Backyard Garden Oasis Bed & Breakfast Inn

This place is an absolute treasure. Greta, the host, has created a b&b notable for its thoughtfulness, and attention to detail. It is the perfect blend of privacy and comfort, coupled with Greta’s amazing presence– I really liked her. She’s sharp and funny and knows lot about the area. She made us an amazing breakfast, and the room was great. I have a thing about bedsheets– often they’re old, they don’t fit, the bedding is haphazard… something’s wrong. The bed in our cabin made me so happy. It was like I was in my own. Everything was perfect. Love this place.

I love the serenity of this place, and Gretta’s loving attention to detail. Perfect for my dogs and me to getaway and write, meditate. Excellent Thai Restaurant in Middletown also.

The cabin was perfect. The food was delicious and catered to our tastes. The host (Greta) was warm, welcoming, and a delight. Even our little dog loved the place :-D

Wonderful getaway from the busy city life! My husband and I found this gem on Expedia when looking for a hotel near a wedding venue in Healdsburg. Expedia said this B&B was 2.6 miles from Healdsburg, (when it was really 58 minutes away via a scetchy, twisty mountain hwy.) We were a little discouraged at the long drive but it was 100% worth it.
We drove 7 hours, and were greeted by the owner Greta who was very nice and let us check in a little early. The cottages are quaint with comfy beds with super-​soft bedding and skylights to allow the room to always be filled with light. The whole property is very peaceful with beautiful gardens and greenery everywhere. We looked up at night and saw the most clear starry-​filled sky. Breakfast Saturday and Sunday was made by Greta and was filling and delicious.
Highly recommended, we will definitely be back the next time we are in the area. What a gem! Thank you Greta for being a great host.

My friend and I were traveling on a dark and rainy night, and needed a place to stay in Middletown. We discovered the Backyard Garden Oasis on the Internet, and were fortunate to be able to book a room. Upon meeting Greta for the first time, it felt like reuniting with an old friend, and when we got to our cottage, we were pleasantly surprised to discover fresh cut flowers on the dining table, and a warm and inviting electric fireplace /​heater warming up the room for us. Every detail was attended to — the rooms were spotless, there were nice, new fluffy towels, pleasant fragrant soaps, shampoo, conditioner and lotions in the large bathroom and shower. The bed was very comfortable, and we even had WiFi and hundreds of TV and music channels for no extra charge. Even the exterior of all the buildings were equipped with soft orange lighting triggered by motion detectors. We did have to drive into town to receive cell phone reception, but it was nice to be able to interact with each other for a change instead of starting at our smart phones. We look forward to many happy returns. Highly recommended!

At the last minute on Friday evening we decided to escape the city and head up to Harbin Springs to relax and rejuvenate. When we called Greta at the Backyard Garden Oasis we were in luck. There was a cancellation and she could accommodate us and our little Scottish Terrier. When we arrived, Greta was doing a massage and had left us a note with key to our cottage. As we passed the beautiful garden alongside the cottages we knew we had arrived in Paradise. Our cottage was clean and spacious, furnished with a king-​size bed covered by a lovely quilt. We enjoyed using the coffee maker with complimentary coffee and the fridge. We even had a chance to meet Eve, the housekeeper who lives nearby, who has a vegetable garden. Eve gave us some of her fresh vegetables on our departure.
The Backyard Garden Oasis B&B definitely lived up to its name and together with the hostess, Greta, topped all of our expectations.
We will definitely return!
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I absolutely love to come here when I need to unplug and get some R&R at Harbin. Greta, the Innkeeper, is a warm, kind, beautiful spirit and that energy permeates the experience. Not to mention that she also makes the best breakfast in CA.
The twisty drive up from Calistoga signals entering this area of serenity, the gardens are beautiful and perfect place to rest and contemplate.
I love that it is a 10 minute drive from Harbin but a much more peaceful, private experience than staying on campus (which is also nice but Backyard Garden Oasis is more of a private retreat experience).
Rosie, my mini-​maltese service animal, loves to play with Rusty; the gated gardens make for a safe, fun experience for my little friend.

We stayed here again in July ’14 and loved it. We will be back again. Great breakfasts; don’t miss them.

My wife and I stayed here in May and were quite pleased with our experience. We have stayed in many hotels in the Napa Valley area and we would definitely return here. The room was a good size with all of the amenities including a mini-​fridge and coffeemaker. The bed was extremely comfortable and despite it being a bit chilly outside at night, we were warm enough without having to turn on the fireplace. The shower was nice and had good water pressure. The only thing I would quibble about (and this is a minor quibble) is that the louvered doors to the bathroom, which is basically just a partitioned-​off corner of the room, doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy. Maybe some sound-​proofing would help? Nice patio right outside and attractive grounds. It felt isolated and cozy, very quiet, which is what we wanted. Greta, the owner, was very gracious and friendly and served a delicious home-​cooked breakfast, which is included. Definitely recommended.

Very nice place that is in a remote location and I loved it. Greta was a wonderful host along with Rusty the dog and her bird. Only downside, other than no cell service, was that the closest town was three miles away. The rooms have Dish Network dvr, fake fire place that was a heater, ceiling fan, and air conditioner. If I go back that way I will definitely stay again. Had wifi but has a daily limit unless you pay for a higher one.

I love this cozy place and Great, the wonderful warm proprietor. Just three separate cottages behind her house in a large yard. Great quiet affordable option just outside of either Calistoga or Harbin hot springs.

Nice place — cozy and private. Stayed here on the way to Napa Valley for wine tasting. Dog-​friendly (lots of nice dogs around the property) and the best homemade breakfast. Hot tub too! Highly recommended.

Greta is a gracious hostess, great cook, superb masseuse, and probably has many other skills we didn’t see. The B&B is a great value, we were very impressed.

We were driving through traffic jam after traffic jam in Napa Valley when finally we drove out of the last Napa town and started up a windy road up the mountain. The scenery snapped to forest and drop offs instead of dry plains sprinkled with vineyards backed up to mountains. The B&B was easily found close off the highway (although not too close!). I was immediately drawn to the Backyard Oasis on the internet when I saw Greta’s shared love of gardens. And just as expected, flowers and tomatos and rose bushes and honeysuckle and other lovely plants dotted the property. Our bungalow was nicely private and a little haven. The decorations are simple and homey; the place clean.
Breakfast the next morning was lovely, and Greta did everything possible to please (even with some special dietary needs AND special requests).
I imagine Napa is a great place to visit and stay in, but Lake County was something altogether different. More quiet and simple. Your cell phone might barely get service or not at all, and there are less vineyards to visit. However, maybe you’ll come away more rested.
Within easy distance of the BGOB was a number of attractions – Beaver Creek Vineyards, Harbin Hot Springs, and Lantry Vineyard.
I’d highly suggest giving Greta a chance.
P. S. She does massages, too! Although we ran out of time…

Echoing most of what’s said above, let me start by mentioning the rooms are AWESOME. Cozy, warm, and as someone else mentioned, not overly precious in their décor. The hot tub was nice in theory but could’ve been hotter. Greta was completely gracious AND she’s an excellent masseuse! Highly recommended.
All in all, this is a wonderful place if you’re in the area. I can’t wait to see this place around summertime.

A surprise gift from my finance allowed me to experience delight and happiness through our stay at Greta’s B & B, which included a massage with her. My Jan 1 – 2011 began with Greta expertly relaxing numerous knots in my back, a pristine blanketing of snow that fell the night before, a scrumptious breakfast and feasting with good company. The cabin was spacious, modest, clean, quaint, quiet, with options of storing food in a fridge, making coffee, watching TV. Loved the very hot water, fire gazing heater, sky light and very importantly the firm, supportive King size bed. The love Greta put into her sanctuary permeates e-​v-​e-​r-​y-​t-​h-​i-​n-​g! If you are looking for a magical view out of your cabin, select the Virgo room! Definitely a place to revisit. Mona at

So close to the chaos and yet so far. I chanced on the Backyard Garden Oasis through work and it is the best part of my job when I have to visit the north end of Napa Valley. it has what I really want when I travel — a clean room, comfortable King size bed, quiet, and in a beautiful setting. There are real coffee makers in the room with as much Trader Joe’s coffee you want to throw into the filter. Real cream as well. I really love sitting out on the deck in front of the room, sampling some wine and watching the quail run around in between the flowers and veggies. When my wife can go, this is the place we stay when we hit wine country. She loves it too. Yep, wife-​approved guys. You wont go wrong.

We loved this place! So peaceful and isolated, yet accessible to fun day activities like Harbin and Clear Lake, as well as numerous state parks. Breakfast with Greta was delicious and delightful, french toast with fresh berries and real maple syrup, which is a big deal for me, being from Vermont. Gotta say the hot tub being broken was a bit of a downer but doesn’t even warrant the docking of a star because we’d spent the day before at the hot springs. Would absolutely go back!

Note: I wrote this review for tripadvisor back in 2007, didn’t realize I hadn’t put it on Unilocal also!
I’ve been heading up to Harbin Hot Springs for the last couple of years, and I really don’t know how I didn’t find out about this place sooner. The rooms are spacious, private, and great. The atmosphere is very down home unlike some froo-​froo B&B’s where you’re afraid to touch anything and you’re overwhelmed by too much lace. It was so relaxing just hanging out on the deck watching the quail play in the garden. The breakfast was absolutely incredible.
But all of these great things pale when compared to the hospitality and personality of the owner, Greta. She makes you instantly feel at home and practically a part of the family. It was a real pleasure talking to and getting to know her, she’s a wealth of information. I will definitely be coming back here in the future!

The Backyard Garden Oasis gives comfort, privacy, and yummy food at prices comparable to local hotels, plus you get a delicious, homemade breakfast.
Michael and I just spent a few days here for our delayed honeymoon/​first anniversary getaway. It’s out in the middle of nowhere so don’t even think about booking this if you don’t have a car. But the secluded area is worth it if you want to enjoy the Calistoga area but relax away from the tourists at the other hotels in town. It’s about 15 miles of windy road north of Calistoga and the drive made me nervous a bit but it’s not so bad after you drive it a few times.
There are only 3 cottages at this location which makes for a nice, quiet stay. They are literally in the backyard of Greta the proprietor’s home. There are flowerboxes on each cottage and flowers all along one side of the property. The yard is lush and green, with a garden from which Greta makes delicious homemade garden salsa and a yard large enough to stroll in or have a seat and sip tea in. She’s got her own apple trees from which she made homemade apple muffins.
Did I mention Greta’s a fine cook?
We stayed at the «Aquarius» cottage and enjoyed it very much. There’s a firm king-​sized bed, satellite TV, closet, mini-​fridge, and large bathroom with a huge two-​person-​sized shower. You’re provided bath robes which would come in handy to wear between your cottage and the hot tub at the back of the main house, if you thought to wear said bath robes :-). The hot tub was a nice touch and gave us a gorgeous view of the night sky that you forget is out there when you live in a city. I mean, seriously — we saw the Milky Way and shooting stars and at least a half dozen satellites slowly orbiting Earth, the sky was that clear.
Greta leaves your breakfast in your mini-​fridge for the following day during the week and cooks fresh breakfast for you in the main house on weekends. I thought the weekday breakfast would be ho-​hum but it was more than enough and tasty — fresh squeezed OJ, avocado and sliced boiled eggs with her garden salsa on a bed of fresh greens, a couple pastries, flavor-​packed mini-​apricots, a selection of teas and coffees, and fresh cream for your coffee or tea. On Saturday, we enjoyed her fabulous French toast with fresh strawberries. Sunday, she made us the fluffiest veggie egg frittata and muffins with chopped melons and peaches (I think). We had two helpings and didn’t need to stop for lunch.
Greta herself is super-​cool: very laid-​back, sweet, and — you can tell — a loving person. It was easy to chat with her during breakfasts and on the porch at night. I also like her attitude toward nature and conserving resources. Plus she’s a trained massage therapist who contracts with one of the fancy spas in Calistoga. I didn’t get a massage with her myself as we already had appointments in town but if there’s a next time, I’ll certainly give it a try.
The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is that for the purposes of comparison, it hasn’t got all the super-​posh amenities you’d expect of a five star hotel, although for what it is, I’d give it five stars, if that makes any sense…
(Note that there’s no digital cell phone reception right on the property at least with Sprint but turning off my cell phone and avoiding analog roaming charges was central to relaxing, anyway.)