The dream of this country inn always included gardens, and some of you will remember the planting of the lawns and first trees after we opened, almost 20 years ago. Slowly the gardens took shape but never really took on a life of their own until Jan Cunningham and her father John Gorham came to Lithia Springs. (These two define the term, Master Gardener.) I first met Jan when she was Head Gardener for Harry & David at their corporate gardens. I tried to hire her the first time I saw her work, but she wasn't ready to leave her job just yet.

Several years later she showed up at the inn and told me of her dream of cutting back with Harry & David and having an opportunity to garden with her father, an accomplished estate gardener, long since retired. We soon had a deal. Since he had taught Jan most of what she knew, how could I go wrong? In addition, Harry & David was looking for a garden to serve as a repository of their flowers in a photogenic setting where they could be photographed in place, then be featured in their catalogs. So Harry & David furnished 1000s of plants, and under the careful hands of the father and daughter team they flourish.

Soon I realized that this was an incredible team, as one of John's early projects was to create the Koi pond, water feature, and bridge. He did it almost single-handedly, as Jan began to work her own magic on the rest of the garden. They are always undertaking a new project. This year it was a new wedding garden and new beds grown especially for flower arrangements for the inn. So, if you appreciate what John and Jan do, please tell them the next time you see them in the garden.