I have a lavender plant (shrub?) in my front yard. I love it.
All summer the lavender plant was one of my very favorite things. The moments that I would walk outside to check on the dog, grab the mail, or walk to the car, my eyes were always drawn to it. It’s one of the first things I see when I pull in the driveway, so a great welcome home. Sometimes all of the branches stand up straight together, must most of the time it is a little ruffled and sloppy. When it rains, the plant is smashed almost flat to the ground. I truly love the purple and green, the tiny flowers and the textured branches, but the shaggy look, brings me to an open field. Space. Sun. Away from suburbia. Like the end of a big relaxing deep breathe.
I tried a few times this summer to take pictures of the lavender, to capture it’s character and beauty, and maybe make it my desktop when it’s covered in snow. I never came close. Not only do my photography skills lack, but it’s location in between the front walk and the driveway always left asphalt, wires or some other man made distraction in the field of view.
And then, as if I didn’t love this lavender plant enough, last month the plant became a bee motel. With so many flowers, bees are always very happy and busy around the plant (recall Sarah and I have a passion for bees). But especially as the days get shorter and evenings a little cooler, bees can be caught at dusk too far away from their home to fly home for the evening and hunker down on plants until the sun warms them up again in the morning. Many bees had a sleepover in August in our front yard. I for sure spent some time taking a close up look.
And now, lavender continues to give. My nine year old and I have been experimenting with aromatherapy (my oldest has taken to referring to her sister as “the alchemist” at times). After a couple months of experimenting, she has locked in on lavender (known for inspiring relaxation) as her personal cure all. Anything that can calm a girl’s nerves we will celebrate!
Hooray lavender! You make me happy! 
