Web JPG BF 22 08 09 RAU SQUASH JOSH CASSIDEE SARAH GARDEN 0178
The Garden

FROM ROOTS we RELISH

Our Garden works with the cycles of nature—drawing from the farming practices of the past to support our present and protect our future. We begin by nurturing the soil with composted materials from our kitchens and stables. We sow seeds that have been carefully saved from years past, and we bolster their growth by planting native plants nearby to repel pests and attract pollinators to our crops. The bounty we harvest from the Garden makes its way to your plate, and the scraps from our kitchen are turned into compost to nourish the soil. By letting nature guide our practices and applying lessons passed down from our Appalachian ancestors, we honor the continuous cycle we celebrate on the Farm. We give back to the land that provides for us while maintaining the health of the land for future generations.

Web JPG Band T 20130814 8144

The Garden is also a wonderful classroom for our guests. Through our heirloom seed preservation, sustainable agriculture practices and truffle and mushroom cultivation efforts, we are continually learning and evolving the Garden to benefit both the natural ecosystem and our guests. As you explore the Garden, you’ll find flowers, herbs and vegetables all growing together. Our plantings mimic the diversity found in nature. No two rows ever look the same and many varieties are allowed to go to flower, providing food for our insect allies and pollinators. We manage pests in the Garden by promoting habitats for their predators. Instead of spraying chemicals, we plant various flowers that attract indigenous beneficial insects and let them do the work for us. We allow the natural systems at play to work for our benefit and theirs. During your stay, wander over to the Garden Shed where the team will welcome you to take in the Garden’s beauty and chat about the day’s harvest.