Amid the green rolling meadows and deep wooded hillsides of far Southern Indiana, a unique getaway offers rest and relaxation — and so much more.

The Mary Rose Herb Farm is a bed and breakfast, spiritual retreat, herbal and holistic health education center, and nature park rolled into one. Hosts RosaLee Sheard and husband Dick Betz call it "a gathering place" that fosters well-being in the body, mind and spirit.

They welcome overnight guests to unique tent-like abodes called "yurts." The yurts have hardwood floors and are insulated, heated and air-conditioned for year-round comfort.

"We call it ‘luxury camping,'" said RosaLee.

Each of the two smaller yurts at the farm, served electrically by Southern Indiana REC, includes: a double bed, a single bed, table and chairs, small refrigerator, hot and cold water dispenser, microwave and electric outlets. A port-a-potty that is serviced weekly is nearby, and a hot outdoor shower is available.

The gourmet breakfast might include asparagus casserole with sausage, baked herbal eggs, breakfast coladas, breakfast parfaits and more.

Overnight guests have access to:
• swimming and canoeing in a private lake;
• 2.5 miles of forest and meadow walking trails;
• fishing ponds;
• a campfire ring with free wood provided;
• stargazing in a very dark night sky.

Two Japanese soaking spas are also available. RosaLee can provide special services like massage therapy, reflexology and traditional Chinese medicine consultations for additional fees.

"Where else can you go and have a 200-acre private park all to yourself?" said RosaLee.

Before you answer, you should know: the couple searched for three years from coast to coast in more than 30 states before they found this parcel of land in northwest Perry County near Adyeville almost by accident in 1999.

In the mid-1990s, the two developed the notion of retiring to rural America and starting an organic herb farm and holistic retreat far from the rat race of Seattle they found themselves living in. They wanted peace for themselves, and they wanted to help others.

RosaLee had always used culinary herbs, but after a heart attack in 1996, she delved into traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and natural holistic approaches to health. The Far East influences are common in the Seattle area, she said, and she became an herbalist and a master at "Feng shui," the ancient Chinese philosophy of living in harmony with one's environment.

The wish list for their new land and new life was long. They wanted some 40 acres of chemical-free land; clean air and water; scenic beauty; privacy; yet with infrastructure; access to quality health care; fast Internet access and more.

After an unsuccessful bid for land in Ohio's Amish country, Dick once again found himself driving west empty-handed late on a hot summer day in 1999. He pulled off Interstate 64 for the night at a guest house at the monastery in St. Meinrad.

The chiming of the abbey bells and rolling, peaceful countryside reminded him of Europe. The next day, on a whim, he checked with a realtor in nearby Ferdinand. He was directed to a possible property that, though quite a bit larger than the 40 acres they sought, seemed to fit most of their criteria. It was just a few miles east of St. Meinrad. An old farmstead with forestland had sat virtually abandoned since the elderly lady who lived there and gently cared for it had died a dozen years earlier. The land had been in her family since at least the 1850s.

"I drove down this valley," Dick recalled. "It was all grown up, but it was already talking to me."

Back in Seattle, RosaLee wasn't as sure when Dick called about his find. He began by asking, "Now where did you say you grew up?"

She said, "Oh, no …"

RosaLee had grown up just north of Perry County in the Orange County town of Elon. She moved to Texas in 1965 when she was 22 and later to England. In the meantime, her hometown disappeared under the waters of the newly-created Patoka reservoir that displaced her relatives. In 1988, she moved to Seattle. She and Dick, longtime business acquaintances and friends, married in 1994. She was skeptical Indiana still had anything to offer.

But she flew out to see what Dick had found. That was all it took. And soon the Mary Rose Herb Farm grew from the unspoiled land.

The name combines Mary, as a tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and RosaLee's name. Both Dick and RosaLee are Catholic and told themselves if they were given the right kind of property, they would dedicate it to the mother of Christ. Statuary of Mary can be found in the gardens and around the lake and woods. The farm's name is also a play on the herb rosemary.

Originally they were out to create just the herb farm and a holistic health education center. But as word of mouth and newspaper articles spread the farm's many offerings, people started coming from all over for family, spiritual and business retreats. Guests have included folks from all walks and beliefs and from all corners of the country and the world. RosaLee offers her knowledge in gardening, herbs and holistic approaches to health, or guests can enjoy the total solitude the hidden valley provides. "We get a lot of people who just want to get away," RosaLee said.

In the large yurt, which is also available for day or overnight rental, RosaLee and others teach classes on a variety of topics: herbal cooking, herbal healing, aromatherapy, feng shui, stress management, eBay marketing (she and Dick are eBay certified), nutrition and more.

Dick stays busy engineering and installing the farm's infrastructure. He designed the farm's heating system, a series of underground pipes fanning out from a central wood-burning boiler, to their home and the nearby yurts and spas. He also designed a holding tank system for well water, and the swimming lake in a small valley above the main part of the farm. The lake also provides water for fountains and irrigation.

At ages 65 and 63, Dick and RosaLee still have more plans for the farm: adding an herbal tea garden and "reflexology trail," Zen garden, a large tree house above a wooded ravine for overnight rental, and more. Keeping up this parcel of land isn't easy for the two of them. "It's been a lot of hard work, but rewarding," said Dick. "We're supposed to be retired."

But looking out over the green hillside gardens where the herbs grow alongside flowers, RosaLee added, "You couldn't ask for anything better."

Story and photos by Richard G. Biever, senior editor of Electric Consumer.

If you go

The Mary Rose Herb Farm is located in Perry County near Adyeville.

Overnight Yurt Rental: Rental fee is $70 for up to two people. Add $17.50 for each additional person, plus taxes. Includes a unique gourmet breakfast and use of the farm's many features. Advance reservations required.

Upcoming events: BOTH EVENTS ARE NOW FULL
• June 10 — The Top 10 Herbs and Their Uses. Learn about the top 10 herbs' culinary and medicinal uses. 10 am-2 pm. $25 per person, includes herbal tea. Reservations required.
• June 17 — Herbs in Alternative Medicine. Learn about herbs that can assist with your heart disease, diabetes, and how to assemble a summer herbal medicine first aid kit. 10 am-2 pm. $25 per person, includes herbal tea. Reservations required.

Contact info:
Dick Betz & RosaLee Sheard
23112 Cattail Road
Bristow, IN 47515
(812) 357-2699,
hosts@maryroseherbfarm.com;
www.maryroseherbfarm.com.