THE RIGHT STUFF: Nature Made

 

BUZZ WORTHY

Once prized by the Aztecs as symbols of vim and vigor, hummingbirds are now ubiquitous amid flowery New England gardens.

 

Before summer buds are in full bloom, attract the winged creatures with a dainty glass or ceramic hummingbird feeder; some species are known to return to surefire snacking spots year after year. Fill the ornaments with an elixir of one part white sugar, four parts water, and drop of red food coloring for panache, and let the show begin.

 

Twenty varieties, about $24 to $52 at Passiflora, 2638 State Route 23, Hillsdale, N.Y., .
 

 

 

POT EFFECTS

 

Fusing her love for painting, photography, and montage of the two, Diane Firtell turns plain ol’ flowerpots into works of art. The Pittsfield, Mass., fine artist combines close-up images of nature—blades of grass, flower petals, onions—with careful brushstrokes to create a whimsical mélange of vibrant texture and tone. As one of the five founders of the grassroots Alchemy Initiative project, Firtell creates in the basement of the city’s old Notre Dame church, where art hunters may find her toiling away on collage, large-scale canvases, and pique assiette during the organization’s open studios every Wednesday at 11-5.
 

About $65 through Diane Firtell at Alchemy Initiative, 40-50 Melville St., Pittsfield, Mass., or

 

GROWTH SPURT

A closer look at the curious felted patina on the clematis seed pod and campanula bud terra-cotta planters from Campo de Fiori confirms suspicions: these are, in a way, living vessels. Their mossy exteriors are the result of a three- to four-month layover in the greenhouses of the Sheffield, Mass., gardening oasis, after being crafted by hand in small Mexican villages. “They reflect that which is seen through nature—buds unfurl and unfold like galaxies,” says co-owner Robin Norris. “Water will wick through the planter and feed the moss—the oldest of plants. It’s not a haphazard aesthetic, it entails some reflection.” Whether you’re in the mood for New Age analysis or simply want the utmost of organic ornamentation, this bud’s for you.

 

About $25 to $118 at Campo de Fiori, 1815 N. Main St, Sheffield, Mass.,

 

HOOKED ON A FEELING

Though her family’s iconic Gatsby’s boutique no longer tempts fashionistas in Great Barrington, Mass., Pam Fink continues to spread good style via Good Charma, jewelry born of her lifelong love affair with Balinese culture and present dismay toward violence overseas. But unlike other all-the-rage amulets, Fink’s designs invite personal interpretation. “It’s not specific to anyone or any age or any style,” says Fink of the collection, whose sterling silver and gold vermeil bracelets feature minuscule medallions in likenesses from bumblebees to Buddha. “It has that spiritual slash edgy appeal,” she quips. “You can wear the tree of life with a skull.”

 

About $220 and up at Canyon Ranch, 165 Kemble St., Lenox, Mass., ; Cranwell Spa, ./Route 20, Lenox, Mass., ;Kripalu Shop, Route 183, Stockbridge, Mass., ; or though Good Charma, Housatonic, Mass.,

 

 

IN BLOOM

Hand-drawn by Pittsfield, Mass.-based artist Jessica Mormann, the Letterpress Botanicals note cards printed by Crane & Company in North Adams, Mass., send good tidings of our lush season. Launched earlier this year, the three organic designs in cheery summer shades are already top-sellers, says Crane historian Peter Hopkins. Printing on the company’s pillowy cotton Lettra paper, he adds, “creates a very deep, precise impression that creates shadows, giving a whole new dimension to the design.” The result is crisp and elegant, “the look of watercolor.”

 

About $14 for ten note cards and envelopes at Paperdilly, 7, Lee, Mass.,

 

 

HOT CROSS BAGS

One of the first Rennie & Rose bags sewn by hand from jacquard and tapestry fabrics back in 1989, the “Lisa,” remains a perennial bestseller. The slim, hands-free travel carrier in twelve seasonal patterns stashes just the essentials: keys, passports, glasses, and such—a boon to those on the go. “If you have back problems, the long handle across your body helps to distribute the weight and take pressure off your back,” notes cofounder Lisa Rose, fresh from the Pittsfield-based company’s move to a new warehouse in Adams, Mass. “Right after I designed it, we were traveling, and I used that bag for a very long time.”

 

About $80 at the Red Lion Inn Gift Shop, , Stockbridge, Mass., ; Museum Facsimiles, 431 North St., Pittsfield, Mass., ; or through Rennie & Rose, Pittsfield/Adams, Mass.,
 

 

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

 

Pull a sweet picnic prank by tempting guests with a lollipop … and watch as they recoil in horror. HOTLIX candied scorpions, worms, and crickets are classic crowd thrillers, quips Robin Helfand, owner of the eponymous candy shop in Great Barrington, Mass. Having amassed a veritable collection of saccharine insect novelties, Helfand suggests doling out the gags as summer-fête party favors, tucking them into care packages, or—gasp—daring to taste one yourself.

 

About $4 to $7 at Robin’s Candy Shop, 288 Main St., Great Barrington, Mass.,
 

[JUNE 2010]