We are improving garden spaces at the Inn on Mill Creek B&B this year, and have created a new garden called our Guest Favorites Garden. The GFG, located along the driveway heading to the north side of the property, is going to be a collection of shrubs and flowers that our guests have told us are their faves.
Just a quick March update on our newest garden space at the Inn on Mill Creek, the Guest Favorites Garden. While the daffodils in the Pool Garden have heralded in spring right on schedule at the Inn, located near Asheville and Black Mountain, North Carolina, the daffodils that we planted in the Guest Favorites Garden are a bit late to emerge.
We’re installing a new garden this year at the Inn on Mill Creek, the Guest Favorites Garden. Can you guess what’s in it? That’s right, favorite plants and flowers of our guests, which we gathered from surveying them on Facebook.
| Inn on Mill Creek mugs from Deneen Pottery |
| Abby style mug |
The stoneware mugs were each handcrafted from scratch by Deneen Pottery right here in the USA, and feature original custom-made artwork depicting the Inn on Mill Creek. Each piece is created by hand, lead free, and durable enough to be oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. And did we mention, they are beautiful.
We’re expanding our garden spaces at the Inn on Mill Creek Bed & Breakfast in 2014, and one new garden that we’re planning is called our “Guest Favorites” garden. Earlier this year, we took a poll on our B&B Facebook page to find out what our guests’ favorite flowers, shrubs and other plants are, and are planning a garden that features many of the responses.
In 2009, we constructed a seven-circuit walking labyrinth on the southern end of the property at the Inn on Mill Creek, near black walnut, tall tulip poplar and maple trees. The Inn’s labyrinth is a classical style labyrinth based on one in Visby, Sweden – a shout out to Innkeeper Brigette’s dad’s Swedish heritage. It has a 2-ft. wide grass walking path bordered by white granite pavers.
| Our dining solarium getting a facelift |
One of the many great things about running a B&B is the diversity
and awesomeness of the people we meet and have as our guests at the Inn on Mill Creek. One of our guests this past summer was
having breakfast with his wife in the Inn’s dining solarium, which at the time was starting to show its
age in some regards, particularly the curved plexiglass panels. Over the past few years, we have been looking at options and pricing for replacing the panels…no easy task.
During the past several weeks, one of our guest rooms, the North Terrace Room, has been getting a little work done, a nip here, a tuck there, a facelift if you will. Here are the first three installments of our video diary on the North Terrace Room remodel. Enjoy! Work will continue in March and the room is scheduled to be back open for reservations in time for Mother Nature’s Spring debut in the mountains of North Carolina.
We’ve been told our property has been a private property since at least the 1880s — prior to that, it was government land — and the original structure was a little cabin that sat on the pond. The little cabin no longer exists, but the well (with nonworking pump) still does. When we arrived in 2007, growing around the well was some yarrow and a swath of dianthus, both of which we moved to other gardens. We {Brigette} have tried out some different plants, such as lavender and purple coneflower, but we just haven’t found the right combination of flowers for that sunny spot. We’ve planted two dogwoods near the well, so we have spring color covered. We need something for summer and fall, and maybe winter, too…
Whenever we visit Painter’s Greenhouse, one of our favorite nurseries in our area, it’s tempting to take home flats upon flats of gorgeous plants and flowers. Painter’s is amazing. But we’ve learned to pace ourselves {“we” meaning Brigette}, and with a list in hand, we recently headed over to the Painter’s Greenhouse Herb Fest: live music, fabulous food, and plants everywhere.
