Little else is so instantly relaxing as the scent of lavender. Its deep blue
flowers contain essential oils that are used to bring delicious aroma to 50
Weleda products.
Images of lavender often show the endless, violet fields of French Provence,
but there is another important growing area in Europe, which has been supporting
the large-scale cultivation of lavender for centuries. The tiny country of
Moldova, between Romania and Ukraine, has only 34,000 square kilometres of land,
but is blessed with a warm, dry climate and the fertile black soil which allows
vineyards and orchards to thrive on a large scale. This perfect growing climate
formed the foundation of Moldova, once known as one of the world's largest
producers of essential oils. With the end of the Soviet Union in 1992 many acres
of lavender disappeared as the population tried to learn the operation of free
trade. Since then a lot has changed in this small country: old traditions have
been revived and lavender cultivation has taken on a new lease of life.