MILTON, Del. - Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor is under contract to be sold to new owners. Recent history in Sussex County has many convinced that farm sales frequently end as new housing developments, which cause grief among nearby residents and raise frustrations with overdevelopment and criticism of slowly-changing infrastructure. This time, however, the land and farm are said to remain of the same purpose, and maybe get even better
CoastTV News spoke with the current owner of Lavender Fields, Marie Mayor, who bought the farm in 2002 with her wife, Sharon. Mayor had no farming background and spent almost 40 years working for the Department of Education at federal and state levels before purchasing the farm. She said they received a lot of help from other farmers in the area, especially when they were getting started, and that the fields today were built from scratch.
"It's just been a pleasure to be here," Mayor told CoastTV News. "I love the pastoral scene, the less commercial the better."
Visitors can walk through the lavender. The relaxing scent is strong.
They worked to restore the farmhouse on the property and built a storefront, where visitors can purchase lavender plants and products along with home decor. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mayor said visiting the farm was a safe outdoor activity many were drawn to, as it was a place they could take a nice walk through the field or labyrinth and bring their kids for a reason to get out of the house.
Sharon passed away a few years ago, leaving Marie the sole owner of the fields. She recently decided to sell the property and started the process.
"I'm going to miss so many components here," Mayor said, "but I'm not going to be a farmer in my 80s!"
Marie told CoastTV News that she'll celebrate her 77th birthday next month. She's ready to move on from the full-time work required to run the fields, but she won't go far, as she's planning to relocate nearby to another home in Milton. In her "second retirement," she's hoping to travel and continue gardening, but on a smaller scale.
The Lavender Fields buyer is not a developer planning to build a new neighborhood or shopping center, but a young woman Mayor says has a lot of energy.
Cait Spieker Gee grew up in Milton. Though she eventually moved out of state, she came back after having children and the family currently resides in Lewes. While studying to take the bar exam this upcoming February, Gee reached out to a local realtor, as she was interested in pursuing a real estate focus. Gee offered to stage houses, and was given the contact information for Mayor.
Gee said the two women instantly hit it off and she fell in love with the farm. She talked to her husband and sisters and decided to buy it.
Both Mayor and Gee are excited to keep the farm's current charm. Gee has plans to continue current operations like producing Soap Fairy products, maintaining flower and zen gardens, running a market and more. Mayor said Gee may make the property even better, and Gee shared plans to expand the event space and use it more often for birthday parties, retreats, weddings, festivals and is even considering adding yurts to the edge of the property and signing up for Airbnb. She'd also love to host an outdoor movie night for families. A fire pit is in the early plans for this fall and winter to keep folks who visit warm.
"I brought my oldest and he was just so happy, running around looking up at the sky, and at all of the flowers. That's what I'm excited for,” Gee said. “My little one isn't walking yet, but he crawls through the lavender and loves it. This is an awesome place to grow up, so to see them get to live in that environment is what I'm most excited about."
One of the plans to expand Lavender Fields is to use the event spaces more often for occasions like wedding retreat weekends. Courtesy Lavender Fields/Nancy Allen.
Gee became emotional when discussing these plans, especially when it came to pursuing partnerships with local hospitals and support groups, as her father is battling cancer and she, herself, has suffered through a miscarriage. Starting retreats for women and others who have experienced loss is a cause close to her heart. Using Lavender Fields as a space where people are free to relax and be themselves is something about which she feels passionate.
"I want people to be free to walk around it, feel the magic of it," Gee said. "They can feel the healing elements of the space. I want this to be something to benefit the community."
Though the sale is not officially final, a contract has been signed. Inspectors will be at the property Monday morning, but Gee isn't in a hurry, as she wants to ensure Mayor can take the time needed to find the right fit for her next home and her next chapter.
"I want everyone to feel seen and heard here," Gee said. "The farm motto is 'grow through what you go through.'"
