July 2, 2018
Guests Find Inner Harmony on Labyrinth Path
Whether you are seeking inner meditative peace, or just a nice walk, following the path of a meditation labyrinth may be for you. The Buckhorn Inn “Rachael’s Labyrinth” is named for Innkeeper Rachael Young. The path is constructed of local fieldstone and is encircled with native wildflowers and plants. Our labyrinth is of the medieval style.
Guest Amanda Writesman took this beautiful photo of the Buckhorn Inn labyrinth.
Path for All Faiths
Labyrinths were in use long before recorded history. They all feature a single path that leads into the center of a space and then back out. Most cultures have a type of labyrinth. They have been associated with mini-pilgrimages and walked to reinforce protection, to bring good fortune, or to overcome difficulty. Today’s labyrinths offer the opportunity for meditation and slight concentration. Every journey is a personal one–everyone gets something different from the walk. The world-wide labyrinth locator http://www.labyrinthlocator.com lists 4,977 labyrinths in 80 countries, including the one at Buckhorn Inn in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! The Smithsonian Magazine highlights six labyrinths which have been heralded for their beauty and history.
The Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France dates back to the year 1205. According to the magazine, scholars believe that the path symbolizes “the human journey from sin to redemption”.
When you walk through the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, China, you are walking through a structure built in 1709. The path is housed in a garden called the Garden of Perfection and Light. The 864-acre property was intended to be a private garden for Chinese emperors, but was destroyed by the British and French forces in the 1860s. The remaining ancient landscaping is like nothing anywhere else.
Dunure Castle in Scotland was a 13th century stronghold. The stone labyrinth is on the beach near a park and offers walkers a wonderful view of both the sea and the castle’s remains.
Lands End, San Francisco was built by artist Eduardo Aguilera in 2004. The labyrinth is located on a rocky outcropping overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. The path is tucked away from view.
Do you enjoy walking labyrinths? Please share your pictures and stories. We would like to feature them in a future blog post.
April 30, 2018
April Gardening at Buckhorn Inn
We love gardening at Buckhorn Inn! Our guests from other parts of the country often are curious about our growing season. So we thought we would give you a peek into what we are doing this April.
Keeping our gardens in good shape is a labor of love.
Our display of spring bulbs was beautiful this year. We are marking their locations so we will know where to fertilize this fall. We are diligent about removing the faded flowers to make everything look better and to keep seeds from forming. Our Siberian irises are blooming now. After they finish we will divide them and replant.
We have pruned the perennials that have not yet started to grow, and renewed our mulch so that is about 3″ deep. We pruned our trees, removing dead and diseased limbs, before they began to leaf out.
The annual flowers we have set out bring color now, and throughout the entire summer. Even though some early balmy temperatures and sunny days were seductive, we waited until we were sure spring had arrived for good before we put them out!
Gardening for Edibles
This month we filled our new raised-bed vegetable gardens with seeds for early and late lettuce mixes, kaleidoscope carrots and okra. Last week we planted tomatoes and a mix of sweet and hot peppers. We are especially pleased with our new kitchen herb garden. It is planted right outside the kitchen door for easy access by our chefs.
This month we planted our kitchen herb garden.
Our selections include dill, cilantro, basil, curry, rosemary, majoram, oregano, thyme, and sage. We look forward to seeing how the supply of fresh herbs and vegetables will inspire our chefs!
The school of agriculture at the University of Tennessee is a wonderful source of information and inspiration. Check out their website http://www.agt.tennessee.edu/utg for information and inspiration! They also have information on upcoming events, such as their May 6 Plantapalooza and hosta sale!
We wish you a wonderful spring and hope that your gardens grow and flourish!
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