H OLDEN — Amy Parker was introduced to lavender through an act of love. In 2017, her late husband, Dick Atkins, was dying of brain cancer. She bought him a small bottle of lavender oil hoping it would reduce his anxiety, stress, headaches, and insomnia.
“He said it did help,” she says. They decided to plant lavender at their 32-acre Farm at SummitWynds The 2,500 plants thrived in the Central Massachusetts soil. Recently Parker held a lavender retreat that aimed to help a small group of 40 guests soothe the five senses: smell, touch, sight, sound, and taste.
Everyone here is chill, breathing in Mother Nature’s Valium from the now 4,000 plants. The guests are happy. They enjoy chair massages with a view.
Some grab purple scissors and snip away on the picturesque hillside, making their own fragrant bouquets, or go on nature walks. Nearby there’s a wooden swing in a field of wildflowers and the sound of three ponies galloping in unison in the fields. The drumbeat of a weary world isn’t heard here.
Pretend you are in the south of France. Advertisement Breakfast and lunch are catered and predictably purple. Lavender granola parfaits, lavender cheddar quiche, and blackberry lavender scones.
Lunch includes lavender tarragon chicken salad, lavender hummus, and lavender marinated feta. For drinks, you’re offered lavender lemonade and lavender tea. Then, to top it all off, there’s lavender ice cream over a blueberry torte or lavender brownies.
After lunch , a healer perf.
