A desire for a better work-life balance led Hamilton couple Samantha Wang and Benjamin Jeng to reassess in their lives in 2014. As owners of a lifestyle block in Newstead, they already had a field of overgrown blueberry bushes that had gone wild from a previous owner’s enterprise, and the rest of the site was undeveloped and ripe for change.

From 2012, Ben had been working as a web designer in Auckland and Samantha stayed in Hamilton with the children and managed the property.

Looking to their land to provide an income, they had already pruned the blueberry bushes right back, as they needed around five years to come into fruit again.

“We didn’t like being apart, and began to look at how we could change things,” says Samantha.

Samantha’s sister, Tracey, a qualified skincare specialist, suggested they grew lavender.

The couple took things very slowly, learning as they went, planting a few hundred bushes at a time. Ben used a now-iconic purple tractor to prepare the land, and the first plants were planted by hand.

“Our soils can be wet, and we raise the beds for the lavender to thrive, as it doesn’t like wet roots.”

Three types of lavender bushes are grown, and each with a distinctive property and use. There is a distillery onsite used to produce lavender essential oil and floral water (pure hydrosol).

Tracey uses her skills to invent quality skincare products, while Samantha concentrates on design and presentation and Ben carries out much of the outside work.

From December through to early-February the lavender blooms, and the blueberries fruit under seasonally-placed bird netting. Visitors enjoy pick-your-own blueberries and lavender, snacks at the food caravan, and browse beautiful lavender and blueberry products in the shop.

“Our goal is to produce quality New Zealand-grown and New Zealand-made products.”

During winter the team concentrate on maintenance and the development and manufacture of new products. Coming up with products that use both blueberries and lavender is always under discussion.

Blueberry jam with a hint of edible lavender is a recent innovation. Rosemary, with its therapeutic benefits, is also being introduced into the range, with essential oil being distilled from plants grown on the property. “We want to keep things small but viable and have time to design more quality products,” says Samantha. “We have found the balance we were looking for.”

More information is at: www.lavenderbackyard.co.nz