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We are Diana and Traylor Renfro, originally from Opelika, Alabama. After college at Auburn, we married and followed our careers to Charlotte, NC where we raised two daughters. Traylor worked in Human Resources and Diana in Nutrition and Writing. We both always loved gardening and growing vegetables, flowers, and landscape plants. Our family loves good food and beautiful gardens.

We found these 45 acres late in 1999, on a pilgrimage out of the city into the highlands of Ashe County. On a drizzly November day, we walked the property, seeing its potential. At its center, a wide bowl-like meadow with boggy springs drained into a winding branch. On the eastern slope, bare hardwoods sheltered an understory of club moss, rhododendron, and Mountain Laurel. The western slope, steep, rocky, and had been traversed with cattle, leaving line drawings in the earth. Higher slopes were covered with brambles and freeze-dried wildflowers. One fenced sunny bluff was a hayfield, and below that, grew healthy green rye grass. The old farmhouse was unusable due to a fallen tree which exposed the interior to the elements, but two large barns and half a dozen other outbuildings seemed to be in good condition. Everything needed attention. No one had lived on the property for fifteen years.

We felt a need to restore it, and we couldn’t wait to get started. Today, it’s the same place with amenities. And we believe as stewards of the land, it is meant to be shared. So, come stay for a while and discover North Carolina's "coolest corner."

We're hidden away out here in the quiet where there's no light pollution. We enjoy seeing the stars and hearing very little traffic. Living close to the earth, we enjoy growing some of our food and viewing the wildlife. Deer, groundhogs, rabbits, and turkeys are regulars. Occasionally we glimpse a rare fox or bear. And we enjoy four distinct seasons.
In summer, butterflies drift through the perennial and wildflower gardens and dragonflies hover around the pond. On dark June nights, fireflies twinkle while tree frogs and katydids serenade. In July, the blueberries are ripe for picking and days are warm enough to seek out the pond or float down the river.
By autumn, when the tree colors change and dogs run through crisp fallen leaves, goldenrod turns the bowl bright yellow. Virginia Beauty apples ripen in the orchard, ready for harvest. And we might sit on the pier late afternoon and toss a baited line into the pond trying to tempt a bass or bluegill. All around us, the choose and cut Christmas tree business goes wide open.
In winter, we like to build a crackling fire while the snow falls. We read or write, plan next year's gardens, catch up on movies. Then we get outside and get moving in our boots. Being able to see through the leafless trees reveals the lay of the land. Some things are visible only in winter.
We are always ready for spring to pop with daffodils, dandelions, and forsythia followed by irises, fruit trees, peonies and roses. The gardens put on a show. Spring is official when the Ashe Farmers' Market and local produce stands open.

Ashe County is rich with arts and music events and festivals. From food trucks to fine dining, good food is always available. Buying local is not just a suggestion, but really a great option here.

Do you need to change your point of view?

Escape from the phones and the emails, from television and traffic. Hide away in the country where you can hear music in the hills and watch the sky change colors.

Come remember what it’s like to live close to the earth, how the Milky Way brightens the sky on a moonless night, and where buying local is easy. Enjoy hiking, biking, trout fishing, river tubing, or antiquing. Experience bluegrass music events and shop for outstanding artisan creations. Or just be quiet, read and reflect. Make a bonfire beneath the stars by Reflection Pond. You'll love it here.