Blueberry Picking at Honey Pot Hill

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!

The Italian Garden at Taxinge Castle

I don't know if you feel the same, but, I'm feeling kind of done being excited about winter and winter pictures. I decided to dig in to my archive for some unpublished pictures of a visit toTaxinge Castle in Sweden from last summer.

Taxinge Castle sits on a piece of property that has changed hands several times since the 1200s. Various kings and noblemen have taken up residence here, but since 1999, Nykvarn County is the owner.

Image of Italian Garden above from www.nykvarn.com

Thankfully, this space is open to the public. The property is beautifully located on lake Mälaren, provides lots of open space and greenery, and there are several themed gardens, where of the Italian Garden is my favorite.

(The ornate bird nest above is not a part of the Italian Garden.)

The Italien Garden is situated on top of the cellar of one of the castle's original orangeries. I don't know much about the orangery, when it was in use and when it was torn down, but I'm curious about whether those walls were part of it or not. I do like the "roomy" feel that the walls create and how you can look in to the room from different areas and see different views. Stone walls have always caught my attention and I love the texture it lends the room. The symmetric, geographic pattern that the boxwood make, appeals to me even though I'm not much of a formal garden lover.

I just felt happy sitting on one of these benches in front of the water fountain on this beautiful day. It was green and lush with beautiful roses and honeysuckle, the sound of the fountain was calming. If it wasn't for my two boys running around chasing each other, treating the Italian Garden as a maze, I could probably have taken a nap right there on the spot.

But, no time for sleeping, coffee and pastries were waiting for us.

Taxinge Castle's Café houses Northern Europe's largest cookie and pastry buffet. With more than 50 different kinds of home-baked pastries, it is not hard to find something that suits you. But... it is hard to make up your mind. Everything looks and tastes great. With your coffee and pastry selected and paid for, you can choose to sit either in the library or outside in the park. I like it outside were the kids can run around while I finnish up licking my plate.

Needless to say, I've been here several times - and I will come back.

From Slottsträdgårdsmästaren, who coincidentally was writing on the same topic, I learned that Taxinge Castle is competing for the title of Sweden's most beautiful garden this year.

Good Luck to Taxinge!

It is the season...

... to be inspired by nature - and to bring it indoors.

We went Christmas tree shopping yesterday and came home with an 11-footer. Yikes! What happened? Why did I agree to that? Did I agree to that? Not sure I did, anyhow, right now it stands tall and proud in our living room (with cathedral ceilings), partially dressed.

Partially dressed because we ran out of ornaments. Definitely need some more.

Today while walking around in Concord with my parents, we stopped in at Nesting on Main, my all time favorite "nature-decorating" store to get some inspiration.

I found that the traditional Christmas tree idea can be interpreted in many different ways.


It doesn't even have to be a tree. It could be a few branches from your yard put into a vase.


It could be a decorated wreath, or...


...drift wood glued together in the shape of a christmas tree.


In whatever shape or form (or size) the tree may be, I very much like the nature inspired ornaments.


And I like it simple, simple like a little bird peeking out of a miniature tree.


And I like it simple as in lots of wooly hearts or simple but beautiful as in a tree made of birch bark (very Scandinavian, I like).

How adorable is this little guy with the scarf? I'm guessing he is a penguin, but I'm not sure.

He wanted to come home with me, I know it, but I left without him. And now I regret it.

Come to think of it, there were a few more things I wanted... we'll see.

Maybe there will be some time in the next few days to go back.

I know for sure that there is plenty of room for quite a few ornaments in the top third of our 11 foot tree.

Farmer's market

One of my simple pleasures around harvest time...

is to visit local farmer's markets and browse their offerings.

Would I like some Indian corn to hang on my front door perhaps?

Think I'll wait just a couple more weeks.

Or some hot peppers to spice up today's dinner?

Maybe I'll make a spicy pasta.

The temptations are many.

Some are for sampling.

And I do sample AND I do buy.

I feel good about supporting local business and small farms.

A feast for the senses.

I taste, touch, smell and see freshness.

The offerings are colorful, mouthwatering and FRESH!!!

The carrots and radishes pictured above got to go home with me.

At home, I couldn't help comparing carrots.

Above are some baby carrots...

Below are carrots that make me go:

- Oh, BABY!!!

Winston Flowers

Winston Flowers...

A third-generation family-owned company,

with 6 shops in and around Boston,

is one of my favorite places to go for inspiration.

It's like visiting a museum.

I stand and admire their creations.

Creations so simple,

but at the same time so complex.

Like these white eggplants in a wooden bowl.

I can't stop looking at them.

So brilliant!