Drive north on Highway 57 past Baileys Harbor in late October and you will see the cottages closing up for the season. Screen doors latched, Adirondack chairs stacked under the eaves, a last load of towels hung on the line before the first hard frost. Wisconsin cottage life runs on rituals like these, and lavender has a way of fitting into nearly all of them. At Wilder Farms we tend more than 20,000 lavender plants a few miles from the lake, and we have come to believe that a little lavender belongs in every Wisconsin cottage, whether it sits on a Door County bluff, a Northwoods lake or a quiet stretch of farmland.
Here is why, and how to bring it in.
A Plant That Suits Cottage Country
Cottages in Wisconsin share a certain character. They are lived in hard for a few months, then closed for a long winter. They tend to be a little damp, a little drafty and full of linens, wool blankets and wooden furniture. They are places where people slow down.
Lavender fits that rhythm well:
- It is low-fuss outdoors. Once established, hardy lavender wants sun, good drainage and to be left mostly alone. It does not need daily watering, which matters when you are only at the cottage on weekends.
- It holds up when dried. A bundle cut in July still carries its scent into the shoulder seasons and can sit in a jar or hang from a beam for months.
- It smells like rest. For many people the scent of lavender signals a change of pace, which is the whole point of a cottage.
We grow five varieties at Wilder Farms (Phenomenal, Super Blue, Hidcote, Melissa and Royal Velvet), all without chemicals or pesticides, and every one of them has earned a place somewhere in cottage life.
Lavender at the Cottage Door
If your cottage has a patch of sunny ground, plant lavender near the path to the door. Brushing past it releases the scent, and it welcomes you back each visit.
For Wisconsin's Zone 5 winters, choose hardy varieties:
- Phenomenal is a vigorous lavandin that handles cold and humid summers well. It forms tall, rounded mounds that look generous along a walkway.
- Hidcote is compact with deep purple flowers, a natural fit for edging a small cottage bed or lining a porch step.
- Super Blue stays low and tidy, so it works in containers or in a narrow strip beside a deck.
Plant in spring so roots can settle before winter. Give each plant full sun, mix gravel into heavy clay and avoid low spots where snowmelt pools. Lavender would rather be a little dry than sit in wet soil, which is good news if you are away for weeks at a time. A light trim after bloom keeps plants from going woody, and leaving the plants unpruned in autumn helps them ride out a Door County winter.
Lavender for Linens, Closets and Cabins
Every cottage has a linen closet that smells faintly of lake air and cedar, and sometimes of the damp that comes with a building shut up for half the year. Lavender has long been a traditional companion for stored linens.
A few simple ways to use it:
- Sachets in drawers. Tuck small cloth bags of dried lavender buds between folded sheets and wool blankets before you close up for winter.
- A bundle in the closet. Hang a dried bundle upside down from a hook. When you return in spring, give it a gentle squeeze to wake up the scent.
- Linen spray on arrival. A quick mist over pillows and quilts makes a bed that has sat for months feel fresh and ready.
- Bundles by the bed. A small jar of dried stems on a nightstand adds color and a soft fragrance to a guest room.
Royal Velvet, with its dark, dense flower heads, dries especially well and keeps its color, so it is a good choice for bundles that sit out on display. Melissa, our pale pink variety, adds a softer note to a mixed bouquet on a cottage table.
Scent for Slow Evenings
Cottage evenings in Wisconsin tend to follow a pattern: dinner on the porch, a walk to the water at sunset, then a book, a card game or a fire. Lavender belongs in that wind-down.
Light a lavender candle on the kitchen table after dinner, or set one on the mantel while the fire catches. The lavender candles in our shop are a simple way to carry the scent of a summer field into a cool October night. If you prefer not to have an open flame, a diffuser with a few drops of lavender essential oil works well in a bedroom or reading nook. You can browse diffuser blends and oils in our aromatherapy collection.
For many cottage-goers, the best part of the stay is the sleep. Fresh air, dark skies and no traffic noise do most of the work. A lavender eye pillow, a warm neck wrap or a sprinkle of lavender on the pillow can help set the mood. You will find these in our rest and relax collection.
Lavender in the Cottage Kitchen
Cottage kitchens are small and simple, and that suits culinary lavender. A little goes a long way, so a single jar lasts a season of weekends.
Easy ideas for a cottage weekend:
- Lavender lemonade for the dock on a hot afternoon. Steep a teaspoon of culinary buds in simple syrup, strain and mix with fresh lemon.
- Lavender shortbread to bring to the neighbors. Add finely chopped buds to a classic butter shortbread.
- Lavender honey on toast or biscuits. Warm local honey gently with a few buds, let it steep and strain.
- Grilled chicken or pork with herbs. A pinch of lavender blended with thyme and rosemary pairs well with a charcoal grill.
Use culinary lavender, which is grown and dried for food. Hidcote is a good choice for cooking thanks to its sweet, gentle flavor. Never cook with essential oil.
Closing Up for Winter, Lavender in Hand
Late October is when many Door County cottages close for the season, and it is a good time to think about lavender.
Before you lock the door:
- Leave the garden plants standing. Do not cut lavender back hard in fall. The foliage protects the crown through winter.
- Tuck sachets into stored bedding. Fresh sachets placed now will greet you next spring.
- Bring a bundle home. Hang a few dried stems in your year-round kitchen so the cottage feels a little closer in January.
- Make a list for spring. Note any gaps in the garden where a new Phenomenal or Hidcote plant could go when the ground thaws.
And if you are heading home through Ephraim, our shop is a good last stop of the season.
Visit Us in Door County
Island Lavender by Wilder is in Ephraim, open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 to 5. Stop in for dried lavender, candles, sachets, body care and more than 160 lavender products. Call the shop at 920-737-1531 with questions before your visit.
Wilder Farms is at 9668 State Highway 57 in Baileys Harbor, WI 54202, where our fields bloom each July. If you are planning a stay on the peninsula, The Wilder Inn in Ephraim (wilderinn.com) makes a comfortable base for exploring the farms, shops and shoreline of Door County.
A Wisconsin cottage does not need much. A good porch, a stack of blankets, a view of the water and a little lavender to tie it all together.
