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The neat rows of violet-dusted plants hug the curves of the sloped fields and emanate such a scent as to transport any visitor to the lush environs of Southern France. The Carousel Farm, tucked away off Mechanicsville Road about halfway between New Hope and Doylestown, grows organic lavender and invokes the sun-dappled dream of an 18th-century farm.
Niko Christou, the farm’s proprietor, has lived there for nine years and grown lavender for about half that time. And what started as a hobby quickly grew into a lucrative business. Still, Christou’s passion for his work imbues his products with a certain beauty that only comes with taking great care to be involved in every step of the process. “It’s very rewarding for me,” he says, on using his land in a productive way. “I’m totally hands-on.”
Originally hailing from Cyprus, Christou previously farmed tomatoes and olives. But no matter what he tends to in his fields, he firmly believes in organic farming and resists the use of pesticides. “There is a huge move toward all things local in this area,” Christou says. “It’s important to use the land to produce useful things.”
His farm supports roughly 15,000 lavender plants of both English and French varieties. Over the past few years, Christou has been working with a local nursery to perfect a hybrid suited to the Bucks County environment. Harvested in June or July and again in late August or September, the lavender plants are hardy and thrive on land with both good soil and good drainage. “We are unique to this area,” says Christou. “There is nothing else like the Carousel Farm within a couple of hundred miles.”
As part of its storied history, the farm once supported fields of soybeans and corn. The stone barn and other buildings date to the 1780s. These days, in addition to growing lavender, Christou also operates a distillery on the property as well as a drying facility.
The distillation process yields two products from the fresh flowers: oil and water.