Last weekend Matt and I ventured out to Hill Country Lavender, located just outside of Austin in Blanco, TX. In my long, long list of places to see and things to do this summer, running through lavender fields and cutting a bunch of my own were at the tippy top. So although the weather forecast wasn’t looking so bright, I threw on my cowboy boots and we set off for a country drive.

While I stuck to walking through the rows rather than running (I may be able to run marathons but I can’t go through a normal day without tripping on something) slow and steady won the race as I took in the serene landscape as well as took my dear sweet time cutting each of the 45 stems that made a bunch. Try and rush me, severe thunderstorm warning. Try.

I was so enamored with the lavender that I also took home a baby lavender shrub to be potted in my growing balcony garden. I figure that if these beautiful, delicate, soothing plants could flourish in the blistering Texas heat, it could totally survive under my less-than-ideal, totally-forgot-to-water-you-in-two-weeks gardening supervision. If it does survive, watch out for some serious lavender DIY projects coming at’cha. Lavender oils, lavender sachets, lavender candles, lavender soap, lavender lotion…