An inexhaustible
source of motivation
Bleu Lavande is a young business with an extraordinary history and a number of successes already behind it. The simple idea of cultivating lavender in Quebec was itself a sizeable obstacle. Specialists consulted before the project really began all scoffed at the idea. That “expert” response might have discouraged a lot of people, but for Pierre Pellerin and Christine Deschesnes, it just made the challenge more intriguing.
Years of analysis, study, research and preparation have now benefited from several superb seasons of growth. The long road to success for Bleu Lavande has become a source of motivation for this team, and the challenges of the past have only created more enthusiasm for future projects.
1999–2003
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The Bleu Lavande adventure began as a new industry seemingly incompatible with the Quebec climate. In 2002, after three years of work, a hard winter and a number of other factors conspired to rob the business of what would have been its first crop – a harsh blow to both Bleu Lavande’s finances and morale. Only 10,000 of 60,000 plants survived. It was discouraging, but throwing in the towel was not an option.
The project included an impressive number of preliminary steps. It required tools to work in an environment different from climates typically associated with lavender cultivation, like those of Australia, New Zealand and France.
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A number of visits to operating producers were invaluable to gather the knowledge and expertise required to begin planting in Quebec.
That third winter, an absolute disaster, could have killed the project in its infancy. But the tenacity of those behind the project led them to pick themselves up and find new ways to cultivate and to protect the plants for the winter, mechanizing some parts of the production process and identifying the strains of lavender most resistant to the climate of the Eastern Townships.
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2004 season
In the middle of 2004, after several months preparing the fields and creating products, Bleu Lavande officially opened its doors to the general public. Pierre Pellerin swung the gate open, while Christine Deschesnes opened the door to her first Bleu Lavande boutique. Visitors immediately replied to this invitation with enthusiasm.
On some days, the site saw thousands of people on its grounds. In all, some 30,000 visitors came to enjoy what nature (and some dedicated lavender-lovers) had to offer. With the charm of lavender and the entire site available to them, the general public and the generous owners quickly developed a lasting relationship.
The shop was a surprise sensation, as visitors fell head over heels in love with Bleu Lavande products – our entire stock for summer 2004 ran out in three short weeks! In retrospect, even though this forced us to limit the fields’ open hours to allow us to manufacture more products, this unanticipated event was a happy sign of good things to come.
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2005 season
The 2005 season, fuelled by the success of the previous summer, showed great promise. Solid foundations permitted an incredibly successful inauguration, followed by continued construction and innovation from the project’s artisans. 2005 saw the introduction of guided tours, the interpretation centre and the picnic area.
Once again, the public responded enthusiastically, with an incredible 52,000 visitors. The second season of the “public” Bleu Lavande was even more positive, energizing the ever-growing team responsible for its success. Quebec lavender was on its way, and growing more popular.
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2006 season
Bleu Lavande opened its doors earlier in the season in spring 2006, allowing the company to go even further in offering services to the ever-swelling tide of visitors. Some 71,000 people chose to join us at the site during 2006.
This incredible leap in popularity was partially due to the company’s fresh new image. Many new high-quality products were added to the Bleu Lavande product line, and the company produced their first catalogue and inaugurated a new, and much larger, boutique. It was also necessary to enlarge and modernize the auditorium, so larger audiences could enjoy a documentary on the history of the company and lavender cultivation.
The beauty and tranquillity of the site gave the architects of the Bleu Lavande project another idea: to hold classical music recitals, now happening outdoors every Tuesday. The construction of a new welcome facility and information booth, a permanent shelter, and the expansion of the picnic areas all help accommodate groups and establish the new musical element of the Bleu Lavande experience.
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2007 season
The story of Bleu Lavande never stops sparking the imagination and senses! People have once more responded in great numbers to the invitation from Bleu Lavande which welcomed over 150 000 guests in 2007. With this exceptional patronage and an increasing product range, Bleu Lavande decided to double its field area allowing guests to admire over 200 000 lavender plants! As a result, Bleu Lavande became the 2nd largest producer of lavender in North America.
In order to increase the comfort of our guests, a summer pavilion with a capacity of 200 people has been built, in addition to a snack bar where lunch boxes including regional products from local producers are available. Bleu Lavande's guests also had the opportunity to take advantage of newly offered packages for the surrounding attractions as well as a tour leading to the discovery of the beautiful Stanstead area.
The year 2007 also marks the beginning of our new website. Its functioning is simple, its content is filled with information, and online shopping is easy and secure. 2007 also marked an important growth in the number of distributors for our products. Indeed, our products are now available in a large number of authorized dealers in Québec, Ontario and in the Maritimes. Visit the section ''Authorized retailers'' in the '' Shopping'' Menu for the complete listing.
With a lot of ideas and projects in mind, our team was already planning, at the end of 2007, a new season full of novelties.
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2008 season
Many novelties have made 2008 another successful year. Indeed, our new building consisting of an air conditioned interior amphitheatre that can comfortably accommodate 125 people allow the viewing of a short feature film enhanced with an exceptional sound and picture quality thanks to a giant screen in HD and a dolby digital 5.1 sound system. Also, new bilingual thematic panels embellish your visit to the interpretation center which is situated near our new garden center. More than 198 000 visitors took advantage of these novelties this summer and this, even though the temperature was unfavorable.
Bleu Lavande also marked the year 2008 with the arrival of 3 new products on the market: the lavender and herb vinaigrette, the hand soap and the laundry soap. These products are available at the Bleu Lavande boutique also at one of our constantly increasing list of authorized retailers. 2008 also saw the opening of a very first Bleu Lavande boutique in Montreal.
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