blog @ west hill house b&b » Gardens

The Perfect Summer Day

susan — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:29:48 +0000

Today is stunningly beautiful. Blue sky, a few wispy clouds, a nice gentle breeze and about 79′F. This morning before I started breakfast for our guests I took a few minutes to sit on the front porch with a cup of tea. I gazed over the beautiful orange lilies and enjoyed the song birds, the sound of the busy woodpecker, the wind through the leaves and the antics of a couple of chipmunks chasing each other up and down one of the huge sugar maples in the front yard.

What a great way to start the day and what better place to relax and spend summer days than right here. The hammock is waiting for you…

Ahhh...

Vermont Festival of the Arts

susan — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:14:43 +0000

The Vermont Festival of the Arts is a month long celebration of the arts, including demonstrations and workshops in fields such as painting, cooking (& eating!), photography, poetry, meditation, gardening and many more.

Charles Pruitt our Artist-in-Residence

Here at West Hill House we are delighted to be hosting artist Charles N. Pruitt, a West Texas native, born in 1941 near the small farming and ranching community of Colorado City, Texas. An award winning artist, Charles enjoys painting primarily landscapes of the Southwest however from August 24-26, 2010 he will once again be turning his brush and oil paints to the wonderful Vermont scenery in the Green Mountains.

As our Artist-in-Residence Charles will be conducting plein air workshops and demonstrations as well as providing individual guidance to both novice and experienced oil painters. The location will be the beautiful gardens of West Hill House.

We are fortunate to have several of his paintings currently on loan and gracing the walls of the B&B giving guests a glimpse of the special treat we have in store this August. Even if you are not staying with us you are welcome to come and view his paintings – please call to confirm a time.

Workshop Dates: August 24, 25 & 26, 2010

$60 per day (including lunch)
$150 for all 3 days (including lunch)

Please call to book: 802-496-7162. Spaces are limited.

It’s not too early to be thinking about summer activities!

Spring in Boston

susan — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:54:45 +0000

Spring blooms in Boston

Last week we were in Boston. Having only one full day to discover the wonders of this great city was, of course, not nearly long enough however we set off early to do as much exploring as we could in the time available. We passed shops and homes decked with window boxes of bright flowers and tubs of spring blossoms keeping watch at doorways.

We had a lovely walk in Boston Common which we learned is one of the oldest city parks in the United States, dating from 1634. The ponds and fountains were being cleaned up ready for fresh water and the park was looking resplendent in its garb of spring colors.

Boston Common spring colors

Only early April but the temperature reached nearly 90° and after this winter, the people in Boston were more than ready be in the park enjoying the sun! Despite the high temperature we had fun exploring the city, walking the Freedom Trail and learning some American history as we went along. A cool drink and a lovely French pastry at a sidewalk café concluded our day of adventuring.

While we look forward to another visit to Boston, we are happy to be back at our quiet mountainside B&B welcoming guests and enjoying our own garden’s signs of spring… our first daffodils popped into full bloom yesterday! West Hill House B&B, a perfect place to come and relax.

Dear Deer

susan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:53:45 +0000

Lunch time visitor

We never cease to be amazed by the beauty that surrounds us here at West Hill House. The sun through the bare branches of the trees, the clouds that float overhead, the stately pines that blow in the wind, the numerous birds and small animals that scurry around preparing for winter, the list goes on. Yesterday we took this photo through the Sun Room window. While we were having lunch two beautiful deer appeared in our garden not more than 25 feet from us. One ambled over to our pond while the other stopped for a photo op. These two are helping us with the fall clean-up as windfall apples are throughout the garden and the deer seem to enjoy making a stop in our garden for their fruit. It is breath-taking to see these wonderful creatures up close!

Fall Foliage

susan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:09:54 +0000

: Bring on the leaves!

Off to the compost!

What better way to celebrate autumn than to frolic in fall foliage! With huge maple trees surrounding the B&B we get our fair share of leaves on the ground. Many thanks to the couples who took us up on our “Leak Raving” special and joined us in getting our lawns and gardens ready for winter. All our autumn leaves were raked and deposited in the compost and none too soon!

Yesterday morning we awoke to just enough snow on the ground to remind us that the wonderful winter days are just around the corner. It’s not to early to start thinking about reserving a room with us for your winter vacation. Relaxation starts at West Hill House in the Mad River Valley in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Artist in Residence at West Hill House

peter — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:52:44 +0000

Robert J. O'Brien

Update: We have had to cancel this event for 2009. However we hope to be able to run it in August 2010 during that year’s Arts Festival. Please let us know if you would be interested.

We are delighted to announce that noted Vermont artist Robert J. O’Brien will be “in residence” at West Hill House from August 9th for a few days, during the Vermont Festival of the Arts.

Robert will be offering a 3-day workshop among the beautiful perennial gardens, ponds and woods around the B&B.

Guests are invited to book in to West Hill House for 3 or 4 nights starting on the 9th and sign up for this workshop by calling us at 800-209-1049. Spaces are limited.

This is a sanctioned event of the Vermont Festival of the Arts.

Green Mountains

susan — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:50:51 +0000

Amazing shades of green

What happens when the spring weather brings several days of rain to Vermont? Sure, the grass and dandelions grow like, well, like weeds! The gardens get a good watering so the flowers are happy. The creeks and rivers race downstream tumbling crazily over and around the rocks. And yes it’s true some of the roads do get a bit muddy. But stop for a moment and think about the word “Vermont” – from the French, vert = green mont=mountain and that is exactly what happens when it rains, the mountains get green. I don’t know how many shades of green the human eye is capable of seeing but I’ll bet they can all be seen from our front porch. The greens are amazingly intense and vibrant! The trees, decked out in their new spring finery, display everything from the palest of greens which look almost white, to the very dark and bold forest greens. Between rain showers the sun peeks through the clouds making the leaves glisten like they’ve been sprinkled with the finest crystals and the lilac blossoms shimmer silvery-lavender. Spring is a glorious season in the Mad River Valley of Vermont, a photographers dream, the chance to capture on film, a rain bathed leaf or an open flower blossom cupping droplets of water. Come visit vert mont, up close and personal through the lens of your camera. West Hill House B&B is a great place for a home base!

How do you spell relaxation?

susan — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:15:34 +0000

C-A-T

How do you spell relaxation? Many of our guests know the answer. Arriving at the B&B for a bit of a break from their hectic schedules they get themselves settled into their room then come looking for Smoky and Snowball. Being most friendly and obliging, our two cats offer their backs for scratching and provide loud purrs of appreciation and more scratches brings louder purrs. It isn’t long before guest and invited cat are happily ensconced in a comfy chair enjoying each others company. How do Snowball and Smoky know when we humans need to slow down and take a few deep breaths?

For many a guest, relaxation starts with not wanting to disturb the slumbering feline so there they sit, giving our cats a little TLC whilst in return they are given the gift of a few minutes to be calm and unwind.

Your turn in the hammock

At that moment nothing is more important than quiet relaxation with a new found friend. So how do you spell relaxation? C-A-T!

West Hill House B&B is a great place for relaxation even if you are not a C-A-T lover. How about a seat down by the beaver pond or a nap in the hammock?

The weather’s great and the garden is busting with color, Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner – it’s Open Studio Weekend too. We still have availability for the long weekend. Come and Relax!

Backyard birds

susan — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:02:07 +0000

Peter’s mum had a little saying for this time of year, “Spring has sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the birdies is.” Well, some of the birdies are in the trees at West Hill House and can be enjoyed from the comfort of our Sun Room on blustery days and the garden on fine days. Binoculars and a bird book are at the ready giving guests the opportunity to check out the local bird scene around the inn. Today we saw hungry nuthatches, fat robins, a noisy blue jay, and a brilliant yellow goldfinch. The goldfinch was amazingly bright, it looked like a sunbeam that had escaped from the sun. It sat in a nearby branch and preened for a few minutes giving us the opportunity to get a good look at this bright visitor. We have also been visited by a yellow-bellied sapsucker which, for some reason, though it might be productive to search for sap in the railing of our deck!

If you enjoy birding there are many places here in the Mad River Valley to go bird watching so grab your binoculars and bird book and book your room at West Hill House B&B, we’re an excellent home-base for your birding expedition.

Spring Flowers

susan — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:26:57 +0000

The gardens at West Hill House are starting to show the colors of spring! We are always amazed at this time of year when our beautiful gardens start to emerge from their winter sleep. The buds are on the old apple trees, the leaves unfurl on the maples, the flowers are blooming, and the chipmunks which scurry over and around the boulders in the garden are driving our adorable indoor cats, Smoky and Snowball, absolutely nuts! The crocuses were the first to brave the early spring poking their blooms through the snowy blanket which still lay on the ground. These gorgeous miniature tulips were the next flowers, spied by a guest one bright sunny morning, and flashes of yellow daffodils can be seen scattered throughout the gardens.

Our landscape artist, Patty, and her crew keep our extensive B&B gardens in tip top form for our guests to enjoy. Whether you are an avid gardener, like Patty, or just love the look of beautiful flowers, as I do, our peaceful gardens are decked out nature’s palette and await your arrival. Spring has sprung in the Green Mountains of Vermont!