The Woodstock Inn & Resort grows its garden and culinary programming at the Kelly Way Gardens and Red Barns with a variety of new hands-on classes, events, dining experiences, and Instagrammable creations.
WOODSTOCK, VT – The Woodstock Inn & Resort grows its garden and culinary programming at the Kelly Way Gardens and Red Barns with a variety of new hands-on classes, events, dining experiences, and Instagrammable creations.
This year Master Gardener Benjamin Pauly expands the garden’s “gourdwalk” to 135 feet long and nine feet high. The trellis archway, covered in 17 different varieties of hanging gourds and vines offers an emerald oasis for garden guests to stroll through, relax in the shade, or capture photos and videos. A video of last year’s gourdwalk can be viewed here.
In addition, fairies will take up residence at the Kelly Way Gardens this summer in whimsical houses hand-crafted from repurposed gourds. Children can visit the fairies’ homes, make a wish and leave a note behind.
Another photogenic creation is the sunflower house at Billings Farm & Museum. In August and September thousands of blooming sunflowers will be crafted into a series of five rooms and connecting hallways for visitors to explore and take one-of-a-kind pictures.
Certified organic by the Vermont Organic Farmers Association, the three acre garden will boast 385 varieties of produce including 55 varieties of tomatoes, 57 types of pumpkins, 75 berries and orchard plantings, 40 herbs and edible flowers, a mushroom glen, annual and perennial flowers, honey bees and hops. New this year will be hardy kiwis, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupes.
The Kelly Way Gardens are open to the public seasonally Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm. A full roster of activities have been planned which are complimentary for Inn guests, $5 for visitors (except where noted) and no reservations are needed.
- Family Tasting Tour: Tuesdays, thru August 27, 3-3:30pm; led by Master Gardener Benjamin Pauly, families can nibble their way through the garden and visit the fairy houses.
- Wellness Whiff Walks: Wednesdays, thru September 25, 3-3:30pm; an aromatherapy tour through the organic scents of Kelly Way Gardens.
- Can You Dig It? Agricultural Pun Tours of Kelly Way Gardens: Thursdays, thru September 26, 3-3:30pm; an insider’s look at organic garden with Taylor Hiers, Lead Gardener.
- Summer Garden Tour Series: Saturdays now through September 21, 9:30-10:30am; $10 for non-Inn guests; each hour-long session features a different garden-specific topic such as seasonal cut flowers, how to make a garden smoothie, and herbal teas from the garden. Click here for the full schedule.
- Sixth Annual Great Tomato Tasting: Saturday, August 31, 4-5:00pm. $25 per Inn guests and visitors; From Aunt Ruby’s German Green, the buttery smooth flavor of Great White and the sweet profile of Esterina, the annual tasting event walks guests through the 55 varieties of heirloom tomatoes grown in the garden.
Master Gardener Benjamin Pauly and Executive Chef Rhys Lewis work in tandem during the weekly Red Barns Dinner Series celebrating the Kelly Way Gardens’ seasonal harvest paired with the local artistry of Vermont’s cheese makers, farmers, bee keepers, and dairymen. The three course community style dinner takes place on Sundays now through October 6 from 7 pm to 9 pm; $75 per person plus tax & gratuity. To view the menus, click here.
Housed in refurbished 19th century red barns, the 11,000 square foot kitchen studio is fully equipped for culinary demonstrations and dining events. Elements of the kitchen studio and adjacent 900 square foot garden studio have been crafted from reclaimed products. Countertops throughout the spaces are repurposed, some from former bowling alley lanes; the maple dining tables in the kitchen studio and white pine tables in the garden studio are made from trees ethically harvested at the nearby Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park; the kitchen studio’s butternut backsplash was created from a tree harvested on the resort property. Salvaged light fixtures include chandeliers in the kitchen studio, wall and ceiling lights throughout, and outdoor lampposts in the garden.
Nearby Billings Farm & Museum recently launched the Learning Kitchen where Resort Chef Ryan Beaudoin of the Woodstock Inn & Resort will host culinary classes for Inn guests. Featuring simple yet inventive dishes made with the Kelly Way Gardens’ bounty and Billings Farm specialty dairy products, the demonstration classes take place on Wednesdays through August 28 from 10:30am-12:30pm for $45 per person. On Thursdays through August 22 at 10:30am-12:30pm Chef Ryan leads an interactive, hands-on cooking experience at the Learning Kitchen teaching straightforward recipes also with produce from Kelly Way Gardens and Billings Farm fresh dairy products. The class is $75 per person. Entry to the Billings Farm & Museum is free to guests of the Woodstock Inn & Resort.
More information about the Kelly Way Gardens at the Woodstock Inn & Resort can be found here: https://www.woodstockinn.com/do/things-to-do/kelly-way-gardens
Located in idyllic Woodstock, Vermont, The Woodstock Inn & Resort defines country sophistication in one of New England’s most charming and popular year-round vacation destinations. The 142-room, AAA Four Diamond Resort and a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts LVX Collection, offers award-winning dining in two restaurants, ranked among the finest in New England. The Woodstock Inn & Resort is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation, Inc. Proceeds from Resort operations support The Woodstock Foundation and Billings Farm & Museum education and conservation programs.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts℠ is one of the world’s largest independent hotel brands, representing more than 650 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 85 countries. Through its five global collections, Preferred Hotels & Resorts connects discerning travelers to the singular luxury hospitality experience that meets their life and style preferences for each occasion. Every property within the portfolio maintains the high quality standards and unparalleled service levels required by the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Integrated Quality Assurance Program. The iPrefer℠ guest loyalty program, Preferred Residences℠, Preferred Family℠, Preferred Pride℠, and Preferred Golf™ offer valuable benefits for travelers seeking a unique experience. The Woodstock Inn & Resort was distinguished in the 2018 I Prefer Members’ Choice Awards as one of the top ten hotels in North America that deliver high quality standards and exceptional, personalized experiences to its members. For more information, visit PreferredHotels.com.
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