Hope-Lessons from the Garden from Patti At Cumberland Falls

Patti at Cumberland Falls September 24th, 2008

I am in the garden today. We have largely been in drought conditions in Western North Carolina. Some in the local wiccan community are even thinking of instituting ceremonies geared toward generating rain. In direct result to this environmental downturn of events, the roses, flowers and grass seem to be presently feeling the malaise that I see reflected in all the network news, the pundits on talk radio and raging across our national newspaper’s.

Pick up any newspaper over the last several months and you will be alerted to the perils of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. Indy-Mac began the perilous bank parade followed by other banking giants; Lehman Brothers and AIG . The mortgage meltdown is in high gear with more impact expected to follow as consumers face balloon payments on their dwellings or their interest rate skyrockets bringing their payments to the breaking point leading to another foreclosure. Add this to the cost of the war in Iraq coupled with the now proposed 700 Billion bailout of our crumbling Wall street wreaking havoc on the Dow Jones and other world markets and it is easy enough to see that hope might be hard to find.

In a garden there is a nearly immediate cause and effect factor. If you fail to provide your plants with, as they say in the psyche business, their fundamental needs-The effect of this failure is immediately apparent. Cause and effect sometimes take much longer to play out in other arenas. Failures, inadequacies, mistakes, poor judgement, greed, bad policy and absolute lack of judgment or morals may take much longer to bring about their inevitable result.

These mistakes require sacrifice, ownership, determination, hard work and resolve to both own and then begin identify a means to fix what is wrong. We must begin that now. We must find the hope some of us have lost and realize that the time to begin to reclaim our country is now. We cannot wait. Our futures depend on it. We are at the pivotal moment and if we fail, I am not even sure hope will save us. Even with my beloved flowers and plants in the garden- if one dallies too long, even the most hardy of plants succumb to neglect.

Fall is in the Air in Asheville, N. C. from Patti At Cumberland Falls

Patti at Cumberland Falls September 16th, 2008

Fall is a time of harvest.  It is crisp air, beautiful vibrant leaves and just a spring in your step.  It is a time of gathering.  Fall Festivals, Halloween, Apple Fairs abound.  This special time of year often brings guest requests for this special, delicious, visually appealing and just plain fun cake:  It can be cupcakes for the kids or a very fun Halloween or Fall Festival cake.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

2.5 cups of all purpose flour plus two T. more

1 cup good quality cocoa plus to T. more

1 T. baking powder

1.5 tsp. baking soda

2.25 tsp. ground cinnamon

.75 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg

.75 cups buttermilk

1.5 cups pumpkin puree

1.5 tsp. vanilla

2.25 sticks butter (unsalted and softened)

1.5 cups dark brown sugar packed

1.5 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare 3 8″ cake pans by lightly buttering and cutting circle of parchment paper for bottom. Lightly butter parchment paper and set aside.

Sift all dry ingredients and set aside (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,nutmeg,cocoa.) Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in a bowl and set aside.  Beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add room temperature eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth and light.  Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture blending well after each addition. Do not over beat or batter will be tough. 

Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans and bake until toothpick is removed clean.  Start at 25 minutes and possibly will take 35 minutes contingent upon your oven.  Cool cake in pan and remove to racks.

(This batter also works completely effectively with cupcakes.  Fill liner cups about 2/3 full and bake on 375 degrees.)

Place the first layer of cake on cake holder and top with 1/3 of frosting.  Repeat with second and third layer respectively.  You may have to skewer this cake to prevent shifting. 

Refrigerate until one hour before serving.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

1- 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened

.25 cup of butter softened (unsalted)

1 T fresh orange juice

1 tsp. grated orange zest

.50 tsp. vanilla

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

.25 or less tsp. of orange food coloring. 

Blend the cream cheese butter, orange juice, zest and vanilla in large bowl until smooth.  Add the sugar and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.  Add whatever amt. of the food coloring to achieve the color you are pleased with.  Some like vibrant and some a softer color.  Chill until ready to frost. 

 

Asheville Legendary Inns:”The Last Sounds of Summer, Part II”, a Special Play-off Event, this Friday, Sept. 5th

Valerie at Abbington Green September 1st, 2008

You can see a 95mph fast ball from just behind the dugout. Or maybe an inside-the-ballpark home run!

Feel the excitement. Cheer for the Asheville Tourists as they bid for the league championship.

“Last Sounds of Sumer, Part II”, offering includes:

  • 2 Box Seat tickets for Friday night, Sept. 5th, Asheville Tourists Play-off Game vs. the Augusta Greenjackets
  • $24.00 for 2 reserved seats.( Space is limited.)
  • Book now at any Asheville Legendary Inn.

“…Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. I don’t care if I never get back…”  You’ll be humming the tune and remembering great moments from your great , early September weekend in Asheville. Legends are made from moments like these.

Important Information/How to Book:

Call or email any Legendary Inn to book your accommodation and your “Sounds of Summer, Part II” Friday night ballgame seats.

- Ballpark event bookings are nonrefundable.-The Asheville Tourists Baseball Club is affiliated with the Colorado Rockies.- Augusta Greenjackets are an affiliate of San Francisco Giants.

The Party’s On….Ashville will be wearing her prettiest dress!/From Patti At Cumberland Falls

Patti at Cumberland Falls September 1st, 2008

Well, it’s coming! Fall that is.  The wind is blowing a little stronger, the much sought after and enjoyed ”few more hours of daylight” are disappearing and if you look carefully, it is not too difficult to find some leaves lighting up with color.  Though all who travel to our lovely hamlet have a different reasons for their visit the premier attraction for the next few months will be our breathataking foliage.

Fall of 2008 officially begins on September 23. One of the many joys of living in Asheville, as opposed to the more northern climates, is that Asheville enjoys a prolonged color season often lasting into early November. It provides both residents and visitors the perfect reason to haul out that trusty bike or dust off those hiking shoes and discover the paradise that surrounds us. 

Like I said, “The Party’s on.”  Come see Asheville displayed in her finest.  It is a experience you won’t forget. Whether it’s a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a trek to Mount Mitchell or Chimney Rock… take your camera and capture your own magic right here in Asheville. 

As innkeepers we get daily enquiries from guests as to when they should plan their visit in order to experience “peak color.” Thought to include this observation from an expert:

According to Dr. Gary Walker, a specialist in Cliff-Face Ecology and Plant Population Genetics at Appalachian State University “The environmental conditions leading into Autumn are the best we’ve seen in years here in Western North Carolina, possibly setting the stage for the brightest leaf color show in recent history. 

Not exactly a time-table I realize but then Mother Nature has magic of her own!

See you on the path. 

 

Flower Carpet-A thing of beauty is a joy forever! Patti At Cumberland Falls B+B

Patti at Cumberland Falls August 26th, 2008

A thing of magic will occur in Asheville, N.C. from August 29-September 14, 2008 and all of you are invited to relish it along with the locals!

Biltmore Estates will be unveiling their one-of-a-kind Flower Carpet.  What is this thing you ask?  This particular gardening style is popular in Europe.  Basically,   it is a blend of complementary flowers arranged in a visually appealing pattern similar to the way carpets are designed.  Attention is given to color, composition, the effects of light and the natural habit of all the flowers chosen in a similar manner in which an artist might select a canvas, colors, medium etc.  The obvious intention is to create a stunning, visually effective and completely lovely natural art display.

In their efforts to achieve just that,  Biltmore Estate has made use of 14, 400 square feet of land (to give you an appropriate visual on this- Larger than six average-sized American homes) .  In so doing,  their garden masters have utilized 144,000  begonias, coleus and marigolds and the results should be breathtakingly beautiful. Biltmore can be extra proud as this year’s design as it is drawn from architectural elements in Biltmore House.  Further, their horticulture department was intimately involved in the flower selection choosing just the right colors to assure visual delight.

You can get information and tickets for this exciting event at any Asheville Legendary Inn property. Take time to see this fellow travelers.  I am sure it will be worth it!

Asheville Legendary Inns: What’s Blooming in our Bed and Breakfast Gardens

Valerie at Abbington Green August 25th, 2008

This is the time of year when, as they say, ‘Summer is winding down’. The days are already shortening enough to notice. And in our gardens - and probably in yours, too -flowers are still abundant. Although it’s hard to compare to Spring’s burst of life, late Summer and early Fall provide lovely happenings in the garden.

Annuals are bright and bold staples now and will be until frost. And let’s not forget roses. The shrub roses bloomed earlier but still are producing lovely blooms of bright red, pink and rose-colored lights until they freeze later in the Fall.

But some perennials are just coming into their own now. My favorite canna lily is called “Bengal Tiger”. The name comes from its fabulous green and bold chartreuse striped foliage. The foliage has been around a while, providing a showy addition to the garden. At this time of year it produces tall flower spikes with amazing bright orange flowers. It’s hard to imagine that it needed any more to enhance its boldness..but the flowers are more!

Also, this is the time for “Sweet Autumn Clematis”, a viney plant with masses…I do mean masses…of small white blossoms. On a fence or a trellis or growing up a tree, this is its best moment of the year.

Crepe myrtles are sometimes left as bushy shrubs while others are trimmed up to produce a more tree-like form. Blooming now, they provide a fairly wide spectrum of color around Asheville, North Carolina. Some are quite red, while others are white, and others a salmony-pink. But my favorite is a dwarf that has bright lavender blooms. We are all pleased to see them recovered and doing well, especially since on April 1st and 2nd , 2007, an extreme freeze combined with extreme winds decimated so many crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, boxwoods as well as just about every tulip and daffodil that had bloomed with vigor in that early, warm Spring.

To Kill a Mockingbird/At Cumberland Falls Bed and Breakfast

Patti at Cumberland Falls August 19th, 2008

There are times in the life of an innkeeper that one feels as though every possible permutation of human experience has been related to you by a guest.  Today, one trumped the usual.

I was pouring the orange juice so that it wouldn’t be quite so cold when the guests arrived when a gentleman staying in one of our rooms enters the dining room.  We exchanged morning pleasantries and in a bit he makes “the announcement.”   It would seem that though he and his wife have checked in for 3 nights and had stayed just one—- they were going to be leaving. 

Anxious to identify and immediately rectify, if possible, the problem causing such a decision I asked what the problem was. 
His response, totally deadpan was, “The birds sing in the morning.”  There are two very beautiful mature trees in the front of our property.  One, on Ohio buckeye and the other a Linden tree.  Both are exquisitely lovely and birds do seek their branches to rest a bit before flying on their way.

There was, I must admit, a certain liberation in my impotence to FIX that particular situation.  The birds do sing.  I cannot quiet them.  Nor do I want to.  I did offer another room less proximal to the trees but hey, this is North Carolina, there are trees everywhere.  There are birds in them and God love them– they sing!

 

Tourists and Fireworks

Lynn at 1900 Inn on Montford August 19th, 2008

With Olympic fans’ eyes on the summer games in China, we might keep our “eye on the ball” locally, and enjoy a Labor Day weekend game at McCormick field. The Asheville Tourists play the Augusta Greenjackets on Sunday, August 31st at 7:05pm. What could be better than wrapping up the season with a cold beer, a hot dog, and baseball? FIREWORKS, of course! Stay after the game for a great view of the spectacular fireworks display. 

Asheville Legendary Inn: Asheville is an Art Town

Valerie at Abbington Green August 17th, 2008

You probably have seen Asheville, North Carolina on the lists of “Best Places to Retire” and “Best Places to Live” and even “Happiest Communities”. You may also have heard that Asheville has a great many artists.

But did you know that Asheville has more working artists per capita than any other city in this country? Well, apparently it has. And that means that the experience you have in Asheville, whether you visit or live here, is very much an experience that puts art in your path.

And art has many facets..crafters who make glass and fabrics and woodworked items and pottery and jewelry, and artists who paint and sculpt and construct…Asheville has it all.

Not to forget the performing artists…musicians,actors and dancers and singers. The full spectrum of  all those  gifts, you can find here. The creative energy that artists add to the community is palpable.  You can feel it and see it everywhere. Be sure to  make plans to sample them on your next visit to Asheville.

Asheville Marches to a Different Drummer

Cathy at Albemarle Inn August 17th, 2008

Being locals and innkeepers busy at our inn, my husband and I don’t often go downtown on weekends.  However, last Friday we had a meeting near the Grove Arcade and decided to stay for dinner.  Although we had intended to go home the wonderful summer scene around the Arcade drew us in. The warm evening air, people dining at outdoor tables, laughter and a special upbeat feeling enticed us to take a walk around “our” town -  something we hadn’t done in quite a while.  Our walk took us down Battery Park and then as we turned the corner onto Haywood Road we picked up the sound of drum beats.  We had heard about the street happening called ”The Asheville Drum Circle” but had never experienced it.  Pritchard Park, at the intersection of Haywood and College Streets, becomes alive every Friday night with the sound of drummers.  It started relatively quietly, with what appeared to be a few regulars playing together.  But as night fell, people of all walks of life started arriving with drumsof all types. Some appeared professional, most were amateurs.  They either went down into the circle or sat on the circular stone steps that lead down into the cirlce.  In front of us we noticed an adorable little blond haired boy of about 4 years old who was with his mother.  He was happily beating on a little drum and keeping perfect time.  There must have been 50 or more musicians and the beat became primal and intoxicating.  Dancers of all types, some in African/style dress, a few belly dancers,  men still wearing their button-down shirts from the office, and just regular folks went down into the circle and danced with amazing spontaneity to the ever building heartbeat of the drums.  We went home on a natural high from what had clearly been one of Asheville’s unique experiences - wonderful energy, a mix of cultures and Asheville’s slightly offbeat but amazing artistic talent on display.  If you go next Friday, you will probably see us.

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