Wonderful Evening: The Mount

We found a terrfic way to spend an inexpensive evening in an elegant setting!! What alot of fun. The Mount in Lenox MA is the restored summer home of Edith Wharton. It is one of the grand cottages from the Gilded Age -- and it is definitely grand and gilded. This beautiful residence has been painstakingly restored to its former elegance and grandeur. Currently, the Mount is facing foreclosure and is working very hard to increase visitors and donations. (We purchased a membership earlier this season to help support the cause -- you can go to the Mount's website and make a donation to save this gorgeous property too.)

One of their current offerings is an evening event on the weekends from 5:00 - 8:00 (I think they're trying to be a pre-Tanglewood event) You can enter the grounds for FREE, sit on the grand porch and have a glass of wine and some nibbles (they charge for the food and drinks) and walk through the gardens at your leisure. We attended last night's event. There were probably only a dozen other people there --- not crowded, not loud --- just lovely. Wine for both of us and nibbles ran about $20 and we spent over 2 hours wandering through the gardens, listening to the fountains, catching the breeze on the porch (it was deadly hot here this weekend) and enjoying the pianist playing under the awning.

I know, I know --- I could have had wine and nibbles at home for far, far less money -- but trust me, my patio and gardens DO NOT look like this.

Having noted that (rather obvious fact): I did make a quick list of the plants that were in the gardens. I have all of the plants in the Italian garden (shown to the right) but my garden does not resemble this in any way, shape or form. Seriously, the Italian garden is done with ferns, hostas, white nicotania, boxwood and ivy. That's it!! I kept walking around in circles, looking for what else was there that made it so glorious. Even the French garden (the photo at the top of the post) didn't have anything I don't know and love for plants. Its all about the way in which they're arranges and planted. And WOW!! what a difference that makes.

All in all, this was a really beautiful evening --- one that we'll definitely be repeating. I'm thinking this is a nice way to take friends for a quiet drink and some conversation without getting into the crowded restaurant scene. For the non-wine drinkers, they also offered soft drinks and a lovely sparkling water. This works for just about everyone I know.