Lovely Lavender
The flowers and leaves of the Lavender have been used as herbs for at least 3000 years, and probably much longer. It probably originated in Asia Minor and followed the spread of the great Middle Eastern and European civilizations. The Greeks and Romans certainly grew and used it, and gave it its common name, which has persisted through the millennia. The Romans took it with them into Spain, across France, and into England and Central Europe. And from there it has spread throughout the world, grown and loved on every continent except Antarctica.
Seventeen years ago, on the first day that Papa Geno's Herb Garden was open for business, Beth Vosoba was our first customer, with a budding interest in herbs. She now has an extensive herb garden and has combined her love of herbs with her passion for France. Beth started out bringing lavender soap back for us from Provence a few years ago and has continued to return with the lavender items that we have been proud to feature on this website. She is now living part time in Nebraska and part time in the Washington, DC area.
Beth reports:
Lavender is the symbol of Provence for me. The scent is so evocative. When I talked to people at the market, often their nose leads them to my stand, and they want to tell me the memory that is evoked by the scent of lavender. Often it is the souvenir of a trip to Provence. Sometimes it reminds people of their grandmothers, or mothers who used sachets to scent the linens or drawers. It is as popular with men as it is with women, as it isn't really a floral scent, but more of an herby clean scent.
This lavender is imported from a very special farm in Provence, France. For decades this family has "selected" or looked for very blue plants growing wild in the field. I have been been fortunate enough to have walked with the farmer when he finds some nice wild blue plants. He digs them up, propagates, and chooses the blue plants over years of testing and perfecting the plants.Years of this experimentation have resulted in this amazing indigo lavender.
Lavender has such a wide appeal. Your grandmother loves it, but your husband is hooked on the soap in the shower. Your teenage daughter loves the lavender mist for her curly hair, and just imagine, all the while you are scenting your home with lavender you are creating evocative memories as well. They will say, oh lavender, my Mother, or Father or Grandmother used to use that. What a nice way for your loved-ones to associate happy memories with you.
To see more of Beth's Products go to www.papagenos.com/specials or www.essencedeprovence.com
Above are Beth & Lisa, another former Papa Geno's employee who helps Beth from time to time and has her own business that arranges holiday rentals in Provence. The two of them have been kinda like extended family to Sharon and me. Three shots of lavender flowers taken here on the farm, and a lavender/wheat bouquet, made in our workshop.
In due course, I may retire from the plant business, but I will never stop growing and enjoying it as long as I can hobble out to the garden in May and prune back my lavender plants and start some new ones.
Gene
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