Here at VK Greenhouses, we love to innovate and grow. We are constantly looking to explore new avenues for what we can offer our customers. In 2020, we planted a small number of lavender plants, which we harvested and sold as dried bouquets in our store. What started as a small, experimental crop has blossomed into 3000 plants that have yielded so many possibilities! We built a small workshop onsite at our greenhouse for the purposes of drying the lavender bundles and for distilling the essential oils that the flowers produce. If you're ever wondering what the little lavender-coloured building that is beside our tree and shrub lot is for, that's where all the magic happens! The process of distilling...
One of the many reasons to love July in PEI is that this is the magical month when lavender bursts into bloom. Beautiful blue skies act as a perfect backdrop to rows of deep purple blossoms waving gently, the picture of an idyllic mid-summer day on the island. This imagery alone calms the soul, but the soothing smell is what this plant is widely known for. It has a gentle, relaxing aroma that has been celebrated throughout history. The name "lavender" originates from Latin verb "lavare", which means "to wash". In fact, the Lavender plant was an important part of bathing rituals in ancient Rome - the Romans would put bunches of the flowers in their thermal baths due to their...
There is always something exciting happening at the farm.
This summer, we made 19 new covered rows for our lavender crop. The rows are 330 feet long, and the lavender will be spaced 2 feet apart.
This Haskap Berry "nice" cream is the perfect, guilt-free cool off treat. Summer may be coming to an end, but we are holding on tight to the last few weeks!
With Haskap Berries in abundance this year at VanKampens, we have had lots of family and friends trying their hand at new recipes incorporating this superfood. We can't complain about being taste testers! This particular new recipe comes from Aunt Wanda!
Have you made a Haskap Berry recipe that you want to share with us? Simply send it our way, we would love to feature it!
Follow along, save our recipe card below, and let us know if you try this recipe!
What is more refreshing than a cold, delicious smoothie? Especially with the beautiful, hot weather we are seeing in the Maritimes this summer! Our fruit smoothie uses Haskap berries to give it that beautiful, bright purple colour.
