I am writing this post from Catalonia, Spain where we are winding down an amazing first week in our newest destination. The weather has been 7 glorious days of sunny mid- 60’s to low 70’s. After a long Maine winter it’s wonderful to see lush green fields in the valleys of the Pyrenees and …
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Posts Categorized: Mary Jo
Pepper Hill Farm
On a personal note, we would like to introduce the newest additions to our family. Meet Blökk and Pilatus our Icelandic Horses. Riding has always been my dream and Michael always needs a project to keep him busy… so he has built an Equestrian Center in South Thomaston, Pepper Hill Farm. We are excited to …
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Hartstone Inn Hosts Fundraising Dinner for Rockport Garden Club
The Hartstone Inn hosted a fundraising dinner for the Rockport Garden Club last week, raising a total of $577. The money will go to the clubs effort to aid in the outdoor beautification of the town of Rockport and in the clubs scholarship program. These programs provide grants to college students majoring in horticulture studies. …
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Our Family Has Grown
Our family has grown! Michael and I are the proud parents of Monet & VanGogh. Our two little Himalayan babies were born in late September and are making us laugh every day. (As you can see they are already using the computer and watching Oprah!) For those of you who are allergic to anything furry, …
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Hart Stones by Mary Jo
Written by Meghan Small. We all know Michael can be found in the garage restoring his 1962 Daimler when he is not in the kitchen. Many do not know however that when not tending to the various needs of the inn or to her hundred’s of orchids, Mary Jo can be found tucked away in her …
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Endless Summer Dahlias
Mary Jo and I just picked up our new dahlia bulbs from Phil Clark at Endless Summer Flower Farm which is located right here in the coastal community of Camden, Maine (Zone5), two and a half miles inland from the Hartstone Inn and Hideaway (village center). The flower farm specializes in dahlias and they currently grow over 225 …
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Mary Jo’s Orchid Corner – Paphiopedilum
Phalaenopsis (phals), Paphiopedilum (paphs) and Oncidiums (onc) are varieties that Mary Jo finds most easy to grow in the home. These hybrids are usually considered “beginner orchids,” largely because they will re-bloom under the conditions that most windowsill growers can offer. They require less light, about the same as for African violets, and will adapt …
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Happy 10th Anniversary!
On May 13, 1998 Mary Jo and I signed the papers and became the proud owners of the Hartstone Inn. Today we are looking back over the past decade, which was filled with so many very special guests and friends, and we would like to send a sincere thank you for making our life as …
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Mary Jo and Her Orchids make the Local Newspaper
There’s something about orchids: A Camden innkeeper in her greenhouseMary Jo and her orchids were featured in a local newspaper “Village Soup” this week. The article was written by Lynda Clancy (a VillageSoup/Knox County Times Reporter) as she toured Mary Jo’s greenhouse and caught her in action. Photo by Lynda Clancy. Click here to read …
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Mary Jo’s Orchid Corner – Oncidium
Mary Jo has been growing orchids for over 14 years, and in this column, she will share some of her wisdom and experiences. Phalaenopsis (phals), Paphiopedilum (paphs) and Oncidiums (onc) are varieties that Mary Jo finds most easy to grow in the home. These hybrids are usually considered “beginner orchids,” largely because they will re-bloom …
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Happy New Year!
New Year’s Eve dinner went off without a hitch. Dinner consisted of 10 courses from an amuse of baked brie to homemade chocolates at the end of the evening. Everyone was in good spirits, as you can imagine with that much Champagne, and the plates came back to the kitchen very clean. At the stroke …
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Then and Now – French Thyme Suite
Mary Jo came up with a great idea for the blog. “Let’s show before (before we owned the Inn) and after (after renovation) pictures for the guest and common rooms at both Inns so guests can see the progress we have made.” Great idea, I thought..so here is the first “Then and Now”. We purchased …
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