About us

I became interested in gardening upon moving from suburban Chicago to rural eastern Kentucky to work as a volunteer in a home visitation and garden project.  The people I met in eastern Kentucky had considerable knowledge on growing plants as a way of life to eat and for use in home remedies, information which had been passed down from previous generations.

I met my husband, potter Geoff Pickett, who was resident studio potter at Berea College.  At the end of his residency, we decided to move to Farmington, Georgia, on the outskirts of Athens, where Geoff had attended graduate school.  We thought this was a promising location to set up a pottery.

For the first 10 years in Farmington, we rented an old farmstead which had a very fertile garden with a wide variety of plants accumulated from previous tenants.  It seemed natural to me to  carry on the tradition of growing vegetables and added a herb garden.   Eventually I became interested in soapmaking and natural skincare and  found ways to use herbs as ingredients in blends, especially Lavender and Rosemary.

When we accumulated more soap than we could use or give away, it seemed logical to begin to sell it at the pottery and then locally at craft shows and markets.

At our present location, I am fortunate to have the space for a larger garden and  have enjoyed having space to add many more herbs and flowers to be used in herbal infusions as well as in small quantities of aromatic hydrosols.

It has taken some time, but I now have the beds layed out in the way that I have been picturing them in my mind. I have been inspired by English walled gardens and I also like circle gardens, so my garden has become a combination of both ideas.

There is a fenced in rectangle shaped area with beds all the way around the inside and a large stone circle in the middle made from curvilinear kiln bricks.The circle is then divided into four parts that point toward the four directions and in addition more raised bed rows.

There is always much to do when one has a garden, but for me, it is also a place I cherish for relaxation and quieting the mind. There is a natural rhythm and flow about things as I work there. It is a place of peace.  I enjoy finding time at the end of the day, even if just for a short while, to stop and enjoy the sights and aromas around me and to meditate. I know that this will nourish my spirit just as the flowers, vegetables, and herbs will nourish my body.

I am pleased to offer you products made from and inspired by the harvest.

We host two open house sales per year at Farmington Pottery, normally the first full weekends of June and December.  We are always open by appointment.

We are located at 1171 Freeman Creek Road in Farmington, just off Hwy 441.

If you would like to be added to my mailing list to receive news, discounts and coupons for Farmington Herbals products and information about our open house please see the link on the home page.  

For more information about Geoff Pickett at Farmington Pottery please visit www.pickettpottery.com.

Lisa Pickett