Talking Water Nature Retreat

18/02/2025

Talking Water is truly a family affair. Cousin Maggie is a public gardens horticulturalist 🌸🌺 and we all love when she graces us with her cheery presence.

This girl (grown *ss adult, but always our sweet baby cousin) brings wonderful knowledge of native plant groupings, invasive species control, and, of course, wildflower seeds. Plus she jumps right into childcare and chicken coop-building duties. The girl can do it all 💃

(Final photo is a throw back to 2023 when Maggie helped us plan the layout for Goldfinch’s patio)

09/02/2025

Birthday party in the morning & clearing downed trees off the bluff line in the afternoon

07/02/2025

Darla is in training to be Talking Water’s newest staff member. She’s adorable, but we have never had an employee p*e on the office floor before 👀

Look out for this cutie around the property - she is pretty skilled at melting hearts!

11/01/2025

Snow keeps coming, but now all creatures here are getting cozy indoors ❄️⛄️🗻

09/01/2025

Trailblazing is a family affair!

Hellbender Trail will be open to guests this Spring! We have flagged our paths and are beginning to cut in the treads 🌳🥾🪓

Hellbender 🦎(so named for our Appalachian salamander species) will begin at Chalkboard rock and loop down along 1/2 mile of Suck Creek, connecting our northern blue hole with at least two other blue holes.

Want to come visit this Spring and test the trails yourself? Click here: https://talkingwatertn.com/

07/01/2025

The flock keeps growing

21/12/2024

Nothing like unloading a few dozen logs from a timber truck to make you feel good about your 💪🏽s

These cedar logs are going to season for the next several months in preparation for our upcoming short cordwood workshops (spring/summer ) & intensive cob workshop (fall). There’a always more projects underway at Talking Water!

https://cruzincobglobal.org/events/cob-ceremony-ritual-cabana-in-tennessee-chattanooga/

20/12/2024

Looking for a last-minute gift? Check out our stylin’ Talking Water beanies!

Available in browns, black, blue, and neon orange for $15 each.

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🕎

18/12/2024

Chickens have taken over here and we are pretty okay with it 🥚. The coop is nearly ready to go and the run is not far behind!

10/09/2024

The weather is changing & boy are we excited! Nothing beats sitting on Blackbird’s patio, taking in the mountains, and smelling the fresh mint blowing in the wind 🍃🍁

Grower’s tip: snakes don’t like scented plants. Mint is a natural 🐍 repellent

29/08/2024

It’s fun to play around with recycled material & we think these benches prove it! 😎

We just added a trio of funky benches beside the pavilion. Our glass bottles are donated from and James lovingly stayed late to cut up spare rebar to anchor in the bases (the guys got roped into some late nights with me these last couple of weeks!).

Our process included:
- Leveling the ground to lean the benches slightly against the incline (mountain leans forward, benches lean backwards)
- Placing bags of concrete along the base and anchoring those to the ground with ~18” rebar and topping them with scrap pen netting
- Using standard concreting to form walls with rows of cleaned glass bottles protruding 🍾
- Cutting pvc scrap to create weep holes (and testing them repeatedly to ensure they function during the build)
- Laying plaster seam rolls along the tops for extra strength
- Covering the backs of the benches with concrete up to the necks of the bottles to prevent future breakage - “Poppy”/ John stayed late to do this. *side note: you don’t want to plug the ends of glass bottles in case any moisture is trapped, leading the glass to break due to the pressure when the water heats up
- Covering the tops and fronts of the benches with exterior thinset and decorating them with scrap metal pieces and glass beads (I didn’t snap photos of my little 👨‍🎨 helpers doing this)
- Cleaning off the glass with wire brush heads

Everything is an experiment and it’s always so fun to see what we can come up with!

24/08/2024

It’s a busy day down here at Coolidge Park! We are on Day 2 of the Chatt Town Cool Down Festival 💦💧 and having a great time! Come on down if you haven’t swung by already!

We are making DIY linen spray at our table and talking about earthbuilding, cordwood construction, and earth-friendly materials 🌎🍃

08/08/2024

Come hike our Billy Goat Trail!

Trek down the mountain, alongside the boulders, and wrap up relaxing to the sounds of running water at our Blue Hole. There is lots for the curious to see and do along the journey 👣

17/07/2024

We took advantage of the recent dry spell to meander along the shallows of last night.

The sounds of the water and the birds singing made it all the more magical 💧🎶🪶 Now we are even more eager to extend our trail system this winter!

12/07/2024

There are few things more magical than watching the light filter in through the glass bottles in Goldfinch Cabin 😇

Goldfinch's exterior walls were handbuilt by our family using an earthbuilding technique called Cordwood Construction and the interior walls are made of hempcrete & plaster. It sure feels like a work of art!

Want to come to the mountains and check it out yourself? Book a stay now at TalkingWaterTN.com. Bon Voyage! 🧚‍♂️

03/05/2024

Doesn’t matter how many times you see it - cresting the mountain & seeing the Smoky mist takes your breath away every time

Come see for yourself! Book a cabin at http://talkingwatertn.com/

A place for everybody

01/05/2024

Days like today are perfect for hikes down to chalkboard rock with littles 🌸

Want to stay in a Talking Water cabin and hike with your family on the trails too? Click the link below to check out our listings:

http://talkingwatertn.com/