For The Love of Orchards
On Saturday, I shared a thread that apparently resonated with a lot of folks. It detailed how a barren field just down the road from our house transformed into a 200+ tree orchard, complete with an herb/flower garden, water feature, winding pathways, and windmill.
My friends and I pulled this off in just 3 months. If you missed the thread , check it out—it tells the whole story.
Now, 20 months later, the orchard is flourishing. The trees are exploding, and the grapes along the perimeter are starting to mature and produce.
As I’ve said before, landscape is the highest ROI money you can spend on real estate in my opinion. This orchard epitomizes that.
But this was never about money. I’ve always dreamt of creating a beautiful, serene orchard—a place to work, rest, walk, reflect, and reap fruit.
Now that we have this spectacular setting ready to overflow with fruit, we’re thinking about ways to make it sustainable financially.
When I shared the thread, dozens of folks chimed in with ideas:
Outdoor orchard weddings
U-pick experiences
Camping
Cider, jams, jellies, dried fruit
Tours & workshops: preserving fruit, pruning, orchard keeping, beekeeping
I love all of these.
And very well might incorporate all of this in some form or another.
But the goal was to create a place people wanted to be—a destination for the whole community (remember our recent editions re: placemaking?).
And that brings me to my orchard idea:
An Immersive Orchard Hotel
Imagine units embedded right in the tree rows—fruit literally out your window. The scents, sights, and sounds of life floating seamlessly into your room. Something new each season.
Guests could harvest, prune, make cider, preserve fruit, and become part of the orchard’s story through immersive programming and experiences.
Sounds like experiential hospitality to me!
If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Babylonstoren—my favorite hospitality experience to date ( I wrote about it a few months ago for those that are newer here).
Magical, unforgettable, off-the-charts in every way. I didn’t cover The Newt in Somerset yet, which is the sister property in England (we visited both this Spring).
What vineyards and wine are to Babylonstoren, orchards and cider are to The Newt.
Original Georgian-style architecture and charming gardens hidden in deep, expanses of apple orchards. Pure heaven.
Anyways—a version of my idea exists.
But here’s the thing:
Anyone could do this.
It doesn’t have to be a 5-star, best-in-the-world boutique hotel, (as The Newt has been ranked). It could be a couple acres of trees, and a handful of beautiful accomodations.
Start small. Test the waters. Build in public. Scale as your profits come in.
You. Can. Do. This.
Create something people will love. Build a world-class brand. And you can heal the land in the process.
My favorite comment on Saturday’s post was this:
AMEN!!
We took this ⬇️, and made it…. this ⬇️, in just 3 months of work!
People love restoration stories.
People love orchards, gardens, and nature.
People love authentic experiences and heartfelt hospitality.
So, draw your own conclusions… and go make it happen!
Thanks for reading!