Lavender Labyrinth facts for kids
The Lavender Labyrinth is a huge garden, about 3 acres big! That's like three football fields! It's located near Silver Lake in Shelby, Michigan, and it's super close to the shores of Lake Michigan. You can find it at Cherry Point Farm & Market, which is owned by Barbara Bull. This farm market started way back in 1961, making it the oldest one in Oceana County. The labyrinth is so large, you can even see it from an airplane or even space!
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A Family Farm's Story
The Bull family has been working on their big 600-acre farm since 1949. Soon after, they opened a market to sell their fruits. Barbara Bull is the fourth generation of her family to take care of the land and the garden. When she was a young girl, she started her journey as a farmer by selling cherries and pies to people nearby.
Later, when she was 50, Barbara decided the farm could use some exciting updates. In 2001, they planned to add a new herb garden, greenhouses, a vineyard, a winery, and even turn a barn into a guest house. Barbara worked with an architect named Conrad Heiderer. Heiderer is a local artist from Michigan known for designing landscapes that fit perfectly with nature. He thought the renovations were a great way to celebrate farm life.
Designing a Special Garden
The word "labyrinth" comes from an old Greek word, labyrus, which means a double-edged ax. It can also be linked to words like “labra” or “labirion,” meaning a cave or mine.
Barbara Bull and Conrad Heiderer designed the Lavender Labyrinth in 2001. Barbara wanted to create something special that would make visiting the farm even more fun than just buying produce. The labyrinth's design is unique because it includes elements of time!
- A single stone in the center stands for the year.
- 12 circles that connect represent the months in a year.
- 52 tall posts on the arbor (a garden archway) show the weeks.
- 7 cross pieces stand for the days of the week.
The way the labyrinth is shaped, with its circles and patterns, is inspired by ideas of "sacred geometry." This means that certain shapes and numbers found in nature are thought to have a special harmony and order. The circles, for example, are seen as a symbol of creation because they have no beginning and no end.
The labyrinth looks like a flower, similar to a design called the "flower of life," which has circles around a center one. But the Lavender Labyrinth has 12 outer circles, which is twice as many! Heiderer's design is considered a modern and artistic take on a labyrinth.
Your Journey Through the Labyrinth
When you walk through the Lavender Labyrinth, the path leads you to a stone circle in the middle. This center area is actually an herb garden! The path is surrounded by a rock wall, earthy ground, and lots of plants, especially lavender. It takes about an hour to walk all the way to the center of the labyrinth. Once you get there, you'll find the herb garden filled with 150 different kinds of herbs!
All About Lavender
The beautiful lavender plants that surround the labyrinth are planted in the spring. They are at their most colorful and fragrant in mid to late July. Later in the fall, the lavender is collected and dried, then sold at markets.
Lavender was chosen for this special garden because of its wonderful smell and its calming effects. This is called aromatherapy. Studies have shown that the scent of lavender can help with mood and emotions. It's even being studied to see if it can help with medical issues like heart circulation.
Visiting the Labyrinth
The Lavender Labyrinth is open to everyone and is a very popular place to visit in Michigan. While this one is special, there are other labyrinths across the United States, like one in Monroe, Oregon.
