hibiscus bliss

Leslie is another veteran gardener and sustainable living guru that Rose is learning from in western Massachusetts. She is the mother of the two adorable kids from earlier posts. Here, we are sampling her Hibiscus Bliss iced tea with mint. It's AMAZING!! She is making packets of tea to sell at the farmers market.

Pictured above is Leslie tying up packets of Summer Garden tea, made from her garden; Rose sampling the iced tea; Rose and me on the barn couch at the plant sale

a barn swing & an egg basket

The barn at the Curtis House was by far one of my favorite places - and the baby goats and lambs aren't even there yet! I escaped my shift as tea party waitress to spin around on the rope swing in the barn with my buddy Elias. Elias is 7, he took a lot of pictures on my camera-he's a natural.

Elias and his little sister Rosa, she's 3, taught us about chickens and how to collect their eggs. They have chickens at home and told us the names of the breeds that their family owns and the breed we were collecting eggs from. I was the first to point out the little poo on the egg, it didn't phase the kids. I guess it's only funny to the city girls. 

Is it just me, or is the cuteness factor through the barn roof?

mad hatter

Rose picked me up for the bus station Friday night and we arrived back at the Curtis House, aka "the Farm" as I like to refer to it, to the smell of homemade lemon tarts. Aren't they just gooey devine little pastry creations? Gloria made these from scratch. Rose is doing her apprenticeship with Gloria, who owns the Curtis House and Gloriosa & Co. Gloriosa & Co, among her other projects and talents, is a one-stop-shop for sustainable events. She can house a wedding or even, hold the reception in the garden at the Curtis House, catering the event with food procured with food grown locally and/or straight from her garden, flowers from the same beds - it's amazing.

I helped out with one of these events on Saturday - an afternoon high tea. 'Twas a jolly good time. 

Pictured is the lemon tart; the Curtis House; the menu for high tea; tea party set; one of the garden's at the Curtis House; Flower arrangements on each table, from the garden; Johnny Jump Ups, an edible flower that made all the little tea sandwiches seem so fancy and formal; maple scones; sugared lilacs; Rose taking out the china; Me, Gloria and Rose, photographed by the sweetest, smartest 7-year old Elias; Rose enjoying Hibiscus iced tea