gente,

Disculpas por no escribir por tantos meses.... la razón - bebe mas trabajo = muy poco tiempo. Pero, ahora que el Jefecito ya puede hablar, imitar, y dar ordenes... - es mucho mas fácil!!!

2011 fue un ano muy bueno por la lavanda. La atracción crece cada ano y trae mas visitantes - una gracias enorme por el apoyo de todos. Abrimos el galpón en la primavera (Avril/Mayo) - pero si ustedes quieren buscar y comprar por la web, visitanos . Vendimos mucha de la Crema del Cuerpo 'Body butter' y de La Bolsa de Trigo y Lavanda (que puede calentar en la microwanda) 'Wheat bags' - que la cosieron Noel - por las fiestas.

Con Noel y Camilo pasamos el segundo cumple del Reycito y una Navidad buenisima en La Argentina con la mitad de nuestra familia - gracias por todo, genial. No podemos esperar por la visita de ellos en verano, los extrañamos un montón! Cuando volvimos todavía Inglaterra estaba en Otoño..... Las plantitas van re bien en el inverdadero y en Marzo vamos a plantar un acre de approx 50 variedades. Tarden mas o menus 3 anos para alcanzar la potencial pero esperamos buenos signos antes del fin de este temporada..

Suerte y que tengan un muy buen ano!

Preperations in full swing for Hitchin lavender 2011 opening

Whilst I've been tidying the barn, creating new products and taking care of our many plants, Nick has been doing all kinds of jobs such as marketing, paperwork, twittering, improving the web site, farm work etc. Maria Noel has been finishing off her label creations with over 40 products designed, manning the markets and stocking up the product products - meanwhile Dad doesn't stop for a second from weeding and fencing and helping with the farming side of the business.. and Mum has been busy tidying and helping prepare for the grand opening next week whilst also letting Camilo take care of her... and Cami himself has been so hectic he hasn't even had time to take his ducks for a walk...

Its just work work work - if only we had time to take a break...

Hitchin Lavender Now Open!

Yes we're open again! Don't expect to see the lavender in bloom just yet but the fields are open and you get a lovely aroma from it as you walk between the rows. The barn shop (with many new products available inside this year) and tea room are open as well as a large collection of lavender plants available!

The tulips are all out (some aliums as well) - its not quite Kew gardens just yet.... but it's a start.... but definitely lots of potential to plant more types of flower next year (suggestions please!) - last year the sunflowers were a roaring success so are sewing twice as many this year - will be out in bloom from late July.

Come and see Hitchin Lavender soon!!

Noel in 2009 and our little boy

Here is Noel working/modeling in the lavender in Summer '09! Aca tenemos Noel trabajando/modelando en la lavanda en el verano de 2009!



There's been a little bit of a pause between posts as you may have noticed..... thats because somoene has been taking up a bit of our time!!! Ha pasado un poco de tiempo desde el ultimo mensage........porque nuestro hombecito nos lleva mucho tiempo!!!

More fame / Más fama!!!

Within a few days of touching down in the UK Noel was in the spotlight yet again! This time she was up to page 6 in the Sunday Times !!! - although sadly no mention of Hitchin Lavender! The article was about how CO2 effects specialised crops such as Lavender.

Después de sólo un par de días en el Reino Unido, Noel otra vez en el centro de la atención pública! Esta vez la nota fue publicada en la página 6 del Sunday Times!!! - pero desafortunadamente no mencionaron Hitchin Lavender! El artículo habla sobre cómo el dióxido de carbono (CO2) está efectando a ciertos cultivos, entre ellos, a la lavanda.

Cuckoo spit / Espuma de la Prosapia bicincta

Cuckoo spit is a froth formed by young frog hoppers (or spittlebugs). The lava primarily insulates the tiny bugs against the weather providing a kind of thermal control. On particularly fresh mornings our field is often covered with cuckoo spit as the Bugs fight the cold. Without the froth the bug would quickly dry up. The foam also serves as protection against predators and parasites.
The Bugs pierce the plants and suck sap out of them which can cause damage to the plant especially if they attack the shoots of the lavender as this will distort the growth of the plant. When you wander around our lavender field you can often find twisted and deformed stems this is evidence of where cuckoo spit has been present.
Frog hoppers also have a fondness for other types of plants, most notably; roses, rosemary and fuchsias. To get rid of these pests you can either brush it off with your hands or hose the plant down, which is easy for a gardner to do in is home... but slightly more difficult when you are managing many miles of lavender rows!

Cuckoo spit es una espuma creada por el insecto prospapia bicincta. La espuma aisla los insectos contra el frio y el calor otorgándole un control térmico, y también les sirve como protección contra los predadores. En las mañanas particulamente frias, nuestra lavanda es frequentamente cubierta por ella. Sin la espuma el bicho se secaría rápidamente.
Los insectos penetran en las plantas y le chupan la savia, causándole mucho daño a la misma, en particular cuando atacan nuevos brotes porque crecen deformados. Si Uds. entran en nuestro campo de lavanda es muy probable que encuentren tallos torcidos, esto es evidencia de donde ha estado la espuma de la prosapia bicincta.
A la prosapia bicincta no sólo le gusta la lavanda sino también se siente atraída por las rosas, el romero y las fucsias. Para eliminar esta plaga puede Ud. pasar rozando las areas efectadas con sus manos o simplemente puede regar la planta, siendo de esta manera no tan difícil de controlar por un jardinero en su hogar.... aunque no así cuando se está controlando kilómetros de filas de lavanda!

Media Frenzy / Mucha Prensa

In the summer of 08 Hitchin Lavender experienced huge press coverage! It all started when Julian Andrews (a professional freelance photographer) came to take photos of a group of artists who were painting the lavender field, when he spotted Maria Noel who was picking some bunches to put on display in our barn. He took several shots of her as well as the artists and the next day we appeared (or rather she did) in colour in the Sunday Times. This caused a ripple of media interest, first we appeared on Anglia television and very shortly after that - one bright summer morning the field provided a beautiful backdrop for GMTVs weather updates with Andrea Mclean. A few months later we knew we had made it really big when we appeared in the Carmen de Areco news paper from Argentina 'El Independiente'!

El verano pasado (en Inglaterra) tuvimos una gran experencia con la prensa. Empezó cuando Julian Andrews (un fotógrafo famoso) vino para sacar unas fotos a un grupo de artistas que estaban pintando la lavanda en el campo. Cuando vió a Maria Noel escogiendo flores para poner a secar dentro del galpón, empezó a sacarle fotos y al próximo día apereció la foto grande de ella en el diario nacional 'The Sunday Times'. Esta foto causó una cadena de efecto. Primero fue la televisión local (Anglia TV) donde nos hicieron una entrevista a nosotros. Unos días después la cadena de televisión GMTV presentó el pronóstico nacional desde nuestro campo de lavanda conducido por Andrea Mclean. Un par de meses después aparecimos en el muy famoso periódico 'El Independiente' de Carmen de Areco, Argentina.