Summer Maintenance & Updates 2025
We have been hard at work this spring & the beginning of summer updating & refreshing the property for the fall wedding boom. First on the agenda was planting new grass seed and straw in the wedding arbor during the rainy season. The grass is already looking wonderful and healthier than ever as of this June. After that, another thing high on our priority list that we got to first thing this year was planting 5 new willow tree saplings around the ponds after losing a few to old age & fluke lightning encounters last year. They are coming up wonderfully after all the rain we’ve been getting. The whole property feels lusher and greener than ever before & we didn’t even know that was possible! While the rain has been frustrating for our private events at times, it has been a blessing for growing the beauty that surrounds us here.
The llamas are certainly enjoying it!
Photo of the llamas in our front field, taken by Nostalgia Tap Trucks during a spring wedding in The 609.
One of the most exciting new additions to us this year has been the addition of our new directional sign right in front of the front gate. No longer will your guests arrive confused on which building is the event space they need to go to! This handy sign crafted by Robbie Curtis now points to the pavilion, the 609, the tearoom (coming soon!), and our agricultural and homestead buildings on the property. In May we had HomeScape Pros come out and add a new garden bed beneath it, as well as fully remodel our garden beds at the entrance of the farm that surround the front gates. Fresh flowers are everywhere you turn when you enter our little slice of heaven!
Landscaping by HomeScape Pros on Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold, GA.
Sign design made by our event coordinator Cassidy Mashburn, crafted by contractor Robbie Curtis. Flower bed design by Homescape Pros.
On the animal and homestead front, our veggie garden is off to a great start & the greenhouse has been revitalized inside. The aviary just received a brand-new mesh top, a willow tree sapling of its own, and a full makeover on the interior of the coops. New additions to our team Julie Robinson & Adam Everitt alongside everyone’s favorite Mrs. Barbara Johnson have been working their magic on these projects and revitalizing our animal care for maximum comfort in the summer heat. We are so thankful for their hard work and dedication to maintaining Willow Tree Farms and all of life it sustains. Next on the agenda is revitalizing the big garden bed next to the pavilion with the cactuses!
Adam has also been a big help with upgrading our garden party tent for our event clients this year. No longer will you have to contend with neon blue water barrel weights! They are now a beautiful white to fully blend in with the rest of the tent while still providing optimal safety. Thank you Adam!
View of the garden party tent from inside of the pavilion before decorations were put up.
Farm Manager, Ian Bryson, has been hard at work repairing heavy equipment, water leaks, and getting started on some much-needed fencing repairs throughout the pastures. The fencing getting a facelift is one of our bigger projects we’ll be tackling this summer. Having 160-acres to cover and multiple sections of pasture means a whole lot of ground to cover!
Event Coordinator & Willow Tree Farms Events Owner, Cassidy Mashburn, has added 7 new yard games to our rental inventory for event clients, updated our event prep questionnaires & set-up / planning process for private events, launched discounted elopement packages with Complete Weddings & Events, added 10 new vendors to our vendor list, created 3D renderings of our event spaces on Prismm for our clients to plan table & chair layouts from home virtually, given our website a facelift, and created swag bags for our clients to take home after tours, among other things so far this year. The sky is the limit for improvement when it comes to making our venue more convenient and hospitable for our clients. The list of things to come in the second half of 2025 is only growing!
Now expecting her first child, Cassidy is taking more of a work from home approach while dealing with complications. Mrs. Barbara is currently running event tours in her place while Julie & Adam are assisting with event set-up & clean-up. It really takes teamwork to make the dreamwork throughout all of life’s phases.
Farm Owners & Homesteaders, Alvin & Sherrie Mashburn, have been working on overseeing all of these property upgrades & projects. Sherrie has been hard at work preparing for the opening of our third event space, The Tea Room, to launch soon. Date still to be determined as creating a new entrance & parking for this space is one of our largest hurdles left now that Sherrie has worked her decorating magic on the space. We’re envisioning this to be perfect for bridal showers, baby showers, mothers day luncheons, tea parties, and so much more! This space is fully indoors with a great view of the property out of its many windows in its greenhouse like environment. Complete with a full kitchennette for the tea and other goodies of course! Vintage china, gorgeous wooden tables, & elegant seating.
The entrance to the Tea Room. Currently connected to the front yard of the Mashburn’s new home at the front of the farm, but soon to have it’s own driveway and parking area between our front gate & Trace’s home on the edge of the farm. It’s entry ramp ensures this space is handicap friendly.
The tea room’s beautiful porch with a view!
View of the tea room when you first walk in. China hutch on the left & kitchenette on the right. The door pictured in the middle leads to a guest bedroom & restroom also included.
The interior of the tea room with the windows covered as we’re still under renovation. Tables & chairs included for the events are pictured as well as a view of the entryway door for guests that leads to the porch pictured above.