Stepping inside the specialty gift shop at Lavender Hill Farm just off Morris Drive in Niles, one deep breath is all that’s needed to get an idea of why lavender is so popular among so many.

“It has such a nice, calming scent,” said Martha Wilczynski who, with her husband, planted her first lavender plants at the farm in 2001. That was ten years after Wilczynski said she’d first become acquainted with the flower.

“I’m not somebody who just jumps into things quickly,” she said.

Wilczynski researched the flower that would become her business and when she returned to her parents’ farm, which she said her father had hoped one of his children would one day take over, she found the soil was good for growing lavender and has since become more than just a grower.

Lavender Hill produces everything from homemade lavender soaps to essential oils and sachets. The shop also offers decorative bunches of lavender, lavender wreaths and lavender honey.

Though she has been in the business of lavender for a decade, Wilczynski said she thinks Lavender Hill Farm is starting to become more recognizable to customers.

“It’s definitely, word is getting out,” she said. “There’s a lot of word of mouth, it seems to be something … people want to bring their friend.”

Wilczynski keeps hours at the shop on Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until the week before Christmas. And she also brings her products to a booth twice a month during the Niles Bensidoun French Market season.

But at the start of lavender season, which begins in June, Lavender Hill Farm also offers U-Pick to customers and Wilczynski said she will give tours of their farm which sits just behind the shop.

And Wilczynski believes there are plenty of possibilities that lay ahead including possible wholesale, hosting events and more. For more information, visit them online at www.thelavenderhill.com.