Last time when I was driving on Hwy 17-S to Santa Cruz, I saw a sign on the side of the highway saying that you can cut your own lavender. Lavender is very popular in Hong Kong and people usually pay a lot just to get a small bag of it. A lot of people in Hong Kong even take guided tours to Japan to see the lavender farm. I love lavender a lot because it does have a very relaxing smell.
Anyway, two weekends ago, I ended up forcing my friend to go with me. He said it was the gayest thing he has ever done. When he called his wife on the phone that he was cutting lavender with me, his wife was laughing out loud. The farm only opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:00p.m. for people to cut lavender. They charge US$7 for a big bouquet of lavender. The lady told us to hang them upside down in a cool dry area for a week or so. The lavender flowers will then fall off and you can collect them in a small bag and put it in the bathroom or so.
You can check out more about the Los Gatos Farm at http://www.losgatosfarms.com/. They also have horses that you can ride.
