"IT'S been our best season for a couple of years," said farmer Eric Heard, chuffed with this year's crop.

But it wasn't maize, wheat or barley that Eric was referring to.

It wasn't even asparagus, soft fruits or berries.

What Eric was referring to is what makes Cheristow Farm at Hartland that little bit different — lavender.

The farm has been in the Heard family for over 60 years but it was only five years ago that Eric and Michelle Heard decided to diversify and grow lavender.

"We were on holiday in the Isle of Wight," said Eric. "We came across a beautiful lavender field and I was hooked. That's what I want to grow I said, and it spiralled from there really."

Eric now looks after around one hundred varieties of lavender, and perhaps to some people's surprise they come in all sorts of colours.

They grow the stock-in-trade purple varieties of course but at Cheristow you can also find white, pink and light blue plants too.

They opened the lavender side of the business in April 2006, sensing that the south facing grounds and healthy soil would provide ideal growing conditions.

Michelle said: "We've stuck to our original acre because it suits our needs. We're not a lavender farm as such, but a working farm that wanted to branch out into lavender-related products."

It is a key difference because initially signs to Cheristow read Lavender Farm before they were changed some time ago, with the word farm being removed.

"I think some folks got the wrong impression," said Eric.

"They were expecting endless fields of lavender from here down to Hartland lighthouse, and that's not what we're about at all.

"We produce as much as we need to make our own products, but what we don't do is farm the sort of amounts you need to process oils and that sort of thing."

The lavender is in best bloom in early July and shows its magnificence through to August. Then follows harvest time, when the florets are dried and the seeds used to flavour products such as chutneys, marmalades, jams, cordials and cakes, all of which are available at their award winning tea shop.

Although the Heards don't process lavender oil, they do have their own supplier, allowing Michelle to blend lotions for use in her other professional capacity as a practising aromatherapist.

She has created her own range of toiletries including massage blends, hand and body lotions, moisturising creams and bathing lotions.

"Lavender is now better known for its healing and soothing properties. It's proving very popular," said Michelle.

The farm is a family run business with Jacob sheep, Ruby Red cattle and free-range chickens to look after as well.

Michelle said: "We try to farm in an environmentally-friendly manner, like encouraging wildlife by managing our hedgerows. We've introduced bee hives and planted nearly 2,000 coppice trees, to help the bees collect the nectar and the birds to nest.

"We also try to use home-grown produce wherever possible, using organically sustainable principles.

"The lavender is really an extension of all that and fits in well with what we are trying to achieve here."

The farm certainly seems to attract visitors from far and wide, and is becoming known on the North Devon tourist circuit.

"They come from all corners, New Zealand, Japan, USA and even Barnstaple," said Eric.

As I was about to leave a car with a French registration was parking up alongside.

"Où est la lavande?" asked the little girl getting out of the back seat. She only had to follow her nose.