In 2016, I had read about a lavender farm in Killingworth, Connecticut. I went with my husband to explore the beautiful grounds of Lavender Pond Farm. They are opened to the public starting in June, when the bloom season starts. The best bloom window occurs mid-June to mid-July. The farm has 10,000+ lavender plants on their 25 acres of land. There is plenty to do at Lavender Pond Farm!

*The entrance sign to Lavender Pond Farm.*

*Only if this photo included the smell of lavender.*

I am able to bring my pup with me as they are dog friendly (leashed and well behaved, of course!). There is a farm dog on the property going by the name of Flora, an adorable lavendoodle. Flora approached my pup to welcome her to the farm the first time we visited in 2016. This year, I decided to have a mother-doghter day, so we returned to the farm last week. Flora unfortunately wasn’t around to greet us this year, which we were bummed about!

*The mother and doghter day with my pup!*

As soon we get there, we immediately explored the fields. I highly suggest you to take a minute and INHALE the beautiful smell of lavender! It helps you to feel calm. There are a lot of bees as they are attracted to lavender. This made me nervous to sit next to the plants for photos but as long you don’t bother them, they will leave you alone.

*Gorgeous gardens through out the farm.*

If you want to do more than walking the fields, you can take a tour of the farm on their train, LPF Express. You can’t miss the purple train. The tour goes in depth about the beginnings of LPF and educating about lavender. The tour is 20 minutes long and cost $6 per people. Be sure to check their website for the train schedule. There is also a pond out back of the farm, behind the big barn. There is a gorgeous covered bridge! I’m a fan of any covered bridges, so I was excited to see it.

In the fields, they also went all out with making visitors feel welcome. There is a large chessboard and corn hole that anyone can play. There are plenty of sitting areas through out the property. Some small tables with chairs too, which would be perfect for couples. I saw on their Facebook page that they offer yoga on Saturdays. Be sure to follow them on social media for updates regarding events like that, bloom reports, newest products in their shoppe and more.

*The giant chessboard that visitors can play.*

*Another peaceful garden in the fields.*

There is a farm shoppe with lavender gifts to take home to remember your visit. I purchased a few lavender candles the first time in 2016, this year I tried the lavender lemonade. The lemonade was delicious! They offer lavender scented soaps, lotions, pillows, candles and more. Flora, the farm dog even has her own line of pet products including shampoo and beds!

*Flora’s Corner - the dog line in the shoppe.*

*The delicious lavender lemonade available for purchase in the farm shoppe.*

Lavender Pond Farm is opened from June-December daily 10am-4pm. The bloom season is June-August. Parking is free and available behind the big barn. No admission fees. It’s worthwhile to take the drive through rustic countryside of Killingworth and see the beautiful purple glory!

*This was a first for me to see white lavender plants!*

*While you can’t pick lavender, you can purchase them at the farm shoppe.*

Every summer I take the drive on a long scenic country road in Griswold, Connecticut until I reach Buttonwood Farm. Buttonwood Farm is a working family owned farm that sells farm fresh ice cream. They have the best ice cream in New England region. It’s THAT good.

*The sunflower field where you can walk through or take a hayride.*

Griswold, CT also got the “sunflower capital” cred from Buttonwood Farm’s annual event in July. The Sunflowers for Wishes is a fundraiser event donating all proceeds to the Make-A-Wish of Connecticut. Buttonwood Farm harvest 14 acres worth of gorgeous sunflowers and cuts them to sell bouquets. The week long event is when many people flock there to enjoy the sunflowers by taking pictures, rides on the cow train (kiddos), purchase the bouquets, and ride the hayride through the sunflower field. It’s so striking to see all those beautiful yellow sunflowers enough that I come back every year in July. People drive in from all over Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and who knows where else! Dogs are allowed as long they are leashed and friendly. TIP: it’s better to park in the field on Route 201 as the parking area in front of the farm can get really busy! Buttonwood Farm also sells sunflower ice cream during this event - it’s delicious!

*The ice cream stand during Sunflowers for Wishes event.*

Let’s talk about ice cream. As mentioned, their ice cream is farm fresh so you can’t get any more fresh than them! They have so many flavors so it’s hard to pick one every time I go there. Few of my favorites include blueberry (made with wild Maine blueberries!), cherry vanilla, chocolate brownie batter, coffee Reese’s and Jungle George (bananas with chocolate chips and walnuts). They make special flavors which is usually shared via their social media (Facebook or Instagram). Buttonwood Farm also makes their own waffle cones and whipped cream. The waffle cones are amazing. I love the smell of them when you walk up to the order window. My pup gets a bowl of whipped cream, it is funny to see her messy face afterwards!

My favorite time to visit the farm is usually during evenings to see the sunsets. Their farm landscape is so beautiful. They have farm animals in the fields too. I have 5 years worth of sunset photos from Buttonwood Farm - it really is magical there! The ice cream is definitely worth the drive if you’re ever in New London County (15 minutes drive from Foxwoods Casino).

*One of the sunsets I captured at the farm.*

This blog is not sponsored. All opinions in this blog are my own.