KERN COUNTY, Calif. — It's no secret that the past few months have been mentally and physically exhausting for many people. The CDC has even reported something as simple as social distancing can make people feel isolated, and increase stress and anxiety. It's why lavender farms across the world are seeing a surge in sales this year, including The Lavender Garden in Kern County.
"We were hoping we would have more visitors, but we were surprised to see we tripled, or more than tripled the number of visitors that we get," Anna Valdivia, the Director of Land Development with The Lavender Garden, said. "They see the color of the plants right off the highway, and once they're here, they get interested. That's when they find out you can use it for aromatherapy, on your skin, for sleeping, and most people don't know it's in their products that they already use."
Lavender has long been touted as a natural remedy for anxiety, insomnia and other ailments. While there's no scientific backing for those claims, Anna says she's seen it work wonders. "I use it for sleeping or headaches, I'll get a drop and put it on my temples, or I'll spray some hydrosol on my pillow to help me relax. My kids use it too. They love it."
