A Lavender Farm With a Story

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm

A Texas Destination Rooted in Vision, Perseverance and a Love of the Land

Some properties are defined by acreage, improvements and location. Others have a story that has taken decades to build.

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm is one of those rare places.

Set among the rolling hills of Washington County near historic Chappell Hill, Texas, the farm has grown from an experiment with a handful of lavender plants into a recognizable Texas destination featured by publications including Texas Highways, Edible Austin, Fort Worth Magazine, and Secret Houston.

Today, it represents something increasingly difficult to find: a beautiful Texas property where land, agriculture, business, tourism and lifestyle all intersect.

From Houston to the Texas Countryside

When Jim and Debbie McDowell’s left Houston for the countryside more than two decades ago, becoming lavender farmers wasn’t exactly the plan.

They saw potential in the raw land — particularly a green, rolling hillside that descended toward a pond — and began researching ways to put the acreage to use.

Their experiment started simply: a flat of approximately 20 lavender plants.

The plants survived.

So Jim and Debbie cleared more ground and took a chance on lavender.

Over the years, the McDowells transformed it by adding lavender fields, a gazebo, orchards, animals, gardens and the infrastructure needed to welcome visitors.

What began as an experiment gradually became Chappell Hill Lavender Farm.

Growing Lavender

Part of what makes the farm’s story remarkable is that lavender isn’t an obvious crop for this part of Texas.

Lavender naturally prefers abundant sunlight, dry conditions and well-drained soils. They discovered that spacing, airflow, drainage, weather and variety selection could make the difference between success and starting over. They ultimately concentrated on Sweet and Provence lavender, varieties better suited to the local climate. Sweet typically provides an earlier bloom, while Provence follows later in the season.

Through freezes, humidity, rainfall and the inevitable challenges of agriculture, Jim and Debbie kept learning and improving.

That perseverance and success in Washington County became part of the farm itself.

From Lavender Field to Texas Destination

Eventually, people weren’t simply purchasing lavender.

They wanted to come experience the place where it was grown.

Visitors have traveled to Chappell Hill Lavender Farm to walk through the fields, cut bundles of lavender, picnic beside the pond, shop inside the farm store, pick seasonal fruit and enjoy a little time away from city life.

Fort Worth Magazine highlighted the farm as part of the agricultural appeal of Chappell Hill, noting its cut-your-own lavender, seasonal fruit and farm boutique filled with lavender-inspired products.

Secret Houston has promoted the property as a day-trip destination from Houston, highlighting the opportunity to stroll the farm, picnic near the pond, cut lavender, visit the goats and browse the gift shop.

And Texas Highways included Chappell Hill Lavender Farm among the destinations worth experiencing on its Washington County Ramble, alongside some of the area’s best-known historic and cultural attractions.

The result is something far more valuable than a field of flowers.

The McDowells created a true Texas destination.

A Farm You Can Experience

Visitors to Chappell Hill Lavender Farm have historically been able to do much more than admire the scenery.

Depending upon the season and growing conditions, the farm experience has included:

Walking among the lavender fields
Cutting your own lavender bundles
Picnicking near the pond and gazebo
Picking blackberries, peaches, pears, persimmons, figs and other seasonal fruit
Feeding the farm’s miniature goats
Shopping for lavender-based and locally produced goods
Purchasing lavender plants
Participating in tours and educational experiences
Attending workshops, painting classes and other farm events

Edible Austin also highlighted the farm’s outdoor deck as a setting for seminars, yoga, painting classes, educational programs and private parties, along with seasonal events and participation in community activities such as the Chappell Hill Art Walk and Airing of the Quilts.

Those experiences demonstrate the potential of the property beyond traditional agriculture.

The Gift Shop: Turning What Is Grown Into a Brand

Another important part of Chappell Hill Lavender Farm’s success has been transforming what grows in the field into products people can take home.

Lavender harvested from the farm has been incorporated into an extensive range of products, many historically handmade by Debbie.

A gift shop filled with lavender-inspired products ranging from spice blends, teas, and cookies to aromatherapy products, handmade soaps and one of the farm’s bestsellers — lavender mosquito spray.

This ability to take an agricultural crop and create a complete retail and visitor experience around it is one of the characteristics that separates Chappell Hill Lavender Farm from a typical rural property.

More Than Lavender

Over time, the McDowells continued diversifying the farm.

Fruit trees and berry plantings were incorporated to provide additional seasonal experiences when lavender wasn’t blooming. Bluebonnet reported peaches, figs, pears, persimmons and blackberries growing near the lavender fields.

The property itself provides the backdrop for all of it.

Rolling terrain leads toward ponds and established agricultural areas, while mature trees, open pasture and gardens create an unmistakable Washington County setting.

The property also includes a main residence of approximately 2,279 square feet with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with an approximately 900-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bath apartment, workshop, and a livestock/equipment barn.

Additional features include a spring-fed stocked pond, second pond, orchard and garden areas, established lavender plantings and existing farm infrastructure.

Property Video – Click Here –> Chappell Hill Lavender Farm

A Location People Already Want to Visit

The property also benefits from being located in one of the most recognizable rural destinations between Houston and Austin.

Historic Chappell Hill sits along Highway 290 in Washington County, surrounded by rolling farmland, horse pastures and some of Texas’ most recognizable spring wildflower scenery.

Fort Worth Magazine describes Chappell Hill as one of Texas’ best-preserved historic villages, known for its Bluebonnet Festival, Scarecrow Festival, agricultural heritage and proximity to Washington-on-the-Brazos.

Secret Houston has repeatedly highlighted Washington County’s scenic roads, wildflowers and attractions as reasons Houston-area residents make the drive to the region.

For an agritourism business, that location matters.

The farm isn’t trying to create an entirely new destination in an unknown market. It exists within a region that already attracts visitors seeking Texas history, bluebonnets, farms, antiques, small towns and countryside escapes.

The Opportunity for a New Owner

What Jim and Debbie McDowell created over more than two decades would be difficult to reproduce from scratch.

There is the land.

There are the improvements.

There is the agricultural infrastructure.

But there is also something less tangible: recognition, history and a story attached to the property.

A future owner could choose to continue operating Chappell Hill Lavender Farm and build upon its existing agricultural and retail foundation.

There may also be opportunities, subject to applicable governmental requirements and approvals, to expand the property into additional agritourism experiences such as:

Seasonal festivals and farm events
Pick-your-own crops
Workshops and educational programming
Photography sessions
Private gatherings
Farm-to-table experiences
Expanded retail
Additional specialty crops
Children’s and school programs
Corporate or small-group retreats
Weddings or private events where permitted
Online and wholesale distribution of farm products

Or the next owner could take the property in an entirely different direction while preserving the character that makes it special.

It could become a private country retreat, family compound, recreational property or diversified agricultural operation.

The foundation is already here.

Lavender Pecan Crisp Cookies made by Debbie McDowell

A Property With a Story That Cannot Be Recreated Overnight

In rural real estate, buyers frequently hear about a property’s “potential.”

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm is different because much of that potential has already been demonstrated.

People have driven through the gates.

They have wandered the fields.

They have cut lavender.

They have brought their children to feed the goats, enjoyed picnics beside the pond, picked fruit, attended events and taken pieces of the farm home with them.

Major Texas and regional publications have written about it.

And for more than two decades, Jim and Debbie McDowell have poured their creativity, work and persistence into turning an unlikely crop into something uniquely their own.

Bluebonnet Electric perhaps captured the spirit of the farm best when Debbie explained that the visitors who come there tend to be people who appreciate nature, flowers, serenity and quiet.

That may ultimately be what makes Chappell Hill Lavender Farm so special.

It isn’t simply a farm for sale.

It’s a piece of the Washington County experience — and an opportunity for someone new to write the next chapter.