New England as I see it

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

Finding Christmas

2011-12-11T08:02:00.016-05:00

Last weekend I found the Christmas spirit that I was missing.

This is how I found it.

On Saturday morning,

we went to Bolton Spring Farm to pick out our Christmas tree.

While my three men were picking through the options,

(this is a very important decision, you know)

I had a cup of hot apple cider in the sun.

Wow, I realize that you can actually see my eyes behind

these shades. I need to get a new pair to hide behind.

I also checked out the roping.

Beautiful!

I want it all, to wrap around everything inside and outside the house.

It smells and looks sooo good.

But I don't think we're getting any this year.

Didn't stop me from taking deep breaths of their fresh pine:y scent though.

My men decided on a beautiful Fraser Fir tree,

A lot shorter, and more appropriately sized this year.

We took it home, set it up, and turned on the Christmas music.

We had more hot cider and some warm cider donuts, and started decorating.

Strange though, after the cider and donuts where gone,

so where my little helpers?!?

I added some Christmas on top of my grandfather's old silver tray.

And added some more "tablescaping" and "mantelscaping".

(Those are words I just recently learned.

For all of you also new to these words, they basically mean

to tastefully accessorize and decorate tables and mantels.)

I'm not showing more than what you see above

so that you may not judge me.

Hehe!

Oh, and I also decorated the wreath (doorscaping???) that my husband got,

with ribbon and owls so that when UPS and FedEx delivers boxes,

they have something peaceful to look at

before they meet my Security and Customs representative.

My Boston Terror, Mr Sanders.

Then I had to go in to Boston to help out at the annual Swedish Yuletide.

On my way there,

I passed by Christmas Carolers singing beautifully on Newbury Street.

Wow, now THAT gave a spirit boost.

I had a big Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks

and shopped a bit at Cartier.

Not really, I am on the chubby side, while my wallet isn't,

so that was just in my imagination.

Outside the Prudential, I saw the biggest Christmas tree ornament EVER.

No pictures from the Yuletide, I was too busy working,

but on the way home I walked through Boston Common and saw its Christmas tree.

So I'll show you that instead.

And lastly, I watched people skating on Frog Pond

to the sound of Christmas tunes.

At the end of this day, I had found Christmas.

Good thing, cause it's really getting close now.

Down Rt. 117

2011-12-01T18:50:00.013-05:00

I woke up to a foggy Sunday morning,

grabbed my camera and went for a short ride eastward, down Rt. 117 .

Lower Village Cemetery in Stow

St. Bridget's Cemetary, Maynard

St. Bridget's Cemetery, Maynard.

I love the stone wall and the dried leaves that bring out the brown tones in the stones.

Frost tipped grass.

A flock of wild turkeys on a field next to the side of the road in Sudbury.

I wanted to get closer but wasn't brave enough.

An old pickup truck in the field by the intersection of 117 and Sudbury Road.

For years I've been wanting to stop to take a picture.

Lee's Bridge by Sudbury River.

Sudbury River

Private? road just after Lee's Bridge.

Farmer's equipment at Drumlin Farm.

At this point I had to turn around and pick up some bagels

for my family at home.

The early morning was magical.

Even though I was on a major route, it was nice and quiet.

I like how the fog adds a little mystique

and how things in the distance appear colorless.

I wish it was foggy more often.

I don't know about you guys, but even as I found nature to be magical that morning, I have a difficult time finding Christmas spirit without the snow.

Today I made an effort to start making it feel like Christmas is approaching, at least inside the house. I guess I hadn't done much of that. It helped a bit. But I still want snow.

What are you guys doing to get in the mood?

Do you need snow?

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:28:00.010-05:00

The turkey is in the oven.

All the sides are prepared as far as they can be.

Keeping it simple this year (Demanding puppy on hands, remember?),

only the traditional must-haves.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, sweet potato-marshmallow casserole,

corn, cranberries, rolls and butter, apple cider and wine.

Pecan pie and cherry pie with vanilla ice cream.

Did I forget anything?

Oh, gosh, I'm making myself nervous.

Did I?

Doesn't seem like much this year.

The table is set.

We are thankful for most everything.

And, it's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Which means...

It's about time for a much appropriate Cape Codder.

2 oz vodka

4 oz cranberry juice

splash of lime

lots of ice

Finished it off with a slice of lime and cranberries on a rosemary sprig.

(My, those cranberries look more like kalamata olives, but they are not!)

Cheers and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Apple Country

2011-11-17T15:01:00.006-05:00

Things have quieted down here in apple country.

The apple picking season has come to an end.

The lines of cars rolling in on weekend mornings are no longer here.

The crowds of visiting apple pickers, that add a bit of

temporary caos during apple season,

are done picking.

So when I went for a walk

(with permission) on the beautiful hills of

Bolton Spring Farm, I was completely alone.

The walk was very quiet and meditative,

the air was filled with a sweet aroma.

An aroma of apples past its prime that intensified

each time I accidentally stepped on one.

It's a strange, deserted feeling walking alone in the orchard.

Like the feeling you get when you go to the beach on a winter day.

It's the contrast between the noisy and lively, and the quiet, almost sleepy,

that appear so vividly.

I found the quiet and deserted orchard so beautiful,

and the view from the top of the hill was amazing.

I had such a nice, quiet and reflective walk.

Although the PYO* has ended,

there is still plenty for sale at Bolton Spring's farm store.

* PYO = pick your own. Americans looove time saving abbreviations.

Last night I decided to use up some apples by roasting them.

I made paninis with local Nashoba Brooks Bakery's 7 Grain Bread.

I layered roasted apples, brie, walnuts and a little honey

between the slices of bread.

-Yum!

I served the paninis with French onion soup, made with local beer instead of wine.

It tasted very fall:y.

Before I sign out, I also wanted to show,

especially to the locals, what I found

right next to Bolton Spring Farm.

A 1.2 mile path that leads to a lime quarry.

I can't believe that I have driven past this sign for 10 years without noticing it.

That is now on my list of things we can do on a weekend with our family.

I wonder what the quarry looks like...

Last, but not least...

A picture of our puppy Sanders.

As most of you guessed, he is a Boston Terrier.

Right now, our household is upside down

while we are trying to figure out how not to let this little life,

run our lives.

Mostly Maple

2011-11-11T20:37:00.008-05:00

The Maple must be one of the most photographed trees in the fall.

It goes through such beautiful change.

A display of color ranging from light greens to yellows,

oranges and the deepest of reds.

This fall, here in New England,

we got to see the trees fully dressed with green leaves

-and covered in snow.

At the same time!

Their branches were not strong enough

to hold the weight of the heavy snow that their grand leaves caught.

As you can see from the left picture below,

the Maples turned to "weeping" Maples.

Many deciduous trees lost branches in the October snow storm.

Some trees even split in half.

(100s of thousands lost their power due to trees falling on to power lines.)

We have a Norwegian Maple in our front yard

that my husband planted about five years ago.

Several times during the snow storm,

we went outside to shake the branches off.

Our work paid off.

I am happy to say that the Maple didn't loose a single limb.

And neither did our beautiful birch.

Phew!

Also during that crazy October weather weekend,

my husband left the house early one morning

and came back with a puppy.

My question to you is...

Can you guess what kind of puppy dog we now are happy (and tired) owners to?

One hint, the bread has a New England city as part of its name.

Happy Halloween?

2011-10-31T21:15:00.009-04:00

Happy Halloween Everybody!

Finally, Halloween!

The kids have been so excited and the waiting has been long.

It's the same thing every year, you think you've got it down.

You decorate your yard, buy your pumpkins, and carve your pumpkins.

You watch scary movies.

And you go from store to store to find the perfect(?)

Halloween costumes and scary masks.

You load up on Halloween candy to make sure yo don't run out.

You make scary treats, mostly sweet.

You decorate the house, inside and out with all that scary stuff.

That's what you do.

And we had done all that.

We were sooooo ready.

And then...(the sound of a record being scratched)

This happens.

A major snow storm (IN OCTOBER!!!).

The storm brought down lots of trees and power lines in our little town.

And most other areas in New England too, for that matter.

I heard reports of snow totals up to 32 inches (not here).

They cancelled school today, and tomorrow too.

It felt more like Merry Christmas than Happy Halloween with all the snow.

Then today, on Halloween,

we get a phone call from the town saying that Halloween is cancelled.

You said what???

You cancelled Halloween?

You can do that?

Not me, not us.

Our street never lost power.

The boys and I went "trick or treating" anyways

and did end up having ourselves a very Happy Halloween.

My Yard Turned Graveyard

2011-10-24T07:14:00.009-04:00

I leave the house for one hour.

And this is what I come back to.

My yard turned graveyard.

Charming turned alarming,

spooky

and

bone chilling.

Eerie stones and bones everywhere.

It is today one week until Halloween night.

A night both scary and sweet.

My boys can't wait to "Trick or Treat".

Indian Corn and Chrysanthemum

2011-10-22T07:05:00.013-04:00

Did you decorate for fall yet?

Or, are you discouraged by previously failed craft attempts?

(I often am.)

Why not try one of these Indian corn decorating ideas?

Believe me, it doesn't get easier than this.

I don't remember where I saw this idea for a corn banner.

But all you need to do is:

tear the husks off,

screw an eye hook in to the corn,

and hot glue some husks around a piece of rope and hang the corn on it.

I did it in less than an hour.

Picture and idea from Better Homes and Gardens

I love this fork!

I'm gonna keep my eye out for a vintage farmer's fork next year

so that I can make this one next fall.

You just take some corn and use wire to attach it to the prongs.

Quick and easy but it has an extremely high nice factor.

Picture and idea from Better Homes and Gardens

I've come across several pictures of corn tied around candles.

The link above has directions on how to make your own.

A friend told me about a farm down the road (Applefield Farm) that sells dried corn that you pop on the cob in the micro wave. I thought that would be something fun to do with the kids.

Unfortunately, after buying, I realized that I have to let it dry for another month before it's ready to pop. I've become very Americanized in the 15 years that I've lived here and now prefer instant gratification.

Hmpf! I now have to wait, and then wait some more, before I can show and tell you about this popping.

At the speed I've been cranking out blog posts lately, it'll probably be just about Thanksgiving then.

Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath on that one.

I'll end with a few pictures of my Chrysanthe-mummified garden.

Mums, mums, and more mums...

Thank you for stopping by!

I appreciate each and everyone of you.

Have a great fall weekend!

Topsfield Fair

2011-10-02T17:52:00.004-04:00

Topsfield Fair is a New England tradition that has been running annually since 1818, with an exception for a few years of interruption during the Civil War and WWII.

On Friday the 30th, at 1PM, it opened its gates for the 186th time, and I was there with my boys.

Opening Friday is a great time to go if you're ever visiting.

Too early in the day to speak of any crowds.

No lines or obstructions.

They didn't even charge us the $10 for parking.

Nice, because it cost $30 for the three of us to enter the fair.

Yikes!

We started out with our favorite part of the fair... the animals.

Some hairy sheep.

And some naked sheep.

We watched sheep being sheared both the old fashion way with sheers,

and with electric clipper shears.

Here's a cow with cute curly bangs.

Or, is it a toupee?

An alpaca with a cute nose.

A beautiful draft horse enjoying some green grass

outside the Fruit and Vegetable Exhibit.

The horse looks so muscular and strong,

and I like their hairy hooves.

My son said it looks like they have boots on.

Yeah, maybe, like those furry boots people have in the Alps.

Moving on...

To the inside of the Fruit and Vegetable Exhibit.

Above is the "Best Home Garden Display".

Wowsers!

Those are some large pumpkins!

Very nice "Ribbon Worthy" produce.

But, what's in the bucket?

That's not sage, is it?

Moving on to flowers.

My favorite part of the Flower Exhibit was the Dahlia displays.

Below is one of several.

The blue glass bottles looked especially nice with the orange toned Dahlias.

Nice to see the wide range of size, petals, and colors displayed like this.

The boys and I also spent a little bit of time in the

Beekeeping house.

Look at the range of color in the honey jars!

From light, almost citrusy yellow colored honey,

to a very dark, amber color.

I wish I could have sampled them.

My son got to make his own beeswax candle (for a $1).

And if you'd rather buy them, you could have done that too.

Here is the duck race.

Volunteers from the crowd get to race mallard ducks.

Kind of fun, but over before you know it.

Besides, they were from New Mexico where duck racing,

according to the announcer, is very common.

I guess there was a pig race too,

but we missed that one.

Hand carved Welcome signs, anyone?

Or how about a cowboy hat?

With a pair of cowboy boots?

Not particularly New England:ish, more Texan, I'd say.

Here's a part of the fair that we covered quickly, the carnival.

It was actually a bit of a turn off walking through this part.

The workers at the attractions don't spare any tricks to lure your children in.

I was close to picking a fight (well, perhaps more of an argument)

with a worker

about their sneaky methods at the balloon and dart stand.

But, I figured it wasn't worth it, and we left.

The boys did try a couple of the games.

But the games are over quickly, cost a lot,

and the prices are so tacky,

that they soon wanted to leave this area.

There's no mistaking that food is a big part of any fair or carnival.

Topsfield is no exception.

All kinds of food options line the paths to every exhibit,

and the smell of fried foods lie like a heavy blanket across the fair ground.

Okay while you're hungry, but then it becomes almost nauseating.

Although dogs are prohibited from entering the fair,

there was some fun and fancy food to purchase and bring home to your pooch.

Does a dog really care though, what the food looks like?

I think this dog food mostly entertain the owner.

I seriously don't know how these bmx guys fit in to the agricultural theme.

But,

they were AWESOME!!!

We really enjoyed their performance.

Their tricks were high flying and fantastic.

I don't think I was the only mom

that gasped and held my breath a few times.

Last,

but NOT least...

The Big Pumpkin Weigh Off

This, my friends, this...

is what I came for.

This trip wouldn't have been complete

If I hadn't gotten to see these fantastic, giant pumpkins.

This year's winning pumpkin, announced last night, weighed 1,668.5 lbs,

and was grown by Mr. DeNigris and Mr. Moore of Gloucester.

Congratulations to the two of you!

All in all, a fairly fun visit.

But, I think, to enjoy it more next time, I need to let go of my romanticized images of what an agricultural fair should be like. In my mind I see an agricultural fair the way it might have been about 50 years ago. Less commercialized, more genuine, and more... agricultural.

A Lunch in Concord and an Owl

2011-09-22T13:35:00.005-04:00

Had lunch with my girl friend S in Concord (MA), yesterday.

We went to Main Street Market and Café.

I like this place, very casual and the food is good. But you gotta hit it at the right time, it can get very crowded at lunch time.

I like their beef chili with butternut squash. It's a tad spicy and very filling, and it comes with a side of cornbread.

Their muffins are good too if you're going for coffee. My favorite is the pistachio muffin. Moist, nutty, light green and yummy.

But I have any of that yesterday. I like to try new things, so I went for the Avocado BLT Panini.

The panini was pretty good. One complaint though, they had reversed the crust on the sandwich, so that the glossy bread crust was facing the filling, and the inside of the bread was on the outside. Kind of a fun idea, but with slippery avocado and tomato and no cheese to glue it to the crust, not so fun when it all falls out on the plate.

I meant to take a picture of my panini, to show you, but when I remembered, my plate looked like a big mess. You probably appreciate me not sharing.

Instead, I'll show you something pretty from our shopping.

One of my all time favorite shops, Nesting, is right around the corner and upstairs from the café. I had to drag my girlfriend with me. (I've written about Nesting here and here.)

Yesterday's shopping splurge ($12) was on a Scrabble tile pendant.

The motif is an owl.

LOVE IT!

On the front is the owl...

Turn it over,

And it's a scrabble tile piece.

Worth 2 points.

I'll keep that in mind if I ever need a G.

Soooo, you want one too like the cool kid?

Well, if you're too far away from Concord, I know 2 options.

You can either make one yourself. Look here.

Or, If you're like me (can do things very well in your mind, but when you try, things never come out the way you planned), you buy them. I've seen a few sellers on Etsy.

My friend S and I also had time to visit The Famous Concord Shop ("a hardware shop for the kitchen") and The Cottage, with fun but pricey interior decorations.

Those store visits were fruitless in terms of shopping, but not in terms of inspiration.

All in all, it was a very nice afternoon.

New and (P)improved

2011-09-19T16:52:00.002-04:00

I pimped my blog!

What started as an adjustment of the commentary box,

ended up being a full makeover.

As I feel, it was a long overdue change.

I renamed my blog to "New England as I see it".

As I often carry around my camera,

I find myself with a lot of pictures that I want to share with you.

That is why I just had to expand my blogging to include more than just nature.

More of beautiful New England,

more of my life,

and more of how I, as a Swede, see New England.

A Vermont Swimming Hole

2011-09-04T22:46:00.012-04:00

"A swimming hole is a place in a river, stream, creek, spring, or similar natural body of water, which is large enough and deep enough for a person to swim in. Common usage usually refers to fresh, moving water and thus not to oceans or lakes." (Wikipedia)

Didn't quite understand what this was when my neighbor talked about them. I sort of had a picture in my mind, but after a resent visit to Stow, Vermont, I now have a perfectly clear picture of what a swimming hole is.

It's like going to the beach for people that don't have a beach.

It's a place to cool off.

Or, maybe "show off".

Many swimming holes are located in a mountainous and rocky area with wicked cold running water. A natural place for adventurers like hikers, climbers, white water rafters...

A place for people who live for the thrill of jumping off a cliff into unknown waters,

or find it very refreshing to take a swim in bone chilling waters.

There are even swimming holes for skinny dipping, how's that for showing off your adventurous side?

Au naturel! Oh la la...

And then there are those like me, who come along for the scenery.

Walking cautiously. Carefully planning each step on my way to the swimming hole.

Not willing put my camera down to jump from a rock, or submerge myself into frigid mountain water.

Without a hot sandy beach to lay down on afterwards, I feel a little out of place.

But, it is beautiful, the scenery.

Very rugged and untouched.

The rocks that have been shaped and smoothed by water are amazing.

The clarity of the water makes it look so pure and I get thirsty.

Look at the color of the water in the top picture, it has this fantastic teal color.

I need to go back and see more swimming holes.

Can you imagine this one in the spring time?

With all the water rushing down the mountain from the melting snow?

I think it might be a powerful experience.

Waiting for Irene

2011-08-28T06:44:00.005-04:00

Everyone is waiting for Irene.

There has been so much coverage on the news that I am sick and tired of it.

And it hasn't even hit us yet.

The rain started yesterday though.

We got some real heavy rain last night.

Didn't even know rain could come down like that.

It sounded like nails hammering in to our roof.

Fascinating.

What I did know,

was that my hydrangeas would not be looking good after this weekend.

So I decided to bring a few in yesterday.

I don't know why I haven't done that before.

I barely cut any off, and I still got enough for several vases.

The mopheads are so big that you just need a few,

or just one, for big impact.

Decided to get some mint, basil and rosemary too into a bouquet.

Just incase I didn't feel like going outside in pouring rain to get herbs for cooking.

Or making a drink.

So, here comes thunder.

And the wind is picking up.

I hope that our big pine trees stand tall and proud through this.

I hope that our house keeps the water out.

I hope that we get to keep our electricity.

And,

that my East Coast friends stay safe!

I better go make some coffee now while we still have power.

Claiming the Blueberry

2011-08-25T09:21:00.007-04:00

Blueberry Picking at Honey Pot Hill

2011-08-19T07:51:00.009-04:00

Yesterday morning I took the boys and their cousin to go blueberry picking at

Honey Pot Hill.

A nice family run farm here in Stow.

It is something we like to do at least once each summer.

Picking your own blueberries is fun and the kids enjoy handpicked berries

so much more

than the ones we buy from the grocery store.

Here they are, the boys, on their way to the blueberry fields.

Each ready to fill their own pint size basket.

We passed by row 7 and 8 to sample the sweetest berries

(according to the sign by the entrance).

Then settled to pick from row 1 and 2 that had the most ripe berries.

The grayish coating protects the berry and is called bloom.

The patience to pick blueberries on a hot muggy summer morning for little boys

lasted just long enough to fill our baskets.

For lunch there was pepperoni pizza and blueberry smoothies.

Yum!

Daisy Love

2011-08-14T07:10:00.008-04:00

Back in April, I fell in love with a pink daisy at the garden center.

Oooo, so sweet, those white tipped soft pink petals.

Watch out!

Incoming....

A yellow little bird - that is nuts about Daisy's seeds.

Soft pink petals flying everywhere.

Hmpf!

Note to bird lovers: I really don't mind the total destruction of this flower, it made me laugh the way this bird was going at it.

I truly enjoy birds feeding in my garden. I was just not aware of the Gerbera Daisy being attractive to birds for its seeds.

Kicks in Bloom

2011-08-12T08:04:00.005-04:00

Hey, look at my new kicks!

I bought them in a grocery store (Yes, a grocery store!) while vacationing in Sweden.

I am so childishly in love with these. I put them on and just feel happy.

I walk out on the porch and feel a nice late summer breeze.

I lie down on the couch and put my feet up.

Man, I dig these shoes.

I don't even care if I will use them a lot.

Just looking at them makes me feel all warm inside.

So cute with the pink roses on the black canvas.

So perfect for a garden girl like me.

So perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.

It is nice to be back.

I am not alone

2011-07-06T08:55:00.013-04:00

Do you ever have the feeling that you are not alone?

That someone is watching you?

I find that I am surrounded by little critters and creatures in my garden,

and that my family and I are not the only residents on this property.

Sometimes their presence is not obvious, you have to really pay attention and see.

Can you spot the three birds on the tree above?

Some creatures are fairly stationary and melt in to their surroundings in terms of shape and color. Others provide plenty of movement and and beauty and are impossible to miss.

Others exhibit behavior that is bold, energetic and sometimes a bit loud and mischievous.

Their presence is most often not deterred by my presence.

Then there are those that melt my heart every time their feather light body swoop in and lands on a flower stem to have a snack. I want to thank them for choosing my garden and tell them to "go ahead, eat as much as you want".

There is one that always puts a smile on my face because when it spots me, it freezes and thinks that if it doesn't move, I won't see it. But I do, I saw it first. And to this one I want to say "Go ahead, eat the clover but leave my flowers.".

And lastly, the mystery residents and visitors.

Sometimes you see traces of activity, but you just don't know who or what.

As I was gardening one day, I was stepping on some ground-cover to reach some weeds. As I stepped back, I noticed some movement. For a moment I got a bit worried wondering if I had possibly upset some kind of hornets nest in the ground and contemplated running inside. Then I saw how it moved and figured it might be some kind of tunneling animal, like a mouse or something. I have lots and lots of little entrances on my flower hill, probably close to one every square yard. And I imagine that I have an underground tunnel system more impressive than the London Subways.

I have long suspected chipmunks or voles, but never seen anyone enter or exit these tunnels until the other morning. And I caught it with my camera. I think this is an infant vole.

I am afraid I might have a fairly large population of these. Fortunately, they have not been bothering my plants or their roots... yet.

Well, that was one mystery solved.

All these critters and creatures are part of what makes my garden alive and "homey" to me.

Annelie

Miniature Poppies

2011-07-05T08:45:00.002-04:00

Waaaaay back in January, I wrote about sowing poppies in the snow. Basically, you go out in the winter and scatter poppy seeds wherever you want them to grow, and that's what I did.

I scattered about 500 of seeds, and then... I waited. And waited.

From April and on, I've been looking close at every little green leaf that emerged from the dirt. Not being sure what I could pull as a weed, I let most things green remain until I was sure that it either was, or wasn't a weed.

Then, in late June, I noticed the teeniest little green stems, slightly fuzzy, with microscopical buds on them. MY POPPIES!

But what had happened? Why were they so small?

Well, one thing I'm guessing is that I scattered the seeds a tad late and they didn't get enough time. In March, as the last of the snow was melting, I realized that I better hurry. I ran out and scattered them on the melting droves of snow. So, more like spring sowing than winter sowing.

Out of five distinct areas that I targeted, the seeds only sprouted in one of them. That one spot is a full sun spot and isn't occupied by other plants.

I have to say, snow covered ground makes it a bit hard to know and remember exactly what's underneath and where to scatter the seeds.

I used a few envelopes of mixed seed varieties. California Poppies did NOT work as one of my facebook friends had told me, but I had to try.

Here is a size comparison. To the far right is a normal size seed pod from my Oriental Poppies. And, to the left of it, in the middle, is the seed pot from the biggest snow poppy (showed on top right), this one was about 1.5" across when blooming.

To the far left, the average size of my snow poppies.

Size: annoyingly small! Its blooming size is smaller than an American quarter.

Now that I know where they take seed, I think I'll try it again this coming winter. It is by far the easiest and quickest way to sow seeds.

Well, folks, that's all.

Hope you are enjoying your summer as I am. I wish I could slow it down, though. June just flew by, have no idea where it went. I'm feeling slightly stressed about that to be honest. The fear of a runaway summer entered my dreams the other night. I dreamed that I saw frost on my plants and someone told me that the fall was here. GASP!!!

So, take advantage of these beautiful summer days. Stop and smell the roses, eat some ice cream and make some trips to the ocean and dip your toes in the water before it's all too late.

Annelie

Brimfield Antique Show

2011-05-25T17:08:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I am not on top of posting lately, but if you are reading this, you're still with me. And for that, I appreciate you and Thank You!

After dreaming of attending Brimfield Antique Show (Massachusetts) for several years, I finally went.

Brimfield is one of the largest outdoor antique fairs in the country. It is held three times a year and pulls a big crowd. Even Martha Stewart is a fan, I've heard she marks it on her calendar. This May's fair is covered on her website under the Home & Garden tab for those of you who are curious and are looking for more information.

The whole experience is a bit overwhelming. The show draws thousands of vendors from all over the country. There is more ground to cover than you could possibly do in one day. I think??? Perhaps that's why the show runs for almost a whole week.

Well, I went early on a Saturday morning and I am sharing my experience and a few of the hundreds of pictures that I took.

I saw plenty of things that I was interested in buying, like the beautiful prints above, but I just kept holding off in case I should find something better. Suddenly I didn't know what I liked or what I wanted. I was too overwhelmed.

I did like these painted well buckets when I first saw them, cute to have plants in, I thought. But then I saw that they were made in China and they kind of lost their appeal.

Now, these perforated tin buckets above, I absolutely love, especially now that I am sitting in front of my computer and looking at them again. At the time that I took the picture, I didn't really see them. I just thought "nice buckets"and took a picture.

A bit morbid perhaps, but I find this animal skull attractive. Can't quite put my finger on why.

On the right, really cool, lobster traps made into lamps. I like rusty old, wiry stuff, and clever repurposing.

Repurposing again, old license plates made into bird houses. Not my taste, too whimsical for me, but fun and different.

I bet the wooden stakes with herb names didn't sell all that well. Don't you look at those and think "wouldn't those be really easy to make yourself"?

Yeah, I thought so too.

Ooh, la la, nice shapes! Especially on the right. I like.

Hey you gardeners with great imaginations, can you see the female wire mannequin dressed in moss or succulents? You know, make it in to a garden sculpture. I'm sure it could be done, I'm just not one of those handy crafty people who could do it.

On the left, professional Brimfield shoppers.

On the right, a former professional locked up (by husband I assume).

Perhaps if I had bought one of these totally hot bikes...

...my feet wouldn't have gotten so tired.

Perhaps a change of shoes would have helped?

Anyhow, five hours later, the crowds were thickening,

and it was time to head back home.

Hands up if you totally dig Brimfield and will come back.

Really?!?!?!

I almost ended up leaving without anything in my hands. What a shame that would have been. Towards the end I found this old wooden beer box, originally $65 but haggled it down to $20. Perfect for my Swedish magazines and a couple of books. Ooooh, and I also found the antler in the picture, and that I paid $10 for, without haggling. I thought the price was reasonable as it was.

All the best,

Annelie

The Red Tulip

2011-05-04T08:21:00.001-04:00

I wanted to share a couple of pictures with you that my Swedish friend Gisela took last weekend. She took a bunch of nice pictures of Boston on a spring day, but the two below from the Public Garden, really caught my attention and curiosity.

Picture by Gisela

There, amongst a sea of yellow tulips stands a single RED tulip.

This red tulip is so intriguing.

It sticks out, catches your eye and engages mind and imagination.

Picture by Gisela

How did it end up there?

Was it human or natural error?

From my own experience, it has happened more than once that flowers

open a different color than what the label said.

Was it on purpose?

Perhaps a mischievous gardener wanted to play a little trick on visitors.

Or maybe it was a romantic gardener sending a message to his lover.

(A red tulip is a declaration of love.)

Another question is how long the red tulip will stand there.

It does stick out like a sore thumb among all the yellow tulips.

Even though I would NEVER pick it,

I have to admit that something inside me compels me to remove it.

I'm not sure if it the perfectionist in me that produces the urge to pick the tulip.

Or, that I am slightly obsessive compulsive about certain things,

or the fact that the single red tulip troubles my mind a bit

and I want to put my mind at ease.

I'm sure at least a few more people passing by this beautiful tulip has had similar thoughts.

What do you think?

A big Thank You to Gisela for letting me borrow your beautiful pictures.

And to anyone curious about things to do in Boston, please do visit Gisela's website Love Boston with me.

Have a great Wednesday!

Annelie

I decided to add this note from my photographer friend Gisela.

"From the photographer.... All who walked by (and there was a Walk for something that day so there were thousands of people...) stopped and were intrigued by the red tulip. People were commenting left and right and the red tulip got its picture taken more than once.

I think it was a deliberate plan by a 'busig' gardener... 'cause on the other side, there was a pink one in exactly the same place among the yellow tulips... but it didn't stand out as much as the red tulip."

Pots and Containers

2011-05-01T07:16:00.005-04:00

Saturday was all about pots and containers.

At 7:30 AM, I went to Lowe's to get some material. I knew it was gonna be a busy gardening weekend because of the nice weather, so I thought I'd get an early start. I was up and about anyways.

The hanging pot above, I had spray painted black. It was previously zinc and copper colored and I just didn't think it looked right on the pale yellow wall. I filled it with lavender, a dahlia and a trailing flower I can't remember the name of.

The pot can be used to write messages on, no chalk board paint needed. And the pot is hanging under a roof, so the message won't wash out during spring showers.

The little pot next to it has cute little mini tulips that I purchased at Stonegate Gardens the other day. They are fantastic when they open, revealing a light purple-blue:ish center.

Sooo cute!

In the big white pot by the front door, I had a mugo pine over the winter with lights in it.

Ugh! It was SO time for that one to be planted in the garden. S, my better half, offered so nicely to do that for me. Thank you, honey!

I usually put one majestic big-impact kind of plant in this one for the summer. Think mandevilla or hibiscus. But I decided to do something different this year. I put a clematis, a small boxwood, sedge grass, dianthus, some salvia and pansies in there. My thought is to replace plants as they are over flowered and past it's prime with new fresh color, and plant the old ones in the garden.

I just couldn't stand the thought of looking at the same plant in that pot from now to October. (Although, mandevillas are my absolute summer favorite) This seems like a much more fun thing to do. When you sit on the bistro set next to it, it gives you more of a garden feel.

I like!

Just wanted to show you a cute container that my friend made. It's of grape hyacinths in a mossy basket. Really cute. I'm thinking I might copy that for next spring. Those little flowers are best enjoyed where you can appreciate them, at table height.

A few more containers are in progress, I found a couple of cobalt blue glazed terra cotta pots at a steel prize yesterday at Marshall's. The pink daises will go in one of them. And the other...

I think I have to go to a garden center and look for some plants to fill it with. :)

Have a great Sunday!

Annelie

Turn ons at the Garden Center

2011-04-29T08:06:00.006-04:00

The frequent visits to garden centers has begun.

I was able to hit two, that are fairly close to each other, the other afternoon.

Each garden center has it's own strength, no one has it all.

Some I favor for price or proximity, other for variety and quality, and there is one that I like that has cheap and unusual pots. Some garden centers have great perennial selections whereas others may have better annual selections. You know what I'm talking about. You can't get all of your shopping done at one garden center.

Stonegate Garden is a place you go to for quality and eye candy, not for bargains.

It was here that I found this stunning Pasque flower.

Heart Throb

I was completely taken by its beauty. Floored. Couldn't stop looking at it.

The contrast between the sweet, soft, so innocent fuzzy, and the powerful, conniving, pink-maroon petals that seductively pulls you in, is something that just grabbed me.

Transition Beauty

Although this Daisy didn't evoke quite the same heart throbbing sensation, it still hit the spot for me. I am a big fan of flowers that transition in color from young to mature. Above picture shows all the phases. The flower starts out in a beautiful yellowish-green, then pale pink grows in with the petals and it finishes off in a darker pink.

Mmmmmm.....

And, lastly, another Daisy that rocks my boat, slightly different than the one above. The delicate yellow and green center, surrounded by the pale pink petals with a hint of white at the tips, is delicious.

The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny this weekend.

Gardening is on my list along with a few more visits to the local garden centers.

Happy Weekend!

Annelie

My New Camera and a Ranunculus Bouquet

2011-04-25T20:17:00.007-04:00

My new camera is a Canon EOS 60D, and I absolutely love it. It came with a 18-135 mm lens, which will more than do for now.

I don't know much about manual focus shooting, but I'm reading the books my husband gave me to learn it all (hopefully). There is a lot to learn, so I think this will take some time.

Fortunately, the camera comes with an array of automatic and semi automatic shooting modes that makes it easy to just dive in and get started taking pictures.

And it is sooooo much fun!!!

Ranunculus Bouquet