We’re glad you’re thinking about joining us for Lavender Daze here at Bees N Blooms! These are the days (daze!) of lavender bloom, when we open the farm to visitors to enjoy the bloom. Here are some commonly asked questions about farm visits during lavender bloom time.
- Tickets
- Check-in, Parking, and Travel on the Farm Roads
- Safety
- Accessibility
- Special Notes about The Lavender U-Cut Experience
- Dogs, Drones, Music, Shopping, and More
Tickets
Q: When are you open?
A: We are open for Lavender Daze in 2024 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between May 18 and July 14 from 10 AM to 4 PM. This year, we are also open for Lavender Sunset Evenings on the following Wednesdays: June 5, June 12 and July 13 from 6-9 PM.
Q: I’m only in town during the week. Can I visit then?
A: We’ve expanded our open-farm days to include a weekday (Friday) and a few Wednesday evenings (June 5, June 12 and July 13 from 6-9 PM), but unfortunately, we cannot accommodate visitors on other times during the week. Our staff is busy preparing for the open-farm days or taking a day off. Or perhaps there is a private event. Please take note of the sign posted at the gate. Farm Grounds Closed really does mean we are closed to the public. Thank you for respecting our time and other people’s events.
Q: How much do tickets cost?
A: Admission is $20 per person for anyone over 12 years old on days with music (May 26, June 16, and July 14). Other days admission is $15 per person. Children 12 and under who are accompanied by an adult are free.
Q: I’m a member of the Friends of the Labyrinth. What does it cost for members?
A: Friends of the Labyrinth get two free passes to Lavender Daze and two special member evenings for U-Cut. Consider becoming a Friend of the Labyrinth this year! You will need to show your membership card to check in. Being a Friend of the Labyrinth has other benefits too, including being able to visit the farm on Thursday evenings, 6-9 PM from May 9 through October 3. Check out the Friends of the Labyrinth page for details.
Q: Do I have to buy tickets online or can I purchase tickets at the door?
A: To ensure admission, you should purchase your tickets online in advance. If we still have tickets left, you may be able to pay upon entering the farm. We limit the number of people entering our farm to make this event pleasant for everyone and ensure everyone has a place to park. Thank you for understanding.
Q: Do I need to have a paper ticket?
A: Paper tickets are not issued; however, your check-in might be a bit faster if you bring a copy of your receipt. Otherwise, we will look up your reservation in our system.
Q: I purchased a ticket for the wrong day. Can I change my order?
A: Yes, as long as you contact us via email (admin@beesnblooms.com), and the date for the ticket purchased is a minimum of 1 week away. We are not able to do a direct exchange. Please go ahead and purchase a new ticket. Check first to be sure your desired date still has availability. We will cancel/refund the earlier transaction later, all but a 4% processing fee. We will be extremely busy during the few weeks that we are open so it could take us about a week to process the refund. It could take an additional 7-10 business days to show up on your statement after we process it. Thank you for your patience.
Q: Something’s come up and I can’t make it at all. Can you refund my ticket?
A: Yes, as long as you contact us via email (admin@beesnblooms.com) and the date for the ticket purchased is a minimum of 1 week away. We will cancel/refund the earlier transaction later, all but a 4% processing fee. We’re sorry, no refunds if your ticket is for a date less than a week away. Tickets are transferable to another person, so feel free to give it to a friend to use if you wish.
Q: I bought 10 tickets for my friends and family. Do we all need to check in at the same time?
A: No, but everyone in your group should know the name of the person who purchased their ticket, so we can look you up under their name.
Check-in, Parking, and Travel on the Farm Roads
Q: How do I check in?
A: Please pull through the gate, then bear right and head down the hill and follow the signs to check-in. You’ll see someone at the side of the road under an umbrella who is checking people in. Give them your printed receipt or tell them your name so they can look you up in our system.
Q: Where do I park?
A: Please pull inside the farm gate near the farm stand and follow the signs to areas reserved for parking. Do not park on the side of Petaluma Hill Road or you may be towed. Download the map of the farm to see the parking areas. There is a space reserved for wheelchair access just inside the gate near the farm stand and another behind the Pavilion. Be careful of the traffic on Petaluma Hill Road when entering or exiting the property.
Q: Is there restricted travel on some of the farm roads?
A: Yes. We have one-way travel on most roads, which means that you should bear right on entering the farm gate and follow the signs towards the parking areas. You will exit on Main Street. We do not allow travel on the road through the Pavilion to ensure safety for pedestrians. Cars exiting the farm gate should yield to cars entering the farm gate. Please keep your speed below 10 mph on farm roads, for everyone’s safety.
Safety
Q: I’m highly allergic to bee stings and need to use an epi-pen if I get stung. Is it OK to visit Bees N Blooms?
A: If you have a life-threatening allergy to bee stings and need to use an epi-pen if you are stung, we generally recommend that you plan to visit at a time other than peak lavender bloom. There are bees on the property and they visit the lavender. A sting is unlikely, but possible. If you choose to visit during this time period, please be sure to bring your epi-pen and avoid the lavender and beehive areas. The Pavilion has a good vantage point of the property, with less chance of a sting. If you do get stung, call 911 immediately. The Bees N Blooms business number is (707) 293-8293. Please call us too so we can help.
Q: Will the bees on the flowers bother me or my child?
A: We have bees on the property, both native bees and managed honey bee colonies. You will see them foraging on the lavender and in the flower arcs. Forager bees are not normally aggressive–they are only out looking for food. However, if you try to touch them or if you try to walk through a lavender bush with bees on it, there is a chance you will be stung. Parents should be sure to keep children on the pathways and not allow them to run through the lavender or across the flower beds. Avoid wearing scented products or flower crowns that might attract bees, and wear close-toed shoes. Stay on the paths and avoid brushing up against flowers with bees on them. Give the beehives a wide berth and stay outside the flagged areas near the hives.
Q: Can I allow my children to play unsupervised on the farm while I walk the Labyrinth or shop?
A: No. Children must be supervised at all times. Bees N Blooms is a working farm, and farming involves the use of sharp tools, garden hoses, building materials, tractors, lawn mowers, and rodent traps. We do our best to keep these objects out of the way of visitors, but curious children (or adults!) exploring off the beaten path may encounter them. Parents should be sure their children are under control at all times. Please do not let children play on the tractor.
Q: Can I go into the poultry pen and pet the chickens?
A: No. Please stay outside the fence and keep dogs away to avoid stressing the poultry. You can feed the chickens grass and vegetables if you wish (they LOVE apples), and we often put out kale and other greens or mealworms by the fence for you to feed to them. Please no salty snacks or sweets.
Q: Do I have to wear a mask while at the farm?
A: We follow the mask requirements set by Sonoma County. As of May 2024, Sonoma County does not require masks to be worn.
Q: Are there ticks?
A: Yes, there are a few ticks in this part of the county. We find mostly dog ticks (which do not carry Lyme disease). Infrequently, we see the smaller deer ticks (the Lyme disease carriers), and we have not seen these ticks for the last four years, as the deer are not frequenting our property as much as they used to. Peak months for ticks are May and June. We mostly find them (or they find us!) in areas with tall grass, so it’s fairly easy to avoid them by staying on the gravel pathways or mowed areas and avoiding brushing up against tall vegetation.
Q: Are there snakes?
A: Yes. We have gopher snakes, garter snakes, and occasionally we have the good fortune to see a king snake (very beautiful!). There may also be rattlesnakes, but we haven’t seen one yet. We love our snakes! Please steer clear of them and don’t hurt them. They are one of our best allies in limiting the population of gophers, mice, moles, and voles.
Q: Are there other hazards I should be aware of?
A: Yes. There are several areas on the farm that have very rough terrain or stored construction materials. We have cordoned off these areas to ensure you are aware of the hazards. Your mission is to stay out of these flagged areas and keep children out as well.
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Accessibility
Q: Are the farm grounds accessible to those with limited mobility?
A: Yes, reasonably so. The upper part of the farm is paved from the bridge on the north to the Pavilion on the south. We have two parking spots reserved for wheelchair access—one near the farm stand and the other behind the Pavilion. The rest of the farm has gravel roads or pathways, so it can be a bit bumpy. We recommend that you wear close-toed, comfortable shoes suitable for walking on uneven ground. The farm is on a gentle slope and most of the destinations are connected by gently sloping or flat gravel roads or pathways. People using walkers are able to negotiate the property, staying mostly on the roads and gravel pathways.
Q: Are the farm grounds wheelchair accessible?
A: Mostly. Having an assistant is recommended. The gravel roads work well with all types of wheelchairs and will allow you to explore much of the farm. The gravel pathways are accessible to wheelchairs with wide tires, but thin wheelchair wheels may sink into the gravel on some of the pathways and be difficult to propel forward.
Q: Do you have restroom facilities?
A: Yes, we have portable toilets, including one that is ADA accessible, on-site during the peak season from mid-April through mid-October.
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Special Notes about The Lavender U-Cut Experience
The Lavender U-Cut Experience is ONLY on June 28-30, July 5-7, and July 12-14. The field is not ready for cutting until late June. We provide clippers and instruction in cutting and charge $5 per bundle. Come and bring your phones for an amazing Instagram post!
A few notes for safety. There are bees on the lavender plants. While stings are rare, they do happen, mostly by inadvertently grabbing a stem with a bee on it, brushing up against a lavender plant, or stepping on a bee with open-toed shoes. We recommend close-toed shoes for this reason. We have the following restrictions in place to keep you and your children safe during the Lavender U-Cut Experience:
1) If you have a life-threatening bee-sting allergy, you will not be allowed in the cutting field. We have a lovely shady place to hang out while your friends cut a bunch of lavender for you. Photos NEAR the field (but not IN it) are OK.
2) Children under 5 are not permitted in the cutting field. Good shady spots are available to sit with kids. Children must be supervised by an adult.
3) Dogs are not permitted in the cutting field. The staff will happily dog-sit for you while you cut.
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Dogs, Drones, Music, Shopping, and More
Q: Can I bring my dog to Bees N Blooms?
A: Well-behaved dogs are welcome on open-farm days, but not at private events. If you do bring a dog, we ask that you keep them on leash at all times—we have cats, chickens, geese, and ducks that may be out and about, and we want them to stay safe. Please bring supplies to clean up after your dog. And please do not allow your pet to use the turf areas in the Labyrinth or North Pavilion as a bathroom. People love to sit on the grass and we want to keep it free of waste. To prevent food crop contamination, dogs are not permitted in the vegetable garden at all. Dogs are also not permitted in the U-Cut field.
Q: Can I fly my drone on the property?
A: Not during open-farm days. To ensure the safety of all of our guests, drones may not be used when we are open to the public. See our Photography web page for more information on private photography appointments.
Q: Do you have food for sale during Lavender Daze?
A: No, but feel free to bring a picnic to enjoy in the Pavilion or on one of our picnic tables around the farm. We do have drinks for sale at the Farm Stand.
Q: I hear you’ll have live music. Who’s playing when?
Yes, we do! The John Kalleen Jazz Group will be playing here at the farm on May 26, June 16, and July 14.
Q: What do you sell at the farm stand?
A: We sell organic lavender bundles and buds, fresh cut flowers grown on the farm by Sidekick Flowers, our own lavender oils, hydrosols, and body-care products, CCOF-certified organic pollinator-friendly plants for your garden, honey from our bees and other local Sonoma County beekeepers, produce from our farm when available, lavender syrups and balsamic vinegars, and some beautiful gift items. Come and check it out!
Q: How long has Bees N Blooms been in operation?
A: Bees N Blooms was established in March of 2016. We built the labyrinth structure in September, 2016 and planted the lavender plants in December 2016. The farm was first opened to the public on April 28, 2018. You might be interested to see the satellite photos showing the evolution of the farm over time.
Q: How big is the farm?
A: The farm is 11.3 acres. The lavender labyrinth is half an acre and the “north block” lavender is 1.0 acres. The flower gardens occupy 0.6 acres west of the labyrinth, with another acre of cut flower production run by Sidekick Flowers. The vegetable beds and greenhouse areas occupy about a quarter of an acre.
Q: How do you know the Bees N Blooms labyrinth is the largest in California?
A: We have registered our labyrinth with the Labyrinth Society, which has an online Worldwide Labyrinth Locator. While there is a larger labyrinth in Michigan, according to the Labyrinth Locator, the Bees N Blooms labyrinth is the largest in California.
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