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On Left: Lavender grown at La
Paix 2009
On right: The distillery
at La Paix |
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Join me at the West Virginia Herb Association 20th Anniversary
Festival on Sept. 28th and 29th 2012 - To celebrate ~ registration is free and
membership in WVHHA for year is free!
And come to my workshop
with
Dot Montgillion - Thyme in the Garden: Mature Herbalists Share Shortcuts
to Gardening
Click and Scroll Down for complete information on
Festival - See You There!
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New Product - Lavender Hydrosol and certified
organic lavender flowers with Recipe Booklet
Buy
at Fish Hawk Acres Farmer's Market stands: North Central WV
or email
Visit me on Facebook - La Paix Herb Farm
for more information and
Potatoes Grown the Old Woman Way
1st
Entrance to Big Fragrant Garden of
La Paix
featuring chives, garlic chives, catnip, agrimony, motherwort, basil,
peppermints, fennel, Greek Oregano, lavender, thyme and much more.
Photo: Lee Stalnaker Bathtub in the
Garden
Bellabrucie Photography
Painting of The Silver Labyrinth
at La Paix
completed 1-9-2012 pre-order prints here
Announcing Two Workshops at
La Paix Herb Farm in 2012
Labyrinth Day May 19th
Paintings by Steward of
La Paix - click here
To order prints of paintings by steward
of La Paix, Myra ~ This is Ashley Wiley in the Labyrinth at La Paix
Click Here
To Buy Herb Products,
Click here
Below: New Product! Exquisite
Victorian pouches, organza (gold, lavender or moss green, ribbons and
beads filled with
certified organic lavender flowers or with
lavender and pink rose petals.
Below: Beverly Sills Iris
WBOYTV Coverage Stinging Nettle Research
Project
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=98130
WBOY coverage Stinging Nettle Research
August 10, 2011
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=105114
Stinging Nettle Project Journal
2011:
Stinging
Nettle Project Journal
Starting the Seeds March 9, 2011
April 3rd - Meeting at La
Paix:
Organic Farmers from WV and Ohio
May June
July
August
September Journal and
Summary
New Product: based on research
Stinging Nettle Hydrosol
Cutting lavender (bumper crop) at
La Paix late June 2011.
Lavender Cookie Contest
Winner 2011 recipe
La Paix's booth at Lavender Day at Fish
Hawk Acres
from left: Comfrey
Comfort Salve, Passionate
Gardener's
Hand Cream, Honey Lips
lip balm, Hydrosols,
Lavender with Prints
by Steward in back.
Back in Stock!
Comfrey Comfort Salve
Lemon Balm Hydrosol stops stinging nettle stings
in two minutes and bee stings go away too!
La Paix's Sting Away™
Buy
Here
but doesn't take sting away if
stung with 15 yellow jackets!
Apprenticeship program (day) OPEN 2011
posted 5-26-2011
Labyrinth
web page updated 5-27-11 friends!
Tomatoes just planted in
Research Project
May 16, 2011.
Tomatoes and I in Research Plot
July 2, 2011
Cherokee Purple and Tappy's Heritage tomatoes
Buy La Paix's Lavender
Hydrosol - calming
Beginning weeding in the Big Fragrant Garden
at La Paix April 2011.
Artist in the Garden
Myra Bonhage-Hale
An integral part of my journey here at
La Paix Herb Farm has been my joy
in its beauty and in preserving it and
sometimes creating it by decorating it.
I have taken thousands of photos of La Paix's gardens, woods,
plants, flowers, trees, my family, my apprentices, my many friends,
and always interesting visitors and guests. From these photos,
I have attempted to capture the light and love of La Paix in
my paintings.
Myra's Paintings of the Flora, Fauna, Folks at La Paix.
Judith in the Labyrinth at La Paix
For Sale at Tamarack
5-25-2011: Took Judith's portrait to
Tamarack - juried in for the Best of WV
Gallery Show June 19th-August 13th
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The Shop at La Paix
featuring art and
herbal products.
Chef Dale is
postponing his
Lavender Fair, so I
am having open
gardens, open shop
at La Paix on
Saturday, June 23rd.
Lavender
may be cut for
$10/bush.
Email for
Directions.
Drying current crop
of stinging nettle
now.
See
research
describing the
benefits of using
all
natural stinging
nettle as
fertilizer.
To Order
We are all connected
- and the space
between is the
energy of love. Joy,
Myra
Bizarre Bazaar
Coming to Weston
Nov. 3, 2012 Web page up soon!
20 one of a kind booths including
mine!!
Support Local Businesses!
A Lavender Gift for You Buy
New Product
Labyrinth by Finger
To Buy Prints of Paintings
of La Paix and
Greeting Cards of La Paix,
Click Here
WV Herb
Association Fall Herb Festival Saturday Oct. 1st, 2011 Power
Point presentation: "Tomatoes
to Einstein" - research on the Efficacy of
Stinging Nettle as a Fertilizer.
See summary of
Presentation Please email me
if interested in hosting Presentation
September Journal and
Summary
Passionate Gardener's Hand Cream
Now available
(was out of stock when last six
jars were bought by Balto. customer)
My helper, Mike
props up research tomatoes
between the stinging nettle
hydrosol
rows June 30, 2011.
My helper, Mike
props up research tomatoes
between the stinging nettle
hydrosol
rows June 30, 2011.
Spraying stinging nettle tea and
hydrosol for research
My finger with tomato in Hydrosol
20-1 research row June 30th, 2011
April 3rd - Meeting at La
Paix:
Organic Farmers from WV and Ohio
Stinging
Nettle Project Journal
Starting the Seeds March 9, 2011
May Journal with photos
click here
June Journal
July Journal
August Journal
WBOYTV Coverage Stinging Nettle Research
Project
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=98130
Do you want to use stinging nettle as a
fertilizer?
Step by Step Directions
Here
La Paix Herb Farm's booth
at the
Sustainable Living Affair
in Elkins WV
on April 16th
will feature La Paix's products (hydrosols, hand cream, lip balm and
more) and inform you of the progress of the Stinging Nettle Research
Grant-stinging nettle will be available to the brave!
Stinging Nettle Research Grant
- application to NESARE Farmer Grower Grant program
Urtica dioca L. Stinging Nettle
La Paix creek babbling
April 4, 2011
Big Fragrant Garden May 2011
Iris Blooming at La Paix May 2011
For coverage of Lavender
Day,
click here for
local TV coverage - WBOY-TV
and
here for Mother Wit's lovely comments.
First Photos of Lavender
Day - click here
The Shop at La Paix
To see prints of La Paix's gardens for sale
click here
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Rosemarys in the Greenhouse in
winter
Rosemary blooming in Greenhouse
April 4th, 2011
Winter sunset at La Paix Feb. 2011 |
Nov. 15, 2010: I am now almost finished
writing an application for a grant from the USDA SARE. News:
Grant mailed by deadline! I intend
to research the use of stinging nettle (Urtica dioca L.) as a potential
organic fertilizer and herbicide. Stinging nettle compost tea and
hydrosol will be applied to tomato plants as a foliar spray. Previous
studies indicate fermented or fresh stinging nettle water makes a good
fertilizer and herbicide (depending on the strength of the mixture).
The results of the applications of the formulas will be compared with a
commercial organic fertilizer and a control bed.
I will be working
with fifteen students from the local high school, Lewis County High
School
their teacher, Marc Smith and assistant Boone Brown. They will
follow the research beginning in February 2011 and most will continue
through the summer until the Field Day in Sept. 2011. Chef Dale Hawkins
will demonstrate cooking with tomatoes and stinging nettle at the Field
Day. I will submit this application on Nov. 17th - and
hope to be told I am to receive it by March 1st!
Assisted
by Tom McConnell WVU Extension Small Farms Specialist and Bruce Lloyd,
Lewis County Extension with advice from Barbara Liedl PhD.,
Associate Research Professor West Virginia
State University.
ps I have recv'd three
other USDA SARE grants in the past: 1) Potato Bugs on
Kennebec Potatoes, 2) Deer Deterrents and 3) The Essential Oil
Project.
You may read about them on the web SARE site.
I didn't get the grant from NESARE - and the students decided not to be
apprentices. See
Journal of a
hopeful, persevering steward of the land (me) for details as I continue.
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Organically
Certified Dried Lavender Flowers
The Last Lavender Day was held July 10, 2010
Photo by Jill Stewart, Creative Exposures, Weston WV of steward Myra
Bonhage-Hale
at Lavender Fair 2009.
Latest photos of La Paix's
Gardens June
18, 2010 |
Lavender Flowers for sale 1 cup
$16.
First Photos of Lavender
Day - click here
For coverage of Lavender
Day,
click here for
local TV coverage - WBOY-TV
and
here for Mother Wit with lovely comments. |
 
La Paix will no longer be open for tours,
workshops or Fairs/Special Days. We hope you continue to watch the
website for photos of La Paix's
beautiful gardens, fields and woods and news
of new and old
favorites among our herbal products. "I have been privileged to
have so many interesting, creative and vibrant people come and visit La
Paix
and I thank you each and every one for your
presence and your
contributions. I will continue
to accept apprentices who can
attend during the
day and will continue to sell my
products."
Peace,
Myra Bonhage-Hale, Steward, La Paix Herb Farm |
La Paix's All Natural
Fragrance Creams Click Here
WVU Journalism Students visit to do Capstone
Class project (multi media)
on April 23, 2010
Click here for audio, video, news story by
Brian Young, Karilyn Galiotos and
James Carbone, |
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News! February
12, 2010: Just received news that I Myra, steward of La Paix,
will be presenting at the
National Conference of the American Society of Dowsers in Lyndon Vermont
in early June. Subject:
When Your Labyrinth Goes Pear Shaped.
Click on link above to see history of La Paix's Labyrinth. I'm
excited to be going with my former apprentice, Rebekah Ceron, and
staying with my Cousin Bambi Murphy Miller, who will also be presenting
Lavender Cookie Contest
Winner 2009 Recipe
2003 to 2008 Cookie
Recipe winners
Kate and Helen, former
apprentices, posing at the Bathtub in the Garden -
painting by Myra Bonhage-Hale
Ahh, after this 2010 winter of snow
and ice, can spring just hurry up! Back Gate at La Paix
News! Antique Apple Tree at La Paix identified as Black Twig!
La Paix's Honey Lips re-packaged
in easy
flip tin (just a flick of the thumb and it's open!).
Order
Here for Orange Flavor $3.75
Order
Here for Vanilla Flavor $3.75
For photos of La Paix Gardens in
July,
August and September 2007, click here
Photos of July 08 lavender
harvest
Beginning!
2008 Garden Photos - new!
Lavender Fair
2008: "Love & Learn"
June 28th, 2008
Photos
are ready to view!
Photographs of the Lavender Fair 2007
click here. and
here
Photos of La Paix Gardens
Spring and Summer 2009 here
Proposal for an
International Peace Museum at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
For workshop and tour information,
click here
Recycled
Goat Shed now Holy Garden Shed
Sheila McEntee, Editor of the Wild
Wonderful
West Virginia magazine has written a
wonderful feature on Paix Herb Farm in the
June 2007 edition. It can be
obtained at the La Paix Shop or free with $25. purchase or more on the
Shopping Cart.
It is also on the website at:
Wonderful West Virginia
The first of many snows of the
winter of 2008 - 2009 at La Paix (from the front door) The line
allows me to fill the birdfeeders from the upstairs porch!
Bee Balm Feng Shui Garden Summer
2009
La Paix Peony - Myra Bonhage Hale, painter
Scheduled Exhibits of
my paintings 2008-2009:
March, 2008: Aesop's Cafe, Buckhannon
April - August 2008: Davis and Elkins Library (The
Sustainable Art Exhibit)
May, 2008: Randolph Co. Art Council, Elkins, W.V.
Aug. 30th - Sept. 2nd Jackson Mill Jubilee,
Weston, WV
Bathtub in the Garden #5 Honorable Mention Art Exhibit
Six photos juried into Photo Club
September 26th - 29th Embassy Suites Towson, Maryland
Towson High School Reunion: 4 Paintings, 7 photos
Oct. 31, Nov. 1st - WV Herb Assoc. Conference Flatwoods WV
September 2008 to April 9, 2009: Prints of Paintings and note
cards at The Gallery in Weston.
April 17th through May 5th 2009: Stonewall Resort, Roanoke West
Virginia Lobby (April 17th, 18th: Sustainable Fair 2009 Art Show)
see agenda
SustainableLivingforWestVirginia
Received
Honorable Mention for
The Supplicant
Check out
Ovation TV
for more photos
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La Paix Gardens Spring 2010 -
Photos of La Paix's Gardens early, spring, annual decorating
of the
bathtub in the garden and Wisteria blooming.
Plus archeological
dig yields hand cut stones in backyard.
Simmer Into Spring with La Paix's Simmering Potpourri of
organically certified
Lavender & Roses
Rose buds and petals, hibiscus flowers, cinnamon sticks, blue violet
leaves and orange peel.
1 cup bag: $10.00
Order Now
to bring the fragrant
sensuous scents of spring becoming summer into your home
Photos of Lavender Fair 2009
Jill Stewart, Creative Exposure Photography
click here
News! Apprentices Helen, Judith
and Zack
return
A distillery,
purchased through a USDA
SARE grant, is used to distill many of the
fragrant, culinary and medicinal herbs
and plants grown at La Paix.
Greeting Card Box #3:
Cards suitable for framing: $15.
See note cards and prints from original paintings
by the Steward
of La Paix:
Click Here
Another View of the Feng Shui Garden
Summer 2009
Lily in the Feng Shui Garden
Summer 2009
For more photos of La Paix's Gardens and
Woods in 2008, click here
See note cards and prints from original paintings by the
Steward of La Paix:
Click Here
Bathtub in the Garden - August 2008
Paintings of La Paix's gardens and flowers by
Steward Myra Bonhage-Hale
Prints and Greeting Cards for sale
Prints for sale:
Click Here
Painting by Myra Bonhage-Hale
The Supplicant (fallen red oak at La Paix)
of my art
Apprentice Program 2011 -
Filled
click here for apprentice
information and application.
Please click here for former apprentice comments
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La Paix Herb Farm's
Passionate
Gardener's Hand Cream was featured in the
September 2006 Herb Companion Magazine. (Product Page)
To
order, click here
For
more information about this all natural product,
click here
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What is La Paix Herb Farm?
La Paix (means Peace in French) is the dream of it's Steward, Myra
Bonhage-Hale. A dream which began
in Baltimore in the late 1970's.
A dream which led to buying an abandoned farm and farmhouse in the heart
of West,by God, Virginia in 1981. Nestled in the surrounding
hills, like a baby in a papoose, La Paix has become a place of many
gardens, much laughter, learning and peace.
Now 110 acres of gardens, homestead, woods, caves, creeks, wildlife,
fauna and sylvan paths, it is a sanctuary and an inspiration to others
who dream of a home in
the country. |
| The homestead has been approved by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History as a
National
Historic Registered site. An
Apprentice Program has been in effect since 1999. Students
from colleges near and far have been able to apply for college credits
in Environmental Science and Environmental Education as part of their
experience at La Paix. |
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This photo shows three
children astride the work horse
used at La Paix in about 1940.
May/Kraus homestead in about 1940. They are in front of the
root cellar, the bottom of which is hand cut stone chiseled out of rocks
on the hill by the Mays, stone masons, who lived here from about
1870 to
1890. Photo submitted by Pat Meyer, relative of
the original
builders of the cabin and pioneer stewards
of the land.
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| Shown on the right is a
scene from
one of La Paix's many gardens.
This is known as the Big Fragrant Garden. The tub is used at the
end of a warm day - it is very
relaxing to bathe and admire the gardens and fields of wild
flowers. This garden has
lavender, lemon balm, peppermint, and other fragrant herbs. Other
gardens include The Silver Labyrinth,
the Feng Shui Garden (photos of gates on
either side of title of this page),
the organic vegetable garden, medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, the
Psychic Tree by the Pond Sanctuary and the
Japanese Tea House. Three long rows of Grosso lavender by the
driveway welcome visitors. Many pavilions were erected in 2004 to bedeck
the gardens and shelter booths at the
Lavender Fair and
New Moon Pizza Fair.
Reunion Group meets for
a tour of the family homestead (May/Kraus) at La Paix May 24, 2008. |
In 2010, Workshops and Tours are no longer being
conducted. Thanks for your support and presence
in the past!
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Web Site Design by
Myra Bonhage-Hale, Steward, La Paix Herb
Farm
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3052 Crooked Run Rd.,
Alum Bridge, West Virginia, 26321
(304) 269-7681
email us
Site hosting by
Hold Your Hand Hosting
Last Updated April 3, 2013
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