Harvested lavender fields stretch to the horizon.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail
From late June, for a few fleeting weeks in Haute Provence, in southeastern France, tourists and locals alike flock to witness one of the region’s most vibrant natural spectacles: the blooming of endless fields of lavender, turning the land a vibrant purple.
It is in this region that the harvesting of this perennial herb, native to the western Mediterranean and used to relieve anxiety and promote sleep, has long been protected and regulated. In the 1780s, the cutting or picking of lavender by outsiders was forbidden so bees could feed on the flowers until winter, benefiting a local population that relied on honey production.
Today, the blooming season sees the region get an economic boost from visitors looking for that perfect selfie.
Noah Brecy gives a presentation about the traditional methods of lavender distillation.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail
Guests enjoy a picnic dinner in a lavender field at a family-run estate dedicated to organic lavender production in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, on July 31.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail
But because of the intense, ever more frequent heat waves plaguing the northern hemisphere, the lavender blooms are appearing earlier and fading sooner; this year, the fields in Haute Provence bloomed for only five days.
Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail
“It has been a disaster. Since June, we’ve only had three days of rain,” explained Noah Brecy, who is working for the summer on a family-owned estate dedicated to harvesting organic lavender.
And so the lavender industry in southern France is facing a crisis, with more than half its farms at risk of bankruptcy because of climate change and drought. It is a stark reminder of the fragility of the natural world. The delicate balance we rely upon has been taken for granted for far too long.
How much longer will the lavender fields of this picturesque region of France continue to bloom under the scorching heat waves of a warming world?
And when next summer arrives, will people like Noah still have a job to return to?
A musician plays the cello for guests enjoying a picnic dinner in a lavender field.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail