An oasis of serenity: the WCC garden

This summer sure has been kind to our tummies here at Wine Country Craftsman! From the last frost in March until the first big October freeze, our onsite garden rewards us with tasty abundance.

There's really too much to list, but here's a partial survey of the goodies we were enjoying just today: squash, tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, lavender, various mints, catnip, sage, caraway, rosemary, basil, oregano...and of course flowers that attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.

Anyone who works at the shop or visits is welcome to browse the garden for snacks or a treat to take home. Lots of our artisans supplement their lunch with fresh tomatoes and so on, and whoever shows up to work on the weekend is treated to a BBQ with fresh estate ingredients.

Pest control is handled by the shop's rescue cat, though he doesn't bother the garden's resident toad. The back garden is the one place on the grounds where dogs aren't allowed, for maybe obvious reasons (hint: don't eat the mint from the front garden!!).

Besides feeding us, the garden gives us a great place to conduct meetings or escape for a quiet and relaxing break. Especially in our busiest seasons, a few minutes of picking blackberries can go a long way toward calming the mind and relaxing the eardrums.

Now that nighttime temperatures are dropping into the 40s again, it feels like it we're in a race against time. It won't be long until most of the garden goes dormant for the winter; then we can start planning for next year's feast.

Hey, we LOVE gardens! Share a picture of your visit to our garden—or you in your own home garden—and we'll share a 10% coupon for your next purchase here!

Hey! Wanna help us raise funds to support women facing cancer? To observe Stand Up to Cancer Day, for the next 24 hours—from now 'til noon Friday—we're donating 10% of all sales to Breast Friends.

From their website: “Breast Friends ensures that no woman goes through cancer alone. We are a unique resource for women, their families, friends, co-workers and community minimizing the fear and isolation of cancer. For over a decade our programs have empowered thousands with emotional support and hope. We are survivors and professionals helping others celebrate the joy of life. Breast Friends provides emotional support to women and their families all over the country.”

In addition to their incredible array of online resources, in some lucky regions they provide personal care and host events. We're partnering with Breast Friends to support their mission of expanding to new, underserved communities. Help us help them!

Go to our Etsy page to check out our awesome handmade goodies. Buy anything (or everything!) and we'll automatically set aside 10% of the sale price for Breast Friends. You can also donate directly at the Breast Friends website—tell 'em we sent you. Thanks!