Category Archives: Flowers & Gardens

September 11, 2011 · 11:26 am

Alpacas are Adorable: Truro Agricultural Fair 2011

The 3rd annual Truro Agricultural Fair drew a huge crowd last weekend on the Outer Cape. From pie-eating contests and three-legged races, to the Barnyard Beauty Contest (you vote with locally grown beans) and the fiddlers on the bandstand, to the abundance of ripe tomatoes and an early crop of pumpkins, this country-like gathering was a rocking scene for this otherwise quiet beach town.

The alpacas were so cute. Super soft too. They look like a cross between a poodle and a camel, but somehow much more appealing.

Who knew there were so many roosters and hens in Truro? The fowl far outnumbered the other animals in the Barnyard Beauty Contest.

There were only a few bunnies this year. These guys are cuddly. The goose is a bit bedraggled.

The kids’ pie eating contest. Girls took 1st and 2nd place.

See you next year!

Photos of animals, fish, and flowers from the first Truro Agricultural Fair in 2009.

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Covet: Pigeon Toe Ceramics Porcelain Disc Chimes

I’ve been a fan of Portland, Oregon studio Pigeon Toe Ceramics since its advent in 2009, but my love has been renewed with these charming wind chimes.

Designer Lisa Jones strings hand-thrown, glazed porcelain discs on deerskin cords (available in six different colors) or a more monochromatic natural jute twine.The irregularly rounded forms and gentle clinking sounds are welcome departures from more intrusive, metal chimes that echo on otherwise peaceful summer eves.

(Disc Chimes, $44 for 4 discs; $70 for 8.)

Flowers: Quiet Moment

Roses from the garden in a clear Alvar Aalto vase in a corner of our dining room on Cape Cod.

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Flowers: Carrie Chang Floral Lab

Floral designer Carrie Chang of Floral Lab dropped off this exquisite arrangement for me last night. (So nice!) The pretty spring blooms are nestled in a moss handbag planter that you can re-use in your garden. She suggests re-planting it with African violets. Perhaps I will! Meanwhile, I’m loving the added color to my dining room, and the cat hasn’t even tried to munch on them yet. Thanks Carrie!

f l o r a l l a b * b o s t o n

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Tagged as Boston florists, Carrie Chang, Floral Lab

May 5, 2010 · 9:13 pm

Design Diary: A Japanese Garden in Boston

Almost two years ago I wrote about the fantastic Japanese garden that David Kimelberg created in the courtyard behind his Charlestown, Mass. townhouse – “A Backyard Fit For An Emperor” in the Boston Globe Magazine.

Lawyer by day, gardener and Japanese culture enthusiast on the weekends, Kimelberg researched diligently to learn about the various elements of such gardens, but instead of following the strict rules, he incorporated bits and pieces where he could.

In his garden, the koi pond represents the sea, large rough stones symbolize mountains, and each lantern is an ode to the Japanese temple. There’s a granite bench for contemplation and a slate-roofed model teahouse.

Of course, it’s not all so serious and serene. He and his wife host a Japanese garden party every summer, complete with sushi and sake. They dress the dog like a dragon and encourage guests to wear kimonos.

Kimbelberg on a granite bench, tending a bonsai in his garden.

Photo: Dave Henderson