Blooming Success
Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender is, well, exactly what the name says — a historic schoolhouse located among fields of lavender. And this is only part of the success story of the charming business presence in LaGrange.
After a career move brought owner Marion Wiggins to Indiana from Texas, the possibilities were endless for a new chapter in life for the mother of three. With her husband, Greg, relocating to LaGrange for work as a nurse anesthetist, the couple put down roots in the close-knit community. During daily drives with their twins, Annie and George, to explore the area, Wiggins found herself drawn to what she refers to as “an eyesore on the side of a well-traveled highway that all travelers see.”
When the property came on the market, the couple made the purchase that would build a new path as entrepreneurs and business owners.
The first addition for the new owners was a garden. They considered goji berries, saffron and lavender. But lavender was the winner and became the star of the garden. After three years of navigating early entrepreneurship, Wiggins found her farming groove selling at farmers markets. Her children helped in the booth in return for funding their new backyard playhouse. Anyone in sales knows that incentives drive activity, and this one worked for Wiggins.
The bundles and wreaths sold out in the first hour, and Wiggins set her sights on expanding the lavender product line. She started making handcrafted soaps, and things quickly grew from there. At the Shipshewana Farmers Market, she introduced culinary items, a men’s skin care line, products for children and pet care items.
She researched varieties of lavender and how to cultivate them to provide just the right cycles of bloom to support her robust business and joined the U.S. Lavender Growers Association.
The schoolhouse desperately needed repairs and updating, which introduced challenges at nearly every turn. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management required a new well to replace the one installed in 2021. The Indiana Department of Transportation didn’t approve of the driveway, and the list went on.
But Wiggins was determined to do the restoration right, and she respected the process to ensure all the work was done properly to create a healthy, long future for her family and the community.
The fields at the schoolhouse and the offsite field were full of 3,000 lavender plants when another opportunity arose. Wiggins’ husband found another historic building in downtown LaGrange that was for sale, and the couple had a new entrepreneurial idea for a robust apothecary. They purchased the stately brick building in August 2024, and by November they opened the doors of Bloomfield Lavender Apothecary and Retail Shop.
They curated a line of gift items and, of course, a variety of lavender products. The business was profitable from day one, and Wiggins cites the success due in no small part to the community.
“The community support has been amazing. Local bakers, candle makers, potters for custom mugs, master herbalists, a local winery — all of these collaborations have brought a sense of connectedness to the business.”
Like the schoolhouse, the downtown storefront needed careful restoration, and once again Wiggins did not take the process lightly. She describes their role as “stewards of the buildings, restoring them so their life can be extended. Restoration, renovation and preservation for future generations to appreciate and create more history.”
This thoughtful approach to business hasn’t gone unnoticed. Wiggins received a $250,000 USDA grant — only three are awarded in the entire state of Indiana in 2025 — for a three-pronged project. The grant is directed to fund robust marketing, packaging design and the expansion of staff by two additional employees in 2027 and 2028.
The business is poised to optimize the grant funding based on its existing track record. In late 2025, on the one-year anniversary of the shop, people lined up at 8:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. opening. A wine collaboration with Acres Away Winery produced 48 cases, all of which were sold by the end of the month.
Wiggins has developed a seasonal line of carefully crafted products that sell year-round. These include Lavender Pear and Green Tea, Strawberry and Marshmallow shampoo and conditioner, body spray, lotion and candles created by a local candlemaker. The town’s dog boarding facility carries the Bloomfield line of pet products. The neighbor across the street has done some of the business’s millwork. Multiple coffee shops and restaurants use its culinary products. Items can also be found in more than 12 boutiques and spas.
Wiggins says what drives her focus in finding new ways to grow the lavender line of products is intentional inclusion.
“I embrace diversity and collaboration, keeping production as close as possible, so that we bring economic advantages to our community.”
The schoolhouse will begin its last phase of restoration in June. Summer will also find Wiggins hosting agricultural tours as a working farm, educating visitors about the different plant varieties, their uses and their history, and concluding the tour at the apothecary for lavender snacks and crafts.
By the fall, the business will have 9,000 lavender plants. With restoration complete and the fields literally blossoming, the schoolhouse will serve as a historic, unique multipurpose venue.
The building’s primary function will be lavender drying and oil distillation, with expanding uses including classes, yoga, and availability for fall festivals, a Christmas open house and community meetings. Wiggins already has a schoolhouse wedding booked for one lucky couple.
Wiggins has deepened her community involvement by mentoring a high school senior and guest-teaching a math class at LaGrange High School, weaving in her experience as an entrepreneur and business owner. She hopes to add high school and college internships to the ways the business contributes to the community.
Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender invites visitors with a billboard on the toll road leading into LaGrange and with ads in The Lakes magazine, the LaGrange Visitors Center Guide and, in the coming months, on another billboard in Angola. Find Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender news and event details on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Their tiered customer incentive program allows customers to earn “petals” for purchases to redeem for credit and other perks, planting the seed for visitors to follow the tagline of Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender and “Come Bloom With Us!”
Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender is located at 107 W. Spring St. (Apothecary) and 3020 U.S. 20 (Schoolhouse) in LaGrange.
The Schoolhouse is open for tours by appointment only.
Bloomfield Lavender Apothecary is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
