HAMPSHIRE
Long Barn opens lavender barn and
heritage plant nursery
Long Barn Lavender, the
organic lavender brand
THE PLANTS
based near Winchester, s4HEWILDmOWERGARDENINCLUDESREDCAMPIONCOWPARSLEY
has opened its new, oak
meadow buttercup and lesser knapweed.
framed barn on the edge
s%NGLISH(EDGEROWS4RUSTHASDONATEDMIXEDNATIVE
of Alresford as a flagship
hedging plants for the new hedgerow, to encourage local
centre for all things
wildlife and this includes native English species such as dog
lavender, including beauty
rose, hawthorn and maple.
products and home
accessories.
Inspired by traditional English lavender growing in the 19th
The barn also has a new
century, what was once a bucolic pastime has grown into an
heritage plant nursery and
expanding and successful business, which is as much about
will be a venue for rural
lifestyle and traditional values as it is about growing lavender.
events. It is believed to be
The “lavender lads” grappled with a steam distillation model
the largest oak structure
made out of domestic hot water cylinders and greedy rabbits
to be built in the area for
chomping at the lavender plants and they quickly realised
The new oak framed barn will sell a over 100 years.
that 10 acres of lavender growing alone was not going to
wide variety of themed products
The three acre site
make their fame and fortune.
includes lavender display gardens containing 5000 lavender
One of the founders Richard Norris, an ex-IT lecturer who
plants, a newly planted wildflower meadow and a lavender
began selling lavender plants and products at London
history and education area. The lavender plants are of
farmers’ markets said ‘I have always been inspired by the
different varieties to the range and versatility of the plant
fact that in growing and distilling lavender I have recreated
and will produce blooms from late May to September.
an activity for which the south of England was renowned
The site of the barn borders the River Itchen and is located in
in Victorian times. To now be able to base Long Barn in a
an old sheep-fair field, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
traditionally constructed green oak barn and also sell a wide
This field has been re-planted into garden zones; in addition
range of lavender plants in order to share my passion for this
to the lavender display garden and wildflower garden, Long
species with the public is, for me, the fulfilment of a dream’.
Barn has planted hundreds of metres of native species
Local carpenters Hampshire Oak Ltd, built the barn using
hedgerow. A small orchard of traditional fruit trees has been
traditional mortice and tenon joints and building techniques
created to preserve varieties of cherry, apple and pear.
dating back to Norman times. It is the largest traditional oak
Long Barn Lavender has its roots in the heart of the
framed, four ‘hipped’ roof buildings they have ever built and
Hampshire countryside. It was born out of a passion
consider the building to be one of nearest parallels in recent
for lavender in 1996 by three men who combined their
times, to traditional medieval tithe barns; they have cited
knowledge and enthusiasm for this traditional English herb,
Titchfield Abbey, near Fareham, which dates back to
with business sense and a desire to start something new.
around 1410 as an example.
5,000 lavender plants are included in the display gardens near Alresford
Country Gardener
15
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