Only lavender was not enough for the two of them. In this farm, in the village of Biržai district, the singer Neda, who played in one of the most prominent Lithuanian chamber music collectives “Mettis”, took to the stage standing in the violet fields… “We wanted to show that here is a great place and atmosphere for concerts,” Giedrė admits.
But next to Olivia and Giedrė, one more person would be needed – Otilija’s other daughter, Aušrinė. It was after she, as Giedrė says, “was distracted in Provence”, in Northern Lithuania in 2015. a lavender farm began to be created.
“Having come back, he suggests: what if we plant that field with lavender for beauty?” At that time, grain was also grown on the farm, and there was no shortage of equipment. But we still planted lavender, we started to take care of the environment”, recalls G. Rybalko.
And when the lavenders grew, they started to see what could be done with them – it’s a shame to throw them away.
What women don’t make now: starting with soaps, scented bags, they expanded the range to include hydrolats, body scrubs, bath salts, teas, spices, lavender syrup… And you will find not only products with lavender. There is also, for example, pumpkin flour. Giedrė assures: it is an excellent antioxidant, suitable for adding to dough, cooking porridge, soup. Otilija also created her own perfume.
After the first ten acres of lavender blossomed, people from around the farm began to visit, and after a while the women offered education to the visitors. However, individual guests visit Giedrė and Otilija more often to take pictures when the fields are brightly lit in purple. This pushed the business woman to install a cafe and a terrace.
However, the activities of “Levandų ūkije” do not end there – the women here entice visitors with events. Among them, stars such as Neda, one of the most prominent Lithuanian chamber music ensembles “Mettis” appeared at concerts surrounded by blooming lavender…
“We wanted to show that here is a great place and atmosphere for concerts,” Giedrė does not hide.
However, the first event guests were invited to was the domes. “I’m not interested in those St. John’s Day events that take place in the city, so we organized our own. A cozy group of women gathered, we wove wreaths, enjoyed the plants, and we even made a bonfire…
The enthusiasm was such that even if no one had come, we would have continued to develop the idea”, recalls G. Rybalko.
“And what should I do? Are you going to bed?”
“I myself was born here, grew up, now my mother lives here. For me, this is work now, it’s no longer home,” laughs Giedrė.
She slowly immersed herself in the activities related to lavender. A history and geography teacher, the woman left this job a little more than three years ago. They say he went on statutory leave and never came back – it just so happened that more attention had to be paid to the farm.
During the winter, there were two of them with their mother at “Lavender Farm”, as the weather warms up, more workers appear.
“The greatest joy for me is that I manage to find locals. Oh, and we’re growing up bartenders – it’s so fun that we’re discovering young people”, says Giedrė with a smile.
And for Otilia, in whose yard lavender blooms, strangers are constantly turning, hasn’t everything caught up yet? “Frankly speaking, it happens like that… After all, in the summer I am both the first and the last on the farm. Others, look, and at 10 p.m., when they manage to take particularly beautiful photos, come for photo sessions. Because of late visitors, I had to specify the working hours.
But extraordinary people gather here. Especially for concerts. Such a company! Everyone is so calm, so tidy. Children run on tracks… We set up tables, chairs – you go through everything, you collect furniture – you can’t find a single piece of trash, – the woman says sincerely. – After all, what should I do? Lying in bed? Death! You have to be useful.”
There was not enough lavender
However, as Giedrė says while quaffing, there were not enough lavenders.
“We saw that a lot of people don’t know and don’t know how to use plants. For example, monarda is very popular now – it is grown for beauty, but it is a wonderful medicinal plant. Or echinacea – we can also grow it ourselves. A lot of people grow, they know, but when you ask if they use it, it turns out that they don’t”, says O.Stirkienė.
Soil is very good for the liver. “We tamed it – it’s a wild plant. Wherever it grows, it shows that the place is clean,” says Giedrė, and Otilija adds: “I was looking for it for maybe three years, but I found it not so far from home, in a ditch. I tied it up, I brought it – it caught on.”
Beeswort, known by others as a boot, anise lofant, is suitable for managing stomach problems, lavender helps with migraine headaches, heart palpitations are soothed by fenugreek, fenugreek is used to manage sleep, radiole is a strong tonic for women.
“Here is a chest for those who want to hear about plants,” says Giedrė about her mother. – You can walk around the fields for an hour. You can only see how he carries the plants in his arms.”
2024-08-19 03:40:32