Latest / Side Note... / Why I Don't Grow Lavender in Texas...
Transcript
- Melissa: Doesn't lavender grow in Texas? In fact, isn't Blanco, Texas, the lavender capital ⁓ And that's the case, then why don't I plant lavender in Texas? Welcome to Side Note, ⁓ I'm Melissa Broughton, and this is episode three, where I answer the question why I don't grow lavender in Texas. let's talk about my business operation because it is unique. So ⁓ I cover a little of this in episode one and episode two, ⁓ how I became a farmer. ⁓ Also shifting from California to Texas, but I have my store in Johnson City, Texas, which is in the Texas Hill Country. It's situated kind of between Austin and San Antonio, and it's a small town. So if you can imagine, I've got my store in Johnson City, and lavender. Is in California because that's where I became a lavender farmer. And again, if you've listened to the previous episodes, you kind of know the background to that. But that's where my lavender is. So the timeline of kind of how I process lavender and how I harvest it really plays a part into ⁓ this story too and answering that question as to why I don't plant lavender in Texas. So lavender is a perennial. It's going to bloom every summer anytime between June ⁓ and July, depending on you live. anywhere in the world it's going to bloom between June and July. If it's A warmer climate, it's gonna bloom a little bit sooner. Also, depending on the varieties, the English lavender tends to bloom earlier. So keeping that in mind, I live in Texas now and I go back to Santa Barbara County, specifically Builton and Lompoke, just north of Santa Barbara. I go back there. Every summer, specifically the last week of June, and sometimes a little bit into July. That's when harvest time is. Now, how do I know that for sure as far as where my blooms are? I have people that will go to the fields and take up close pictures of the blooms starting in June, just so I can see. kind of where they are in that process and so that I know when I need to go out there. But it's almost always the last week of June, give or take, depending on the weather. So I go out to Santa Barbara County at the end of June. I will harvest my lavender with my crew. We harvest everything by hand. I have About 400 plants, but they are several years old. So they're big, big plants. And so we usually harvest around 4,000 bundles. Again, give or take, depending on that year's crop, but generally that's what we're harvesting is 4,000 bundles. Now ⁓ we harvest them by hand. They're all bundled. We then have to dry them. I have to dry them. I can't just bring them back to Texas. So ⁓ after harvesting, after bundling, then put them in a drying space ⁓ and ⁓ they have to for six to eight weeks. So right after harvest, I hang them to dry or put them on drying shelves, and then I come back to Texas. And then I'm here for a couple of months and then I go back. So I usually go back mid to end of August. When I go back, I take those dried bundles and I put them in moving pods, and then a truck picks that up. And drives it out to Texas. So I am no longer driving back and forth to California. The first year I did that with a U-Haul truck. I was able to do it, but there were challenges with it, ⁓ ⁓ decided I did not want to do that moving forward. And so this is now the new setup. So that's ⁓ how harvest every summer. And then ⁓ Once that pod arrives in Johnson City, I unload all of those bundles and then I hang them throughout my store. So I've got, if you've been to my store, you know it's an amazing little space, but it is a boutique little shop. So it's small. So I take those 4,000 bundles and I'm hanging them on the ceiling in my workroom and then all throughout my store on the walls and just everywhere around my store and then in baskets on the floor. There's a lot of lavender. But that's important because this is my livelihood. This is how I make a living. So after spending quite a bit of money for the expenses of harvest, it's a business expense, right? So now I've got that crop and it's got to last me a year. and because I have a small production and a small business ⁓ works out. So I use that lavender to make my products, ⁓ the lavender bunnies, because those are my bestseller. If you've been in my store, you know about the lavender bunny fidget sensory tools. and so all of that lavender is used to ⁓ make products. Now there are some products in my store that I don't make with my own lavender and I collaborate with another lavender farmer. But the the best sellers and the big sellers in my store are made with my lavender. So and then right around I would say the middle of May, I am almost out of lavender, right? Because it's been almost a year and I will have used all of my bundles. but that's okay because it's about time. To go back to Santa Barbara County and do it all over again. So that's my business operation, kind of in a nutshell. Now that you understand my operation, allow me to set up the scene that happens on a daily basis in my store, I have customers that walk into my store, and of course they're hit with the aroma. The amazing, amazing aroma in my store. And I always keep my doors open. So that the aroma goes out. And I always have customers that come and say, I could smell your store a block away. We were walking and we could smell your store. And I love that. I love that they come in ⁓ ⁓ the first thing they say is, ⁓ my gosh, it smells so good. I love lavender. ⁓ ⁓ hear that all day. And so it's really wonderful to ⁓ that to people. That joy, that aromatherapy, that calming experience. So then almost everybody asks me how I became a lavender farmer. That's usually the first question. I cover that in episode one that's also kind of a unique story on how I became a lavender farmer. And then they want to know ⁓ it's grown locally. ⁓ Then I explained to them that I became a lavender farmer when I lived in California several years ago. and I appreciate that they're asking that because they're asking if it's grown locally. ⁓ And Texans are such ⁓ so proud of their state. They're such a a a prideful state in such a beautiful way. So they want to support local businesses. They want to buy things that are made in Texas, planted in Texas. And so it's a good question. But once I explain my situation and my setup and how I became a lavender farmer, but then how things changed in California, which I cover in episode two, why I moved from California to Texas. And I explain that to them. ⁓ And then they see that there's this person that you know is working really hard and has created this business for herself and has moved to Texas. they get it and they appreciate it and they really respect that too. So, but then the next question always is okay, now that you're here. Why don't you grow lavender in Texas? And it's a great question because boy, would that be a lot easier? I wouldn't have to go back to California every summer. I wouldn't have to pay those expenses to go to California, the flight, the hotel, the meals, the shipping of the lavender back. I mean, it's it's a big deal. so it's a really good question. Why don't I grow in Texas? So let me just go through the reasons for you because a lot of people are curious about this. And really, the I mean, the first reason is simply because my crop ⁓ in California already. So ⁓ I moved to Texas, it wasn't like I could just dig them up and bring them with me. ⁓ If you listen to episode ⁓ one and two, you know that my lavender is on three different properties within Santa Barbara County, within 30 minutes of each other. And those properties are owned by two different families. So ⁓ they're kind of my babies and I have an attachment to them. love them. I know them well. I know their bloom schedule. ⁓ I know how they look, I know how they smell. So ⁓ my crop and it's in California. So ⁓ that's where I'm gonna go. Because it's already planted, it's already doing well, it's already thriving. So that's one of the reasons that I don't plant in Texas, Now, even if I didn't have that, ⁓ there are other reasons that I would not plant in Texas. There are other reasons that let's call them the technical scientific reasons as to why I would not plant lavender in Texas. Texas climate and soil is not conducive to ⁓ lavender growing. That's general statement. ⁓ There are exceptions the rule. there are Lavender farmers and lavender farms in Texas, I'll tell you a little bit more about those. and I'll link them in my story in my comments. But generally speaking, ⁓ anybody who has tried to plant lavender in Texas knows that Texas is not conducive to lavender growing. And that is for a few reasons. the first being the climate. ⁓ Lavender is a drought tolerant plant. It likes heat and it likes dry. And Texas is a humid state. And so you might find subclimates throughout Texas where that can be, you know, a little bit better for lavender growing, but generally Texas is a humid state. So good places for lavender growing would be California. ⁓ Of course, ⁓ Arizona, New Mexico, ⁓ Eastern Oregon, and actually places throughout the United States. they if they're a colder state, they might have a shorter bloom, but you can still grow lavender there because the other thing that's really important is the soil. The soil. It needs to be sandy or well-draining soil. And the soil here in Texas is clay, and it's not good for the plants. I've also read and heard, and I don't know the details around this, but I've also heard there's something naturally occurring in the Texas soil that does. Kill or attack lavender after a few years. This is what I've heard. So I don't know the details around it, but enough to know that it's just not worth planting several hundred or several thousand plants for me. So ⁓ that's technical or scientific reasons as to. ⁓ why I wouldn't plant lavender here in Texas. Now this goes back to the question, well, what about Blanco? You know, people will come into my store and they'll say, well, I thought Blanco had lots of lavender farms and I thought it was the lavender capital of Texas. So the history with that, which I've done quite a bit of research on, and this is my understanding, if somebody ⁓ has more information and wants to share it with me, I would love to hear it. ⁓ But from my understanding, it was probably about twenty-five years ago that a couple, husband and wife, were living in the Blanco area and they had gone to Provence, and I'm summarizing ⁓ the story They had gone to Provence. ⁓ Looked at the ⁓ environment and the landscape and thought, wow, this looks like Texas Hill Country. These the lavender is beautiful. Let's go back home and plant lavender. ⁓ so they did that, ⁓ good on them. They found something they were passionate about, they were excited about, and they wanted to do this. And so, and it's quite the history for Blanco, Texas. ⁓ So they did this and they were successful. And from my understanding, a handful of other families came in, got property, and also planted lavender farms. So now all of a sudden you've got this little town in Texas Hill Country that's got, I don't know, five, six, seven, I don't know how many little lavender farms. Now that's not a lot compared to, somewhere in California or Provence or something like that. But for a small town in Texas Hill Country, that is a lot. ⁓ ⁓ then ⁓ realized after few years that it the lavender was dying and it was not doing well. And there were challenges, ⁓ constant, consistent with growing the lavender. But one of the things that happened in sort of this history of blanco and lavender is that that couple that started the first lavender farm, ⁓ it's called Hill Country Lavender, it's in Blanco. It's still there today. It's not owned by the same couple. From my understanding, they sold it to the young lady that was working for them when she was younger, like a young adult. but that couple ⁓ started the lavender festival in Blanco and just this past year they had their 21st festival. So that's commendable because there are thousands of people that go to this lavender festival every June. It's at the beginning of June. It's Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ⁓ it's all lavender. Now again you kind of Ask well, where's all the lavender coming from from if you know these farms aren't plentiful like they were? And it's a festival, so they have other things that they're selling, but the theme is lavender, and there are other lavender farmers ⁓ throughout Texas that may go to the festival ⁓ And then they do tours of hill country lavender. But this brings in thousands of people and that's always good for community, right? That's always good for a small town. You have thousands of visitors that come in for a weekend. This helps small retail, hotels, restaurants. So that's really commendable that that that's going on. ⁓ But Blanco not the lavender capital of Texas anymore. ⁓ there are other places in Texas that have lavender farms. I have not visited yet. familiar them. I've been told about them. I'll link them in my my story so that you know about them and you can visit them. whether or not they're producing or successful, I don't know. You know, they they've got their own story of planting and growing and the challenges that come along with not only farming, but Farming lavender in Texas. And who knows, maybe they're in a little subclimate that ⁓ is better for lavender growing. Maybe they have planted a variety that's better for that particular area. I do have to say though, ⁓ did meet a lavender farmer ⁓ couple years ago, ⁓ his name is Steve, ⁓ he ⁓ Decided to go into lavender farming in his retirement, I think is the understanding. And Steve came into my store a couple years ago and said, you know, so and so told me about you that you're a lavender farmer from California. So I had to come meet you because I'm a lavender farmer also. ⁓ it's I giggle about it now and and I've told him this too, because we're friends now and we talk about. lavender growing and varieties and all the fun stuff. But when he first came in and he said that he had lavender plants and in Canyon Lake, which is about 30 minutes away from Johnson City, I was so sort of, I guess, jaded with the Texas lavender stories that I'd heard. I thought Okay, ⁓ and I said, Well, how many do you have? And he, I think it was a thousand. And I'm thinking, well, I wonder how old they are. Like maybe he just planted them. And I said, Well, how old are they? And he I think at the time he said seven years old or eight years old. And I thought, okay, wait a second here. You've got a thousand plants and they're eight years old. ⁓ good. And so he's like, you gotta come out and see him. So I drove out to Canyon Lake. I was still very skeptical. And when I arrived on his property and looked out his it it is backyard, which is looking at the lake, there's this large pasture and there were the plants and they were gorgeous and beautiful and healthy and thriving. And we walked through them and everything. I couldn't believe it. So, of course, I said, What are you doing to keep these alive? These look fantastic. so realized why. Steve again does this because he's passionate about the plant. He's not necessarily doing a business or a store or lots of products from it. He is just like Growing these plants and testing things, and it's like this engineering mind that has come up with all these processes. He's like, Well, I take the wind from that comes from the lake, and I've come up with this system that takes the water from the I mean, he just, you know, he's come up with this amazing complicated system, and now he's trying to propagate different kinds of ⁓ varieties and everything. So And the variety that he's growing seems to be doing well. He's got a lavendula and gustafolia. And it smells amazing. I do have to say, and Steve and I have talked about this, the color of it isn't as ⁓ or as beautiful as my plants or as the varieties that I love. ⁓ his is more of a light purple and so when it dries it's a gray color. So if you've seen mine when they dry, ⁓ They are more of a purple bluish color, which is beautiful. But nevertheless, he's got great plants and they smell amazing. He distills the oil. It's great. And he is trying some other varieties, the ones that I suggested that as far as the colors that I love. ⁓ So, all that to say, again, there are exceptions to the rule as far as growing in Texas. And there are other lavender farmers here. but that's why I would not grow lavender in Texas, because I've already got a crop in California and also because ⁓ here it just overall I wouldn't want to deal with the challenges of growing lavender here. Now, some people have asked, well, what if my situation changes? what if ⁓ the in California shuts down. Whatever reason. There are reasons that could happen, but you know, it hasn't happened yet. So, but what if my situation changes? Well, there are solutions, right? And options. I believe that options are security and every good woman's got a backup plan. But you know, as I've thought through that, for me, number one, planting more lavender is not the answer for me. As much as I would like to say, you know, there's no such thing as too much lavender and we need it and I love lots of lavender. There are so many lavender farms that already have tons of lavender. for me, I am a minimalist and I would rather ⁓ instead planting more for the sake of having my own, ⁓ which really never been a thing for me, I do like the ability to harvest it myself and Keep an eye on the lavender plants and all of that. But if that went away and I know that there's plenty of lavender to be had, I wouldn't plant more. ⁓ And then also, if I know a lavender farmer who's got tons of lavender that's not being used, then it's supporting that business without having to plant more lavender. Now Again, if somebody was like, Yes, but if you know you wanted to plant lavender, or if somebody said, But I do want to be a lavender farmer and I want to live in Texas, where should I plant? Then, in my opinion, which is a limited experience based on this area, I would either say West Texas, ⁓ that Climate is a little bit better for lavender growing. Or if you're going to go into another state for better lavender growing from Texas, I'd go to New Mexico. They've got great lavender farms there, and it's not driving all the way to, California. So, ⁓ you know, if somebody said, But I want to plant my own. ⁓ Or I were younger in my 20s or 30s, and I had all these years to go and I wanted my own crop because I would be doing it for for many years, and I wanted to stay in Texas, then I'd say, okay, let's do the West Texas thing. I ⁓ visited with amazing flower ⁓ You may be familiar with I'll link them in the story. It's the Arnoskies. They're ⁓ the owners of the Blue Barn in Blanco, and they are Texas flower farmers and they are so wise, so experienced, and grow ⁓ of different varieties of flowers. But I even talked with her and she said West Texas for lavender. So I would trust her opinion. But there are other things that you have to consider also when you're planting somewhere. In California, not only are my plants there, but my resources and contacts are there for drying space and crew and all of that. It's it's challenging for me every summer because there's always something that comes up that I need to figure out. But as it stands right now, that's where where it is. So people They don't realize that not only do you have to find a good place and climate and property to plant the lavender, that's a big job. Then you gotta harvest it. But then you have to have a big space. ⁓ That's covered, climate controlled, that's a good drying space. Because otherwise, what's the point of having hundreds or thousands of lavender plants if you don't have a place to dry them appropriately to use them for products? That's the whole point. So you would have to consider that too. I would have to consider that too if I moved my production to Texas. Now, again, if I were younger, that would be something I would figure out, but that's not the case for me. Okay, so my customers say, Okay, well, what if I just want to plant a few plants in my yard? Are you telling me I shouldn't do that? Because it's probably gonna die. Not to mention, nine times out of ten. ⁓ Customers that come into my store, they say nine times out of ten, say, I tried to plant lavender and it died. And they it's almost like my my store is a confessional. They think it's their fault that they have, you know, they'll always say, Well, I killed my lavender. You didn't kill your lavender. Most likely Texas killed your lavender. But the answer to that question of whether or not I should plant it in my yard here in Texas, and surprisingly, maybe to you, my answer is absolutely yes. Yes, you should plant lavender in your yard. And here's why. It's gardening therapy, it's horticulture therapy. It's I love that for people. is getting outside, getting your vitamin D, getting your hands in the soil, planting something, nurturing something, understanding different varieties and how to how to grow it, how to plant it. ⁓ This I highly recommend. Even if you plant the lavender and it dies in a year, you had it for a year. You enjoyed it for a year. And not only did you enjoy it, but the bees enjoyed it. The the climate that you have in your property enjoyed it. So as far as planting lavender in your yard in Texas, first thing I would recommend is buying plants from a local nursery or from a lavender farmer in Texas. I'd mentioned Steve, the lavender farmer in Canyon Lake. I believe he will be selling plants. I'm not quite sure when, but he will be selling them and he would be a great resource to buy them because he can tell you what he's done to make it a successful plant. or just a local nursery. That way they can tell you, okay, this variety is gonna be more successful than this variety. This one's more tolerant to. ⁓ The climate versus this one. They're going to be the best ones to know. Also, ⁓ if going to plant it in your yard, again, go back to the basics: a well-draining soil. Plant them up on mounds so that when we do get these crazy rainstorms, ⁓ that extra water is draining off your plant. Because remember again, lavender is drought tolerant. ⁓ In California, when people plant lavender in their yards, they often kill it because they overwater it. It's almost like we love our lavender. They're our little babies. And so we just want to keep giving it water. It's like leave it alone, leave it alone. the ⁓ ⁓ you mess with it, ⁓ less it's gonna thrive. You really just ⁓ let it be. ⁓ so don't overwater it. in California it calls for full sun, and that's really important. I've seen lavender plants that get shade in the afternoon or and it just it really affects the growth of the lavender. Now, here in Texas, full sun is a little bit different. so again, ask ⁓ the lavender farmer the nursery that you're buying the plant from where to plant it. how often to water it, and enjoy the time that you have with that plant. Because your goal with that plant is to ⁓ look out your windows, see the growing, the bees are enjoying it. That's the whole idea with the lavender in your yard. As far as when to cut it, you do still need to cut it. the lavender just like I'm harvesting my plants every June you to do that with your lavender too because it helps the health of the plant when you ⁓ harvest trim the stems it puts strength back into the roots so for me as a lavender farmer it's really important that I harvest at a certain time that's why I'm always looking at the buds ⁓ monitoring they're at in blooming And that I'm getting there in a certain window of time to cut it to maximize bundles and oil production. If you're just growing it in your yard, you're growing it for just a benefit of having it in your yard and for the bees. So let it be there. I would say through August. Maybe cut it the beginning of September. This would be a question for the local lavender farmers or the nursery, but You don't have to worry about harvesting it at a certain time. Enjoy it, enjoy it. But I definitely recommend planting lavender in your yard, even if it doesn't last for years And then if it does die the next year, pick a different variety ⁓ and see what with that one. So ⁓ I know in own kind of lavender growing journey, so speak. ⁓ The lavender has taught me a lot. really about being adaptable to, the space you have to grow it, the location, you're gonna dry it, when you're harvest it. ⁓ it's ⁓ really ⁓ being able to to the needs the and the situation that you're in for that lavender. And also too, it goes back to the stories of lavender, not just the plant itself, but the farms ⁓ the farmers and who are the farmers ⁓ how they grow it? I I've talked to so many lavender farmers ⁓ and one does that's really successful does not work for another one. And then some lavender farmers have been doing it for 25, 30 or more years, and they'll say they've done it a certain way for years, and then one year it didn't work anymore. So again, being adaptable. ⁓ think too, if you're ⁓ really are interested in ⁓ visiting the other farms is really fun. Whether it's just in Texas or you're going to other states. It's really fun to see the other varieties and also asking the farmers what they do and what challenges they've had through the years. I've learned a lot from one of my favorite lavender farmers is Sergio. He's in Squim, Washington. Definitely put that on your bucket list. Squim, Washington is the lavender capital of the United States. And that surprises a lot of people because, in general, Washington isn't the ideal climate for lavender, but Squim is hot and dry. it is a small community with lots and lots lavender farmers. So ⁓ go in June or July and you'll just see fields of purple everywhere. and so I've done that. one of my other favorite lavender farms is Los Poblanos ⁓ and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Again, going back to the story of the lavender and the property and the farmers, ⁓ they the exact same variety of lavender that I grow, which is a ⁓ A hybrid, it's called Grosso or Grosso. it's beautiful. But the reason that I love the property, the reason it's my favorite is because of the history of the property ⁓ the other things going on on the property. It's just ⁓ beautiful. So if ever driving through Albuquerque ⁓ in July, or August, ⁓ definitely by Los Publanos. ⁓ And lots of other lavender farms in New Mexico. I've also taken trips when I went to swim. I went ahead and did a road trip ⁓ through Oregon. Oregon has some of the most beautiful lavender farms, and I think it would be considered Eastern Oregon also, but just gorgeous. And of course, all throughout California, from northern to southern, all throughout California, beautiful farms. And then in places that you wouldn't expect, in the Midwest, Montana, a beautiful lavender farm on ⁓ So visit some of those the to see them. And of course, if you ever get a chance, it's on every lavender farmers bucket list. Go to Provence. little cliche as far as where you would go see lavender, but Hey, ⁓ it's beautiful. It's amazing. Last summer I went there for my 50th birthday with my best friend. And not only was it beautiful, you know, you kind of get there and I think, well, you've seen one lavender field, you've seen them all, right? But in Provence, it's not just. hundreds or thousands of lavender plants. I mean, it's like rolling hills, acres upon acres upon acres of French lavender. And the thing that stood out to me was again the story behind it, the farmers behind it. I'd gone to the Museum of Lavender, learned about the history. And the coolest thing is that it's a way of life there. So here we go, ⁓ my gosh, lavender, it's so amazing, it's so beautiful, it smells so good, which is all true, but there it's everywhere. It's like it's just the way of living there. They use it for lots of different things and it's everywhere. ⁓ So are places besides Provence, Italy, Croatia. I mean, they have big lavender operations also. so ⁓ about the place, but it's also about the stories. So that's it for this week's side note. ⁓ if today's stories helped you find a little meaning in your own shifts, ⁓ please leave a quick review or share your insights of this episode with a friend ⁓ or follow me side note, the Instagram side note, ⁓ and leave a I check my messages try to re And answer your questions either on the platform or through one of the episodes at the end. ⁓ thanks for listening. And just remember keep moving through because the best parts of life ⁓ often in the side notes. ⁓ Right, we have a couple of questions. from the other episodes that wanted to ⁓ answer. I got one about meditating Anna in Lompok. Lompok the little town that I moved from in Santa Barbara County, ⁓ where one of the properties is ⁓ where my lavender is. ⁓ And Anna ⁓ asked me. ⁓ as far as like my meditation practices and I I have to giggle a little bit because I think a lot of people might ⁓ visualize or assume that I have a meditation practice every day because maybe I'm a lavender farmer or because I'm an aesthetician or and it makes sense but for me it's almost like I it's really hard to meditate first of all just like The art of meditating is hard for me. But I am a person in recovery. I'll talk about that on another podcast, but also an introvert and just really believe in slow living and slowing down. And so my just way of life, my way of living. To me is sort of my meditation. granted, ⁓ ⁓ have other things that help me to kind of find my center and just ⁓ feel relaxed and calm. ⁓ I rescue cats ⁓ that relax me ⁓ and ⁓ me grounded. ⁓ my lavender, of course. ⁓ ⁓ for me the meditation is just my way of life, which is such a blessing. ⁓ I would say that was true in California, but it often got blocked. ⁓ with the challenges that I faced consistently. ⁓ that I'm here in Texas and life ⁓ ⁓ easier, then I can ⁓ that ⁓ pace ⁓ just ⁓ slower living. And that's my meditation on a daily basis, if that makes sense. The other question that I got was from a guy named, I think his name is Ernie. he was a postal worker in the Santa Barbara post office when I did the Lavender Project 2020. And if you listen to episode one, I talked about the Lavender Project 2020, where I made lavender sachets during COVID. And I took them into places where, you know, were public places where people would be, but they were really stressed out and wearing masks and everything was going on. And I was handing out lavender sachets, and the post office was one of the places where people were really like stressed out, right? And so he worked there, and so he saw me giving out sachets, and of course I was giving out sachets to the postal workers too, because they were dealing with a lot. And has since ⁓ from ⁓ Barbara to Houston. I don't know if it was a family or a job. I I can't remember. But ⁓ asked in the for my episode ⁓ did I move from California to Texas? He asked me ⁓ there are things that I miss about California ⁓ friends, because my best friend does live in California. And yes, there are things that I miss in California. probably not the things that you would think. I'm not ⁓ not of them anyway, but I miss things like the jacaranda trees ⁓ in If you're from Santa Barbara, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But if you're not from Santa Barbara, ⁓ Google trees. I mean ⁓ Just to get a visual, they are these huge trees with purple blooms. So it's not a flower, it's not a vine. They're massive trees with purple blooms. Now they don't have any aroma, so it you know it's obviously not like a lavender or a field of flowers, but visually they are stunning. And they bloom every June, maybe a little bit in May, maybe they'll go through July, but when they start to lose their petals, they drop on the ground and on the streets and on the cars, and it looks like somebody has splashed purple paint. At least that's what my eyes see. and when you look down a street, a neighborhood street in Santa Barbara that's lined with jacaranda trees, and you just it look and because they're so big, it looks like just a line of purple clouds. I mean, come on. So beautiful. So beautiful. So I get to see those when I go back, and I do miss those. The other thing I really miss. Is the jasmine. And the jasmine starts blooming. I think it's called Star Jasmine is the variety, but it starts blooming, I want to say, in mid spring, maybe a little bit earlier. I know it's always during the film festival. But not only does the jasmine smell amazing. I mean guys, it's amazing. But It's all over Santa Barbara. So it's like literally how Santa Barbara smells. It's like that's what the town smells like. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. And so again, I'm what's called an HSP, a highly sensitive person. So what smells good to one person is like a hundred times for me, visually, auditory-wise, smelling something. I mean. So the jasmine. I miss the jasmine. and then same thing with the wild sweet peas. There are wild sweet peas that you can see on the side of ⁓ the highways ⁓ on on the one from ⁓ Barbara. You're on the 101, then you exit to the one to Lawnpoke, and there are wild sweet peas, and ⁓ have never smelt anything better in my whole life. Don't tell the lavender I said that, but the wild sweep peas are the best thing in the world. so that's those are the kinds of things I miss. I miss the Mexican food. I miss the Mexican food. It's so good. ⁓ but as far as like, well, do I miss taking walks on the beach? No, I don't. I love the ocean. I love the sand between my toes. It's wonderful. I can, you know, it's nice. ⁓ But if I don't get to take a walk on the beach while I'm there, I don't feel like I'm missing out. Like this last trip, I was too busy and stressed out trying to figure things out. I never got to take a walk on the beach, but I'm not bummed about it. So ⁓ don't miss the things that you think I might, ⁓ do miss the flowers ⁓ and the food. ⁓ So ⁓ That's my tangent on flowers in California. And by the way, have you seen the Bougainville? If you ever drive through Montecito or Santa Barbara and the Bougainville is on fire. It's so intense. Doesn't smell, but it's like a fuchsia pink, crazy bright pink color. It is wild. ⁓ so Don't get me started on the flowers. Anyway, those are the answers to your questions. I love them. Please keep asking questions. ⁓ And ⁓ thank for listening. ⁓