the reserve

NIDO is a 122-acre rural retreat and nature reserve protected by a conservation easement located in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. This unique property offers exceptional privacy, quiet and natural beauty. Well appointed with an Arts and Crafts style three-bedroom Main House built in 2008 and a three-bedroom Gate House, fast broadband internet, a seven-stall horse stable with a hayloft, an equipment/hay barn, a writer’s studio, a stocked lake, fruit orchard and mature gardens, NIDO is a canvas that will encourage the imagination of anyone seeking country values and pursuits.

Family nest, second home, or corporate retreat, NIDO offers a rare opportunity to reimagine life and realize dreams.

nature

NIDO has been a wildlife refuge for two decades – organic and sustainable management practices have produced an oasis that nurtures and protects many forms of life. At NIDO you can watch a fox sleeping below the bedroom window, or marvel at the beauty of the rare and endangered Luna Moth. On spring nights hundreds of thousands of fireflies rise up from NIDO’s 21 acres of pastureland accompanied by a choir of tree frogs, crickets and Whippoorwills.

Because NIDO is tucked away in rolling countryside, it is also protected from light pollution. On clear nights, the constellations of the Milky Way are clear to the naked eye. Amateur astronomers will especially appreciate the opportunity to use their telescopes to explore the heavens.

Nature lovers will find NIDO’s lake, creeks, forests and meadows a remarkable treasure of natural diversity and beauty that can be explored and relished by simply stepping outside. Every season brings another opportunity to observe Nature at close hand – as intimately as desired.

Whether you are sitting on the Main House’s upper level porch with binoculars to marvel at a kingfisher’s headfirst plunge into the lake or walking in the woods to forage for mushrooms, NIDO offers an increasingly rare opportunity to find quiet and solace in natural cycles.

NIDO’s gardens are located east of the Main House and consist of a mature Shade Garden, an enclosed Sun Garden, and a fruit orchard. The Sun Garden’s unique architectural feature – designed by the current owners based on a 19^th century California garden structure – adds a formal element to the house gardens, while also serving a protective purpose.

sun garden

The Sun Garden is accessed through the “woodland” Shade Garden by a stone path and steps. Vegetables, herbs and flowers thrive in this safe and sunny garden, which is watered directly from the lake.

shade garden

The Shade Garden, designed to mirror NIDO’s wild places, features a variety of deer-resistant plants — spring-blooming daffodils, ferns, Lenten Roses, Astilbe, Bleeding Heart, Solomon Seal and ground covers.

The soil in both gardens has been built over two decades using sustainable and organic gardening methods.

orchard

The Orchard is adjacent to the gardens and produces several varieties of peaches, plums and apples.

labyrinth and trails

NIDO’s labyrinth is a classical 7-circuit, turf labyrinth. It is hidden from view in a peaceful dell near a small creek on the eastern side of the property. Walking among its turnings is to lose touch with direction and purpose, quieting the mind and nurturing the spirit. The path is wide enough to accommodate horses, offering a rare training experience that requires constant communication between horse and rider among the circuits’ turns. Approximately 65% of NIDO’s acreage is woodlands. A network of interconnected riding and hiking trails weave through the forest for several miles, offering both equestrians and hikers unique opportunities to explore and enjoy its hidden treasures.