How did our Stone Circle get started? Why did we build it? Why in Michigan? Charlie is from Scotland and I immensely enjoyed the Stone Circles in Scotland when we lived there. I have visited Columcille, the Stone Circle Park in PA. It made me remember Scotland to feel the ancient energy of all those standing stones. I have been fascinated with all sorts of rocks my whole life. Always finding pretty ones. Turns out that I adore quartz. Our ranch in CO was covered with all kinds of quartz. So of course we brought 2 “rocks” with us from our ranch when we moved back to MI. Two wee rocks that are 4000 pds each.
Hubby sends me to store one day and I come flying back a little later saying open the gates, truck is coming with a few rocks….and in comes 15 ton of mid size rocks. 500-3000 pds. (Other women collect shoes…I keep a few rocks.) The start of my “STONE CIRCLE”. Those rocks sat in a pile for 5 years….silent. In 2021, they started to speak.
We set our circle that day in a few hours ….just one afternoon. Neither of us planned on setting a circle that day. Our intention was to set a few rocks in a part semi circle as a backdrop to base of the Lavender field. A couple of stones in and I was jumping up and down to get my husband and the excavator’s attention. I told them we were setting a circle because the rocks were speaking.
BOOK NOW FOR A WANDER IN THE GARDEN
We gathered more rocks for a second circle in the woods. That second circle is more intimate and for around the stone fire pit in the woods. It is a larger stone circle than what is in the Lavender and Thyme.
So the current project…is a Huge project. We are building a Lavender Herb and Flower Rock Garden set in Terraces above the Stone Circle. It is hardscaped with a lot of stone.
This is our retirement business that is open by appointment to ensure a more personal relaxing experience. As we progress, we are starting to hold a few events and more tours and wanders through the garden. We have several hundred more lavender to go into the ground when the heat lets off. Planting early spring and late fall have proven the best results so far. It takes Lavender 3 years to get to full mature production size. Who knew?
I do not want rows of lavender all in rigid lines so I am adding in culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, just for fun flowers, fruit bushes and plenty of rocks. We are planning on rocks and plants in spirals, curves and some straight lines.
Do you want to Wander the Gardens? Stop and listen. Breathe. Exhale. The gardens are not complete yet….are they ever really done??
My vision is a haven of beautiful plants, pollinators, herbs, flowers in a jumble of color for a glorious cottage garden with thyme and stone paths curving to secret nooks and resting places. This is my vision spread out through the woods and grounds everywhere on the property. A 20 acre haven of woods with a pond and stream that you will want to come and be “lost in.”
We had to build a dry creek bed to slow some water run off in one area and I am constantly distracted with the beauties I find in the 3 inch size rocks in the dry creek bed. We are also working with larger field stone to hold the terraced levels in place but I am amazed at the variety I see. So many types of stone.
I would love to show it to you. We are open more now and starting to have visitors. Sign up for the email list to get more updates and news of more events as we open even more.
BOOK NOW FOR A WANDER IN THE GARDENS
Many changes and much progress has happened at Alba Ranch in 2023. We have set a second Fireside Forest Stone Circle in the late summer of 2022. It is a slightly larger stone circle than the first one and located in our forest. It feels more intimate and secluded and is such a magical circle.
Lavender planting started in April in 2023 and the Third Terraces was fully planted in June of 2023. It is the main distillation terrace with 44 rows for our start. Ms. Katherine, Royal Velvet, Melissa, and Hidcote Pink are the four Lavender cultivars. Helichrysum is also planted on terrace three for a stunning yellow in all those lavenders. Now we just wait for the “babies” to grow.
The Lavender Stone Circle has really started to fill in with Thyme ground cover rather than just dirt. The stones look lovely in between all of the green plants. This summer, the Thyme exploded into flowers everywhere and the pollinators were very busy bees indeed.
Watching the Stone Circles and Gardens through the seasons has been very interesting. Daily it seems to change and yet still be the same. We are still progressing but in 2025 we have added in a few more changes. We added in a few raised beds and started planting some climbing roses. Rose water is wonderful and I hope to have the roses big enough to distill in the future.
Here are a few updated photos in Autumn. And a few showing progress on plant growth in the main Lavender Circle. See our new “courtyard” with raised trellises for the climbing roses.
