Lavender season: when to see the lavender fields in bloom

Lavender flowers in early summer and is cut soon after, so the window is shorter than most people expect: about four to six weeks in any one area, and much less once the harvest starts. Here is when each of the well-known lavender regions is in color.

Provence

Provence is the reason most people go looking for lavender fields. The season moves uphill:

• The Valensole plateau: mid June to mid July. This is the most photographed area, with rows of lavender and fields of sunflowers and wheat next to them.
• Sénanque Abbey near Gordes, in the Luberon: late June to mid July.
• Sault and the Plateau d'Albion, higher up: early July into early August. Sault holds a lavender festival in mid August, after much of the harvest.

Harvest starts in early July on the lower plateaus. Fields are cut one after another, so even in the middle of July, some rows will be bare and others in full flower. If you want the most color, aim for the first half of July. The scent is strongest in the warmth of the afternoon, but the light for photos is best early or at sunset.

Hokkaido, Japan

Furano and Biei in central Hokkaido are at their best in July. The early varieties at Farm Tomita open at the end of June, and the main fields peak around mid July. Many farms plant rows of other flowers next to the lavender, so the hillsides are striped in several colors.

China

The Huocheng area of Ili in Xinjiang is China's largest lavender region. It flowers in June, earlier than Provence or Hokkaido, and the fields sit below the snow-capped Tian Shan.

England and Spain

In the Cotswolds, Snowshill Lavender farm flowers from late June to early August, and Hitchin, north of London, has a similar season with pick-your-own rows. In Spain, Brihuega, north-east of Madrid, blooms in early July and holds a lavender festival with an evening concert in the fields.

Southern Hemisphere

In Tasmania, Bridestowe Lavender Estate in the north-east flowers from mid December to late January.

Tips

• Bees love lavender. Wear closed shoes and keep children's hands out of the rows.
• Most fields are private farms. Stop where there is a sign or a farm shop, and do not walk into the rows unless the farm allows it.
• A heat wave can bring the harvest forward. Farms post updates, and local tourist offices know which fields are still uncut.