Lovely Lavender

APACHE — A student once told Jag Sodhi he couldn’t grow lavender in Oklahoma. He took that as a personal challenge. A decade later, Sodhi hosts one of the most unique festivals in Southwest Oklahoma.

“They said it’s too hot,” the retired professor said. “They said there’s too much sun. There are 43 varieties of lavender. I did research and I knew one of them had to be able to grow here.”

For the next two years, Sodhi accumulated different types of lavender and planted them on a small section of his 500 acres of land outside Apache. Once he discovered the purple flowers would not only grow but would thrive in the harsh Southwest Oklahoma weather, he opened Lavender Valley Acres and hosted his first-ever Lavender Festival. Saturday will mark the eighth year of the festival and Sodhi said he’s going all out.

“I made the festival free for everyone this year,” he said. “Everyone that comes out here is a friend and I can’t charge friends.”

The lavenders are already in full bloom and Sodhi promises those few plants that haven’t quite bloomed yet will be bright and purple when people pull into Lavender Valley starting at 9 a.m. Sodhi will give free tours and show visitors the different varieties of lavender and how he’s managed to cultivate them throughout the years. But lavenders won’t be the only attraction at the festival this year. A belly dancer troupe will perform several shows on a stage throughout the eight-hour event. Many of his more than 30 peacocks, including several rare white ones, will be on display and even dance for visitors. Sodhi said a lavender festival also wouldn’t be complete without food.

“We are going to have lavender cookies, lavender chicken, lavender baked goods,” he said. “We have traditional Indian cooking and it will all have lavender in it. If you have never eaten lavender food before, you will love it.”

Sodhi began planning this year’s festival as last year’s event came to a close. Drought and blistering heat inspired him to expand the food pavilion in front of his home and shroud it with netting to act as shade. Now visitors can eat their lavender food and enjoy the peacock and belly dancing shows under the cool cover of shade.

Last year’s extreme weather also initially put this year’s festival in doubt. A small portion of the lavenders died during the drought, but the majority survived. It was touch and go for a while, but Sodhi managed to pull the plants through with careful watering and care. He has since planted new lavenders to replace any that died.

“We have had snow storms, ice storms, blizzards, floods and droughts and my lavenders are still here,” Sodhi said. “Southwest Oklahoma is truly blessed.”

After the festival, Sodhi invites visitors to stop by his gift shop where he has products with lavender extracts including lotions, oils and even bath salts.

To get to the festival on Saturday, find your way to Apache. (From Lawton, take the U.S. 62/281 exit off Interstate 44 and go north.) From the T-stop in Apache at the intersection of Oklahoma 19, U.S. 62 and U.S. 281, turn west on Oklahoma 19 then follow the signs to the farm.

STEVE MILLER/STAFF Jag Sodhi shows off one of the oldest lavender plants on his property that survived rain, snow and severe storms over the last several years thanks to a material on the ground that seals in heat and moisture for the plants.

STEVE MILLER/STAFF One of Jag Sodhi’s oldest peacocks spreads its feathers on display at Lavender Valley Acres.The peacocks will perform a dance show for visitors during the Lavender Festival Saturday.