The story of the Valensole lavender fields
The Valensole plateau grows more lavender, mostly lavandin, than anywhere else in France. Farmers here have cultivated it for over a century, mainly for perfume, soap and essential oil, alongside fields of wheat and sunflowers.
For a few weeks each summer the plateau turns purple, and the image of lavender rows with a lone stone farmhouse or tree has become the symbol of Provence around the world. The harvest begins around mid-July, when the flowers are cut and taken to local distilleries.
