A Picnic in the Park

Although The Main House is at least two years away from being finished, we seized the opportunity to indulge in a B.C. (Before Construction) birthday picnic with Nancy, Stan, and their two poodles, Catch and Matisse, served outdoors at the top of The Field.

The lavender was in full bloom, the sky was clear, and the weather was perfect — hot, but with a gentle breeze that made it feel comfortable. Nancy worked her magic in the kitchen and served homemade blueberry muffin tops and fruit sorbet, all made with berries harvested from the estate. The food was paired with a glass of chilled Prosecco or fresh lemonade. Simply delicious.

Jack and the kids then took the new Gator out for a spin, while Nancy and I walked The Field with the dogs and talked about landscaping plans for 2025.

The lavender was in full bloom, the sky was clear, and the weather was perfect — hot, but with a gentle breeze that made it feel comfortable.

We’re considering planting a corn maze at the bottom of The Field, with pumpkins on each side. Having a full-size maze has always been a lifelong dream for both Jack and me, but traditional boxwood mazes are expensive to build and take years to grow. They’re not something you put up one year and then decide to change the next. 

Nancy’s idea of planting a corn maze to test the concept was inspiring, since a corn maze grows to full height within a year, allowing us to see if this is something we love and want to develop as a permanent garden feature, or if it’s a dream better left to our imagination.

We packed up the picnic and headed back to our cars, discovering along the way a stone bench carved into the rocks and perfectly positioned to capture the stunning view of the Butternut Ski Resort and Warner Mountain.

That’s what makes Chesterfield so exciting: each visit reveals something new — a hidden treasure just waiting to be uncovered.

Over and out.