M R Gardens' Tiny Home is listed on Airbnb for
overnight stays!
We offer the
following opportunities for guests or for others seeking short-term learning
experiences:
What’s in Season?
Taste the
fruits grown on the land where you are staying. Upon request, we’ll send
you a list of what's currently in the garden. We’ll then harvest, wash and deliver
them to you on the day that you expect to be cooking. Each order contains enough to add to at least one meal for two to three people. The selection varies widely depending
on time of year: Asparagus and wild strawberries are available early spring; serviceberries, blueberries and raspberries in the early summer; chokeberries (Aronia) for your smoothies as well as wineberries in mid-summer; pears and apples (best for sauce) in the late summer; and if you're lucky, paw paws (a native fruit that tastes like a cross between bananas and mango!). We might have salad greens from the greenhouse in winter. Our vegetable selection changes yearly but we always have a lot of culinary herbs upon request. $5-10/order depending on availability.
Garden Tour
Learn about our unique style of ecological landscaping. Discussion includes how
we build soil for optimal plant health; ways certain plants benefit each
other and the ecosystem as a whole; how some plants can be used
medicinally; and techniques for naturalization, groundcovers and
meadows. We grow a wide array of native plants as well as fruit and usually a few vegetables. If
there’s an area you’re particularly drawn to, let us know when you book and we
can tailor the tour to your interests. It lasts one hour, and up to five people
may join your group. Read more here. $40
Passive Solar Greenhouse Tour
With only solar
gain to heat it and manual vents to cool it, M R Gardens’ 800 square foot
greenhouse stays ideal growing conditions despite wide fluctuations in outside
temperatures. Thermal mass traps heat during the day and then releases the
warmth at night. The building’s design also prevents the interior from
overheating. Even on cold winter days, it needs to be ventilated if it’s sunny.
Learn how a passive solar greenhouse is different than a typical one; why it is
shaped differently; what all the barrels are for; and why it produces high
quality plants. Tour lasts about 45 minutes and up to five people may join your
group. $40
A Sample of Farming
Hands-on is the
best way to learn about gardening, and in small doses, it is fun and
therapeutic. Ask which activities we’ll be doing the day you plan to be here,
and if that sounds like something you’re interested in, we’ll see if our
schedules coincide so you can join in. Activities could include transplanting
in the greenhouse, planting in the gardens, maintaining the orchard and
groundcovers, managing naturalized landscapes, or building new beds. We
typically send you home with written educational material about the activities
you helped with. Two to three hours - $25 per person.
Garden Retreat
We plan to offer
week-long therapeutic and educational experiences soon, for guests who are
seeking a healing retreat, as well as for those interested in entering the
profession of gardening. Let us know if either of these opportunities interest
you!
When you book on Airbnb, send us a message letting us know you're interested in
one or more of these experiences. Questions? Contact megan@mrgardens.net or
828.333.4151.
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