Nothing can match the beauty, the elegance, and tranquility of a true Victorian garden ... unless that garden is attached to a unique Bed and Breakfast and Country Inn. But where can you find such nostalgic refuges? Well, checking www.iLoveInns.com is always a good place to start, and here are three such garden delights that you will find there!
The Victorian Garden Inn in Guthrie, Oklahoma provides a time capsule into early 20th century Life. The 1908-vintage two-story home was built by David A. Rainsburg, the Guthrie Station Master for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. At the time, Guthrie was the state capital of Oklahoma, and had a bright future ahead. However, just two years later the capitol was moved to Oklahoma City, and Guthire’s economic boom – it even had mass transit, and underground garages for cars! – came to a permanent halt.
Today, the glory of those early days has been preserved by local residents. At the Victorian Garden Inn, this translates into lovely period rooms and four wonderful gardens. The Shade Garden quietly sits under the canopy of an old pecan tree, with water from an antique water pump continuously filling an old galvanized tub. The Sun Garden is stocked with butterfly-attracting plants, bright-colored perennials and annuals that love the Oklahoma sun. The Summer Garden has fountain statuary of two children sharing the cover of an umbrella during a sudden shower, surrounded by hibiscus plants with enormous blooms, plus peonies, strawberries and clematis. Finally, the Water Garden is home to a wealth of aquatic life such as goldfish, watercress, arrowhead, horsetail, water lilies and lotus ... and its own gurgling waterfall. “Warning - lingering here may cause drowsiness,” says the Victorian Garden Inn’s website. “Fortunately, there is no heavy machinery in the vicinity to be operated!”
The similarly-named Victorian Garden B&B in Monroe, Wisconsin is a very different place. In this case, you’ll be staying at a circa 1980, three-story Victorian mansion with turquoise blue siding, wraparound porches, and Victorian flower gardens full of brilliant blooms. Inside, you’ll find an antique doll and Teddy Bear collection along with a house full of antiques. Worth noting for flower aficionados: This B&B’s White Lace and Roses Room overlooks its Victorian Gardens, has a queen-sized bed, a large Victorian bathroom with claw foot tub, and a shower for two. After you wake, you can enjoy breakfast outside on the porch, gazing at the gardens.
Out in the wine country of Sonoma, California, the Victorian Garden Inn (no relation to the one in Guthrie) promises over an acre’s worth of Victorian gardens to relax and wander in. The gardens at this 1870s-era home are lush and vibrant, with some secret sections that you’ll have to search for to find! Add a meandering stream, fruit trees, moss-covered pathways, and the chance to enjoy massages right in the gardens themselves, and this B&B is a true retreat from the madness of everyday life. Why, once you enter these Victorian gardens, you may never want to come out!
Victorian Garden Inn
324 South Broad Street
Guthrie, OK 73044
Web: www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/oklahoma/victoriangarden-of-guthrie.htm
Victorian Garden B&B
1720 16th Street
Monroe, WI 53566-2643
Web: www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/wisconsin/victoriangarden-of-monroe.htm
Victorian Garden Inn
316 E Napa Street
Sonoma, CA 95476-6723
Web: www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/california/victoriangarden.htm
Still undecided? Go to www.iloveinns.com and browse through the 19,000 B&Bs and country inns that specialize in other events that may interest you. Many of the properties listed above are also in the best-selling bed and breakfast guidebook Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free Certificate.
About American Historic Inns and iLoveInns.com
American Historic Inns, Inc. (www.iloveinns.com), founded in 1981, is the leading publisher of bed & breakfast guidebooks, with more than 2.5 million bed & breakfast guidebooks sold, and runs iLoveInns.com, a top bed & breakfast and country inns directory.
Note: For photos or interviews, please contact Barbara Naylon at 949-497-2232, ext. 305.
