Any day now, as the bees and butterflies swarm the fields of purple blooms high above Lakeside, Deborah Davis will send out a “lavender alert” and friends will come running.

Davis is once again on the cusp of harvesting at Purple Mountain Lavender. It’s one of the best times of the year as her friends gather to help cut and bundle the fragrant purple flowers.

“It’s like a quilting club — with no quilts,” she said with a laugh.

Like many businesses, Purple Mountain Lavender started with a dream of what might be.

“I had a vision of being a little old lady wearing my wide-brimmed hat, brushing my lavender as I walked by, smelling the marvelous fragrance of lavender,” recalled Davis, a retired schoolteacher who taught kindergarten through eighth grade for 29 years.

She and her husband, Gregg Davis, an economics professor at Flathead Valley Community College, bought their 40 acres of land overlooking Flathead Lake during a blizzard in the late 1990s. They built a home there in 2002 and planted the first 220 lavender plants in 2004.

“We wanted to do something with the land, and we had to find something that would adapt to our extreme weather. And it had to be drought-resistant,” she said.

Davis knew nothing about growing lavender, so she began her research by “dragging my husband and two sons” to the Washington Lavender Festival in Sequim. She got books about lavender and did her homework.

“The more I learn about lavender, the more there is to learn,” she said.

Lavender seemed to agree with all of the requisites their land demanded. It grows beautifully on the hillside in fairly rocky soil. The initial 12 varieties of lavender they planted have increased to 30 varieties and 1,100 plants.

Last year they planted 650 plants during drought conditions, so Gregg, her husband of 32 years, faithfully hand-watered the new plants. Davis quickly notes that her lavender business succeeds because of his support.

“It’s not easy to grow lavender,” she said. “We lost 30 percent [of the plants] a few years ago” because of adverse weather.

David learned how to make all kinds of lavender products, from essential oil and hydrosol (a lavender water collected from the distilling process) to aromatherapy eye pillows and lavender wands. Purple Mountain Lavender’s product line also includes a lavender sugar scrub, linen scrub, lip balm, foamy soap, sachets and bridal bouquets.

Some of the lavender is sold for food products. Sweet Peaks uses Davis’ lavender in its lavender ice cream; Lakeside Coffee Co. has lavender scones and Glacier Perks Coffee House in Lakeside uses it in a lavender syrup.

She has been somewhat low-key about marketing her products, though she has plans to delve more into the marketing end of the business. Montana Spa & Boutique in Kalispell carries some products; Glacier Perks has a few. The Good Food Store in Missoula buys lavender bundles and sells her hydrosol.

Davis is a health and wellness coach at The Summit in Kalispell, a part-time endeavor that blends well with growing a crop known for its aromatherapy qualities since Romans started using lavender in the second century.

The latest path on her lavender journey is learning more about how to cook with lavender. For a recent Chamber social she served lavender lemonade and shortbread cookies.

For Davis, Purple Mountain Lavender has always been more about the journey than the destination.

When opportunities present themselves, she responds. She made lavender breast pillows for two friends recovering from breast cancer. Last week a local artist brought her watercolor students to the lavender farm to paint. Davis hosted a Lakeside Chamber of Commerce social last Tuesday. She also offers group tours.

A dilapidated Studebaker truck in the middle of the main field is a perfect prop for photographers. Weathered tables and chairs in other settings are equally nice backdrops.

“It’s all kind of evolving,” she said. “You have to step outside your box and not wait for everything to be perfect. You have fun along the way ... it’s good for the heart and soul.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.