The Palvilion

It's what we call it. It may not be the dictionaries definition, but then, it's our whimsy to name. Wow, I hope I don't sound like a brat when I say that. Anyway....When we moved here, the back was a garbage heap.....literally. The only green growing were blackberries, morning glory, and ivy. All invasive. I still have lots of ivy growing in some places, that's a project for another year. Starts of blackberry still keep wanting to grow, so I keep a watchful eye out for it to cut it back before it gets growing too much. The morning glory.......... That is where most of my effort goes in the yard. It grows everywhere, and chokes everything out. It winds around the stock of a plant. If the plant is lush, you may not see it until it is sticking over the top of the plant. Then you have to unwind it trying not to strip off all the leave and blooms in the process. I know many places it isn't invasive, and people enjoy the vines and flowers, but here........well, it the stuff that induces nightmares for gardeners. Back to the Pavilion. This circle was the burn pile. People had burned here for years. The garbage I pulled out of this pile; car batteries, shocks, cans, broken bottles, to name a few. I didn't think much would grow in this spot, and I didn't want to be digging around in a lot of broken glass. So we created this spot.

We laid brick in a circle. We added the posts. I hang jars with candles in them between the posts. We found this door and added it to the circle. Then planted lavender around. The sand between the bricks is ideal for the lavender seeds to grow. I get ten or twelve new baby plants each year. Moss and alisym grow on the bricks too. It's a great place to sit and have lunch, or a glass of lemon aid when working out. At night, it's very magical with all the candles and lanterns in the yard.

This is one of our favorite spots to enjoy in our yard. The lavender smells wonderful. Soon it will be time to harvest. Later, I'll share how I use lavender, not only in dried bunches, but in laundry, cleaning, skin care, and in cooking.


Tomorrow, I'll be going to Apifera Farm. I'll see their lavender farm and all her animals I've been reading about. I'll take a couple of pies with me for her donkey Pino. Read about it and her efforts helping people on her blog.