The Family Tree(s)

Gracious inn grounds were planted with forever in mind

Late frosts and extended droughts fool with the best-laid horticultural plans. But in the gardens of Elizabeth Leigh Inn in Hendersonville, at least one element will always resist the fickle weather: the trees that were sown to grow along with the innkeepers’ seven grandchildren. 

After each baby was born, “we planted a tree in their honor with their name on a plaque,” says Cindy Baer, who runs the stately Colonial Revival bed-and-breakfast with her husband Mike. Three of the trees are
“October Glory” red maples and three are “Carolina Sapphire” cypress (incidentally known for being drought tolerant). The last one is a flowering Kwanzan Cherry. 

The Baers bought the now-110-year-old house in 2000 and spent a year doing renovations before opening it to the public in September 2001. They christened it Elizabeth Leigh Inn after the middle names of their two daughters; a quarter century later, the family culture is rooted deeply throughout the property.

“When I began this garden 25 years ago, I knew how little I knew,” Cindy states wisely. “What I did know was to seek advice and wisdom from those who knew more than I did.” She says she “sought the expertise of landscape architects, gardeners, growers and neighbors to create this [outdoor] oasis.”

Inside, the Elizabeth Leigh Inn is richly romantic, distinguished by a refined elegance, its eponymously named rooms drenched in shades like rose and lavender and appointed in floral textiles and fine art and antiques. Cindy describes the grounds a similar way — “Old South with a mountain flair.” Visitors can follow pebbled pathways to the inn’s colorful planted hydrangeas, azaleas, and rhododendron.

And while Cindy has sought expert advice for the garden when needed,  some of the best features have emerged almost on their own. “As with all gardens, [it] continues to evolve … sometimes the garden will tell me what is needed,” she says. 

The innkeeper mentions a certain section of grass that held water and never dried out. “Instead of fighting it, I thought, ‘Why not just add more water?’” And thus a pond with a waterfall came into being. During summers at “Camp Nana,” her grandchildren stock the pond with goldfish.

Practical and fanciful hardscaping elements have emerged in the last five years. “In 2022 we installed a greenhouse, which has been much needed and has added a lovely architectural element to the landscape,” she says. Last year, “to balance out the hardscaping,” the couple had a summer house built. Cindy raves about the “gorgeous fireplace” created by Jason Murphy. “He’s a local stonemason who does beautiful work.”

She worked her own magic on the “She Shed” (formerly a potting shed until the greenhouse was built). “It sat empty for a while — then the idea formed in my head to turn it into a girly, feminine space.” Fulfilling a whimsical “cottage core” aesthetic, Cindy planted new ferns and flowers and painted the exterior of the small building white and the door pink. The palette continues inside with pink floors, white walls, white shiplap on the ceiling, and a chandelier with pink lampshades. “I described a ‘sofa’ design to my contractor made out of 2 by 4s, plywood, and foam. Covered with a favorite quilt and chenille pillows, it’s a cozy spot to curl up, read a book, or take a nap,” says Cindy.

“A white shabby-chic mantel, a mini electric stove and thrifted chairs — also covered in handmade quilts from a dear friend — serve as an inviting space for this grandmother of seven to think and dream with a warm cup of tea.”