Driving south on Collingwood Street near Creemore, florets of lavender sporadically sprout at the side of the road, offering the first hint of what's waiting around the bend at Purple Hill Lavender Farm.
This summer marks 10 years since Jessica Ridding and Emma Greasley planted their first lavender crop, a milestone the sisters are celebrating with the release of a coffee table book documenting the farm's journey from family dream to thriving destination.
The book, titled Cultivating Nature's Magic: Our Journey to Lavender Farming, captures the story of how the sisters transformed part of their family property into a destination for visitors from across Ontario and beyond.
"We had this dream and we wanted to do something as a family, and it has become bigger and better than I think we could have ever imagined," Ridding told Barrie360.
Upon flipping through the pages, the book features what's described as "part memoir, part farm guide, part visual keepsake" alongside a vibrant catalogue of photos from Jessica Anderson, who has photographed the farm and its events on an annual basis.
For Ridding and Greasley, the project was a way to preserve the story of how the farm came to be while sharing what they have learned with others interested in growing lavender or starting their own venture.
"We give tours and we provide information to guests who visit us, but there are a lot of people who follow us on Instagram from other provinces or other countries who ask us questions all the time," Ridding said. "It was a way for us to create a keepsake of the farm, but also information for other people who want to start their own venture."
The idea for Purple Hill Lavender Farm began while both sisters were working in public relations in Toronto.
Although they had built careers in the industry, the pair said they always felt drawn back to their family's property in Creemore, where they grew up.
"We would come home on the weekends and really just feel a sense of calm and that we could relax," Ridding said. "It's our family home, our property where we grew up."
The sisters began looking for an opportunity to build something on the property that would allow them to return home full-time, and after considering different agricultural ideas — including nut farming — they discovered lavender and began researching its potential.
The first plants went into the ground in 2016, and the sisters spent the following years learning how to grow lavender while continuing to work full-time and raising their families.
"We really were learning how to grow lavender, so that was such a big part of it," Ridding said. "We wanted to make sure it looked beautiful before we did open."
The farm officially opened to visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, when outdoor activities became one of the few ways people could safely gather.
The response was larger than the sisters expected.
"We really just weren't prepared," Greasley said. "We didn't have the product offerings we have now, we didn't have the staff."
Today, Purple Hill Lavender Farm grows eight varieties of lavender and produces a range of products including candles, body oils, scrubs, tea blends and lavender honey.
The farm has also expanded into experiences including evening picnics, workshops and even some small weddings, drawing visitors looking to spend time outdoors.
"We've become so much a part of people's memories and experiences," she said. "People come here for events, celebrations, milestones that they will remember for the rest of their lives."
The sisters said their background in public relations has also helped them build awareness of the farm and connect with visitors.
"Even though that was my job, and I know all the things to do to help get the word out there, when you see the impact of it in real life, it is truly amazing," Ridding said.
"[We] meet different people from all walks of life who have seen us on Instagram or found us through word of mouth and have like taken time out of their lives to travel," Greasley said. "We really appreciate and we enjoy getting to meet all these different people."
Looking ahead to potentially another decade, the sisters hope to continue expanding the farm experience with more flowers, workshops and seasonal events.
But they hope the biggest message readers take from their new book is that taking a risk can lead somewhere unexpected.
"Don't be afraid to try," Ridding said. "We've had some failures too, which we've captured in the book, things that didn't work out for us, and we adapted and tried again."
