LAVENDER AND GRACE

from 2021 Summer Homefront Magazine

WINDY ROCK

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

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Mornings on Lavender and Grace Farm start with the bees as they swirl out of their hives to tend to the fragrant and flowering lavender plants. Here, at this out-of-the-way land, the only traffic noise is the buzzing as they commute to and fro. This is a place of peace. Although the peace that fills this land first grew from redirection and failure. When Tom and Mary Stachlewitz first purchased their property, they had intended on putting in an orchard. However, their land had other intentions, and they were redirected by a soil that was not conducive to growing trees. Still determined to create a life of growing, they next decided on lavender. In 2013 they bought ten lavender plants, put them in the ground, and proceeded to watch them die. “At that point the choice was either to give up or keep going,” said Tom. While the plants had died, the dream had not. So Tom and Mary spent the next year researching and experimenting and trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Finally, in a moment of unabashed hope, they dusted off the failure and purchased and planted 100 new lavender plants. This time, the plants not only survived, they began to flourish.

Today, the land of Lavender and Grace Farm is dotted with 5,000 lavender plants and nearly 15,000 perennial and annual flowers. Visitors arrive for u-cut lavender bunches or u-cut perennial and annual bouquets. The farm also sells annual, perennial, and lavender plants. The farm makes and sells a line of lavender beauty and food products, including lavender infused honey, made by the farm’s 83,000 hardworking bees. Their lavender has been used for culinary fare by local restaurants, and the River Raisin Distillery uses Lavender and Grace

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LAVENDER

By Sara Hilton

flowers in various cocktails. Farm visitors will find lavender photo circles where they can take pretty pictures. Most importantly, when people come to the farm, they’ll find Tom and Mary, eager to help answer any and all gardening questions. “I want everybody to be able to garden,” said Mary. “I want to be a place people can turn to for help. You don’t always get the answers at a big box store. You need people who have been down that road and can tell you what will and won’t work. Often when we send people out of here we tell them if it doesn’t work, bring it back. We’ll give you another plant. People will text us pictures and ask us what is going wrong with their plants, and we help them. I want them to feel comfortable. You can be an experienced gardener or a beginner, and we can help you through it.”

While there is plenty to purchase, more than anything, Tom and Mary want their farm to be a place of peace. “We want people to come out and experience the calmness of the farm,” said Tom. “Come out, have a seat, and enjoy it. If visitors buy something, great. If not, that’s fine, just enjoy the peace.”

Each morning, with the fragrance of lavender lilting on the breeze, Tom and Mary rise to tend to their plants along with the bees. Like a necessary amendment to the soil, their early redirection and failure has been composted into the story of this farm. From that amended place, great beauty has flourished. Great peace has flourished. “The soil is where I get my comfort,” said Mary. “I come out here and feel better. This,” she said as she motioned to her flowers, “this is something really personal. I plant all these flowers by hand. There is a lot of love here, and I just want to share it.” n

Lavender and Grace Farm 734.474.3806 | June 18 - July 26 Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon 10am-5pm  13580 Tracey Rd, Manchester lavenderandgracefarm@gmail.com