NumberNineteen

Cape Cod Gardens

 

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Ever since we returned from Cape Cod, I cannot stop thinking about the gardens.  The flowers were just stunning and were everywhere -- in front of houses, growing along the road, in the middle of town, planted in window boxes.  The air smelled sweeter there, I swear!

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First, let's talk about the hydrangeas.  I read somewhere that they are the unofficial flower of Cape Cod. 

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They are everywhere and they are huge!  You have never seen such hydrangeas -- some of them were as tall as me. 

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There is a Cape Cod Hydrangea Society and a Cape Cod Hydrangea FestivalThese people take their hydrangeas seriously.

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While the hydrangeas are gorgeous, it wouldn't be fair to the other beautiful flowers to not visit them as well....

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The gardens tend to have what I think of as an English Cottage feel.

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Lots of purples

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Roses climbing everywhere.  Apparently, traditional roses don't do well by the sea but climbers flourish there.

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When looking for photos of gardens on the Cape, I came across so many gorgeous gardens in Nantucket.  I'm not sure if Nantucket is technically the Cape, but the gardens in these photos are so beautiful and remind me so much of Chatham.

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The layers and layers of color are stunning

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It looks like something out of a English fairy tale

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I'll move in tomorrow, thank you very much.

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I'm already planning Cape Cod inspired additions to my garden next year.  Some lavender, salvia and definitely, more hydrangeas.

Trip to Massachusetts - Boston

Our trip to Cape Cod made for a very nice two-for-one, seeing that my sister & her family live just 2 hours from the Cape. After our week's rental was over, we headed northwest to Somerville/Boston for a family visit.

Of course, the cousins were thrilled to see one another and played the entire time.  They get along so well, with only the occasional spat (I tell Hope that is what life would be like if she had a sibling!). 

(bottom photo by my brother in law, stolen from his FB account :) )

There was a fun arts festival in Somerville while we were there, Art Beat.  We checked out the artists and Hope and Rainer went through a very cool chalk maze.

(another photo stolen from the B-I-L, Ezra Ball)

It wouldn't be a trip to Boston without a visit to the Ducks in the Public Garden.  It was our 10th annual Duck photo session.  I hope to take photos every year until Hope is about to go off to college and create a collage with all of the images. Here she is at 9 years, almost 10....

For fun, here is what she looked like in her first Duck picture:

One of my favorite pictures, ever.

We stopped by some of our favorite places in Harvard Square - The Curious George Store and The Harvard Book Store and Glenn checked out comics at Comicazi.  We also had dinner at a new-to-us restaurant in Harvard Square that was so good - Toscano

(photo from Toscano's website)

The food was perfect, from the bread to the entrees. I had the Tagliatell Gamberi, which was amazing.  I need to find out how to make it.

(photo from yelp)

After a few days in Boston, we wrapped up our trip and headed home.  Until next year, Massachusetts!

 

Trip to Cape Cod - Chatham Massachusetts

I'm back after a long absence, for which there is really no particular reason.  I've thought of many good posts and had all kinds of experiences that I've thought about sharing, but for whatever reason, I've not had the "push" to actually post.  My inspiration came back last week, when I was in one of the most beautiful places that I've been to in America -- Cape Cod, particularly Chatham.  Our week there was so special that it was the push that I needed to post.

We stayed in a little carriage house apartment across from Oyster Pond.  This is the view that we woke up to every morning.

The flowers in Chatham are just amazing.  Everywhere you look, there are stunning hydrangeas and wild roses. 

The houses in Chatham couldn't be more adorable.

We stayed steps from downtown Chatham, which is just the most adorable town that you can think of.  I found a post online in which a woman wrote that when she went to Chatham, she finally found Stars Hollow. Main street is lined with ice cream shops, an old school hardware store, a variety store, a renovated movie theater and lots of boutiques.  There is a gorgeous old public library that is available for use by everyone -- even visitors can get a card & check out books! 

On Friday nights, a band plays at the town park bandstand and local churches serve lobster roll dinners. One night, we wandered over to a playground and found that the local minor league baseball team was playing a game.  People of all ages were out in lawn chairs & on blankets, watching the game. Stars Hollow, I tell you!

We slept with the windows open almost every night.  I cannot tell you what a revelation this was.  In Virginia, it is bearable to open your windows maybe 3 nights a year.  We woke up to cool breezes and the chirping of birds.  My morning walks were greeted with the scents of salt air, flowers and cookies baking at the local market. 

The beaches in Chatham are stunning.  Lighthouse Beach & Harding Beach were our favorites.

Lighthouse Beach

Harding Beach

It was a precious time, for us to be together as a family.  There were many hours on the beach relaxing and kite flying.  We went out almost every night for ice cream and caught a movie at the theater. 

It was the best, most relaxing time. It was like living in a movie set in New England.  We will be back one day, most definitely.