Lavender Bouquet Festival Extraordinaire
How to Host Your PYO... Pick-Your-Own!
How to Host a Pick-Your-Own Lavender Bouquet Festival
A Feature Article for the Simples & Worts Herbal Apothecary Community
There’s something enchanting about fields of blooming lavender — the scent, the soft buzz of bees, the calm. Now imagine inviting guests to step into that dream and leave with their own hand-harvested bouquet. Hosting a PYO (Pick-Your-Own) Lavender Bouquet Festival is not only an engaging way to share your herbal garden, but it can also become a profitable seasonal event or community tradition.
Whether you’re a small farm, a backyard grower, or an herbal lifestyle entrepreneur, here’s how to make it a blooming success.
1. Preparing the Lavender Field
Timing:
The best time to host your lavender festival is late June through mid-July, depending on your USDA zone and variety (e.g., Lavandula angustifolia or Lavandula x intermedia).
Pruning for Pickers:
A few weeks before opening day, mow and edge walkways, remove weeds, and shape rows for easy access. Harvest test stems to judge how easily they separate for bunching.
Sidebar: The Colors of Lavender & How to Use Them in Your Event
Lavender isn't just lavender! Depending on the variety and stage of bloom, lavender flowers span a surprising range of hues — and each can be used to delight the senses and the eye.
Common Lavender Color Varieties:
ColorCommon VarietiesDescriptionSoft PurpleLavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote', 'Munstead'Classic English lavender, rich in oil and scent.Violet-BlueLavandin 'Grosso', 'Provence'Long-stemmed, great for drying and crafting.Pink BlushL. angustifolia 'Rosea'A rare beauty, soft pastel tones ideal for weddings.WhiteL. angustifolia 'Alba'Elegant and surprising — pairs beautifully with blue or pink.Deep PurpleL. x intermedia hybridsBold and showy, with strong aromatic oils.
Ways to Use Color in Your PYO Lavender Festival:
✅ Create Color Zones:
Organize your field by bloom color so visitors can pick a monochrome or rainbow bouquet.
✅ Offer a "Color of the Day":
Highlight a specific shade in signage or email promos:
“Today’s Feature: Blush Pink Lavender – Come early!”
✅ Bouquet Bundling Tiers:
Let guests build:
Single-Color Bundles (classic look)
Mixed-Color Bouquets (vibrant & custom)
✅ Craft Station Add-On:
Use color-matching stations for lavender wands, sachets, or floral ice cubes with colored blooms.
✅ Color Palette Education:
Display color cards that explain herbal uses or visual symbolism of each hue (calm, elegance, purity).
Lavender’s color story is one of subtle beauty and botanical wonder. Use it to elevate your visitors’ sensory experience — and their bouquets.
2. Event Planning & Pricing
Entry Models:
Free Admission + Pay-Per-Bouquet
Flat Ticket (includes 1 bouquet + refreshment)
Premium Package (bouquet + herbal gift + lavender lemonade + workshop demo)
Bouquet Pricing:
Most festivals charge:
$8–10 for a small bundle (25–30 stems)
$15–20 for a medium bouquet (40–50 stems)
$25+ for deluxe bundles, often wrapped with a ribbon and drying instructions
Offer volume discounts or early bird specials via your email list and social media.
3. Supplies & Setup
Must-Haves:
Sharp shears or garden scissors (sanitized between uses)
Baskets or mason jars for collection
Lavender drying guides or printable care cards
Shade tent or picnic area for cooling off
Handwashing & sanitizing stations
First-aid kit and allergy signage
Optional Add-Ons:
Branded wrapping paper or twine
Lavender hydrosol demos or distillation tours
Kids’ craft area (lavender sachets, wands, paper art)
4. Marketing & Experience Design
Your Goals:
Build community
Promote your herbal lifestyle brand
Capture emails for future CSA or PYO events
What Works:
Teaser videos of the lavender rows
Email countdowns with bonuses (e.g., free sachet for RSVP)
Photo opp spots: Create an Instagram-worthy swing, wreath wall, or garden arch
Offer bundle-and-save packages like:
“Pick + Pour” = Bouquet + Lavender Lemonade
“Pick + Craft” = Bouquet + Lavender Soap Bar Workshop
5. Teaching Moments & Herbal Education
Use your PYO event as a live classroom. As people harvest:
Explain lavender’s properties: calming, antiseptic, aromatic
Share uses in tea, tinctures, sachets, hydrosols, and salves
Offer printed Simples & Worts Herbal Cards as a keepsake
🎓 Consider offering a short “Intro to Herbs” workshop mid-day under a shade canopy.
6. Sales Table & Herbal Shop Display
Boost your per-visitor revenue with a curated display of:
Lavender soaps, oils, and body butters
Simples & Worts Tea Blends
Dried lavender bundles
Summer herbal cocktail kits
“Grow Your Own” lavender starter pots
A simple chalkboard sign with a lavender lemonade or mocktail recipe can prompt more bundle purchases.
7. Finishing Touches
Wrap the event in calm and connection:
Hand out thank-you sachets at the exit
Invite guests to join your email newsletter
Share a special coupon code for your online store at 1782Farm.com
“Until next time...
I am...
Phil Wilson...
And, here’s to living an Herbal Lifestyle With You!