Vintage Gardens Bed and Breakfast

Do you know what the state flower of New York has in common with Valentine's Day?

2010-02-07T16:15:00Z

According to Greek Mythology it was the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite that created the first red rose. The myth states that while rushing to her dying lover Adonis, she scratched herself on the thorns of a rose and her blood forever stained the rose red. The Rose in all its variety and color became the State flower of New York in 1955 and the Village of Newark was know as the Rose Capital of America. Thousands of people came from round the world to see the famous Jackson and Perkins Rose Gardens. Today, only photos of the once famous arboretum remain and are on display at Vintage Gardens and the local museum. June is peak season for our Rose Garden. In the spring and summer our guests love to have tea and cookies among the more than 250 varieties in our garden.

With Valentine's Day approaching we wish that joy, happiness and love grace your lives.
Happy Valentine's Day

Treat your Sweetheart to Romance this Valentine’s Day!

Atwo night romantic getaway for you to surprise that someone special. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres upon your arrival, fresh cookies at bed time and a sumptuous full breakfast both mornings of your romantic stay. You and your true love can expect a bouquet of flowers and chocolate covered strawberries in your room. Let us make your dinner reservation at one of the areas restaurants.

Two Night Valentine Package from $235 - $325 Double Occupancy.

Valentine Package available February 5th through February 14, 2010.

Offer is subject to availability.

Let us help make your stay memorable, ask us about our concierge services.

You may also want to splurge and add on:

♥ Valentine Chocolates

♥ A bubbly beverage

♥ A gift bag of VG bath products.

♥ A romantic picnic basket filled with goodies

♥ Relaxing in-room massage

♥ A professional chauffeured limo wine tour in the scenic Finger Lakes wine country.

A Great Place to Visit and also a Valentines Treat!

2010-02-03T14:42:00Z

Our guests often ask us for suggestions of things to do in the area. Here is another great outing.

While in the Finger Lakes region we would recommend that you add a visit to the George Eastman House www.eastmanhouse.org in Rochester, just minutes away from Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast. Their new exhibition "The Dutch Collection 2010" will be on display From February 12, 2010 through February 28, 2010. Not only great photography, but thousands of flowers too!

Also, on Valentine's Day, Sunday, February14, 2010 at 1:15 p.m. in the Curtis Theatre, Landscape Curator Amy Kinsey will provide an illustrated lecture on the history, background, and months of effort needed to coax 6,000 flower bulbs to bloom for the exhibition.

After your day's adventure, return to Vintage Gardens to sit beside the fire , sip something warm and feast on chocolate covered strawberries and some local cheeses.

Phil has Spoken - Vintage Gardens Winter Special Extended 6 More Weeks!

2010-02-02T15:45:00Z

Now that Phil has seen his shadow and declares 6 more weeks of winter, Vintage Gardens will extend our winter special through March 13th! Book two nights and receive 50% off your second night! Winter is a great time to visit the New York Finger Lakes.

Package includes:

•Lodging in one of our beautiful guestrooms
•Warm beverage, Cheese & Crackers Fireside
•Fresh baked cookies each night,
•A full gourmet breakfast each morning.
Offers valid through March 13, 2010

CALL TOLL FREE 1-877-331-6045 and Request the Winter10 Special!

Booking restrictions apply offers not valid with any other special or discount.

Read what the Cozy Chicks Had to Say!

2010-02-01T20:06:00Z

A kind review from the Cozy Chicks...

Read it here http://www.cozychicksblog.com/2009/11/magical-mystery-b-tour.html

Question of the Week - January 26, 2010

2010-01-27T19:52:00Z

Do you know the name of the first rose developed by the Jackson & Perkins?
In 1882, Charles Perkins became fascinated with rose propagation. In 1884, he hired Alvin Miller as foreman of his newly evolving rose business. Miller, a hybridizer, was given the task of developing a new rose for the consumer market. To this time, few roses were grown by Americans in their home gardens. The first Jackson & Perkins rose was introduced in 1901, and was named the 'Dorothy Perkins' rose after Charles Perkins' granddaughter. This lovely rose is a climbing rose that boasts small soft-pink, lightly scented clusters of roses.
In 1908 the 'Dorothy Perkins' rose won top honors at the Royal National Rose Society.

Today, the 'Dorothy Perkins' rose is no longer sold on the commercial market and is only found in established gardens around the world and including the gardens at Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast. Come stay at the original home of Jackson & Perkins now know as Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast and see if you can find it among the more than 250 roses in our gardens! You can also see a photo of Dorothy Perkins as a child holding the prized roses.
Yet, another tid bit of historic information. Garlands of this sweet rose were used when Dorothy Perkins married. She was wed in the Winter!

Question of the Week.

2010-01-21T19:28:00Z

What does Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast have in common with Stickley Furniture?

In the early 1900’s Gustav Stickley was know for the Ammonia fuming which became his traditional process for darkening and richening the color of Stickley oak furniture. George Perkins former owner of the property now know as Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast and son of Charles Perkins, (founder of Jackson and Perkins Rose Comapany), remodeled, the house in c1921-22. The design is credited to E.A.P. Krabbenschmidt, a native of Germany and another prominent New York architect. One of the rare and unique architectural features of the home is the fumed oak floors throughout the first floor. The floors are made from hand cut wide oak planks that used the same Ammonia fuming process as Stickley Furniture, turning them to rich shades of brown and amber. Each of the planks has been adorned with hand cut bow tie and peg embellishments. These distinctive and beautiful floors are one of the first things you will notice when visiting Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast.

Vintage Gardens is now connected

2010-01-21T19:21:00Z

Vintage Gardens Bed & Breakfast is now connected.
We invite you to follow us on Facebook,
Linkedin, receive our tweets!

Winter Get-Away - SPECIAL

2010-01-19T20:25:00Z

Last Minute Savings, the snow is back and winter sports abound along with many other activities here in the Finger Lakes.
So we want to invite you to enjoy the region by offering a great discount!

Book any room at Vintage Gardens from January 19, 2010 to February 4, 2010 and receive 50% off your second night!

* Enjoy a warm drink, cheese and crackers in front of a marble fireplace when you arrive,
* Home baked cookies each night and
*A gourmet breakfast each morning

Offer not valid with any other special or discount.

Call us Toll Free at 1-877-331-6045

Vintage Gardens Rich in History

2010-01-18T23:40:00Z

Living in a wonderful historic home is special. One of the special things about this wonderful piece of property are the gardens. Since moving here to Newark, now three and one-half years ago, we are often told wonderful stories about the home and once in awhile someone sends us a photo of life here hundred or more years ago. Adding to our collection, I received this photo today of what is now the rose garden. What surprises me is that we continue to plant tulips and hostas around the circle of the fountain. Many of the tiny plants in this photo have grown over the years and some have not survived. Roses are planted now in where evergreens once grew. And the cherub fountain (Cookie) has been replaced by another and now resides inside the home as it is very fragile. Our thanks to John Z., one of our local historians for sending this great photo to us! Date Unknown.

Photo Last Summer

Winter is here!

2010-01-12T01:30:00Z

Our first snow of the season came on December 1st. Our holiday season was covered with a blanket of snow and the village was lit with more Christmas lights then we had ever seen. Vintage Gardens was no exception and was adorned with colorful lights, holiday decorations and a fire glowed warmly in the fireplace every night.

The beginning of the New Year has been busy with guests visiting the area for an array of reasons, relaxation, family as well as business.   Some of our guests last weekend told us how much they enjoyed their trip wine tasting around Seneca Lake. They said that even though it was cold outside the wineries were nice and warm, crowds were small and they had a chance to spend time enjoying their tastings, talking with the winemakers and owners at many of the wineries. Mike and I also find this one of the best times to visit the Finger Lakes wineries. You receive much more personal attention during your visit. See our Wine Lovers Special at http://vintagegardensbandb.com/specials.htm
Our local deer family is still visiting Vintage Gardens, in fact they spend much of their time here in our woodlands. But they don't hesitate to frequent our bird feeders for a bite to eat. It's ok with us, they are cold too. Our little herd has stayed here since early spring. A doe had three fawns. They were around throughout the summer months, but this past fall one of the triplets disappeared. The two remaining babys are healthy and have continued to grow.
                                                                                                                            Nubby outside the dinning room window.

Mike and I have nic-named the little buck "Nubby" and the little doe "Big Sister".   Today we refilled the bird feeders knowing that the birds, squirels and the deer will enjoy. Even in the winter Vintage Gardens is a special place.

The leaves are falling so we took a quick trip to California

2009-11-07T14:17:00Z

As our busy summer and fall has come to an end, we were able to slip away for a few days and visit our family and friends in California. It was a lovely trip and we had a wonderful time seeing our family and as many friends as we could. We found all well and that made us happy. We spent our first three nights in Moss Beach California visiting Michael’s life long friend and his family. They we very gracious hosts. We had a relaxing time and ate as much seafood as we could! I had longed for some Dungeness crab and fresh fish and chips for the past year and ate my fill on the pacific coast. Mike and I ventured out into San Francisco and visited the De Young Museum where we say the King Tut exhibit, if you get a chance this is a "must not miss" experience). We also took a walk through one of our favorite spots the SF Japanese Gardens in the park.
As always we have had an exciting busy season. We are fortunate to meet so many wonderful people and hear all about them and their experiences. Just last night we had a three couples staying with us. One couple had traveled all over the world. They were visiting from Canada and just wanted to see the many sites around the Finger Lakes. Another couple have bought a house here in Newark. While waiting for it to close they are visiting friends. Mike and Petra stayed at Vintage Gardens as part of their journey walking from Paso Robles California to Jerusalem (once they get to NYC they will fly across the great pond as they put it). See their website at http://www.walkingeast.com.
Being a B&B owner is never boring! We can't wait to meet our next guests!

A Tasty Treat To Eat This Fall

2009-10-20T23:16:00Z

The colors for fall are still around us. Last week we had our first frost of the season, but the weather has turned warm this week. Once we have a frost the leaves turn quickly. I took my walk this morning and the canal trail was stunning. Thought I would share some photos with you.
The trail is covered leaves of yellows, reds and orange. After a lovely morning walk, I returned home to make a fall breakfast for our guests. This morning they feasted on Pumpkin Bread Frenchtoast, apples sautéed with cinnamon and organic chicken and blueberry sausage. Here is the recipe for our Perfect Pumpkin Bread to share with you.

Vintage Garden's Perfect Pumpking Bread

1 C canned unsweetened pumpkin

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C canola oil

13/4 C all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan. In a large bowl beat together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt into the bowl and mix together all ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool (slice and enjoy or refrigerate overnight for French Toast).

ENJOY!

A Haunted Weekend

2009-10-11T20:15:00Z

We are not sure if Vintage Gardens has any ghosts, but if you want to have some pre-Halloween fun. Spend some time walking through one of the areas most historic Cemeteries while learning some history!

Still time to see the leaves and get in on a Great Vintage Gardens Special!

2009-10-11T19:20:00Z

I took some photos this week to share with all of our readers. We are not yet in full color, so you still have time to see the colors of fall here in the Finger Lakes. I took this first photo while on my morning walk along the Erie Canal.

This was a very busy week at Vintage Gardens especially over Columbus weekend. But this isn't the end of the all the harvest festivities.
The leaves are still turning and at the farm markets there are rivers of pumpkins to choose from for Halloween.

The apple harvest is the best in years and so many varieties to choose from.


The wineries are harvesting their grapes and the wines are great!
Plan your trip mid-week to avoid the crowds. Also for the next two weeks Vintage Gardens is offering "The whole package mid-week special"…fall foliage, wine trails, shopping, dinner, breakfast, and so much more!

One night bookings welcome!

$105 per night, Double Occupancy

Book any room, that’s right, any room at Vintage Gardens October 12th through October 15th or book a room October 19th through October 22nd, 2009 and get this great package:

Lodging in one of our beautiful guestrooms,

Information on local area attractions and events,

Enjoy cheese and crackers with some spiced country cider in the evening,

An old fashion comfort food dinner to warm you on a chilly fall night,

a VIP Coupon for Waterloo Outlets

Fresh baked cookies at night,

And a full gourmet breakfast in the morning.

MUST ASK FOR THE "WHOLE PACKAGE" WHEN MAKING RESERVATION

Booking restrictions apply, offer not valid with any other special or discount.

Reserve your room now!

Call 877-331-6045

Lunch from the garden

2009-09-23T14:41:00Z

Fall is surely here. The sounds of geese flying over head, the leaves are changing, the apples are fallng and it just feels and smells like Autumn.
It is time to get the gardens ready for winter. So, fall clean-up has started here at Vintage Gardens.   Thank goodness the village picks up our piles of leaves and spent flowers. Mike has been getting the equipment ready for winter and I have planted some mums in the garden.
Our vegetable garden was enjoyed by our local doe and her three fawns this year, so we didn't get much for ourselves.  It has been great fun to watch the three babies grow. We think we have a little buck and two does. One has grown larger and has lost it's spots already, so we think it is a buck. While the other two are smaller and still have spots.  They are so tame that we can get just a couple of feet away...especially when they are busy eating the garden!

Yesterday we havested the last of our tomatoes and basil (evidently deer don't like them) and enjoyed a lovely lunch of pasta with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and roated pinenuts (Yum, Yum) with our garden partners from the Hickcock Center.    Here is the recipe for Vintage Gardens homemade Pesto:

VINTAGE GARDENS PESTO

5 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts

5 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Makes 2 cups.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

A walk along the Erie Canal

2009-09-16T21:32:00Z

I have recently started walking for fitness in the mornings. My neighbor and I have pledged to keep each other going. I am normally not one to work out, but as I approach my 51st birthday, I know it is time. Today was a wonderful day to walk along the Erie Canal. The canal trail has recently been groomed and is in great shape for bikers, hikers and walkers like me. The temperature is going down and I am now wearing my warmer cloths in the mornings. Today, we saw a deer on the trail and you can't help but notice the trees are beginning to change color. I love this time of year and if you are planning to stay at Vintage Gardens this fall, bring your walking shoes and join us for a lovely walk along the Erie Canal!

Trip to the Farmers Markets

2009-09-08T15:47:00Z

Yesterday we spent the day driving around to local farm markets gathering up some yummy fresh produce, cheeses, and farm products that will be incorporated in our gourmet breakfasts as usuall. The farm markets are bursting with fresh peaches, apples, tomatoes and much more...While on our travels up by Lake Ontario just 20 minutes from Vintage Gardens we noticed that the leaves were beginning to turn. This is a sure sign for some great fall color. Our two refrigerators are now filled with local treasures and our guests will not leave hungry!

Autum is in the Air

2009-08-31T10:37:00Z

The signs that summer is coming to an end are starting to happen in the NY Finger Lakes Region. The temperature has started to drop to the crisp cool feeling of fall. Mike and I took a day off and had a lovely day in around the lakes with friends last week. We started our journey tasting wine at some of the local vineyards and I must say, there are some real treats this year. We began our journey down the east side of Cayuga Lake. Our friend Barb and Greg packed a lovely picnic basket and off we went. Our first stop was in the quaint village of Aurora. Aurora is located on the lake and a great place to take in many wonderful views of the lake. Our first stop was at Mackenzie Child www.mackenzie-childs.com. The Mackenzie Childs property is beautiful. You first enter the property on a brick drive surrounded with rolling pasture, pond and a historic house. The factory is built of rustic wood and is adorned with colorful gardens. Upon entering the door of the retail shop you know you have entered a whimsical world of brightly colored handmade ceramics, furniture and crafts with unique designs. Mike summed it up by saying he felt like he was in Alice in Wonderland. The retail shop is delightful and in the next room you can watch a video of how each of there special items are made. After we watched the video, we took a free tour of the farm house. Each room of the house is adorned with Mackenzie Childs. From furniture, ceramics, lamps, even the walls and floors boost their designs. You can't help walking out with ideas for your own home. After the tour it was time to open that picnic basket and we sat at tables feasting on fresh fruits, cheese and crusty bread. It is a lovely place and we had a wonderful time. Then we were off to taste some local wines. There are several wineries along the trail and I can say having live in California and spent time tasting wine in the Napa, Lodi and Sierra Foothill areas the Finger Lakes rank right up there with California wines. www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com one never knows what will happen at the vineyards this time of year. There are also breweries and Distilleries along the lake to stop and taste. Many of them offer food. During our tastings we stumbled upon one winery where the BBQ was flameing and a band was playing. We purchaced a bottle of wine, bought a BBQ dinner and took in the sounds of one of the areas local bands. After a couple of hours we continued on our journey. We traveled around the tip of the lake in Ithaca and up the west side to Trumansburg. We made a stop at Taughannock Falls State Park. www.taughannock.com This areas is a must not miss at any time of year. If you like waterfalls and hiking you will love this park. We plan to go back this October to view it in full fall color. On the way home we made one last stop which was on the top of Michael's list. We stopped at Cayuga Creamery www.cayugalakecreamery.com This is a WOW on the ice cream scale. All homemade and some everyone including great creamy flavors, or ices made from local wine, sugar free ice cream, fat free and they even offer some soy choices. The day had come to an end and I must say it was a perfect one. I must add that this was an inexpensive trip. Local wineries have a very modest charge to taste wines and you can purchase wines at a reasonable rate. The Mackenzie Childs tour was free. Dinner cost us $8 each and that included the great music. The park experience was also free and the ice cream for 4 was under $20.
A great day!

Pass out the Cigars!

2009-06-01T12:46:00Z

With the start of June, the end of spring is near and here at Vintage Gardens we have had a boom in babies. Just today we were visited by our little mama Doe and her new fawn. Not more than a day old, the spotted baby and mom were first seen by guests having breakfast. I haven't got a photo yet...but I will.

Here at Vintage Gardens we have had many types of birds hatch and we have viewed the fledglings trying out their wings, baby squirles have been poking their heads out of the nests in hollows of the trees and American Toads have been singing their beautiful song of love. We actually misses a couple nexting in a bush right next to our back door. Guess I better pay more attention. Just the next remains now.

We have had a wet spring and the flowers have been spectacular this year. The Roses and Peonies are now in bud and ready to burst. I expect to see them in full bloom in about a week. So mid June promises to be full of flowers. Now that summer is here our guests will enjoy walks in the gardens and woodlands and sipping an iced drink in the gardens. and RELAXING.

Our vegetable garden is in and guests have been feasting on omelets made with spring asparagus, I think we only have one more picking left. But the basil is on the way and will make a lovely addition to our breakfasts.

On June 11th Vintage Gardens will host the Third Annual Vintage Tea and Wonders of Nature Art in the Gardens Exhibit a benefit for Wayne County Council for the Art. If you are in the area make sure to stop and see the wonderful artwork created by our local artists. The event starts at 5 pm and ends at 7 pm. Entry is just $5 and all proceeds go to Wayne Arts.

A Special Bird Sighting at Vintage Gardens

2009-04-19T20:32:00Z

Included along with our usual full house of guests, Mike and I spent the weekend cleaning up the rose gardens. We unearthed the tree roses and pruned more that 200 bushes. It is always a treat to see the variety of birds flying around us and drinking from the fountain. I was never a bird watcher until I moved here to Western NY. I will always remember my excitement after seeing my first Red Cardinal. We had only been living here a couple of weeks when I spotted Mr. Cardinal in our Cherry Tree. Since that time I have kept a list of all of the birds we have spotted on the property. And it is always exciting each time we spy a new species. We had long awaited one special bird that we had heard about.
This weekend our special visitor arrived. For those of you who have spent some time a Vintage Gardens. Our visitor was in the big Maple tree you can see through the dining room and kitchen windows. Mike and I were just dishing up our lunch, when I looked out back and to my suprise I saw Woody Woodpecker himself. Just twenty feet from the window was a Pileated Woodpecker. I wislpered for Mike to come see, as it went about its buiness of pecking a bugs or something. It is an amazing bird the size of a Crow and wears its colors of black, white and red proudly. I understand from our National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region, that our good friend Kent bought for us, that the Pileated Woodpecker is a very shy bird. There is always something happening here at Vintage Gardens and we feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to see Woody Woodpecker up close. Next time I will have the camera ready!