This new lavender farm hopes to become the “pumpkin patch” of summers. (2024)

OXFORD — With 5,000 lavender plants, one green couple is bringing a purple flower crown to the fields of Oxford.

The new Calyx Creek, opened earlier this month, hopes to make lavender not just a pretty bouquet or a fragrant flower, but an experience to remember for its guests.

In big and small ways on their 20-acre property, owners Taylor and Stephanie Getting have invested their life savings into a new venture designed to harness the power of memory making with the crop not typically grown by Iowa farmers in hopes of it becoming a new summer tradition for families.

Through you-pick fields, demonstrations, classes and on-site lodging, they hope the new garden a few miles outside Iowa City will forge memories that outlast the life of the lavender.

“It was important for us not to grow lavender just to grow lavender, but to create multifaceted opportunities to experience it,” Stephanie said. “The power of creating an experience around something is just as important to us as the lavender — creating an experience to share memories or celebrate a special moment.”

On the farm

Several Airbnb lodging options in the remote fields reached by gravel roads offer an elevated experience for those hoping to “get off the grid.”

Two tree houses, elevated on stilts overlooking acres of lavender between the trees, deliver all the amenities of home in a new build without sacrificing proximity to nature. With loft beds, attached patios, air conditioning, full bathrooms and Wi-Fi, guests can get away in quaint apartments built with modern interpretations of wood paneling.

The larger Lavender Suite, with 950 square feet, is large enough for the family. If you want something a little closer to “glamping,” opt for the more intimate Shepherd Huts, tucked further back in the woods.

For a day trip, there are plenty of options: try your hand at making lavender candles or wreaths, enjoy a charcuterie board picnic, or book a photographer for photo shoots in picturesque fields.

For a cheaper trip, enjoy some lavender-based drinks, shop for a variety of products, or simply pick a bouquet yourself.

“You can come out and pick, and it’s a new family tradition,” said Taylor. “You go to a pumpkin patch in the fall. In June and July, you can go to a lavender farm.”

Growing lavender

Now coming to maturity three years after being planted, their three acres of lavender over rolling hills has about half a dozen lavender varieties.

Calyx Creek’s grand opening earlier this month came just in time for lavender season. The flowers reach peak bloom in June and July.

With English, French and hybrid varieties adaptable to the harsh winters of Iowa, the couple’s silty field was uniquely suited to the plant more commonly found in warmer climates like the south of France. Though they’re not high maintenance plants, they need to be winterized properly to avoid being crushed under the weight of snow or growing mold between freezing and thawing.

“It’s a Mediterranean plant, but we don’t live in a Mediterranean climate,” Taylor said. “It’s been a challenge, it’s been a risk, but it’s been a beautiful outcome. It’s so unique to Iowa.”

While a handful of other farms have 1,000 to 3,000 plants, Calyx Creek’s caliber punches in as one of the larger farms open to the public in Iowa. The Gettings said the next closest farm of this size open to the public is Loess Hills Lavender Farm in Western Iowa’s Missouri Valley. The Lavender Farm at Sutliff in Lisbon also offers you-pick.

Lavender’s biological diversity affords the plant, typically known for its fragrance, a great deal of versatility.

With a debudder, dried calyx (flower buds) can be used in lotions, candles and the kitchen. Similar to tannins in wine, the camphor levels of each lavender plant determine how it can be used.

English varieties tend to be better for culinary applications, with lower camphor levels that lend well to sweeter tastes. Deeper purples in French varieties mean higher camphor levels that translate to stronger scents — good for picking bouquets.

The farm’s fields also include varieties known for high oil production and can be used for products like lavender bug spray, which is 90 percent as effective as DEET in repelling bugs without a harsh smell or negative effects on the skin.

How it started

The couple, both 34, returned to their home state several years ago after living in Washington state. Their inspiration to open Calyx Creek was sparked by their experience visiting lavender farms in the Seattle area.

“We’ve always had a passion for agricultural experiences. Allowing people to come and experience the beauty of Iowa’s agriculture was a passion of ours — not to just grow the plants,” Stephanie said.

Taylor works as a commercial pilot. Stephanie works in insurance.

The plan started with a vision of about 900 lavender plants that would offer a broad spectrum of oil, food and picking experiences for guests. But before they knew it, their field had gotten into the thousands.

“There’s more to Iowa agriculture than corn and beans, and Iowa has its own beauty,” Taylor said. “Sometimes, you have to look harder. It’s not as obvious.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.