Lavender Valley is nestled within the coronary heart of the Barrandien Geopark, a geologically distinctive area between Prague and Plzen. It was right here that Helena Neumannová determined to plant English lavender, the sort of lavender with inside therapeutic results. She is following up on a convention established by the Celts who grew lavender in Chodouň 1000’s of years in the past.
Again in 2014 she planted 50 thousand lavender bushes in natural high quality, and her farm Lavender Valley now makes well being and wellness merchandise which can be used internally – teas, sirups, and meals that they provide at their native restaurant and store. Additionally they provide aromatherapy, spa periods, and all kinds of therapeutic treatments promising to alleviate melancholy, anxiousness, insomnia, and increase the immune system. Radio Prague’s contributor Martina Kroa visited the farm, and spoke to the founding father of Lavender Valley, Helena Neumannová, about her lavender enterprise, their primacy in combining natural lavender and hashish, and the Czech herbalist and spa custom.
In your web site you write that you’ve got the most important natural lavender subject in Europe. How did that occur in a small Central European nation?
“It’s extremely fascinating as a result of all people is aware of lavender from Provence, however the truth is that the Slavs had lavender first on this planet. No person is aware of that as a result of throughout World Warfare, World Warfare II and the Communist period lots of people who had been completely nice herbalists emigrated, they ran due to Hitler and due to the communist regime and so they began to construct nice corporations world wide. However what is essential for us is that Bulgaria, Montenegro, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic had lavender from the tenth century earlier than Christ. We had completely nice herbalism and due to this fact after the Velvet Revolution some folks in these nations I named began once more. And, like me they attempt to inform the world that we now have medical lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, which is completely nice for inside utilization, and for tremendous merchandise, meals, therapeutic inside – no one else has that.”
Helena proudly factors out that in contrast to business lavender farms world wide, in Chodouň they use strictly natural practices and harvest their lavender by hand.
“Many farms in Provence and elsewhere use standard manufacturing, they use chemical compounds. However when lavender farms had been reestablished on this nation, be it ours or Mr. Bíza in South Moravia, or the lavender farm near Říp Mountain, they opted to be strictly natural and that is most necessary for sustainability, for the ecological system on this planet, for the planet, for us human beings.”
And what’s the greatest distinction between the lavender from Provence and the lavender from Chodouň?
“The completely most necessary factor is that lavender from Provence is conventionally produced and due to this fact it’s potential to make use of just for cosmetics and important oils, however the Czech Republic has natural lavender, and we will use it internally. Say, the lavender out of your backyard is a sort of lavender which you need to use just for instance as a pleasant ornament or in aromatherapy. However this type of lavender, certificated natural lavender, is completely nice for therapeutic inside.”
There are two commonest species of lavender or ‘Lavandula’ in Latin. First, the ‘English’ or ‘true’ lavender which is planted in Chodouň and can be utilized for therapeutic functions, additionally referred to as Lavandula angustifolia. The second species Lavandula x intermedia is a hybrid and sometimes called ‘lavandin’, planted generally in France, and in addition produces extra important oils.
“Now within the twenty first century we all know 1000’s of sorts of lavender, however Lavandula angustifolia Munstead is the most effective of all of them. And for those who develop it in natural high quality, then you possibly can say it is a herb. In the event you do not plant it in natural high quality, it is only a flower, that is necessary to say. Subsequently, we all know we now have one thing particular for therapeutic inside and naturally for meals, natural drinks, natural chocolate, natural snack bars, and so forth.”
The lavender grown in Chodouň, Lavandula angustifolia Munstead, can be smaller.
“However the power of this herb is inside, not within the top. And naturally, the Provence lavender is way larger and nice for smelling, however however you can’t use it internally. Whenever you drink for instance their wine, I say you drink poison.”
For foreigners and when advertising and marketing overseas, they name their lavender from Chodouň ‘Lavandula Bohemia’ to focus on the truth that it’s from the Czech Republic.
What’s so particular in regards to the lavender from Chodouň?
“Lavandula Bohemia as we all know from the analysis that has been happening for the previous 5 years has particular sorts of biodynamic substances that are essential for autoimmune illnesses within the twenty first century. As an example the sorts of illnesses which standard drugs does not know tips on how to heal; we may help these folks. What’s essential about this type of herb is that it’s pure nature with no different unfavorable negative effects. It solely helps and that’s one thing completely particular and distinctive. We hope, on the finish of our analysis, which continues to be in course of, to get a stamp of high quality, then we will use all these outcomes on our etiquettes and our merchandise.”
In Chodouň they’ve the right mixture of herbs, minerals, and pure situations that contribute to the therapeutic results the plant gives. The limestone within the distinctive geological space the place the lavender is grown provides minerals, and the frost within the winter and extra importantly the omnipresent wind stresses the plant that then produces extra flavonoids, and different biodynamic substances which have therapeutic results. Simply sitting close to the fields ought to show you how to with migraines or fatigue. Helena Neumannová once more:
“Our lavender accommodates antibiotics, antioxidants, and antiseptics from pure nature with no different results. It helps your digestive system, nervous system, and your immunity, in fact. And what’s the most fascinating for me is that we may help with very dangerous psychological issues like melancholy, insomnia, and different issues with the nervous system.”
“Are you able to think about that Japanese folks can heal the steadiness with the dopamine hormone which is made in your digestive system? They’ve analysis on lavender that proves it actually helps the manufacturing of dopamine and serotonin in your digestive system. So, we will say it is one thing just like the second heart in your physique, thoughts and soul as a result of first is the mind and the second is your digestive system the place is the middle of your immunity.”
Lavender Valley participates in analysis relating to the therapeutic results of their lavender with the College of Chemistry and Know-how in Prague and in addition with different specialists:
“We cooperate with Mr. Petr Kaštánek who could be very well-known for utilizing pure herbs in natural high quality for therapeutic and in analysis. We’re very proud to cooperate with the college specialists as a result of they helped us rather a lot after we first began rising lavender. And we imagine that if we join collectively and we now have this analysis then we will present to the world that we now have one thing completely distinctive.”
Lavender Valley has set its sights excessive. They wish to show the therapeutic results of their lavender on neurological illnesses even corresponding to a number of sclerosis, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s illness, melancholy, and others. And so they develop merchandise from the highly effective mixture of natural lavender and hashish.
“We had been the primary staff on this planet who blended these two queens of herbs, and I am very pleased with that. Are you able to think about that American representatives from cbdMD which is the most important producer on this planet, and supporter of Swiss, American, and the most effective clinics on this planet, requested us to ship them these two merchandise to place them to the check?
Helena’s imaginative and prescient is to revive the status of Czech conventional herbalism, and to proceed within the nation’s well-known spa custom.
“That is my predominant aim. I’d love to listen to on this planet that Czech herbalism is completely nice. As a result of all people is aware of lavender from Provence, all people is aware of that lavender is nice for shampoo, cleaning soap, conditioner, important oils, perfumes however folks have no idea how this queen of herbs can actually serve and assist your nervous system which is an important now after we dwell on this loopy epoch. Subsequently, it is vitally necessary for us to attempt to assist Czech herbalism, the Czech nation, central Bohemia just like the Mecca of herbalism as a result of we had been that.”
Video of Levandulove udoli FHD
