Most of us that reside on Cape Ann know of Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree, but just in case not, this original-to-Gloucester tree makes a splendid setting for holiday snapshots. The tree is constructed of donated lobster traps and what makes ours especially, especially beautiful is that the buoys adorning the tree are all hand painted by kids at Art Haven.
Charlotte finding the buoy she painted – Liv photo
Another wonderfully unique feature of the tree is that you can walk through and take photos from the inside looking up. Local resident Shawn Henry designed and installed the lights so that the arrangement is equally as beautiful from the outside as it is from the inside.
Next time you are thinking about holiday photos, think Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree. Every time while visiting the tree we meet people from all around the north shore region who are either there purposefully or just happened upon the tree. There is always much ooouuuing and aawwwing to be heard; people just love our tree. Not only for family snapshots, one time while I was there taking photos, a wedding party stopped by! Gloucester’ Lobster trap Tree is located at the plaza next to the Gloucester police station at 197 Main Street.Photos at the Lobster Trap Tree is a family tradition – Charlotte at one and a half <3
Wishing you all a good holiday season! I know it can get busy and overwhelming this time of year; don’t forget to take a breath and remember, we are all only human. The best thing, in my opinion, is to simply give each other your presence and, if possible, a smile.
We will be at Iron Ox Farm this Saturday the 17th from 10am to 1pm selling some beautiful greenhouse produce at their holiday Market. We will not be doing online orders for produce at Cedar Rock again until late January.
Iron Ox Farm 656 Asbury Street Hamilton, MA 01982
We will be bringing
Carrots, beets, kale, scallions, head lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and lots of mixed greens!
Hope to see you there, we have a wonderful line up of other farms, makers and food at the market so feel free to just come say hello and catch up!
Late Friday afternoon I dashed into Main Street Art and Antiques to look for teeny tiny treasures to fill Charlotte’s Advent calendar’s teeny tiny boxes with. While there, a lovely red, green, and cream antique applique quilt caught my eye. The red tulips with green stems, leaves, and flower pots is similar to quilts from the 1930s I think. The stitching is exquisite and there were no tears or holes as far as I could see. Unfortunately, the whole quilt was very badly yellowed. After talking to proprietor Kimberly Cox (David Cox’s daughter), who offered the quilt for a very fair and reasonable price, I decided to take a chance and see if the yellowing and stains could be removed.
It had been a while since I had purchased vintage textiles. On my way home I stopped at Stop and Shop and was in luck with a small box of Oxiclean. The directions are vague but after reading a bunch online and taking advice from the lovely sales girl at Main Street Art and Antiques, I first wet tested a corner of the quilt to make sure the red wasn’t going to bleed everywhere. After half an hour, all clear, with no bleeding! Then filled a large plastic tub with icy cold water and two scoops of Oxiclean. For the next several hours, I stirred the quilt very gently every twenty minutes or so. After three hours, the tub was filled with a deep orangey yellowish water. Drained all, rinsed repeatedly, refilled the tub with cold water and one more scoop of Oxiclean. The water stayed fairly clear and the quilt was beginning to look amazing. I drained the tub again, and being very careful not to let the weight of the quilt pull on its self, to avoid damaging the fabric, I put the quilt in the washing machine. The settings were on delicate cycle, extra rinse, and cold water but with no additional soap added.
The quilt washed and dried beautifully. The applique and quilt stitches are phenomenally tiny. I am so glad I took a chance with this exquisite quilt from Main Street Art and Antiques!
Thank you to my darling daughter Liv who took the snapshots and video with her new iPhone14 camera. See more from Liv on Instagram here.
This is our first Christmas with a white cotton duck slipcover and I am having so much fun changing it up for different seasonal looks. Our former sofa upholstery I absolutely loved but was 20 plus years old and somewhat limiting in choice of coordinating fabrics. The quilt goes beautifully with the red, green, and cream Colefax and Fowler block print fabrics that I made new pillows from (thank you Zimmans!) and our new winter red and white striped cotton rug from Annie Selke. The rug is wonderfully textured and cozy on the feet! Last night I made some new Christmas stockings to hang around the house with remnants from the pillows. A sort of French-Indian-American blend of fabrics and I think our little music/living room is feeling very hygge 🙂
Main Street Art and Antiques is located at 124 Main Street, Gloucester.
Hours:
Friday 11am – 5:00pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm
Sunday 11am – 4pm
Kimberly Cox shares that her Dad, David, is often in the shop on Wednesdays if you want to pop in and say hello <3
There are holiday and home treasures to be had at all our local Cape Ann shops. I’ve only touched on a very few here and with Christmas just around the corner and our daughter home from LA, I don’t think I’ll have time to write more. Enjoy the lights, the coziness, the friendly proprietors and staff and have fun shopping local!
Wonderfully eclectic and whimsical holiday treasures and treats are found at Alexandra’s Bread. You’ll find an assortment of hostess gifts including tea towels, aprons (with matching potholders), and tea cozies. There is beautiful fair trade holiday decor, along with lovely and unique handmade Christmas ornaments (see the Loons from Nova Scotia in the photo gallery).
Adding to the wonderfully whimsical atmosphere, Alexandra curates the bakery with a fun collection of vintage ceramics, textiles, local mementoes, curios, and glassware.I love shopping at Alexandra’s Bread, for the the fun cheeriness of the bakery, but mostly to say hello to Alexandra, Jon, and oftentimes their son Henry is there helping, too. We always have great conversation and I invariably leave thinking how fortunate we are to have a shop like Alexandra’s in our community. By-the-way, Henry is a GHS alumni and a recent graduate of Bates College, with a degree in conservation biology.
In addition to their exquisite French bread, cobbles, and olive bread, our family LOVES Alexandra’s cranberry scones and CHOCOLATE biscotti! While shopping be sure to get your bread and baked good’s orders in for the holidays ahead of time. The bakery will be open through Christmas Eve.
Alexandra’s is located at 265 Main Street, Gloucester.
Stepping into the decorating workshop at Wolf Hill is like entering a Christmas do-it-yourselfer’s dream. The shop and tree yard are overflowing with festive decor and Christmas delights to make your holiday-making extra especially merry!
Whether in need of a beautiful Fraser fir or pine Christmas tree, white pine roping, birch logs, wreaths of every dimension, lights, or holiday treasures for your tree, Wolf Hill has it all.
They have all the ingredients to do it yourself, but if pressed for time, proprietor Pam and her crew have filled the shop with ready made gorgeous wreaths, bows, and pots filled with greens and berries, pinecones, and bows.
Thank you to Makenzie, Jarred, and Piping Plover Friends Pat and Delores for allowing me to take your snapshot <3
I love shopping at Wolf Hill, not only because of the stellar quality of holiday and landscaping plants and supplies they sell throughout the year but mostly because the staff, to a person, is always helpful, kind, and wonderfully friendly. Many, many thanks to Pam and Crew for always making it a joy to do business with Wolf Hill, throughout the year! One more note- check out these fun stocking stuffers for little ones that Makenzie pointed out. You look at the tree lights through the glasses and see shapes dancing around the lights. I tried on a pair and it works!
Amanda Cook and artisan friends have created another grand pop up shop, chock-a-block full of holiday delights. You’ll find lovely hand made gifts, art work, stocking stuffers, and lots of unique, yet practical, items for your home and family. Just some of the items featured in the photos include prints by Mary Rhinelander; Amanda’s Salty Yarn’s line of yarn, children’s gifts, and ornaments; and Hold Fast’s Dog Bar soap and wreaths made from recycled dock lines. There is a rich variety of gifts, far more than featured here –
You’ll find a super fun array of stocking stuffers at Present!
I stopped in Sunday on Present’s opening day and plan to go several times more during this upcoming stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas as they are constantly making new treasures and restocking the shelves.
Present is located at 273 East Main Street, at the Last Stop cafe.
Hours:
Open everyday except Tuesdays, now through Christmas Eve.
We Dream in Colour Shop is the newest venture by local designer Jade Gedeon. You may be familiar with Jade’s work through We Dream in Colour, the extraordinarily beautiful hand-made nature-inspired jewelry line that sells regionally and globally. For the new shop that goes by the same name, Jade and her sister Mika have curated an exquisite collection of gifts for all ages, jewelry, books, and decor for your home.
Jade and Mika
Featuring We Dream in Colour’s complete line of jewelry, along with fanciful collections of home goods, and all exuberantly inspired by nature, the sun-drenched shop is overflowing with treasures.
We Dream in Colour is located at 166 Main Street Essex in the lovely white washed 1700s brick building at the intersection where RT. 133 meets Southern Avenue.
Gorgeous, organic, homegrown produce is available from Cedar Rock Gardens for your beautiful Thanksgiving feast. Colorful beets, crème brûlée shallots, leeks, Brussel sprouts on the stalk, luscious potatoes, greens of every sort, parsley, and much, much more. Plus, you can order a bunch of lavender and strawflowers which will make a lovely and lasting holiday arrangement. I am getting hungry just thinking about all this gorgeousness!
Produce Ordering!
Starting Today, November 14th, our website will be open for ordering farm fresh produce. Orders must be in by Friday at noon.
We’ll be assembling everyone’s order during the day Friday, then opening pick-ups on Saturday 11/19, between 9 AM and 12 PM
After Saturday morning’s arresting sunrise, I took a few more quick tests with the Fuji X-T4, shooting the roses blooming in our garden, or wall of fragrance, would be more apt at this time of year. The Lily-of-the-Valley are nearing the end of their florescence and quite dramatically, all the roses have popped open simultaneously. It doesn’t happen this way every year, usually the blooming times are a bit more staggered, but I am not complaining 🙂
The most potently fragrant rose that blooms in our garden is the Bourbon rose Madame Isaac Pereire. She is thought to be the most fragrant rose on Earth. That is an extraordinary claim to fame but I find it to be true in our little fragrant oasis, as well as in client’s gardens where I have planted Mme. Isaac Pereire.
Bourbon roses originated from Reunion, a small French Island in the Indian Ocean, which lies east of Madagascar. Reunion was formerly known as the Isle de Bourbon. Rose hedges ring the island and here there was a chance cross between the Old Blush China rose and the Autumn Damask rose. The resulting Bourbon roses are known for their repeat flowering, semi-climbing habit, glossy foliage, and intense fragrance.
Plant Bourbon roses and you will be transported to a dreamy Island in the Indian Ocean.
Blooming today in our garden is another deliciously fragrant Bourbon rose, Variegata di Bologna
Our “Mystery Rose” comes from a cutting of a rose found growing in a woodsy glen near our first house that we moved to in Gloucester. When we purchased our own home on the other side of Gloucester, I was afraid I would never smell that beautiful scent again and clipped some cutting (this was before I knew about Bourbon roses). The Mystery Rose surprised in how quickly and how tall it grew. Although only once-blooming, this wonderfully hearty rose some years grows up past my second floor bedroom window. How lucky am I to smell this rose every morning when lying in bed thinking about the upcoming day.
Mystery Rose
Another intoxicatingly fragrant rose of unknown origin is Darlow’s Engima, also blooming and clamoring up the side of the house where is located my office on the first floor, and bedroom on the second.
Take in the wonderful fragrance of the flowering Black Locust trees adjacent to the footbridge entrance. The air is redolent with the scent of orange blossoms and honey, along with the Rosa rugosa blooming nearby.
The stand at Good Harbor Beach has been increasing in size and I don’t ever recall the scent quite as potent as it is this year. You can smell the flowers halfway down Nautilus Road!
Black Locust are native to the Appalachian Mountains. The leaves are a host to over 67 species of Lepidoptera, including Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, Red-spotted Purple, Viceroy, Giant Leopard Moth, and the Elm Sphinx Moth. A host plant is a caterpillar food plant. And they offer nectar to pollinators, including Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
Starting May 18th, our warm weather seedlings will be available to come shop at the nursery.
With the next four nights predicted to be above 50 degrees and Saturday night predicted to be above 60 degrees it is a perfect time to bring the warm season vegetables, flowers, and herbs out of the greenhouse.
We have fully stocked the garden center with 40 varieties of tomatoes, a handful of cucumbers, squash, 33 varieties of sweet and hot peppers, eggplants, zinnias, basil, rosmary and much more. We are very excited for another summer growing season and are excited to play in the dirt under the warm sun. We have added some new varieties this year so take some time and ask any questions you may have on new items and staff favorites.
We will have sunflowers, sweet potatoes and melons coming out of the greenhouse along with some varieties of zinnias over the next couple of weeks.
If we do get any nights that go under 45 degrees F we recommend that you cover basil, cucumbers and squash with row cover.
We also have a great selection of hanging baskets and annual and perennial herbs and flowers. Our native perennials selection is stocked up and attracting all the pollinators you can imagine – bring them home to your gardens!
Hope you are having a wonderful spring!
We have posted all the Flower, Herb and Vegetable varieties we are growing this year on our website for you to check out and get excited for! Visit Cedar Rock Gardens Here
When Saucer Magnolias are in full bloom —This pair on Eastern Point has to be one of Cape Ann’s prettiest!
The Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) was first created in 1820 by French amateur plantsman Étienne Soulange-Bodin, a retired officer in Napoleon’s army. He crossed Magnolia denudata with M. liliiflora.
I wish I knew more about the history of this grand old home and if the trees were planted when the house was first built. If anyone knows more about, please write. Thank you 🙂
Cedar Rock Gardens is carrying both Asclepias (milkweed) and Eupatorium (Joe-pye). Both of these wildflowers are two of the best plants for supporting native pollinators and creating a wildlife friendly garden.
Charlotte and I visited Tip Top Tulips and were we ever wowed! Not only are the tulips that are blooming perfect for picking and photographing but there are rows and rows of tulips that are about ready to burst into bloom at any moment.
Paul Wegzyn and his Dad, also Paul, have outdone themselves with combining colors and creating lovely vignettes for photos. Wonders of wonders, Tip Top Tulips is now home to a menagerie of adorable farm animals. We met Midnight the pony, very feisty and fun, along with the more laid back Fancy, the donkey. Next to become acquainted with were nine six-month old Nigerian goats, two tiny baby lambs (and their Moms), and Chad, the sweetest Border Collie puppy you can imagine.
Chad
While Charlotte and I were picking tulips, Midnight decided to cut loose and have a frolic in the tulip field, which made for some very funny moments. Tip Top Tulips is the most wonderfully kid-friendly flower farm and certainly gets Charlotte’s award for the best farm animals ever!
Midnight
Tip Top Tulips is open seven days a week and on weekends, there are extra fun activities, including goat yoga for kids and adults. This coming weekend, the weekend of April 30th – May 1st, a brand new batch of baby goats are arriving to join the menagerie.
Tip Top Tulips is located at 20 Lowes Lane, Ipswich, just off 1A, behind the Dairy Queen.
Conserve Wildlife NJ senior biologist Todd Pover makes a site visit to Cape Ann beaches, summer long updates from “Plover Central,” GHB Killdeer dune family raise a second brood of chicks, Cape Hedge chick lost after fireworks disturbance and then reunited with Fam, Great Black-backed Gulls are eating our Plover chicks, thousands of Moon Snail collars at Cape Hedge, Monarchs abound, #savesaltisland, missing Iguana Skittles, and Earwig eating Cecropia Moth cats.
August 2021
New short film for the Sawyer Free Library The Marvelous Magnificent Migrating Monarch!, Coastal Waterbird Conservation Cooperators meeting new short Piping Plover film, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the garden, why we love Joe-pye and other wildflowers, butterfly friends, Monarch cats in the garden, what is the purpose of the gold dots found on Monarch chrysalides?,Black Beauty came calling, Tigers in the garden, School Street sunflowers, Hoverflies, luminescent Sea Salps return to Cape Ann beaches, Petal Dancers and lemony Yellow Sulphurs on the wing.
Gloucester’ Lobster trap Tree is located at the plaza next to the Gloucester police station at 197 Main Street.
Photos at the Lobster Trap Tree is a family tradition – Charlotte at one and a half <3
