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Santa Barbara Real Estate Blog

Celebrate Santa Barbara Lavender

May 19, 2025

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There’s something timeless and soothing about the scent and hue of lavender—and in Santa Barbara, that appreciation blooms in full during the annual Lavender Festival on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Santa Barbara City College, where more than 75 artisans, growers, and small businesses will gather to celebrate and share their handcrafted goods, botanical creations, and heartfelt love for this cherished bloom. Just in time for this celebration of local culture, creativity, and wellness, I’ve gathered a few inspiring ways to bring the beauty of lavender into your home. 

Two growers at the Santa Barbara Lavender Festival in front of bales of the flower.
Photo Credit © EmilyHart-Roberts

A Santa Barbara Summer Tradition

The Santa Barbara Lavender Festival is a sensory celebration of everything this flower has to offer, and your opportunity to buy some fresh stems from local growers and artisans. Set against a backdrop of sweeping ocean views, the event showcases lavender’s beauty, versatility, and soothing benefits. It’s the perfect opportunity to stroll through fragrant displays, discover creative uses for lavender, and experience the uplifting energy of the community.

Close-up of lavender growing in a field, with sunset behind it.
Photo by Kelly Rabie, Pexels

Lavender Through the Ages: A Healing Herb with Ancient Roots

Lavender has been valued for its medicinal properties for thousands of years. Its name comes from the Latin lavare, meaning “to wash,” reflecting its early use by Greeks and Romans for cleansing and healing. Ancient Egyptians used it in perfumes and mummification, while Roman soldiers relied on it to disinfect wounds and soothe insect bites.

In medieval Europe, lavender was believed to ward off infection and was tucked into bedding to promote restful sleep. Throughout history, herbalists have praised its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and calming effects. Today, modern research supports many of these traditional uses, confirming lavender’s role in easing anxiety, improving sleep, and soothing skin.

Hanging lavendar on a vertical rack, with an oval sign reading 'Hambly Farms' hanging in front of it.
Photo Credit © EmilyHart-Roberts

Santa Barbara’s Perfect Climate for Lavender

Santa Barbara’s Mediterranean climate, characterized by dry summers, sunny skies, and cool coastal breezes, is ideal for cultivating the purple blossoms. This climate’s similarity to that of southern France makes the region a natural fit for lavender farming. As a result, many farms in the Santa Barbara area produce high-quality spikes of the fragrant blossoms.

6 Ways to Bring the Essence of Lavender Into Your Home

A chef holding a copper pan containing a roasted fowl with sprigs of fresh lavender extending from its cavity.
Creative Commons

1. Infuse Your Kitchen with Floral Flavor

Use culinary-grade lavender from local Santa Barbara growers to elevate your cooking with a uniquely floral flair. Lavender’s subtle, slightly sweet flavor pairs beautifully with both sweet and savory dishes when used sparingly. Just look at the duck baked with the purple flower for a burst of culinary genius.

Or perhaps you'd like to infuse dried buds into homemade syrups to drizzle over pancakes, stir into cocktails, or add sweetness to your favorite teas. Lavender lemonade is a summer staple—refreshing, fragrant, and the perfect centerpiece for any backyard gathering. You can even take lavender to the grill. Try rubbing crushed buds into a dry seasoning blend for lamb, chicken, or salmon to add a subtle, aromatic twist.

For baking, lavender shines in shortbread cookies, scones, and pound cakes, adding a gentle herbal note that pairs wonderfully with lemon, honey, or vanilla. Lavender lends itself beautifully to sugar or sea salt blends, creating a gourmet finishing touch for desserts or roasted vegetables.

2. Elevate Your Home’s Fragrance Naturally.

Essential oil diffusers with oil from the buds can create a serene mood in any room of your Santa Barbara home. Consider crafting DIY potpourri using dried sprigs, citrus peel, and other botanicals from your garden. The scent can also be beneficial when selling your home, as it offers a calming and welcoming ambiance that helps potential buyers feel at ease the moment they enter. A small bouquet in the entryway or a scented candle in the living room can subtly enhance the environment and make a lasting impression.

3. Add Lavender to Your Santa Barbara Garden

Lavender is a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant that is perfect for Santa Barbara landscapes. It thrives in coastal soil, attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, and offers year-round beauty. Line your pathways or design a focal point in your backyard using local varieties.

Round bars of lavender soap in a bed of straw.
Creative Commons

4. Make Self-Care Part of Your Routine

Lavender bath products, oils, and scrubs from Santa Barbara artisans turn any bathroom into a spa. The calming scent enhances relaxation, and the plant’s antimicrobial qualities make it a natural choice for skincare. A warm soak with lavender bath salts can ease sore muscles while creating a soothing end to a stressful day.

5. Transform Your Bedroom into a Tranquil Escape

You can place sachets inside your dresser drawers to infuse your clothing with a fresh scent. A small bouquet of dried lavender on your nightstand can help you drift off to sleep with the aroma of nature. The smell also naturally helps repel moths and other insects.

A dog pops its head out in bright green field of purple flowers.
Photo by Steve W, Pexels

6. Calming Benefits for Dogs

Lavender can bring calm to anxious or sensitive pets. In aromatherapy, a light lavender essence—diffused into the air or added to a pet-safe spray—can help soothe dogs during stressful events like thunderstorms, fireworks, vet visits, or long car rides. Some natural flea repellents and calming shampoos also include this botanical for its skin-soothing properties..


Events like the Lavender Festival embody the spirit of Santa Barbara living, where natural beauty, creativity, and wellness come together as a cherished part of the community’s lifestyle. If you're looking for your next home (with beds for lavender!) in one of our upscale neighborhoods, I’d be happy to help. Call me at (805) 886-9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. Come for the lavender, stay for the sunshine, and leave inspired to elevate your home.


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Client Reviews

“It was an emotional experience selling our mother’s home in Montecito that we all loved so much but Cristal made the process easier on our whole family by guiding us through the transaction every step of the way. She knows the market so well and everything she recommended was on point including the asking price, painting, and staging the home, which looked beautiful and helped the buyer envision her new home. We sold it the first day it hit the market with an offer above asking! Cristal did an incredible job communicating with us and the buyer to ensure that the transaction would run smoothly. We highly recommend using Cristal, she was a pleasure to work with! ”

- J & A

“Cristal is a pleasure to work with! Her knowledge of the local real estate market coupled with her amazing listening skills resulted in her showing us an array of homes that were all excellent choices. Her low-pressure patient attitude made us feel extremely comfortable with the whole process. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

- M.F.

“Cristal Clarke is #1 in her field - and you don't become #1 by luck. Cristal works harder, and longer, and with more charm and patience than any real estate agent I have ever worked with in the past; her calendar has no weekend, her days have no clocks, her only concern is selling your property as soon as possible and for the best price on the market. Am I a fan? You bet!”

- P.B.

“We have used Cristal now several times and cannot express how grateful we are for her expertise, dedication, and unwavering support throughout the entire home-buying process. Cristal is knowledgeable, patient and attentive. Her attention to detail is remarkable, and she consistently went above and beyond to provide us with all the information and resources we needed to make informed decisions. Cristal is a skillful negotiator and advocate. She can navigate complex negotiations with professionalism and grace and felt like a true partner to us in the home-buying process. Cristal has a genuine passion for real estate and a deep commitment to her clients' satisfaction. I cannot speak highly enough of Cristal and her exceptional service. She is a true expert in her field and her dedication to excellence, combined with unwavering support is the reason we choose to work with her for all our real estate buying needs.”

- T.C.

“Cristal is a top-notch realtor who sold my home before it ever went on the market. I had two competing offers that enabled me to get top dollar for my home. Not only is Cristal superb but her team is extraordinary. I cannot say enough about Cristal and her team. They are simply phenomenal, the consummate professionals, who took care of every possible detail, making the sale and transition period, smooth from our end. They are also lovely, caring people, who knew all the right professionals, to get the job done. Thank you, everyone!”

- D.R.

“I could list lots of cool adjectives to describe Cristal. All good by the way. But, that is not why I or anyone should hire Cristal. My reason for hiring her, which proved to be correct, is very simple. She got the job done. And, she does it time and time again and with zero issues. And, that is why she is one of the top agents in the country. End of subject. ”

- M.A.

“Working with Cristal was a complete pleasure. Cristal was extremely patient with us as we evaluated nearly 2 dozen homes over a span of 2 years. Her knowledge of the market is unmatched. Cristal provided us with exceptional counsel as we evaluated opportunities and negotiated pricing. The closing process was handled thoroughly and efficiently. We could not be happier with our purchase and even more happy to now call Cristal our friend.”

- D.K.

“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”

- S.N. Decker Ph.D.

“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”

- Johan and Paula van den Berg

“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”

- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

- Rob & Judi Kelch