Also, I want to bring your attention to a new pathogen infecting the popular and colorful impatiens, as many are planning/planting annuals in the garden at this time. This pathogen, Plasmopara obducens- Impatiens Downy Mildew, causes rapid defoliation followed by stem collapse, I personally experienced this last year in the gardens. It seems within a matter of days the plants totally disintegrate/disappear.
Impatiens will most likely be less available at garden centers this year, but it does not affect other garden plants, except jewelweed. The pathogen survives over the winter inside on infected plant debris in soil and potentially outside from overwintering oospores of Plasmopara obducens on diseased plant debris in gardens and at least theoretically on wild jewelweeds.

New Guinea and Sunpatiens are not affected by this pathogen and other annual shade options include coleus, wax begonias, and browallia.

Ashley

Grilled Asparagus and Greens Salad
Yield 2 portions

Ingredients:
4 oz. baby heirloom tomatoes cut in half
1# mixed lettuces
1 bunch spring asparagus marinated in olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and grilled lightly
2 oz. julienne red onion

Mustard dressing-
3 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 oz. sherry vinegar (or red wine, apple cider or rice vinegar)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. local honey
1 tsp. minced herbs (whatever is available)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Place the dijon, honey, and vinegar in a small stainless or glass bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Whisk in the olive oil, creating an emulsion.
Season with the herbs, salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad:
Place the greens in a large stainless steel bowl.
Next add the grilled asparagus and baby tomatoes.
Season the salad with salt and pepper.
Add 1 ½ oz. of the dressing and gently toss.
Divide the salad into 2 portions and arrange on chilled plates.
Garnish the top with the red onions.
Drizzle with more dressing if needed.

Dear Honey Run Friends,

As I write this letter the sun is shining bright, the air is warm with a slight chill, and signs of rebirth and rejuvenation are all around me at Honey Run. I have been watching the developments over the past few weeks of the Boston bombing case and listening to the anger that abounds in the citizens of our great country over the events that unfolded on April 15. I think of the hundreds of people who died or were injured by the actions of a few. I hear the hateful speech directed at immigrants due to the fear people have of different cultures and ideas. While their anger over the bombing is justified, their anger at all immigrants and other religions is not. As I review the history of America this has always been present. We enacted laws in the 1920’s to create quotas to limit the entry of immigrants into our great nation. The funny thing about this is I am a product of “those” immigrants that were looked down upon by the residents of our country. Many of the great inventions and advancements that America has offered to the world have been through the work, ideas, and struggles of immigrants who came to America to make their life and the life of their family better. While evil is ever present in this life and world we do not have to allow this evil to destroy our peace and joy. It is up to each of us to choose to look at life through fear or hope. I pray that you choose hope.

The month of May is the birth month to two of our countries great immigrant stories. Irving Berlin was born in Russia and his family immigrated here when he was a young child. Even though he could not read or write musical notation, he became one of America’s greatest songwriters, blessing us with God Bless America and many other classic songs that give us a glimpse of hope through their words and melodies. Frank Capra was born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S. as a child also. After several years of odd jobs he landed his break in the film business and began creating successful films for Hollywood. As he matured in his career he began a string of celebrated films championing the common man and offering us a view of his Utopian vision. What I love about Capra’s films is that he takes the challenges of life, shows how these challenges directly affect us, and then journeys us to the correct perspective of loving one another and seeing that we are all blessed in this life. Mr. Berlin and Mr. Capra both gave our country the gift of hope through their work.

My hope is that in this world of evil and danger, our body of work at Honey Run provides you hope for a better tomorrow. I hope that the relationships that you share with friends and loved ones when visiting us and with our team members who become friends during your years of repeat visits, provides you a Capraesque vision of our utopia here at Honey Run. I look forward to seeing you soon and sharing with you our hopes and dreams for you as you escape reality for a moment and rejuvenate your soul so that you can return to your daily life and gift your positive attitude and love to the world.

Sincerely,

Jason

Hello Everyone,

I’m happy to report we now have 5 nest boxes with bluebird nests, a total count of 15 eggs so far, I expect more next week. The mossy nest belongs to a Black-capped Chickadee which is also using one of the nest boxes on our trail and a pair of tree swallows have been sighted this week investigating the nest boxes on the hilltop.

-Ashley

Chilled carrot/ginger soup
Crab/artichoke salad with roasted tomatoes
Grilled shrimp/pearl cous cous salad sweet chili-orange dressing
Anti-pasta platter- cured meats, cheeses, roasted and marinated vegetables, cured olives
Mixed greens salad

Quiche Lorraine
Hot smoked salmon over zucchini/corn stew with barbecue glaze
Roasted spring vegetables with rosemary olive oil
Baby heirloom potatoes
4 cheese and broccolini “mac and cheese”
Sautéed chicken provencal (tomato, olive, garlic sauce)
Carved beef sirloin with au jus and horseradish sauce

Strawberry/ cream cake
Chocolate pot de crème
Petite crème brulee
Orange curd tart with citrus compote
Double chocolate/ cherry cookies with ganache

$37* / person

*Does not include tax, gratuity, or beverages.

Dear Honey Run Friends,

As the proprietor of this beautiful inn, I have the distinct honor and duty to read each and every comment, suggestion, and email that is sent to us. Not coming from a hospitality background, this task was overwhelming early on in my tenure. While we receive thousands of incredible stories, praise, and sincere thanks for all we do, there are also a few that we clearly failed to deliver our signature Honey Run experience during their visit. These can range from helpful suggestions to downright vulgar and malicious verbal attacks on my team and me. It is always the failure that I latch onto and if two out of a thousand are disappointed I allow those two to have more weight than all of the praise. Why? I think it is because I am a perfectionist and I know the effort that is put forth to provide the perfect experience that causes me frustration. All of our guests deserve the perfect experience and it pains me when we do not achieve this goal. But we march on. Marge Stock, our founder, always says “to look at a complaint as a compliment. Only God is perfect, and you will mess up, but you must use these failings to correct the problem and grow”. Her wisdom is not lost in me. So, as I read the daily emails and track the notes left behind with our team, I look for common themes of areas for improvement. I gather the “praises” and see the common denominator so I can duplicate our successes and continue providing and creating the services that our guests enjoy. I personally respond to emails that warrant a response and my team of Directors and I review all of the information weekly in our Director meeting.

Marge is right, your suggestions are compliments. Silence is the only indicator that a guest does not care enough to extend the energy to share their pleasure or displeasure with us. We are continuing to grow and cultivate our culture within our team members to see this gift that you share. My promise to you is that if you do care enough to share with us your experience, we will honor and respect you with the promise of not only reading your thoughts, but also in discussing them internally and looking for a proper response. Our success is solely a result of you. If we deliver our mission to create and provide a first-class, loving, and memorable experience for each of you, then we are living into our purpose and serving you as you honor us with your time and presence.

I look forward to serving you soon during your next visit,

Jason

Aromatherapy:  Enjoy the balancing and healing effects of aromatherapy with your treatment. Select from lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus or peppermint essential plant oils or consult with your therapist and they will select a blend customized for your specific needs.

Hot Stone Massage:  We invite you to indulge in the warming, relaxing and therapeutic effects of hot stone massage. Deep heat from the basalt stones, placed on targeted areas compliments your therapeutic massage in unlocking muscle tension. An even deeper sense of relaxation is then gained by using the warm stones to massage.

Spa Packages:  Visit our website or consult the spa menu upon your arrival to learn more about our updated spa packages options, which combine skincare and massage for the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation experience.

Couple’s Options:  Any treatment can be enjoyed together in the same treatment room or in our garden solarium, request these enhancements when you schedule your treatment with our Guest Services Team.

We often hear magnificent guest stories retelling fond memories of past visits to our inn. Reading through these memories in our guest books located in our lobbies and on our Facebook page, we felt the need to grow the ability for our guests to share their memories with each other. Each anniversary and honeymoon, birthday and girlfriends’ getaway, has a special quality that becomes much more powerful when told by the people who directly experienced these moments. While many stories have similar sentiments, each memory is unique in its own way. We invite you to meet each other and share your moments by clicking on this link and following it to our Guest Experiences page.

Best regards,

Guest Services

The Inn at Honey Run

Hearts of Romaine with Sundried Tomtato-Asiago Vinaigrette

Local Cheese Board

Assorted Artisan Breads

House-smoked salmon and trout platter

Spring pea soup with mint cream and orange oil

Roast leg of lamb with lavender honey glaze and English mint sauces

Mustard glazed ham

Pan-roasted chicken basted with lemon/rosemary butter

Herb crusted snapper over ratatouille

Leek and potato gratin

Multi-grain pilaf with almonds and apricot

Medley of spring vegetables

Carrot cake cupcakes

Strawberry/rhubarb pie

Lemon berry trifle

Fresh fruit with chantilly cream

Assorted chocolate cookies

$36.00 / person*

Served between 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM

*Does not include beverages.