MILAN, MI — Milan will soon have a more relaxing touch as lavender grows throughout its downtown area.
A recent collaboration with the city and local business, Lavender Lane, has brought two plantings of lavender for two islands around the city — one which is off Main Street and the other in the city’s business district.
The two areas that were once filled with weeds will soon have both pink and purple lavender plants in the next few years. Milan Mayor Ed Kolar said the city provided topsoil and volunteers for grading the dirt while Lavender Lane did the rest.
“Everybody just loves the idea of having the fresh smell of lavender in our downtown,” Kolar said. “What was an eyesore now is going to be (lavender) in the next couple of years (that) should grow tall and be beautiful.”
Lavender Lane is a Milan business that uses the 6 acres of lavender it grows at 12040 Plank Road to bring lavender-filled products like bath and body care items, beauty products, aromatherapy products, soaps, hand sanitizers, products for pets and children and CBD-infused products.
The business also has a year-round brick-and-mortar location, Lavender Lane on Main, in downtown Milan at 12 E. Main St.
Joe Pusta, co-owner of Lavender Lane, said helping the city was a “simple” decision for the business that not only has the skills to grow the plant, but also a supply of lavender. Pusta said that he is planning to take care of the city’s lavender as it grows.
There are currently 100 plants of lavender on one plot of land, and around 60 plants on the other plot.
“I’m sure that it will help draw maybe some people to the farm, but that’s not really the motivation we had for this,” Pusta said. “Just driving by all these plots and seeing not much being done with them was motivation enough.”
Joe Pusta, co-owner of Lavender Lane, poses next to one of the islands where he planted lavender.
Although Lavender Lane may be helping the city, this project is also helping Pusta, he said, adding that this project “wouldn’t be possible without (Kolar’s) cooperation and support.”
“As a business owner, one of the most difficult things is you kind of get lost in your own world … trying to balance your books (and) trying to grow your company,” he said. “It’s easy to forget that you’re part of this larger community that could use your assistance, and so this was much needed not only for the community, but for ourselves.”
While there may only be two plantings right now, Kolar and Pusta said there are plans to bring more lavender to the city next year.
Pusta is already looking for other spots around Milan that could be spruced up, and has a goal to plant at least 500 lavender plants by the end of spring.
Kolar said this project may be just the beginning for other businesses to do the same as Lavender Lane. He added that he is already imagining how this collaboration may impact others to beautify Milan whether that be with their own personal businesses or on a city-level.
“The fact that (Pusta) has a great product, and he wants to offer it up to the city … means everything,” Kolar said. “It’s something like that this gets the ball rolling and then the idea grows.”
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