Next Stop, Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges was commissioned by King Henry II as a jousting arena. It was here that he was mortally wounded in a jousting match in 1559, dying 9 days later. That event is one of the great crises of French royal history and marks the beginning of 50 tumultuous years in French history, known as the Wars of Religion, ending in 1610.

Adirondack Shopping: The Birch Store

There are more and more unpleasant shops in the Adirondacks: you know the kind - full of twiggy boxes made in China (check the bottom!) and all that ye olde country cabin stuff. The farther you get from the city, the less appealing the shopping becomes. But there are some gems among many duds, and The Birch Store in Keene Valley is one of them. In a charming little house, the store sells cool, modern, fun, edgy accessories for the home. The Birch Store is worth a stop if you get to Keene Valley, and it also has a home on the web for those virtual Adirondack travelers among us. The store is located at 1778 Main Street in Keene Valley.

Photo Credit: The Birch Store

In an Adirondack Garden: Hydrangea

It's an odd thing, gardening in a forest, trying to impose human will and design, order, on a landscape that will never be tamed. But we try to add color, order, more beauty all around our house. The deer stayed away from our hydrangea this year and the plants flourished. We cut them each week and put an arrangement in the guest room in a simple Daum crystal vase. The River Birches we planted also did quite well this season, but the hydrangea beat out everything for resilience and beauty. The flowers kept blooming, right up through October and Columbus day weekend. Plant hydrangea in your Adirondack garden and enjoy the color and fresh cut flowers throughout summer and fall. We have a long row of them as you approach the house and they are the perfect way to welcome our guests. They look as great in the woods as they do on our table.

The Adirondack Garden: Cinnamon Ferns

The Adirondack gardener faces huge challenges to success: a very short season, deer willing to eat almost anything, exceptionally cold winters, and soil quality that varies by the foot. We had great success this year with hydrangea and with river birch trees. The deer seemed to stay away from them, which is a big hunk of the battle. The cinnamon fern, above, thrives at the water's edge. This one comes back every year, right by our bridge. They bloom into incredibly full, vibrant plants and are more stunning than anything we have brought to the property.

Furniture for the Forest

The new snow in the Park this past week has gotten us thinking about our outdoor furniture, like these two simple Adirondack chairs. Every homeowner should think about his or her outdoor furnishings as carefully as they consider their indoor furnishings. Chairs, benches, tables - they can do more than serve a utilitarian purpose: they can invite guests to share a view, visit a special spot, take a break, look out at the lake. They can also be sculptural - punctuating the forest, decorating and enhancing it. We love Marston & Langinger for garden and outdoor furniture.