Chateau de Vie Halls are Decked for Christmas Thanksgiving to Three Kings Day
Mansion Tours & product sales go to restoration & preservation.
Winter Hours Starting 10/17 9-2 Thur-Sat
Mansion Tours & product sales go to restoration & preservation.
Winter Hours Starting 10/17 9-2 Thur-Sat
Meet Alex Kerfoot - one of the Volunteer Tour Guides at The Lavender Farm
Home town: Queen Creek, AZ
Current City: Mesa, AZ
What compels you to volunteer at The Lavender Farm: “Mostly the Mansion and learning more and more about it every time I visit.”
What is your current field of employment: “Therapeutic Foster Care coordinator- I oversee the administration portion of specially trained foster homes that help kiddos with higher behavioral health needs.”
What is your favorite part of The Lavender Farm: “The ghosts! (just kidding) the positive energy of everyone I have met and worked with thus far!
What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer tour guide at The Lavender Farm:
“I love being able to talk about history of the mansion with people who are actually there to learn about it.”
When did you first learn about (see, drive by…) Chateau de Vie (year): “Facebook! I saw a big fancy mansion and signed up as quickly as I could!”
How did you first hear about The Lavender Farm: “Facebook”
Something you are passionate about that others might be surprised to hear: “I am semi fluent is ASL (American Sign Language)”
Volunteers do so through a 501(c)(3) named The Chateau Preservation Society.
Meet Tena Dugan one of the volunteer tour guides at The Lavender Farm
Home town: Gilbert, AZ
Current city: Maricopa, AZ
What compels you to volunteer at The Lavender Farm? “I Love being around people. When I saw the post asking for volunteers, I knew the farm was calling my name. I have loved this house since it was first built and welcomed the opportunity to learn more and share it with others!”
What is your current field of employment? “Real Estate Agent, mom and grandma.”
What is your favorite part of The Lavender Farm? “The beautiful stained glass and the lavender lemon cookies!”
What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer tour guide? “Getting to share the homes amazing history with so many wonderful people!”
Where did you first hear about Chateau de Vie? “On social media in 2023, for the name. The property I became aware of when it was being built in the early 80s.”
How did you first hear about The Lavender Farm? “By seeing the posts on social media.”
Something you are passionate about that others might be surprised to hear? “I am a former law enforcement officer.”
There you have it, Tena is going to be nice, don’t mess with her though!
Volunteers do so through a 501(c)(3) named The Chateau Preservation Society.
Meet Char Brademeyer one of the volunteer tour guides at The Lavender Farm.
Home Town: “Born in Yuma, AZ and moved around to a few states...went to grade school & Jr high in Flagstaff and moved to Phoenix area right after high school.”
Current City: Gilbert AZ
What compels you to volunteer at The Lavender Farm: “I am excited to be part of and help preserve a place of stillness, peace and beauty in the city for people to come and enjoy.”
What is your current field of employment: “Concierge and sales.”
What is your favorite part of The Lavender Farm: “The gorgeous grounds and everything lavender.”
What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer tour guide at The Lavender Farm: “The people...getting to meet new people and helping them enjoy part of their day at this enchanting property.”
When did you first learn about Chateau de Vie: “I've driven by this house many times over the years and wondered about it.”
How did you first hear about The Lavender Farm: “Facebook”
Something you are passionate about that others might be surprised to hear: “I love history...so fascinating to learn about life from people years before us. It would be fun to travel back in time for a day.”
Volunteers do so through a 501(c)(3) named The Chateau Preservation Society.
We appreciate those that are passionate about the restoration and preservation efforts at The Lavender Farm at Chateau de Vie. Visitors that tour and purchase products help contribute toward these efforts. Volunteers allow for even more funds to go directly toward the restoration and preservation efforts. If you are willing and able to volunteer please call or text us at (623) 285-3318.
Contributions and volunteering is done through a 501(c)(3) named The Chateau Preservation Society.
We appreciate those that are passionate about the restoration and preservation efforts at The Lavender Farm at Chateau de Vie. Visitors that tour and purchase products help contribute toward these efforts. Volunteers allow for even more funds to go directly toward the restoration and preservation efforts. If you are willing and able to volunteer please call or text us at (623) 285-3318.
Volunteering and contributions are done through a 501(c)(3) named The Chateau Preservation Society.
Two big mistakes made with lavender are planting times and watering. Lavender is a full sun plant, that does not mean Arizona full sun, so avoid planting May to September. Plant in late fall or early spring so your lavender can be establish before the hellish furnace heat turns up. If temperatures are above 80 (American) when you plant outside, provide some sun protection until the lavender is established. Ideally plant lavender in a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Some will take all day sun if there is enough moisture in the ground - don’t find out if you have an exceptional plant, provide shade in the long hot months. Wilting lavender is a good indication that it is getting too much sun or not enough water. It is common for herbs and veggies to wilt during the heat of the day, but they should perk up once the sun goes down. If this is not happening with your lavender, or the wilt looks really bad, then it’s time to either give it a little moisture or some shade - maybe both. Lavender prefers a neutral or alkaline pH, therefore desert clay is good, but dainage needs to be added - sandy loam is ideal. Lavender should not be planted any deeper than the soil level in the pot or ground. This is a sure way to kill lavender - “Lavender strangled by soil, neglectful owner at fault!”
If planting in clay you can add some lava rock to help with drainage. Ideally lavender should be planted in sandy loam so it is well drained and soil with pH between 6.5 and 8 is best. When planting water and water again in 2 to 3 days. Do not allow the plant to dry out completely before it becomes established. Do not over water, check for the soil to be slightly damp before watering newly planted lavender again. Once lavender has established, less frequent watering is best. With Arizona intense heat lavender will need more water than lavender grown in the Mediterranean. Established lavender should be watered when the roots are dry. Observation of specific growing conditions will help determine what kind of watering schedule will be necessary…and that will require adjustment as sunlight lengthens and shortens and temperatures change. Over watering will likely lead to root rot for lavender and once the roots are “mushy” the lavender will die.
Pro tip: Depending on the amount of salt in your water, you may find that you are more successful with drip irrigation rather than by sprinkler. We almost killed a number of lavender at The Lavender Farm when we found out we needed to drip rather than sprinkle ours.
Put down the watering can and check for dry roots before watering every time once the temperature and long sunny days drop. In early fall prune and remove one-third of the year’s growth. Do not cut into the woody brown stems or those branches will not grow back. Shape lavender into a mounded shape. During blooming prune the dead blooms to ensure continuous blooming. Cut all the way at the base of the stem, rather than just the top of the dried-out flowers. Protect lavender from sustained frost and even snow (snow happens at higher elevations of the Phoenix Valley of the Sun) - usually lavender will be good down to 20 degrees (American).
The suggestions for varieties are based on experience from local gardeners who have success with lavender and what is grown at The Lavender Farm at Chateau de Vie. With so many main and hybrid lavender there are others: