Robin’s Holistic Garden, located just beyond Falling Rock and the Holistic Healing Center, is a noteworthy Nemacolin staple when it comes to the farm-to-table model for food sourced locally and served in the resort’s restaurants. Dine anywhere at Nemacolin, and you’ll likely taste some of the very homegrown selections.
It is a holistic garden, and with that comes horticultural practices that include organic care. Testing the soil and then amending it with organic fertilizer and compost sets the foundation for the best growing medium and produce. Organic treatments target pests and diseases — a white dust seen on plants during your visit to Nemacolin will likely be either corn starch or edible-grade diatomaceous earth. The team caring for the plants keeps a vigilant eye on the weeds, and hand irrigation is used for all plantings.
The crops are chosen based on usage and requests from the Nemacolin chefs with common kitchen vegetables and herbs being a preference. The garden also provides the Holistic Healing Center with some of the medicinal herbs and flowers used in their treatments and teas. Chefs and bartenders will use the edible flowers in their culinary presentations, and bartenders will occasionally stop by to cut fresh herbs for specific, seasonal drinks.
Seed selection and site planning for this year’s garden began last fall. Seeds were started in the resort greenhouse in early spring, transplanted as needed, and then planted in the designed beds from April through Memorial Day. The bounty will include cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, beans, and edible flowers. It will contain pears, beets, radishes, tomatillos, okra, various herbs, onions, leeks, blackberries, strawberries, and rhubarb, with horseradish left in the beds to be harvested in December. In addition to the fresh items used around the resort, the harvest will also encompass preserving the produce at its peak for the winter by pickling, drying, and canning.
It is a divine spot to come and relax, peruse, and sample the plantings. There’s a pergola and a custom greenhouse; there’s a bubbling fountain, and benches for reflection and repose; it’s a refreshing place to enjoy a cup of herbal tea, a glass of wine, or a meditative walk. Experiencing the garden can connect the senses of smell, sound, sight, touch, and taste — all a part of calming and awakening one’s senses while feeding and nourishing the body and soul from the inside out.
Morning sunrises will delight to the east of the garden, and evening sunsets are breathtaking beyond Falling Rock throughout the year. Overnight guests and members are welcome at Robin’s Holistic Garden, so schedule a meditative walk with the Holistic Healing Center, or arrange for a customized tour with a member of our culinary team.
