When you drive onto the grounds of Arrows, you immediately realize that the garden is an integral part of this elegant restaurant. Framed by apple orchards, abundant flower gardens and lawns, the vegetable garden covers just under an acre of land and produces virtually all of the specialty produce for the restaurant.
Started in 1992, the Arrows gardens provide a wide variety of produce for Arrows as well as for MC Perkins Cove. It has also served as a training location for Summer Winter's gardener, Ryan Fahey. Under the direction of master gardener, Rae Avery, the garden has garnered extensive national press. No visit to the restaurant is complete without a stroll through Arrows' magnificent gardens.
"From curing their own hams and fish to growing their own organic herbs and produce, chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier are stalwart forerunners of the sustainable movement."
The Daily Green, February 2008
"(Arrows) helped pioneer the idea of growing your own food and paying attention to what's seasonal in a place that is unforgiving in it's climate"
Bon Appetit, September 2003
"Their one acre garden provides as much as 90% of the vegetables that they serve at their Arrows restaurant."
Time Magazine, June 2003
DIRT ON THE GARDEN;
Fun facts and great moments from Master Gardener, Rae Avery.....
The Most frequently asked questions about the garden include lots of questions about deer and rabbits bothering the garden. We've never had a problem with rabbits. The deer are pretty well controlled since we put up the deer fence around the perimeter of the property. Also, there are lights on a motion sensor and we do use scent repellants.
The huckleberries are often asked about. They are such an unusual looking plant and not widely known so we receive many inquiries about these.
Many guests wonder how we manage crops so early/late in the season. We are able to do this by starting seedlings indoors, and fully utilizing the greenhouse and the cold frames.
Favorite time of the year is Spring. Starting a new season is alway excitng. The fresh ideas and new varieties of plants, all our old friends just peeking up through the soil and the smell when you lift the lid on a cold-frame is wonderful.
Favorite things to grow - I go through phases of what I like to grow. Right now I'm into the root veggies. They are such a treat, to pull on the tops and have a handful of brilliant orange carrots, or the colored varieties are fun too. I especially like the pale yellow and white carrots. The radishes are cool too. When they are first washed they are almost neon bright.
Lettuce varieties - We grow probably a total of 15 lettuce varieties in the course of the year, I try to have at least six varieties at a time to offer a good mix of leaf shape and color. In addition to these there are the other field and specialty greens - mizuna, frilly mustards, spinach, mache, cress, minutina, frisee and Bianca, to name a few. So in all probably a mix of 25 different lettuces and greens on any given day.
I love the names of the heirloom tomatoes how can you not want to grow a Box Car Willie?
We grow Flamme, Paul Robeson, Black Pear, Mr Stripey, Northern Lights, and Cherokee Purple to name a few. We average around 25 varieties of tomato, never more than 5 or 6 is each and some of the cherry varieties as few as 1 or 2 of each.
