On the Farm

In another life, I had sheep in my yard. Remember the sixties? I didn’t have a lawn mower and I really did believe that the sheep would groom my yard. I needed the fleeces – I was working on my master’s degree in fibers – spinning and natural dyeing. I lived on the south side… Read more

For couples who want  romantic seclusion for their wedding or vow renewal, the private, rustic setting of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast is perfect. No crowds. Just you, your mate and a few friends – if you want them. No fuss, no stress – our team does it all for you with your guidance. Our… Read more

I love our new hand-drawn B&B farm map – made just for Big Mill I love the outbuildings here on the farm – they are almost 100 years old. We have the Smoke House where my folks cured sausage and hams and stored the lard and fatback to feed five families; the Wash House where… Read more

High Cotton in the antebellum South meant that the cotton was high, prices were good and all was well on the plantation. Yep, we’re in High Cotton on the farm here at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast this year. Right outside my kitchen window the cotton is as high as I can remember. My brother… Read more

Late summer evenings in Big Mill B&B’s garden are filled with sweet scents The show begins in the afternoon at 5 o’clock, when the Four O’clocks start blooming. They are an old flower that my mother and grandmother raised and shared with their friends. It is a wonderful plant and each flower can have several… Read more

This original salsa recipe is a crowd-pleaser and a cook-pleaser -It only takes 5 minutes to make.  Barney’s Killer Salsa • 1 28-ounce can diced (not petite diced tomatoes)• 2 1/2 Tablespoons jalapeno slices (in a jar)• 1 Tablespoon juice from the jalapeno jar• 2 teaspoons sugar• 1 cup fresh (loosely packed cilantro)• 1/4 medium… Read more

Sweet cucumber pickles are as southern as iced tea Not just any pickles either – they must be homemade and preferably homegrown. It is alright if someone gives you the cucumbers, or you pick them up fresh from your local Farmers Market. We all have a family recipe that has been passed down and it… Click here to get Chloe’s Sweet Cucumber Pickle Recipe

Our Evening Primrose, wildflower and beautiful King’s cure-all, is often considered a weed Evening Primrose photo by Chloe Tuttle But here at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Evening Primrose is glorified, photographed, written about and touted as entertainer – watching it bloom is a great way to spend an evening in the garden. Take a… Read more

Spiderwort – Big Mill’s “Canary in the coal mine” This wonderful blue flower that grows in my eastern North Carolina garden is Spiderwort (Tradescantia), pronounced  trad-ess-KANT-ee-uh. Each day in spring and early summer I am greeted with the vibrant blue of these odd beauties. Then about noon, they close. My mother loved these flowers –… Read more