Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens ~ About Us

* About Us!

USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Owned and operated by Richard, Lynette & Justin Gooch.
The land that was to become "Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens" was purchased in the summer of 1999.
Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens is located on the majestic mountain side off Fern Road EAST in Whitmore, California and is nestled in the
Shasta Cascade Mountain Range between Mount Shasta & Mount Lassen in Shasta County, CA only 35 miles east of Redding, CA.

The history of our property, from our understanding, goes something like this;
In 1987, a fierce wild fire had burned through this area. The beautiful forest-like property was devastated, leaving the hollows of dead, burnt
out trees, and exposing large boulders over the land scape. The fire had taken a large bite out of a truly lush and gorgeous mountainside.

When we purchased the land, over ten years after the fire, it was completely overgrown with poison oak & manzaneta brush. An unknown
number of people had been using the back side of the property as a "dump site", by leaving all kinds of trash, tires and building waist behind.
Needless to say, that section of the property sure was an eyesore. We were asked, "What we could possibly see in this ugly, worthless piece of
property (at the time, it was truly an ugly piece of property)? Our answer to all asking that question was: "Well, we will figure something out"!
And, we did just that... We looked below the "Eye Sore". We looked down at the soil.   The earth has had over ten years to heal its wound
and the "SOIL" was just as beautiful and rich as it could possibly be! This amazing piece of "God's Country" was a blank canvas waiting for just
the right person, with just the right amount of patience’s and imagination to paint the perfect picture.

So, we bought a John Deere tractor and started moving some dirt!

It took us nearly three and a half years to clear and clean up what the 87' fire had left behind. Once that was done, we started building our
home. When the house was finished we began our Lavender journey by planting about 25 Lavandula x intermedia: Provence lavender plants
in the Fall of 2002. That was it. We were hooked, and we have been planting Lavender ever since.

We decided to dive deeper into educating our-selves about the plant, its biology, life & growth habits, etc...
We made some amazing discoveries about Lavender along the way. We discovered that as of 2004, there are approximately 39 documented
species of genus Lavandula. From those 39 species, there are nearly 400 known named sub species (varieties) in the world.
(The Genus Lavandula 2004 -by: Tim Upson & Susan Andrews)

Here at Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens, we are the fortunate host's to nearly 200 different Lavender plant varieties, including our signature
Lavandin: Tuscan Lavender. All told, we currently grow close to 22, 500 lavender plants in our gardens. We also grow over 140 different
culinary herbs and edible flower varieties, including a small "Rosemary" variety garden and "scented geranium" garden. We have also planted a
small Italian wine grape vineyard. We are USDA Certified Organic Growers, registered with the Shasta County Department of Agriculture as
California Organic Growers, and Proud Member's of the: Shasta County Growers Association and Shasta Cascade Viticulture Association.

We are authorized growers of the "Tuscan" Lavender, a premium quality Lavandula x intermedia or 'Lavandin' that is said to have been
brought into America from the Tuscan region of Lucca, Italy, back in 1987. For the romance of the land and the personal family connection
both Richard (Gooch-Viglienzone) and Lynette (Gooch-Pisano) have to the Tuscan Region of Italy, is where our trade mark name was derived.
Here at Tuscan Heights we have all ways been in love with the Lavender family of plants. For their intoxicating aroma, everlasting beauty
(even when not in bloom), and for the sheer pleasure and extreme peace you encounter when you have surrounded yourself with this hearty
and bountiful plant.

Tuscan Heights offers you only the finest of Lavender Plants and Lavender products for home or gardening use’s, and many Lavender Specialty
products all created with our own organically grown lavender flowers and packaged on site.
Our supreme Organic Lavender is grown specifically for your: Gourmet Culinary Uses, Fine Crafts, Organic Bath & Body Products,
Lavender for the Home, and Products for the Master Gardener's! in all of us!
We will also soon offer wonderful Tea Parties and also Fine Wedding bouquets and Favors.

We invite you to take a drive up to Tuscan Heights and experience for yourself, the impeccable beauty, the
enticing aroma and the enchantment of our majestic surroundings. Come on up and visit where the towering rock formations meet the back
drop of a Cedar, Oak and Pine Tree Forest, and overlook a gorgeous multi-colored field of lavender in full bloom! This is the place where you
will find the truest form of abundant inner peace.
o        The Tuscan Lavender is an excellent producer of essential Lavender oil and is one of our main plantings here at THLG.
o        The Tuscan Lavender, an L. x Intermedia 'Lavandin', produces the one of the sweetest smelling oil I have ever distilled.
Tuscan Oil is what we use when making some of the wonderful products that we sell in our gift shop. We also distill Lavandula x
Angustifolia (True English varieties) Essential Oil, and use it in ALL of our fine, organic bath and body products.

We Steam distill our own lavender in order to offer you the highest quality essential oil, and products.
o        Other fine varieties in our gardens will include: Royal Velvet, Royal Purple, Hidcote Blue & Pink, Abrilii, Dutch, Super, Graves,
Lullingstone Castle, Coconut Ice, Fiona, Maillette, Sharon Roberts, Norfolk J-2, Buena Vista, Grosso, Provence, Otto Quast, Papillion,
Portuguese Giant, Blue Star, and many, many more...
Please check out our Lavender Nursery page for a partial listing of what lavender plants we grow up here at Tuscan Heights.

For questions, send us an email: Lavender information

If you find grammar or punctuation errors on this website, please remember - we are farmers not novelists!
We just hope you enjoy visiting our website and Truly hope you can visit our lovely gardens someday!

Shop @

Site design: THLG ~ Lynette M Gooch
Site Content Copyright © THLG 2003 - 2008
All Rights Reserved

Have a HAPPY Lavender Day!

Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens ~ PO Box 206 ~ 12757 Fern Road EAST ~ Whitmore, CA 96096
Copyright 2006 - 2008 Phone: 530*472*3066 email: lavenderinfo@tuscanheights.net

CA Certified
Organic Grower
USDA-NOP:
[7 CFR.405(c)]
Shasta Co. Registration:
#45~0050

Lavender Consulting
Do you have some questions about
growing lavender, and you just cant
find the answers?
Tuscan Heights can help!

About us

LAVENDER FESTIVAL

A little bit about: Tuscan Heights..