Happy New Year

welcome 2015

 

 

2014 was a good year but intense here on the farm it was a crazy, huge amount of work yet it was rewarding and we won.

 We lost over 800 plants but we replanted. We added fruit trees, shrubs, new grass  and decorative grasses. Planters, swings and garden seats were added. Family all pulled together and helped it really made no time for much else. It was hot, hot and hot once summer found us.

We did it we made it crazy beautiful.

 

This is more our home than a business we share it if you ask.

 

 You can FB me at

 www.facebook.com/petitcreeklaveder.

or you can email me

 judy-sue@petitcreeklavender.com

 and

you can check out our web site

www.petitcreeklavender.com

 

our lavender house is full of good things

 Great Inspiration come check us out.

 Here are some new sachets for the lavender house. They are quite a good size filled with sweet smelling lavender pretty enough to sit out and be viewed. Can also be tucked away to fill your linen closet and cup boards with a beautiful fragrance.

 Lovely lavender if you are interested in a sachet email me at judy-sue@petitcreeklavender.com

 

 

Starting to plan your garden here are some ideas for a shade herb garden it is nice to see we can grow herbs in both the sun and shade.

 

Onion Chives

Garlic Chives

Cilantro

Mint

Lemon Balm

Lovage

Parsley

Sage

The gardens have a lovely frost covering them it is so pretty.

 

 We had a bit of lavender late in the fall it is nice to see but at the same time your over it. The gardens take up so much time it is nice to get a break and catch up on something else.

If you look at this flower ~ look at how perfect it is. It is truly amazing.

 

A wonderful weekend to all of you.

Here on the farm we are gearing up for Christmas Holidays our children will be home and around. This means it will be very loud and busy and full.

We are finishing up some orders getting them out. With the quiet time in the gardens it gives me a chance to do other things. I have knitting, baking arranging Christmas presents it is nice for the most part of the year I am going non stop with the gardens and animals.

It is funny lavender is always a part of our day every day non fail several times a day I spray my bed down with a wonderful lavender mist. This is spray I can honestly say is my absolute favorite I use it every single day in our bedroom, in my closet through out our house and on me.

 

 

As our garden progressed this summer it really did turn out beautiful. The maintenance is huge very hard to keep up. I will have to think of a schedule and make myself stick to it next year granted if the weeds would quit the extra work would quit also. 

We have a huge squirrel problem we have to keep up on them all the time the door to the lavender house can not be left open or we get squirrels, chipmunks and birds and they make a terrible mess. My husband built me this awesome latch for the door I love it ~ so rustic

Every where you look in the garden their is Inspiration of fun, whimsical, flower beauty and nature in its finest. I look around and I can only smile that this is our home. Home is what we make it and I really love mine even if it is a huge amount of work and not perfect that is what makes it perfect.

 

Dreaming of summer

Winter has hit us hard and fast with extreme temperatures.

It will be interesting how the lavender fairs.  

 

 

Breath Deep

 

Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in the garden

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 



Breathing the scent of Lavender

Bring a little relaxing scent into your bath time

 or even just washing your hands. 

Give yourself a moment to regroup rejuvenate your thoughts.

With an alluring bar of glycerin scented with 100% essential oil with a sprig of lavender nested into the bar.

Give as a unique gift or treat yourself

We are taking orders for Christmas

$4.00 each bar of long lasting soap

to order

email

judy-sue@petitcreeklavender.com

 

Slowly settling down for the winter months. We are getting some cleaning up done with fence fixing, moving things around we seem to shuffle from gardening mode to farming mode after harvest time. There is so much to do all the time really every day can keep you in full speed ahead mode. Yesterday afternoon was used up with soap making it takes eight weeks for the soap to cure. I will post the available soap on the web site www.petitcreeklavender.com or www.facebook.com/petitcreeklavender. or here on the blog.
Our new flavours are orange and poppy~seed. Lily of the valley and Lavender.
One is a good ole fashion soap
We also have made a smooth silky Olive oil base soap
A goat milk base so a lot of new coming

Welcome to October

 here's a little fall for you

Late fall in the garden it was really nice to see the colour. Every year is so different.

Yesterday I harvest Peppermint for our peppermint tea we have two types of this tea. Peppermint and lavender and Just Peppermint. It smells so good not a hard thing to harvest at all. One thing about our farm everything we harvest has a wonderful scent.
It is amazing we still have lavender to harvest in the gardens which is a nice surprise I find every year is different for us.

Still harvesting some of the lavender

It is a wet, gray and dreary day here in the gardens perfect for all the flowers and trees after the hot, hot summer. I noticed our flowers blooming time was cut a lot shorter with our intense heat. Yesterday I used part of the day to empty out flower pots and store them. We had an abundance of extra flower pots from the wedding so a lot of the trees, shrubs went into the ground with the hopes there is enough time for the roots to take hold before winter comes.
The rest of the day I spent it rototilling I did manage to get the herb garden done and then I replanted the herbs from their pots I will harvest later and I hope some of the herbs will winter. My sister and her husband have let me use a rototiller that they had, had at the homestead. It starts on one pull but I have noticed over the time I have been using it the blades are not rotating that well :( I will have to get my husband to have a look when he gets a moment.
Next up in the garden I will start cutting back plants it may seem early but for us as soon as school starts hockey starts so most of my time is used up driving to and from town.
We still have some fresh lavender if anyone is interested in a bouquet
 email me at judy-sue@petitcreeklavender.com

Drying hops let's dream a little - dream pillows

New help

 It is hard to believe it is the end of August it is crazy how fast the time is flying by.

We have added to our farm an addition to the lavender house and the making of our products

~ weddings~

We can help you with your flowers for bouquets, boutonnieres, bundles fresh or dried, wreaths, sachets and more.

judysue@petitcreeklavender.com

 

In the garden

Beautiful intense colours

the gardens did put on a nice performance this summer. It took awhile to warm up but the gardens slowly without notice stood up and took center stage.

With our intense heat here this summer it has been hard to hold the gardens. Some things are looking a little bedraggled! I have started cleaning the flower beds and I still have a some harvesting to do.
We have had a great summer with the introduction of weddings. It has been a wonderful addition to the farm. If you are looking for bouquets for fall, winter or spring just contact us. They are great for your home, showers baby or bridal, anniversary or general decorating for your business or home.
judy-sue@petitcreek.com

Finally back things are settling down. It has been an intense Spring and summer now I am just coming up for air.

The gardens are coming along now with our serious set back of so much loss it is still hard to take.

We have other plants blooming now the lilacs are lovely they always give the garden a nice nostalgic feeling.

We have some honeysuckle blooming and it gives off such a sweet fragrance it is said honeysuckle brings prosperity to your home.

We have bleeding hearts they are so pretty and dainty we have both the pink and white I equally love both.

The grapes have started to leaf out holy are they slow, I am grateful I did not loose them too.

I see little buds on some of the roses.

And, I see little bud coming in the lavender ~lavender to fascinates me

We have been working like crazy to fix up the gardens and I think we are winning.

Some of the lavender is starting to bud up so that is good. It is sad to see we have lost so many plants but we have been transplanting, trimming and trying to plan.

The garden actually has gone through a huge transformation this Spring.

The lilacs are in bloom now they are so pretty and just enough colour to the Spring gardens.

Happy Mother's Day

Today is a day we all get to think of our Mom's and reflect on being a Mom.

My Mom has always stood by me right or wrong she never leaves my side.

She is strong, she is funny and she is always, always their for me.

Love you Mom to the moon and back.

 

As for being a Mom it is the best job in the whole world. I knew when I was young I wanted a large family and I was blessed in finding a man who also wanted a large family. We have the most wonderful six children. They can keep us on our toes, they can make us laugh, we are very close and very loud.

 

May your day be filled with love, hugs and kisses Happy Mother's day

Time to do a little soul searching...
From our winter we lost many plants and yes it has happened before but this time is it harder so much time, patience, love, hard, hard work and money goes into the gardens. I know am second guessing myself do I continue with my goal or step back and relax. Since 2010 it has been full steam ahead of work hard work for me and it  has been rewarding but when one takes this step with the gardens and it really is only me my kids do help but the bulk lands on me should I continue do I want to continue with such loss.
Financially maybe not worth it
Work volume maybe not worth it
The peace of looking at the gardens worth it
I love to see the new growth worth it
so I need to sit back and rethink my plans
Maybe
I need to cut back on my goal of 1200 - 1500 plants
Maybe I need to concentrate on a few less gardens...
I will let you know in the mean time you will find me in the gardens

Wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day

I transplanted many sunflower seedlings with the great hope they will grow big and strong. I mixed up a variety of seeds and sprinkled them around plus some wonderful wild flower seeds. My husband brought home an Apple tree so after supper it went into the new Orchard so far our count is six Plum trees, one cherry, one peach and one apple.
I have lost a lot of lavender this winter so I have a few new plants on order I will wait until the second week of May to see how the plants are doing before I do anything too drastic.
As for planting any of the urns and flower pot that will have to wait still way too cold. We have some very sweet pansies and violas planted among some lovely moss.

Wishing you a warm day

 

The first full day of Spring and .... it ...is ... snowing.

 It snowed all day yesterday so lets hope some sunshine finds us.

 The gardens are coming along nicely. I need a few prayers on some of the plants they are sure not looking too good right now.

I have built some lovely walk ways this Spring always room for improvement though. In regards to my oldest daughters wedding with have removed a whole section of lilac trees, Fruit tree, shrubs and roses. We have also moved fences over six feet to accommodate chairs. The great thing about this is we can offer our gardens for rent for future small weddings if we choose to. And, if we don't offer our gardens it still is a beautiful place to call home.

 

Her I am moving more rock.

 Yesterday I bought two truck loads of great green rock to enclose an outside bath tub. It looks so great it is right near the barn yard in a little closed off area near the ducks ~ practical~ probably not.

March
 Spring is on the way and this makes me extremely happy
While I have been in the gardens I have noticed little bits of green it always amazes me how nature just keeps moving on ahead no complaint just slowly does it's thing and before we know it ~ there are buds on the trees, sprigs of green here and there.
It is so refreshing when I get the pine needles cleaned I really notice it when I walk over to the lavender garden.

When the gardens are done and clean I actually feel my heart get excited it is a huge under taking and sometimes a bit scary but slowly I get it done. I am trying to hold myself off with bringing out the garden décor until I am done Pine needles.
Enjoy

New limes on the tree

Doing some serious work in the gardens cutting down tree limbs we still could not reach all we wanted to get.

It makes such a mess but it is good to get them down.

 Climbing trees

 

I managed to get some great work done in the main garden. It really is insane how there is always so much mess even though we cleaned really good in the fall and a few times in the mid winter. How does it happen?

99.9999999% of my work is pine needles

Waiting for Spring

 

Stuffed bunnies with a nice soft middle and lavender.

 Every hug will relax you with a wonderful scent.

 

 

A box full of bunnies.

 We will have a lot of new products in the lavender house this summer

Valentines day was a busy one here with the delivery of lovely dried lavender bouquets and gift baskets.

Many products are being made up for the lavender house creams are ready, bath wash, shampoos, teddy bears, stuffed bunny rabbits, eye pillows, sachets, sprays. The house will be full to the brim for the Spring - Summer and Fall months.

 

I have been really enjoying the new machine it has been fun trying it out and being Creative. And, yes it is a good thing the Queen is not going to visit I have many projects on the go :)

I am still debudding but I am winning. I really hope to get it done before Spring or I need to get it done before Spring so I can then concentrate on the gardens.

I have been debudding like crazy and not matter how much I try it still flies all over the house. I still have a long way to go.  We have been hit with cold weather again and I heard today it is to get even colder through out the week. It  sure would  be better with a nice layer of snow to protect the lavender

I have been doing a bit of cleaning in our bed room I rearrange it, made a new lavender wreath dusted and cleaned. It is so nice to sleep in a clean, fresh bedroom

In the next few days I hope to make up some new sachets from our new machine when I get them done I will show you here.

If any of you do Face book you can come over to our page and visit and just click like in the top right hand corner then you can follow along with us, www.facebook.com/petitcreeklavender.

Valentines Day  February 14, 2014

 

Show a little love with wonderful lavender sachets $3.50 each. Hand them out as a token of your thoughts a wonderful gift to tuck away.

 

We only have five of these Glass Hearts tied with ribbon and filled with sweet smelling lavender. A nice gift and perfect to hang in your window or sit on your dresser. $5.00 each

 

Sweet smelling beautiful dried lavender bouquets.

Comes with a nice ribbon and heart chocolate

If you are interested email me at judy-sue@petitcreeklavender

 or

FB www.facebook.com/petitcreeklavender.

Do you want to cry with me...

This is what I found in the gardens while I was working in them. I knew our weather was crazy and I knew it has jumped up and down and I knew it has snowed then melted and I knew we had a load of rain but damn so many damaged plants.

Some are totally flattened, some are brown there is some green but it will be like starting over on some of these plants. A few of the gardens are okay. I do blame the winter but also we had a horrible spell in the late hot, hot summer when our well quit. A full week of now water did not help.

However do not fear the weeds are thriving do you see the lovely thick green weed I am sure he will make it just fine.