Saturday, March 27, 2010


I seriously doubt it could look much SPRINGIER than this!! About the only thing still with fat buds are the dogwood. And only about 1/10th of the daffodils are blooming!

Easter week should be gorgeous - and we still have some rooms available.

I am headed today to Hilltop Berry Farm & Winery for some honey Mead!! Hopefully will get to stop at Basic Necessities for lunch, and if there is time I will call my friend Gail at Caromont for some of her amazing farmer's goat cheese - If not today, then for sure next weekend! Then calls to neighbors for lamb for next week's dinners, and our Easter dinner also - I am thinking about a braised or roasted butterflied leg of lamb, minted wheatberry salad, asparagus - something full of herbs and the fresh flavors of spring.

Plans are underway for our May Herb Festival - so many of our favourite herb growers are doing so well with their commercial sales, they aren't doing festivals anymore!! We couldn't be happier for them, but it also makes us want to get our greenhouse installed as soon as possible so WE can start our herb growing...we have a great location for a small shop, and if I ever get the bakery off the ground, the two things would work well together. Plus our guests would have something really nice and lasting to take home with them to remember us. Herbes de Provence anyone??

Happy spring!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

http://chofoodhub.blogspot.com/2010/03/plant-row-for-hungry-details-emerge.html

LOVE these photos and this blog! Gets me in the mood to really get my hands dirty.

Which is exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow - our veggie garden needs turning this year, and hopefully I will be getting more seeds in the ground by this weekend...and then I am looking for a good place for a couple of raised beds - strictly for greens and root veggies. Pumpkins/butternut/hubbard squash? I don't know quite where to put them - maybe outside the hen pens...and what grows really well under Black Walnut trees? Not veggies of course, too shady - I am looking for some low shrubs or perennials? Ideas?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Wow...I returned from a nice little vacation in Florida to...snow still on the ground! I know that spring is around the corner, there are little bulb sprouts all over the place, trying to get above the melting slush - at least they will have enough water this spring. I was looking at the forsythia on the way home, hoping for a few fat branches - nothing there yet, but SURELY we are just a mere couple of weeks away!

I can't wait to get into the veggie garden - last year, it didn't get near the attention I should have given it, and this year my garden-loving sister is here working with us, so I KNOW I won't have any excuses. :) The blackberry mother plant is huge, and we planted loads of babies along the picket fence last fall - maybe enough for cobbler this summer? Definitely some heirloom tomatoes (my children still talk about the little sweet yellow ones they ate like candy last summer), basil, green beans, okra, peppers, onions, squash, pumpkins, spring greens - time to get out the seed catalogs. And also - we are replanting a couple of perennial beds near the gazebo - loading them with herbs - I am always needing something in the kitchen.

As soon as the slush is gone and we can get out there, hopefully by early March, I will turn the compost in the soil and lay the pathways...I can't wait!

Monday, February 1, 2010

MORE SNOW - but hoping for an early spring!

More snow! Another foot of snow this weekend - that's more than 3 feet in a month - for Virginia, that is NOT very common....happens maybe once every 10 years or so...and the forcast this weekend? That's right - SNOW.

Good news is, I hear the groundhog may be seeing his shadow tomorrow, and I would welcome an early spring...there will be plenty of moisture for the tulips, crocus and daffodils to pop out big and happy.

This may not yet be the year for blueberry planting - hopefully our new barn/event space will be completed though! Tentative plans are for a 40x60 'barn' at the southern end of the Vineyard - big doors that slide open in good weather, or a cozy place in case of rain...we could hold events year round - up to 150 guests, with a gorgeous view of the vineyard and inn. First phase is just the basics, with bathrooms of course - then later I could even envision a commercial kitchen to make catering down there easier...and, as 'green' as possible of course! Still in the planning phases...but maybe ready for spring weddings in 2011?

In the mean time - so much to do with the gardens this spring! Lavendar varieties, more hydrangeas and peonies...anything with fragrance and flowers we love - the gazebo gardens are getting an overhaul this spring, along with the walkway to the backyard....I will post before and after photos when we get underway the first of March.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Happy New Year!


WOW - the snowfall just before Christmas was truly spectacular...over 24 inches fell in Scottsville, more just west of us. We are expecting a couple of inches tonight, and maybe a few more next week - I would say that the skiing at Wintergreen is probably pretty nice right now! It is a nice drive of about 45 minutes - and we can steer you to a great apres-ski dinner at one of the breweries in Nelson county, or just west of Charlottesville. Have a great day skiing, then return to one of our cozy fireplace rooms to relax.

Of course, spring is really just around the corner - by mid February, we will be seeing crocus in the front lawn - purples and yellows carpeting the grass. So, if skiing isn't your thing, remember that a) we can always make your stay interesting with winery tours or dining and b) you can start spring off early with a visit to the country - early flowering bulbs and trees will definitely chase the winter blues away.

For anyone considering a visit from DC or NOVA - we have taken the train to and from Union Station several times now - nice, easy trip, affordable, and we can arrange for transportation to and from the Charlottesville Amtrak station...especially good for an overnight stay with dinner at the Inn, you can cozy up and not worry about going anywhere...2 days with no city traffic to deal with? Priceless...

AND - don't forget Valentine's Day...if you can't visit us that weekend, give a gift certificate for a warmer weekend getaway - just call, or purchase gift certificates online at www.highmeadows.com

One place I haven't mentioned in a while, but that has seen me often in the last 6 months again: Feast! A local shop, voted one of the Top 20 Cheese Shops by Saveur, you would be hard pressed to find better sandwiches for a picnic, or cheeses and charcuterie for in-room snacks. They sample nearly everything, and my latest favourite treats include chocolate dipped figs, and sea salt caramels. If you would like our Virginia wine and cheese tray added to your room stay, you can know that this is where your goodies will come from!

Happy New Year -