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Lavender Fields, Historic Roots

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COMMUNITY

Stacey and Kevin Noll wanted to grow lavender, although they didn’t need 127 acres to do it on.

The couple began growing the fragrant perennial in 2019 at their 1976 hand-hewn log house in Loudoun County. But after concluding that they’d gotten as far as they could with the house’s restoration, they changed course and sold the house.

With an eye toward doing some boating and fishing—Kevin had grown up near water in Florida—their plan now became focused on finding a home with plenty of property for lavender farming. 

Plans to lease land to farm fell through, but not until after the couple had purchased 1,000 lavender plants, anticipating finally being able to realize their lavender dream. “Luckily, our friends Billy and Mary at Ingram Bay let us plant our lavender at the marina,” Kevin says. “We’ve been growing lavender there the past three years.”

And while their lavender had found a home, they still wanted to find a property where they could farm and live. After looking in Callao and Ottoman, the couple found what they were looking for at Clifton House, right in Kilmarnock. The historic house was extremely appealing even though its 127 acres were far more than they needed. “Last July, we put an offer on Clifton, but it fell through. It came back on the market in September and when our realtor called to ask if we were still interested, we said ‘yes’!” Kevin recalls with a smile. “There’s been a lot of emotional ups and downs in the process.”

The Nolls settled on the Clifton property in December 2024 and have spent their time since establishing Two Bees Lavender at historic Clifton. As important as growing their lavender business has been, they’re also devoted to the rich history and deep community connections of the house itself. A study by UVA dated the wood used in building the house to 1785 and determined that it had all come from on the property. This was a special house.

Clifton was originally part of the vast Virginia holdings of Robert “King” Carter, the richest and most powerful Virginian of his day. Carter’s son Landon farmed the land during the mid-18th century and authorized the house to be constructed but died before it was built. 

Robert Wormley Carter inherited the property from “King” Carter, making it likely that he built the Georgian-style, two-story residence. The 2004 National Register of Historic Places registration form observed that the two sets of stairs leading to separate second-floor chambers supported the long-held oral tradition that the house was originally used as a hunting lodge. However, Kevin explains that new discoveries have changed this understanding. “We now believe Clifton was built as a caretaker’s house, but it differed from a typical Georgian house because it was designed as a duplex,” Kevin says. “One side appears to have been intended for the caretaker’s family and the other for guests, which explains the two staircases.”

East and west wings were added to the original 1785 house in the early 1800s, with a cellar under the east wing that could be accessed from the outside. “It would have been the first attached kitchen the house had,” Stacey says. “You know it’s a kitchen because it has a large fireplace for cooking, as well as a herringbone-patterned brick floor and a plaster and lathe ceiling.” The original west wing was removed in the 19th century. 

From Landon’s diary, the Nolls were able to learn that his caretaker, a man named Beale, had asked that a home be built for him on higher land. Landon agreed, but before construction began, he fired Beale because of a disagreement on Beale’s performance and compensation. But the subsequent caretaker had trouble keeping slaves from escaping to British ships and he, too, was let go and Beale was soon rehired. 

Landon’s granddaughter inherited Clifton in 1820, but when she and her husband died in 1842, there was no will and the house and property went into probate. 

That same year, Colonel James Armistead Palmer purchased Clifton and his family lived there for decades. After his father, James, died, John Armistead Palmer inherited Clifton. “We have a photo of a painting of the servants’ cabin, which had formerly been the slaves’ cabin, and are searching for the original,” says Kevin. “We’ve learned so much from these bits and pieces of history.”

It’s through John Armistead Palmer’s daughter Louise that the Nolls were able to better understand life at Clifton in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “We know a lot from her memoir because she wrote in detail about her childhood here,” Stacey says. “She mentions an icehouse, a pond formed by damming a stream and many of the places where she played. We know that post-emancipation, there were still two servants at Clifton whose parents had been slaves here.”

Louise eventually inherited half of Clifton from her sister Agnes, while the remaining ownership passed by another sister to St. Francis Catholic Church. Louise’s half of Clifton went to her nephew, Eugene Hudnall, and his wife, Dale. The Hudnalls bought back the church-owned half and rehabbed the house, continuing the Palmer lineage at Clifton. 

At the turn of the 21st century, Bud and Gayle Hudnall inherited Clifton from his parents—descendants of the Palmers—who had done a major update by adding two bathrooms and a kitchen. “In 2000, Clifton had a significant, architect-led restoration,” Kevin says. “The west wing was a new addition in 2000, rebuilt in the same style as the original 19th century structure.”

In addition to acreage and a significant piece of Virginia architecture, the Nolls acquired much of the furniture when they bought Clifton. “The grandfather clock dates to 1785 and was built in Kilmarnock, Scotland,” Stacey says. “Getting to buy the furnishings with the house felt like a blessing from the family who understood the love we have for this place.”

That love of place is in full view on the grounds of Two Bees Lavender, where the Nolls have already planted 9,000 lavender plants of nine different varieties. It only seems like a lot of lavender to the uninitiated. And yes, they still have their plants at Ingram Bay Marina.

They’re quick to point out that with more than 300+ types of lavender available, it’s important to consider which will be vigorous in Virginia’s challenging climate. “Some lavenders are for distilling and making products and some lavenders hold their color better when dried,” explains Stacey. “We’ve also planted some culinary lavenders, because lavenders with high oil content don’t taste very good.”

Already, there’s space for another 1,000 plants, which will be planted with “Melissa,” a lavender variety with white flowers. That may surprise those less familiar with the array of lavender flower colors available, which also include yellow, green and pink. Kevin has designated a corner of the lavender beds as the experimental zone where they try out new varieties. “We choose lavender varieties for their usefulness and because they can thrive in Virginia’s humidity,” he says. “The best part is Stacey can take what I grow and make something of it.”

Kevin has long enjoyed growing flowers, but focusing on lavender came to him on a whim because he likes trying new things. When it comes to the uses of lavender, Stacey is the crafty one and in charge of what Kevin’s crop becomes. While Two Bees’ lavender is used in the many products they sell, supporting the community is a key foundation of the business. “We’ve partnered with different women makers to create the products using our lavender,” says Stacey, Two Bees Lavender’s majority owner. “It didn’t make sense for us to learn and compete when there are so many talented makers already working.”

Stacey and her mother create the sewn products such as neck wraps, eye pillows, hand warmers, potholders and bears. An artisan in Fredericksburg makes Two Bees’ soaps and sprays, while another in Wytheville makes the lotions and body creams. Body scrubs are made in King George, lip balms in Kilmarnock and candles in Heathsville. The Two Bees product line is extensive and also includes weighted quilts, lavender wreaths and bundles, ornaments, sachets, books—including cookbooks—and bug spray.

Besides creating locally made products, all that lavender the Nolls planted is benefitting the environment. Growing lavender is an excellent way to attract and support pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Lavender’s nectar-rich flowers are an essential food source for these beneficial insects, which play such an outsize role in our ecosystems and food production. Another strength is how drought-tolerant the plant is, a bonus with Virginia’s erratic weather.

Just don’t let the beautiful aroma of lavender give you the impression that its cultivation is an easy process. Kevin recalls what back-breaking work it was when they planted lavender by hand. “First you have to till and then use a row maker to raise the rows, so the plants don’t get too wet,” Kevin says. “Once the soil’s been prepped using purpose-built machinery and help from friends and neighbors, we were able to plant about a thousand in half a day. Planting and weed control are the toughest parts.”

Inviting the community to Two Bees Lavender at Clifton House was a central focus for the Nolls beginning just a few months after they bought the property. Last March, they held an open house and yard sale with tours of the house, an event that attracted 250 visitors. A group of Master Naturalists toured the property in the fall. 

For Small Business Saturday, Stacey set up a pop-up shop in the parlor a week before Christmas. “The goal next year is to do one or two pop-ups a month here,” Stacey says, gesturing around the sunny parlor. “Hosting events here makes sense because there’s no travel, setup or breakdown, so it’s more profitable for us and we get to share this beautiful space with our customers.”

And that’s just one of many goals for Two Bees Lavender in 2026. They’ll be at the Gloucester Daffodil Festival, the Strawberry Festival in Heathsville, the Irvington Farmers Markets and Stratford Hall’s Wine and Oyster Weekend event. “We’re planning to remodel the cottage and use it as a farmstand,” Stacey says. “During June and July, we’ll invite people to come to the farm while the lavender is blooming.”

The Nolls are already planning a big event the weekend after Independence Day to tie into the NNK250 celebration. Because the Hudnalls had a conservation easement granted to protect Clifton in perpetuity, an archelogical historian was assigned to the house. During the course of the investigation of the property, many artifacts including pipe stems and bits of plates and pottery were uncovered. These items will be on display at a booth during the event. Volunteers from the Historical Society will be stationed inside Clifton House to share the history of its rooms and former occupants.

Beyond farming and becoming self-sustaining, the Nolls’ long-term vision for Two Bees Lavender at Clifton House is still coming together. At the top of the list is building a space that can accommodate private events such as weddings, as well as hosting events that benefit the community. A back corner of the lavender fields will be planted with sunflowers and zinnias and will be available as cut flowers or pick-your-own.  

But regardless of a visitor’s interest in flowers or lavender products, there will be myriad reasons for visitors to stop by Clifton House, located just off Church Street in Kilmarnock. The Nolls plan to construct a path around the property for local horse aficionados to use for riding. 

Walking gardens and a boxwood labyrinth will extend the possibilities of strolling the 240-year-old grounds. And when nothing but some liquid refreshment will do, they’ve got that covered, too. “We want to put a tea space in the circle out front,” Kevin says. “We really hope to see the community enjoying the fields and coming here, almost like a park.”

Two Bees Lavender at Clifton House  |  49 Clifton Avenue, Kilmarnock  |  571-918-0029  I  twobeeslavender.com  |  Find Two Bees Lavender on Facebook and Instagram.