Photo taken on Dec. 20, 2022, shows the largest organic lavender farm in South Island, New Zealand. (Photo provided by John Yi Jiang/Handout via Xinhua)
Every summer over 110,000 lavender plants turn the 20-hectare Canterbury farm purple with a spectacular show of flowers in New Zealand's South Island, nurtured via a complex underground watering system, hand-weeding and spray-free environment.
WELLINGTON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- John Yi Jiang never thought of his life would be closely linked to lavender, an exotic plant for most Chinese.
A highly experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and owner of New Zealand's largest lavender farm and the largest organic lavender farm in the Southern Hemisphere, Jiang's encounter with the purple flower is full of serendipity.
John Yi Jiang, owner of the largest organic lavender farm in South Island, New Zealand, stands on his lavender farm, on Dec. 20, 2022. (Photo provided by John Yi Jiang/Handout via Xinhua)
One day in 2016, an advertisement for sale of a lavender farm in New Zealand piqued Jiang's curiosity. After comparison of various species of lavender, Jiang found that New Zealand's special variety Lavandula angustifolia "Avice Hill" was one of the rarest sort.
After purchasing the farm, Jiang carefully researched lavender's healing and soothing effect. The award-winning lavender essential oil produced by Jiang's farm have been sold well globally. The farm itself has been a nature escape for locals and tourists.
Every summer over 110,000 Lavandula angustifolia "Avice Hill" plants turn Jiang's 20-hectare Canterbury farm purple with a spectacular show of flowers in New Zealand's South Island, nurtured via a complex underground watering system, hand-weeding and spray-free environment, Jiang said.
Aperahama Kipa, a Maori worker at the farm, cherished the opportunity to work "in the nature."
"It's not worked rigorously like all the other farms around here; it's worked with nature," Kipa said, adding that the lavender farm has provided calm and a sense of healing for him.
Photo taken on Dec. 20, 2022, shows the largest organic lavender farm in South Island, New Zealand. (Photo provided by John Yi Jiang/Handout via Xinhua)
Although lavender is an introduced plant in New Zealand, it is today "very recognizable with Maori people," Kipa told Xinhua.
Through lavender, Kipa said he had learned about the ways of healing the body and skin. Kipa also decorated his home with lavender flowers and created his own oils with the flowers.
Learning about the lavender landscape in Ili, China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Kipa said he looks forward to visiting the lavender farms there in the future.
Leonie Maunder, Jiang farm's lavender products sales manager, told Xinhua, "None of us were prepared for being lavender farmers and whatever came with it. However, it was the right step."
The lavender plants here have all been individually watered from the water of the Southern Alps, which has promoted the quality of the lavender with its purity and distinctiveness, Maunder said. ■
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