About Lavender Abbey
Lavender Abbey grows lavender on Dalefield Road outside Carterton, about an hour's drive from Wellington. Its oils have collected top honors at the national lavender growers' oil awards, including 'Grosso' in 2024 and 2025 and 'Violet Intrigue' in 2023, 2025 and 2026. Other lavenders grown here include 'Hidcote', 'Rosea' and 'Blue Mountain White'.
The big event is the pick-your-own, held each summer for 14 years. For 2026–27 the field opens 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 19 and 20, December 26 through January 10, and January 16, 17, 23, 24 and 25, closed Christmas Day. Entry is $5 per person and each bunch you pick is $5. The farm suggests bringing a picnic, a rug, sunglasses, a sunhat and an umbrella for shade. There is plenty of parking and wheelchair access.
Year-round, the farm shop, called the Big Box of Lavender, opens most Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It sells the farm's essential oils, roll-ons, balms, sleep lotion and dried lavender bunches, along with candles, linen, cards and gifts. The shop has been open since October 2022. Lavender Abbey products are also sold online and at markets around the region.
Greytown's shops and cafés are a short drive south, a natural add-on to a summer picking morning.
Lavender here
- When it blooms
- Peak picking in late December and January
- Visiting
- Pick-your-own on set days December 19, 2026 to January 25, 2027, 10–3; farm shop most weekends 10–3 year-round.
- Varieties grown
- Grosso, Violet Intrigue, Hidcote, Rosea, Blue Mountain White
From the farm shop
- Lavender essential oils
- Roll-ons
- Lavender and menthol balm
- Sleep lotion
- Dried lavender bunches
Events
- Pick-your-own lavender days, late December through January (2026–27)
What to do
- Pick your own lavender bunch on set days, December 19 to January 25
- Bring a picnic and rug to the field on pick days
- Shop award-winning 'Grosso' and 'Violet Intrigue' oils
- Visit the Big Box of Lavender shop on most weekends
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Pick-your-own on set days from December 19, 2026 to January 25, 2027; shop most weekends year-round
- Hours
- PYO days 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (2026–27); farm shop Saturday and Sunday 10–3 most weekends, closed Christmas and Boxing Day
- Admission
- PYO entry $5 per person; $5 per bunch (NZD, 2026–27)
Good to know
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair access on pick days
- Reservations
- Walk-in
- Payment
- EFTPOS available
Tips for your visit
- Bring a sunhat and an umbrella; the field has little shade.
- The shop opens most weekends, not all, so check the farm's social pages first.
- Pick days are set dates only, so plan around the published calendar.
Pair it with a nearby stop
Schoc Chocolates · about 15 minutes away
Greytown is about 15 minutes away for chocolate and a stroll down the main street.
Getting there
Questions
When is the Lavender Abbey pick-your-own?
On set days from December 19, 2026 to January 25, 2027, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
How much does it cost?
$5 entry per person, plus $5 per bunch.
Is the farm wheelchair accessible?
The farm lists wheelchair access for the pick days.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of the Wairarapa & Kāpiti Coast, New Zealand
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
