Dan's Papers - September 12, 2008

A Hidden Gem On On The North Fork That Has Captured Just About Everyone's Attention

The North Fork is a mixture of many different ways of life and yet it has a distinct signature. Without a doubt Lavender By The Bay in East Marion is part of that signature. Lavender By The Bay is where the highest quality lavender on Long Island is grown. With over 20,000 plants of twenty varieties of lavender planted on seven acres designated for prime growing conditions it is quite a sight to see.

There are just so many unbelievably beautiful plants swaying in a gentle North Fork bay breeze, it is like an impressionistic painting breathing before your eyes. Bring your camera because without a doubt you will have tremendous opportunities to capture magic in your lenses. The rows of lavender plants over the many acres are just part of so many structures and angles begging to be photographed. Opened seven days a week in the summer season, but for the remainder of September, Lavender by the Bay is opened from Friday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can call 917-251-4642 for other questions. Private situations can be arranged. The address is 7540 Main Road in East Marion.

Lavender By The Bay offers even more with lavender sachets and crafts, along with honey from their own honey bee hives, and of course fresh cut or dried lavender, and lavender plants. What is even more fun is right through to October, one can actually go and pick their own lavender right on the farm. It is joyous fun for the whole family and since 2002, with the added 17 acres, Lavender By The Bay is truly coming into its own. The Essential Lavendin Oil sold there at the farm and on their web site is without a doubt extremely luxurious. It's pure scent and wonderful feel is so perfect for those special occasions, when the touch is so important. The sachets are really something to behold because the fragrance of the various types of lavender send you to a place perhaps Louis XIV understood. It is believed it was his favorite way to spice up some of the darkest and brightest parts of his many palaces back in the reign of the sun king. Now a great selection is available at Lavender by the Bay.

So if you and the family are planning to visit the North Fork to go see the amazing shops in Greenport, or sample the wines throughout the North Fork region, or even plan a spirited bike ride this fall, make a point of checking out Lavender by the Bay in East Marion a destination. A friend of mine told me, "I get reborn every time I go there."

With many TV shows visiting, and numerous articles written about it, the essence of Lavender By The Bay is it's simplistic way, in the truest of North Fork traditions, of getting one close to nature, and what makes life vibrant. The truth is it is the land of the North Fork and what it has provided for years that makes this region a paradise.