Some people might sniff a rose with indifference or shrug off the fragrance of apple blossoms.


But when it comes to the aroma of lavender, theres no such thing as a nonchalant nose, say Ron and Judy Seaman, who together with their son and daughter-in-law, Greg and Elicia Seaman, own Leisure Lavender Farm, in Otis Orchards.


Youre either passionate about the scent or cant stand it, Judy Seaman says. Theres no in between.


The Seamans launched Leisure Lavender about five years ago, and the business has enjoyed slight sales growth every year since that time, Judy Seaman says. She declines to disclose the farms annual revenue, but says it generates enough sales to keep the business in the black, though it doesnt have any full-time employees.


Leisure Lavender sells six varieties of lavender either as yearling bushes or bouquets. It also sells a variety of lavender products, including lotions, soaps, aroma-therapy oils, tea, and sachets filled with culinary lavender.


A trip to a lavender festival in Sequim, Wash., inspired the Seamans to develop their own retail farm on 5.5 acres at Greg and Elicia Seamans home in Otis Orchards. The family met with the owners of Purple Haze, one of the more popular and profitable of a number of lavender farms in Western Washington, and paid to hear their advice on how to raise such a farm, Elicia Seaman says.


Purple Hazes owners recommended the Seamans grow a variation of lavender called Grosso, a French word meaning large, because its a hardy plant that can survive drier climates, Elicia Seaman says. The Seamans opted for that variation because of its high oil content, which produces a pleasant smell, and also chose another type of lavender recommended by Purple Haze, she says.


A crop of the latter variety died before the first bloom, but the Grosso grew quickly, she says.


Ron Seaman says that since that first loss, the Seamans have done research before trying to grow any other lavender varieties. Some grocery stores and nurseries here sell types of lavender that either dont survive Inland Northwest winters or dont last in a bouquet, without informing customers about those drawbacks, he claims.


The Seamans have a short window of opportunity to harvest the lavender, which blooms twice during the summer every other year. The family opens its farm to the public three weekends during the blooming season, allowing customers to pick their own plants.


Judy Seaman says those U-Pick weekends will begin this Friday and continue for the next two weekends, or one of which the Seamans will draw a portion of the proceeds from and make a donation to the Childrens Miracle Network. Also, the family is selling lavender plants and products at the Liberty Lake Farmers Market until September, she says.


A number of garden clubs have invited the Seamans to attend events such as the Festival of Flowers at the Davenport Hotel, Judy Seaman says. This summer, the Master Gardeners of Spokane County plan to visit Leisure Lavender, which participated in a garden tour last year, she says.


Ron Seaman says customers who buy lavender plants to grow in their own gardens often dont know how to tend them properly. Growing lavender isnt difficult, but it demands appropriate care to look its best, he says.


People who dont trim their lavender often come to me and ask, Why does my lavender look like a tree? he says.


The Seamans and their U-Pick customers harvest lavender by cutting off the 22-inch to 26-inch-long stems with a sharp knife, piling them into 8-inch-thick bundles, and binding those bundles with rubber bands, Ron Seaman says. After that, the Seamans trim the stalks so that they fit into shipping boxes, and customers buy the bundles, wrap them in plastic, and take them home, he says.


Making lavender products


Judy Seaman says the most time-consuming aspect of the business involves creating the lotions and disinfectant sprays and soaps. She and Elicia spend hours mixing lavender and other ingredients until they achieve a particular blended scent, then Ron and Greg package the finished products in containers they order from other companies.


Though cultivating lavender and preparing products takes time, the Seamans consider another aspect of the business to be more difficult, Judy Seaman says.


Lavender is easy to grow, but not easy to sell, she says.


Leisure Lavender has sold enough products to stay in business, but not enough to allow most of the Seamans to quit their jobs, Judy Seaman says. She works as a jeweler at Austins Fine Jewelry, Greg works as a heavy-equipment operator for Shamrock Paving Co., and Elicia works as a massage therapist at Spa Paradiso. Ron recently retired from his job as a salesman at Western States Equipment Co.


Most of Leisure Lavenders products sell for $4 to $10 apiece, and customers often buy more than one of the $6 lavender bundles, Judy Seaman says. Over the years, the family has brainstormed ideas for new products and has added a line of plates, cups, and teapots that appeal to customers who buy the farms lavender tea, she says.


Ron Seaman says Leisure Lavenders U-Pick weekends have attracted up to 2,000 visitors, and the farm has shipped lavender to people living as far away as Hawaii, New York City, and Alaska who ordered products online at the farms Web site. The farm also has sold lavender to a number of Spokane-area wholesale florists and to a large local grocery chain, he says.


Judy Seaman says lavender recently has gained more attention nationally as TV personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart have spotlighted the fragrant flower on their shows. The Seamans have noticed that many people, especially Western Washington residents, flock to lavender vendors because of the plants purported healing and calming properties, she says.


Elicia says she thinks lavender lures some people who prefer natural ingredients in their soaps or other products, and those who fancy potent fragrances.


A little goes a long way, she says.


Its that pungent aroma that first greets a visitor to Leisure Lavender, followed promptly by a lick or two from the Seamans dogs, Niko and Saber. The blazing purple colors of the lavender bushes, arranged in sixteen tidy rows, nearly sears your eyes at first glance.


Closer inspection of the bushes reveals an abundance of bees dallying around the spiky stems. That discovery delays a more intimate whiff of the lavender until Judy Seaman says reassuringly, Dont worry, they wont bother you. They just want the pollen and then theyre good to go.


She says the family often has to disclose that information before customers will pick the lavender themselves. Once theyre told, they go to town, cutting the stems left and right and taking pictures of their children peeking through the bushes, she says.


The Seamans plan to open their farm more days during the year, particularly on holidays such as Valentines Day, when theres a high demand for flowers, Judy Seaman says. The farm currently doesnt have a storefront, but the family is building one alongside Greg and Elicia Seamans house to make the purchasing process more convenient for customers.


Though the Seamans all have different reasons why they enjoy running the farm, they agree that they want to continue moving the business forward every year and working to make a trip to the farm a memorable event for visitors.


We get to create an experience for them, Elicia Seaman says. Thats not something you get to do every day.