Page 32 - At Home Prince Edward County

THE DRYING TOWER
From a distance it looks like a grain tower
from Canada’s heartland – it’s romantic
but totally practical. Inside it feels like a
Tiny House, all wood and compact floor
space, but look up and you go dizzy. The
ceiling is three storeys up. A partial second
floor has a steep ladder to the top, where
vents and windows open to let in fresh air.
It’s dark, so the lavender retains colour
and fragrance as it dries.
Sylvain made drying racks from wire
mesh left over from pouring his concrete
floors, fitted them with pulleys used for
storing canoes and kayaks and can now tie
row upon row of lavender bunches to the
grid to be easily raised and lowered.
After a long (and cold) construction pe-
riod and a hectic first summer, Sylvain and
Wilma spent a cozy winter in their cus-
tom-built house and production building
catching up with plans and winemaking
and distilling.
They have lots of future plans. They’ve
planted 150 fruit trees and berry bushes so
Sylvain can try adding berries to his wine, service and planning, it’s an expression
and Wilma can will use them in preserves. used when feasability and potential and
“We want to do so much here, we’ll do possibilities are being discussed. It means
everything From Bee to Bottle,” he grins to sow or plant a thousand ideas – like
and shamelessly steals the catchphrase of seeds – and then nurture and harvest the
the Farm to Table movement. best of them. Just like Sylvain and Wilma
There is another meaning of the name, are doing in Wellington ... at Millefleurs.
Millefleurs. In their previous world of civil

32 @HOME CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION & GARDENING DIRECTORY