Homegrown at The Omni Homestead Resort

In the Spring of 2017, The Omni Homestead Resort welcomed a different kind of guest to our mountain escape, Italian bees. Italian bees are very lightly colored ranging from a light leather hue to an almost lemon yellow, a trait that is highly coveted by many beekeepers for its aesthetic appeal and they are a favored bee stock in the U.S. We are excited to watch our 18,000 chemical-free bees start producing natural honey and anticipate our first harvest in Spring 2018.

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden...But though an old man, I am but a young gardener."

-Thomas Jefferson

Located near the Spa, the Chef’s Garden features dozens of herbs, vegetables and flowers, all organically grown and completely edible. The Chef’s Garden is Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified. This means that we use techniques like co-planting, strategic architectural planting and have a variety of plants to maximize the space to produce a crop that is beautiful, practical and safe to eat. With our four-season climate we have also implemented succession planting so that after one crop is harvested, another is planted in the same space, maximizing the growing season.

Here are a few of the more than 60 plants found in the garden and used in our restaurants: