A Brief Note From the Innkeepers:

Apothecary Inn is still the “new kid on the block.” We opened our doors on May 10th, 2009 with a lovely Grand Opening Celebration attended by 30-40 friendly faces. Even with our limited advertising budget, word spread, and we booked a fairly full summer. We have had a great deal of positive feedback from guests, and I look forward to seeing this trend continue in the future. I believe that word of mouth is the best form of advertisement. The people who come to stay at our bed and breakfast are doing so because they want a truly unique and rewarding experience. In a time where most people don’t connect that their hamburger comes from a cow, or that their Thanksgiving turkey did not start its life in plastic wrap, we are here to show people that there is something good to be said for going back to basics. It’s about using your hands, working hard, and accomplishing a dream. Each generation walks a different path, but that doesn’t mean that we should forget our ancestors. In a day with Walmart and work cubicles, we traded a 40 hour week for a 60 hour week and came out ahead. There is something to be said for returning to your roots. At Apothecary Inn, we’ll show you why.

APOTHECARY INN: Named after the antique Apothecary Rose

The Apothecary Inn began as a humble dream in the early years of Ryan & Jillian Garrett's marriage. Through a completely unexpected course of events, they found themselves bringing that dream into fruition in the fall of 2007. The house, formerly an alpaca ranch, was nicknamed "The Project" for the sheer number of changes that the Garretts wanted to make to the home. From a new kitchen to new bathrooms, the home was completely remodeled in 2009 to create the Inn that now resides.

The Garretts arise every morning at 5 am to feed animals, milk goats, and begin guest breakfast preparations. Breakfast is served every morning at 8:00 am sharp - with coffee & snacks set out by 7:30 am for earlier risers. Breakfast consists of two courses: the first course is generally a lighter, sweeter course, and is followed by a second, more hearty course. Generally, no sugar is used to create the breakfasts - instead, the innkeepers rely on herbs and fruit juices to add sweetness and flavor! Examples of breakfast include the following:


Example Breakfast #1

When in season, the ingredients for breakfast come straight from the innkeepers' very own dairy farm (milking season is generally from February/March to September) & garden, and the eggs come from their flock of chickens. The goal of the innkeepers is to be as self-sufficient as possible, and in that manner they try to produce as much of their own food as possible. Homegrown tastes better anyway! The coffee served with breakfast comes exclusively from the local Jacksonville coffee shop the Good Bean.

The philosophy at Apothecary Inn is "Returning to the Simpler Way of Living." In that respect, the innkeepers try and conserve energy, grow & produce as much of their own food as possible, and use hand tools instead of electric devices. There are ceiling fans in every room, and this helps cool the house - along with the AC! - in the summer. In the winter time, the fireplace and wood stove provide much of the heat needed to warm the house.

The Apothecary Inn is proud to showcase a respectable art collection as well! The inn is decorated with over 40 oil paintings (all but 3 are originals), as well as several watercolors and sketches. The inn's newest acquisition - a painting by Y.W. Leung measuring roughly 7 feet long by 3 feet tall - is proudly displayed in the living room over the antique couch. It depicts Chinese Junks (or sailboats) at sea.

In maintaining the tradition of self-sufficiency, the innkeepers also grow & process almost all of their own herbs in order to make their line of Sangue di Dragone botanical products. When possible, each guest bathroom is stocked with a sampling of their all-natural homemade soaps, bath oils, hair & body products, etc. This is just another way that the Garretts strive to make your stay a unique and enjoyable experience!

The Apothecary Inn consists of two guest bedrooms - the "Apothecary Suite" & the "Duchesse de Portland Room" - as well as a library/sitting room for everyone to enjoy. Sit, relax, and pick a book to read from the inn's extensive book collection! There is a fireplace in the "Great Room" on the main level of the house, and a large enclosed sun room where Jillian grows her plants during the winter & spring. Each of the guest rooms uses an old-fashioned skeleton key to unlock the antique door hardware! The door knob and face plate of the Apothecary Suite came from a 1910 San Francisco mansion!

The landscaping around the bed and breakfast is still a work in progress. When the Garretts first moved into the home, there were no plants to be found on the property, only some scraggly old oak trees and hundreds of fake plastic flowers (a special parting gift from the previous owners). They have worked hard over the years to create pretty gardens around the house, and though the grounds have come a long way, there is still much work to be done. The current landscaping is maintained by Jillian Garrett, whose specialty and passion involve the growing of heirloom roses. The gardens and rose beds were lovingly created by Jillian (Ryan helped!). The Garretts have recently completed a new formal herb garden just outside of the house, and plan to begin working on the brick fish pond (which will be connected to the Apothecary Suite deck) soon...

The Garretts have a menagerie of 4-legged & feathered friends. You can watch the goats, donkeys, and llamas at play in the pasture, and the chickens loitering near their coop. Adso & Jugi 2.0, the adorable kittens, have free reign over the house (Sadly, we lost our beloved Jugi to cancer in November 2009).

The innkeepers ask that guests do not enter the pastures or the barn.

The innkeepers are more than happy to provide suggestions for things to do around the area during your visit. Applegate Lake is only a 15-mile drive away! There are also numerous hiking trails & wineries nearby, and paragliders love the Applegate Valley!

The Garretts are also one of several local nigerian dwarf goat and miniature donkey breeders. Sale information is provided on the Kidding page. For more information about other local breeders, please visit the Things to Do page.

Now, how about we...

Meet the Animals!