French Lavender In Bloom On North Fork

NORTH FORK, NY — A popular North Fork summer tradition is back this season as Lavender by the Bay announced this week that French lavender is in bloom.

In addition to the lavender farm's location in East Marion, in 2019, a second spot was opened in Calverton.

According to Lavender by the Bay, 20 varieties in many different colors, including white, pale blue, pink, purple, light purple, and dark purple are grown; some of the French lavender plants grow up to about 3-feet tall, helping to create the illusion of a sea of purple.

This year, due to pandemic restrictions, tickets, which cost $12 for visitors 6 and over, are being sold for 90-minute time slots and must be purchased in advance on the Lavender by the Bay website.

To purchase tickets for Calverton, click here, and East Marion, here.

The lavender farm has been such a popular draw for those visiting the North Fork that in past years, concerns have been raised by neighbors about traffic and quality of life issues.

However, in recent years, owners have reassured the public that steps have been taken to address the traffic woes. According to Chanan Rozenbaum, vice president of the business and son of Serge and Susan Rozenbaum, more than an acre of land was removed in the past to add 100 parking spaces to the farm."Hopefully, that will mitigate some traffic issues the community experienced," he said, in a past interview.

While global traffic concerns are an ongoing issue in both Southold and Riverhead Towns, elected officials have noted that the lavender farm only has specific, and brief, windows during which the lavender blooms. Also, the second location has alleviated some of the traffic concerns, many agreed.

"It's not a yearly issue," Rozenbaum agreed in a past interview. "It's four to six weeks of blooming each year and two weekends of traffic due to holidays."