A Week in Vermont

Last week I was in Stowe, Vermont, visiting my friend JoAnn, who I have known forever. Our parents were friends before we were even born and so I have known her for my whole life, and we have lots of memories together (you know, all those goofy middle school and high school escapades). I decided to fly up to Burlington and spend several days with her and get to see the Vermont that she loves so much. She has a beautiful house up on a mountain in Stowe, with absolutely gorgeous views. I can't imagine waking up every day to these views, but I sure enjoyed it while I was there. We spent a lot of time just sitting on her deck,  looking out at the mountains,  and talking.

She is a gardener too, so we spent a lot of time walking around her gardens and admiring the plants and shrubs and trees. She has several different gardens around the property, a big perennial garden in back with nepeta, coneflowers, bee balm, baptisia, hydrangeas, daylilies,  alliums,  and lots of conifers mixed in. And I am seriously in love with all that Vermont stonework.

The weather was absolutely perfect. And that sky...

JoAnn grows blueberries too, so of course we had fresh blueberries every morning on our oatmeal.

I loved these gardens along the driveway, filled with mosses, sedums, and other rock garden plants.

And the gardens in front of the house are masses of ferns, astilbes, hostas, anemones, and cimicifuga, a sea of calming greens and whites.

I was totally entranced with this little brook that meanders through her back yard and down the mountain.

There are so many ponds in Vermont! This pond is down the road from the house and there is a bigger pond nearby where they can swim.

We had such a good time, visiting JoAnn's favorite nurseries and gardens (more to come about that), going to a Phlox Festival, eating delicious food, taking walks, doing a little shopping in Stowe, enjoying the views from the Trapp Family Lodge, and of course talking and talking and laughing. So much fun to spend time with my dear friend.

View from the Trapp Family Lodge