The flowering time of lavender in Bulgaria is from mid-June to late August, although some fields can still delight the eye even in September. Interestingly, if you place beehives in a lavender field, you can obtain honey with a lavender aroma, although unfortunately, beehives are not observed in Bulgarian fields. Surprisingly, Bulgaria has a considerable amount of lavender flowers overall.
Wild lavender grows abundantly in the fields, with its flowers being smaller and less bright. Lavender is also planted in urban flower beds, adorning hotel courtyards and parks. Dry and sunny weather is considered ideal for the growth and ripening of lavender.
In addition to this, lavender cultivation is industrialized. Large quantities of lavender are mainly grown in the southern part of the country. Lavender bushes there grow in neat rows under the supervision of farmers. It is worth mentioning that Bulgaria is one of the world leaders in lavender oil production, alongside France. It is also noteworthy that there is a trend of increasing areas of planting and processing plants.
One of the small but charming fields is located on the way from the city of Dobrich towards Albena, as well as near the village of Senokos in the same region. Another magical field can be observed near the city of Aytos on the way from Burgas to Sofia. Additionally, large plantations can be found on both sides of the road before reaching the turn to Yambol on the Trakia highway A1. Another one is in the vicinity of the village of Tyzha in the Stara Zagora region. In the vicinity of the city of Plovdiv, many lavender plantations can be found. Strangely enough, there are no fences or barriers. Lavender is also grown quite a lot in the Shumen region. The city of Kazanlak in the Stara Zagora region is well-known for hosting the Rose Festival, but few know that lavender is also grown in its surroundings on the way to Karlovo.
The average earnings from lavender oil are around €17,500 per hectare of field. Currently, many people are looking into lavender cultivation business, as it is undemanding, and land in the fields is much cheaper than residential property. In the perfume production industry, demand is always higher than supply, so it might be worth the risk.
Many tour operators attract tourists to visit lavender blooming sites, but after reading the article, you can do it yourself. It is advised to wear closed shoes, as it would be uncomfortable to walk in sandals on the ground between the beds. It is best to choose the morning for the visit, as the sun is not as scorching, and closer to the evening, tour groups already gather in the fields. Also, one needs to be attentive, as many insects attracted by the scent of the flowers are circling in the field territory.