For many of us, it’s just not summer until we see lavender buds forming. Its calming scent surrounds us in sachets, sprays, lotions, warming wraps and summer treats including lemonade. Since 2012, Thane and Peggy Bryenton have grown lavender in Olympia for visitors to enjoy. Join them in one final Lavender Fest July 12, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Evergreen Valley Lavender Farm. Closing weekend will follow, Friday, July 18 and Saturday, 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
From Horse Pasture to Lovely Lavender
Thane and Peggy are the owners, proprietors and distillers at the lavender farm in Olympia, which offers dried, fresh and culinary lavender, along with a range of lavender products. But it wasn’t something they had planned exactly.
When they bought the four-acre property in 2006, it was a horse pasture with three-foot tall overgrown grass. “Not wanting to mow it all the time, and being a bit of a capitalist, we researched different crops that might work in this area,” shares Thane. “Since many local farms already had pumpkins, Christmas trees, berries, etc., we looked for something else that no other farm offered.”
Exploring options led Genevieve, their daughter, to suggest they go to Sequim to look at lavender. “Honestly, neither Peggy nor I knew anything about it, except we knew it was purple. Once we arrived, we literally fell in love with everything we saw. The colors, the bees, people spending money happily,” Thane laughs. “So, we attempted to duplicate that here.”
But they didn’t just attempt it. They succeeded. Anyone who has been to the Evergreen Valley Lavender Farm knows its a vision of purple and green loveliness. With striped bumble and honeybees adding their own pops of color to the summer scenery. Every June through July, they welcomed visitors from all over to their farm to purchase fresh and dried lavender, as well as lavender-based products. Some came just to sit in the purple adirondack chairs and enjoy nature. People took photos, made memories.
Remembering 13 Years of Olympia Lavender
Those guests created memoires for the Bryentons too. “I think our favorite things about running the farm, are the guests that come each year,” shares Thane. “We have garnered many friends and families that have been coming to us since 2012, when we opened it to the public. It’s been great fun watching the little families grow each year. We have also built tremendous relationships with other lavender farms and businesses that rely on our crop for lavender products they use in their business.”
Thane shares that coffee shops use their Royal Velvet variety of culinary lavender to create flavored coffee. A local chocolatier created lavender truffles. Cookie and cupcakes companies created tasty lavender creations over the years as well. “More recently, a local distiller is using our lavender to infuse into their gin,” he adds. “We also met a gentleman from Seattle, who owns the 11 Olives olive oil company. He sampled several of our culinary varieties and used our Buena Vista lavender to infuse his Herbs d’ Provence olive oil. It earned a silver medal in Los Angeles a couple of years ago. We couldn’t be prouder of how people have accepted our product!”
The Bryentons went from knowing nothing about lavender to being lavender enthusiasts. “The things that we mostly love about lavender is how versatile it is,” Thane shares. “We never knew all the products that could be made from it. And now we make those products from our own field. We even steam-distill our own essential oils and that has been widely accepted by businesses as well as our guests. We love how our guests come back and tell us all of the things they use their lavender for. Whether it be a sleep aid, headache relief, mosquito bites, or to put in their diffusers at home, there are so many ways to use it. Since it has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, as well as being anti-inflammatory, it’s like magic.”
The Future of the Evergreen Valley Lavender Farm
When we asked for this interview, the couple said it made it feel so permanent to them. Like anything you have poured your heart and soul into, this decision was not one they came upon lightly. However, the couple has had some medical complications over the past couple of years that made the already hard farm work harder. Thane had a hip replacement two years ago that he is still dealing with and Peggy had major shoulder surgery last October – now Thane is also facing shoulder surgery. “This year, I’m scheduled for shoulder surgery in September,” shares Thane. “Six weeks in the sling does not make for an easy harvest. What folks don’t realize is that for two to three months before we open and for two months after we close, we are in the field working. And it’s just the two of us for the most part.”
Next year the couple is celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They plan on taking the summer off and traveling with their two golden retrievers.
As for the farm, they are not quite ready to say they are closing indefinitely. Even closing for one year is hard for the couple because they know people look forward to visiting every year. “If we did close the farm to the public next year, the plants will remain in place and we would attempt to harvest and make products that could be consigned somewhere,” explains Thane. “That would be the hope. The saddest thought about not being open, is that so many followers rely on us being here. They feel safe and relaxed and just enjoy being outside where it’s quiet and they can hear the bees. They say it’s like Zen to them. The farm has been voted Top 15 things to do in Thurston County for the past four or five years. We would hate to lose that momentum.”
“You never know…if after being off for a year, and if our medical situations improve, there may be a chance for us to open again,” he adds. “Ultimately, we would entertain the idea of someone else to come in and operate the farm with our supervision. With us both being in our early 70s, it’s just become harder and harder to maintain the stamina. But…we’ve loved it!”
We wish the Bryentons all the luck in their health and upcoming anniversary. Be sure to stop by and wish them well this Saturday at the Lavender Fest, where there will be vendors and crafters, in addition the lavender fields, or on the last weekend, July 18 and 19.
Evergreen Valley Lavender Farm
9733 Evergreen Valley Rd SE, Olympia
