The Best Lavender Scone in oregon

On the second day of my Lavender Destinations Tour, I decided to visit Wayward Winds Lavender Farm. Wayward Winds is one of the largest U-pick Lavender farms in the Portland area and sits back in the deep Willamette Valley countryside. The farm is surrounded by golden wheat fields and established farmhouses, and as I drove out of cellphone range, down gravel roads lined with tall trees, the blissful loss of city contact immediately invited me into a world of new discovery.

I arrived at Wayward Winds Farm around ten o'clock on Friday morning, and as I pulled into the small gated parking area, I found myself within the fold of two wide hills of purple Lavender. Initially, Wayward Winds' Lavender fields, which slope down in a picturesque wave of flowers, seemed far larger than the one I visited the day before at Mountainside Lavender. It was hard to tell from the entrance though, so I made my way up between the rows to investigate. As I did so, I passed several types of lavender in all stages of growth. I inspected the beds and saw the Lavender was neatly planted and tucked cozily beneath tarp coverings, which helps keep the roots tight and discourage valuable dirt from walking off in visiting shoes. I also noticed that, unlike Mountainside Lavender, Wayward Winds mixes varieties of Lavender to create a beautiful purple ombre effect. The end of each row was capped by a single Edelweiss Lavender plant, which gave the long strands of purple plants unusual depth and added to the illusion that the fields might come alive. Of course, the plants are alive, but the entire field is also alive with the movement of thousands and thousands of bees. As I picked my way to the large U-Pick tent and store at the top of the hill, I noticed big fat bumble bees and smaller happy honey bees all dancing from stock to stock. 

In addition to the overwhelming aroma of Lavender that wafted up from the lower fields, the first thing I noticed at the top of the hill was the abundance of vintage furniture. All types of antiques lay strewn through the fields as if the house decor staged a walk-out and decided to make itself comfortable among the purple blossoms. Two bathtubs, a few couches, wicker chairs, an antique dresser and an old Ford truck all parked themselves permanently in the dirt. People really seemed to be enjoying the fairy tale ambiance of it all.  I watched two women climb into the twin tubs to snap a selfie and a couple pose for their portrait on a loveseat, and I'm sure their pictures probably showed up on Instagram a few hours later. 

After taking some pictures myself, I made my way to a large, white canopy tent where Wayward Winds Farm has established a whimsical makeshift store out of more antique furniture. The tent was crowded with people, most of whom crowded around the U-Pick section. A long table laid out baskets, scissors, and ribbon for creating your own bouquet. Other tables displayed various Lavender products produced nearby or on the farm itself. I discovered Wayward Winds Farm creates many of their own handcrafted products including soaps, lotions, household cleaners, roll-ons, salts, scrubs, hydrosols, syrups and baked goods.

It turns out Wayward Winds Lavender Farms is, in fact, famous for their White Chocolate Scone, which they sell fully baked or prepackaged as a dry mix. While many other local lavender farms sell pre-packaged food or culinary lavender sachets, but Wayward Winds is one of the only Oregon Lavender Farms really capitalizing on the sale of culinary lavender. Their syrups and famous scone mix are sold at many stores and farm stands throughout the area, but you'll only find the freshly baked ones at Wayward Winds. 

Before I left the farm for my next tour, I had to try a scone for myself. I purchased two from the tempting glass case strategically placed next to the register and tucked the bag into my purse. I really couldn't wait to try it though, so I took the first bite as I made my way to the parking lot. I was immediately surprised by the amazing blend of rich butter and subtle lavender flavor, which keeps you coming back for more. I continued to nibble as I drove away, and realized that between the setting, scenery, and scone, there's no denying Wayward Wind takes the cake. 

The only problem is... finishing one scone means you just might have to have another. If you head to Wayward Winds, better buy a scone and some mix so you can make some more for later.