It's coming up lavender for Carterton couple

COMING UP LAVENDER: Jan and Stuart Abernethy of Lavender Abbey, Carterton, with their Silver Award from the New Zealand Lavender Growers Association and various lavender-based products.

From being daunted by the large crop of lavender in their backyard, to winning national awards, producing vast amounts of soap and healing balm, and having hundreds of people swarm their fields every summer -- much has changed for Carterton's Jan and Stuart Abernethy.

The couple are the co-founders of Lavender Abbey, specialising in lavender oil and other lavender-based products, which they run from their 3 hectare (7.5 acre) Dalefield property.

As well as keeping busy with their homemade lavender flea bite remedies and sleep serums, the Abernethys have been known to host close to 400 people at a time for their annual Pick Your Own Lavender events.

The couple's years of toiling have also won them recognition from the New Zealand Lavender Growers Association (NZLGA) -- with their Lavandula X Intermedia Grosso oil gaining a Silver Award at this year's Supreme Oil Awards.

Oils are judged on their smell, texture and various healing properties in what is "quite an involved process", Mrs Abernethy said.

"It feels just great -- we've entered a few times before, but I was always disappointed we didn't get anything.

"We're going gold next year."

Not a bad effort, considering they had originally considered getting rid of their lavender patch.

"We arrived in 2008, and it had just been planted," Mrs Abernethy said.

"We had no idea what to do with it all -- I rang the previous owners and asked if they could deal with it.

"I had absolutely no interest in lavender."

After a year, the Abernethys "thought [they] had better do something", and sought advice from the NZLGA.

In 2009, they harvested the lavender and took the crop to Graelynn Lavender Farm in Woodville for distilling.

With several litres of oil gleaned, the next step was to make some money -- with Mrs Abernethy going on the hunt for some basic soap recipes.

"I just Googled it.

"You have to get the consistency of the ingredients right, otherwise the soap dissolves within a few days.

"But, it's easy -- you combine everything, add the lavender oils, and whizz."

The Abernethys have since created a range of lavender products -- hand creams, anti-fungal remedies, a pet balm for cracked paws, furniture polish, culinary lavender, and lavender-infused tea -- which have been popular at the various farmers' markets.

Also popular are the Pick Your Own days, held over two weekends in January, which attract people from as far afield as Wellington.

"People love it -- they see the paddocks in flower, and go 'wow, this is so cool'.

"We give them a rubber band to fit their lavender in, and some people come back with the most perfect bunches."

The Abernethys say lavender is a hardy plant and easy to manage, but requires a soil high in lime to produce the best results.

Harvesting can also take some time -- with anywhere from 450 to 750kg of flowers produced in past years.

"Last season, we got 18 litres of oil," Mrs Abernethy said.

"Really, I never thought we'd end up here -- but I just love being out in the lavender field.

"The smell is just amazing."