Discover Delmarva: Lavender Living

QUANTICO, Md. — If you take a short, scenic drive through western Wicomico County, you might come across Wildwood Lavender Farm…a peaceful, countryside escape located near Quantico.

“It started with my parents. They bought the land in ’99…my dad had flown medivac helicopters and just needed something to relax a little bit more.”, Shana King, co-owner of Wildwood Lavender Farm tells WMDT.

The farm is run by Shana King and her husband, Bill. And what they’ve created is a retreat where visitors can slow down and stay a while.

“We have you-pick until we harvest…they have an area where they can picnic, relax a little bit. We have some hammock swings.”, Shana tells WMDT.

And the farm has plenty to explore beyond the lavender rows. “We have four ponds, lots of nature, wildlife. We invite birding groups here…we have geo-caching, so there’s four geo caches that people can hunt for.”

Travelers can even spend the night. “We are part of what’s called Harvest Host. It’s an app people can join for a yearly membership…you have to have a self-contained camper or RV, so people can come here, camp at our site, visit the farm.”

For a hands-on experience, the farm teaches visitors the craft behind the flower. “We offer distillation classes…we let them participate and distill their own oil and their hydro salt, our floral water.”

That lavender also fills the shelves of the farm’s shop, too. Everything from extract, syrup, lotions, to bath salts, and more – all available online. And the farm doesn’t quiet down once the season ends. “We have a Christmas open barn…the first two Saturdays in December…which we offer samplings of lavender shortbread and lavender mulled cider”

But for Shana and Bill, the goal behind all of their work is something bigger.

“We’re just hoping that people can get away from the screens, the tablets, the TVs, and be in nature and get that healing.”