Who doesn't love flowers? Blooming buds have the power to uplift spirits and deliver olfactory elation; for most Canadians such as myself, they embody the very essence of spring.
But while floral matter is wonderful to gaze upon, their appearance in the culinary world is a hit-or-miss for many. Their most common usages lie in infused teas and skin-calming beauty products, which I personally find to be the most fitting. The scents of charred cedar or smoky charcoal are believably more versatile when applied to cooking purposes - maple salmon and Aburi sushi are prime examples.
Nevertheless, I enjoy flowers - colourful, aromatic wholesomeness and all - especially when ice cream is involved.
But while floral matter is wonderful to gaze upon, their appearance in the culinary world is a hit-or-miss for many. Their most common usages lie in infused teas and skin-calming beauty products, which I personally find to be the most fitting. The scents of charred cedar or smoky charcoal are believably more versatile when applied to cooking purposes - maple salmon and Aburi sushi are prime examples.
Nevertheless, I enjoy flowers - colourful, aromatic wholesomeness and all - especially when ice cream is involved.
To my knowledge, there are two lavender farms in existence in the GTA: Weir's Lane in Dundas and Terre Bleu in Milton. Closer to us in proximity was the latter, so I proposed the idea to my favourite fangirl as we were contemplating gettogether plans.
(Side: "Terre" is French for "land", while "bleu" refers to the colour blue.
(Side: "Terre" is French for "land", while "bleu" refers to the colour blue.
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Quite frankly, I had no idea that the journey to Milton would be a painfully tedious drive through farmville devoid of clear signage and freeways (No, I'm not counting the 401 during rush hour). I later learned that Weir's Lane was, in fact, rather close to Dundas Peak/campus grounds and only a teensy bit further in terms of distance. Travel time would have been dependent on the QEW, but still relatively similar to reaching the countryside.
Navigating around the already-congested in the early afternoon hours, we managed to successfully make our way to the farm with just over an hour to explore before they were set to close at 4 PM.
Navigating around the already-congested in the early afternoon hours, we managed to successfully make our way to the farm with just over an hour to explore before they were set to close at 4 PM.
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Temporarily setting aside the hazards encountered on the drive there (sharp turns, hidden pathways, minimal warning signs, an absence of streetlights, etc.), the entrance to the farm itself was the aspect requiring the most urgent attention.
Terre Bleu was situated on the east side of two one-way NB/SB lanes, immediately following one of the aforementioned sharp turns with minimal warning signs. Entering the farm would require vehicles to halt and carefully check beyond the stone boulders shouldering the gate: it was the single access/egree point and there was only enough room for one car to pass through at one time. Honestly, this was a hazard to both the vehicles attempting to depart/enter as well as those making a turn onto the quiet dead-end street.
Seasonal (presumably) summer staff guided vehicles through the gate and into the grassy parking area. This was very much appreciated for newcomers such as ourselves, especially when signage was, once again, essentially nonexistent. The team appeared rather young, yet appeared fairly experienced in directing traffic with a friendly demeanour.
The unpaved field was fairly large and could have easily contained up to one hundred vehicles, given that each was neatly parked. Thankfully, the rainy conditions and looming grey clouds seemed to have dispersed a large portion of tourists.
Terre Bleu was situated on the east side of two one-way NB/SB lanes, immediately following one of the aforementioned sharp turns with minimal warning signs. Entering the farm would require vehicles to halt and carefully check beyond the stone boulders shouldering the gate: it was the single access/egree point and there was only enough room for one car to pass through at one time. Honestly, this was a hazard to both the vehicles attempting to depart/enter as well as those making a turn onto the quiet dead-end street.
Seasonal (presumably) summer staff guided vehicles through the gate and into the grassy parking area. This was very much appreciated for newcomers such as ourselves, especially when signage was, once again, essentially nonexistent. The team appeared rather young, yet appeared fairly experienced in directing traffic with a friendly demeanour.
The unpaved field was fairly large and could have easily contained up to one hundred vehicles, given that each was neatly parked. Thankfully, the rainy conditions and looming grey clouds seemed to have dispersed a large portion of tourists.
Entrace fees were a hefty fifteen dollars per head on weekends and ten dollars on weekdays. Given that the farm was pretty compact and that souvenirs would set one back further, I did not feel as if this admission fee was justified given the number of attractions on offer.
Columns of varying lavender bushes lined the bulk of the farm, while the admission hut, gift shop, mini photo area, and ice cream lineup consumed the remaining land.
Columns of varying lavender bushes lined the bulk of the farm, while the admission hut, gift shop, mini photo area, and ice cream lineup consumed the remaining land.
View the full album HERE !
The area would have been a huge joy for lavender- and flower-lovers alike, but merely a field with scarce frolicing space for infants and children. Stringent rules were also implemented to restrict the touching of any of the delicate lavender plants. Given the extravagant number of bees pollenating the buds during our visit, I suppose this wasn't necessarily negative as it minimized chances of young children getting stung.
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After an abundance of photos has been captured, we headed into the gift shop to peruse their selection of merchandise. Based on previously conducted research, I had already learned that their products were marked up severely: shortbread cookies were priced at $14, lavender honey at $25, and a set of five macarons for $15.
A furry teddy with an oddly long neck and lengthy, limp limbs caught my attention with its purple nose and open back design. Pouches of the dried flower could be purchased and inserted into the stuffed animal for personal enjoyment, should one have forty dollars casually lying around for such occasions.
A furry teddy with an oddly long neck and lengthy, limp limbs caught my attention with its purple nose and open back design. Pouches of the dried flower could be purchased and inserted into the stuffed animal for personal enjoyment, should one have forty dollars casually lying around for such occasions.
The highlight of the farm was unmistakably the Lavender Ice Cream. It had attracted quite the lineup when we initially entered the gift shop.
The flagship dessert comprised of a single heaping scoop of lilac-hued ice cream that could only be obtained once $5.50 had been reliquished to the cashier within the gift shop. Instead of tickets, receipts were examined as proof of payment. The ice cream was actually distributed in a separate area from the souvenir shop - a place where cash was not stored and therefore no monetary exchanges could be made.
The flagship dessert comprised of a single heaping scoop of lilac-hued ice cream that could only be obtained once $5.50 had been reliquished to the cashier within the gift shop. Instead of tickets, receipts were examined as proof of payment. The ice cream was actually distributed in a separate area from the souvenir shop - a place where cash was not stored and therefore no monetary exchanges could be made.
As costly as it seemed, the associated price tag was on par with many independent dessert parlours found downtown. The waffle cone was a little less crisp than expected, but did not exhibit signs of sogginess either. It lacked the traditional hint of vanilla, though the creamy single scoop compensated for this. Present in the asymmetric sphere were strong base notes of sweet vanilla blended with subtle hints of the fragrant flower. As a dessert, it was very enjoyable; as a souvenir, it was frustrating to obtain, especially with the long drive and incredulous lineup.
We resorted to relaxing in the wide lawn chairs at the northmost end of the farm until their hours of operation ceased.
Yelpers had mentioned vulgar backlash from the owner of the farm, however we had been free from such profanities during our brief stay.
We resorted to relaxing in the wide lawn chairs at the northmost end of the farm until their hours of operation ceased.
Yelpers had mentioned vulgar backlash from the owner of the farm, however we had been free from such profanities during our brief stay.
Toronto Premium Outlets had actually secured itself as the next stop on the agenda, but heavy crowds and a closed parking building equated to a nightmare for drivers. Five minutes in, my patience had dissipated and I looped out of the asphalt lot before another vehicle could block me off
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A trip to Milton definitely isn't for everyone, especially those who value efficiency. Terre Bleu was a short and lovely day excursion, albeit incredibly tough on one's wallet. My recommendations involve dropping by for a weekday visit (with an experienced driver) and obtaining the famed ice cream waffle cone whilst there. Extending past one single visit would be excessive to me, unless you already find youself in the vicinity.
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