They are one of my favorite things about Cape May and I’m sure I’m not alone. Can you guess what I’m talking about?

No, not the beaches, waves, or lifeguards. The flowers, of course. Gardens in Cape May are almost as ubiquitous as the Victorian homes and dare I say, sometimes even more awe inspiring than the gingeriest of gingerbread. After all, what would a home be without a garden? Not nearly as pretty and lovely in the spring and summer, that’s what.

One of my favorite Cape May moments is walking around, checking out the hydrangeas, black-eyed Susan’s and other cute wildflowers that line the streets in front of mostly every single home. Okay, perhaps I’m suffering from a bit of garden envy. So – what's a girl to do? Create one of her own. I took on the oh-so-not-daunting task of finding the coolest/cutest/just-gotta-buy-it things out there for your garden.

How do you bring a sweet smelly pretty Cape May garden into your home? Depending on what you want to achieve and where you want your garden to be, you’ve got a few options that should probably be sorted out before you hit the streets. Take notes as you stroll around the streets and decide what you like and what you don’t.

If you need a bit of guidance choosing which type of plants and flowers you’d like, head over to Cape Island Gardens and ask for some help. The back of this nursery has loads of color and varieties of plants. Pick the amount of plants you’d like to fill or add to your space and bring ‘em home, and start digging. Don’t think that springtime is the only time to plant. Fall is perfect. First of all, nurseries are discounting. Secondly, it’s the perfect time to prune, reshape and rethink your garden.

Once you have the flowers in, it’s time to decorate. Did anyone else just get a chill up their spine? It can’t be just me that gets excited by this…can it? Indeed not, especially as I’ve noticed garden décor has reached new levels. Shops and garden goodies abound. They are hip, trendy and well, I must have them in my garden.

I walked into Wildberries on Jackson Street and was only in there for a few seconds when I spotted a large pot full of bejeweled metal garden sculptures. I kept dancing around them for a minute or two until I finally couldn’t take it anymore and pulled out the one with the metal star on top and brought it up to the counter. The colored beads are set on metal strings  that flop out from the center, creating a sort of rasta-garden sculpture look that is fabulous to say the least and will compliment any garden. I was unsure of how it would do in the rain but employee Shannon assured me they were outdoor-worthy.

Aside from filling your space with adorable decorative touches (which is devastatingly important in its own right), the most basic need is to identify all the new plants you’ve planted or that are already there, so you can sound like a pro when you show people around, or so you don’t forget what’s there. Garden stakes are very necessary as well as very cute, at least they can be. So forego the white plastic variety and “let’s kick it up a few notches”, as Emeril would say.
At Wildberries, I found silver metal stakes that are big enough to read while standing up – so you don’t have to crouch down and squint to remember which variety of rose you planted next to the impatiens.

While you’re out there crouching down, installing your stakes, picking weeds and keeping things looking good, you don’t want a ‘skeet biting you or a no-see-um flying into your face.
Bug keep-away-ers are everywhere in the Garden State and rightfully so, as all these gardens attract the buzzy creatures. I’m very into trying natural methods to rid myself and garden of said pesties and I came across a beautiful looking set of garden candles and incense that fit my needs. The sticks are full of natural oils like chamomile, thyme, and rosemary and smell good to us but nasty to those pesky insects. Push them into the ground nearest to where you are working or just enjoying and let the smoke surround you.
Candles also do the trick and add another wave of color throughout the garden. Wildberries carries the Nature’s Essence line of bright and soft colored candles that have appropriate names like Midnight Garden, Sunset, and Earth Spirit. Buy a garden stake with a candle holder or a stake that holds a lantern made for candles and hang wherever more light is necessary (at night) or near a particular plant you’d like to be a focal point in your garden.

Another way to encourage less insects is to bring on ‘da birds.” Okay, I don’t really know if they’ll make a huge impact one way or another but their sweet songs and prettiness, and knack for pollinating go a long way towards making your garden grow. And they are really cute, no?
Val Sperlak, the owner of Wildberries, sells bird houses that her dad, Joseph Trolli makes. Each one is made from something around his house or that he finds - say an old telephone. They are strange but somehow irresistible. Pick up one or two and get creative with their placement. You’ll want to be able to watch the little birdies flying in and out, so keep that in mind.

With birdhouses on the brain, I headed over to (where else) The Bird House of Cape May. Just walking in here is paradise for birders and nature lovers alike. There is stuff everywhere, so you need to take some time and figure out what you’d like to attract and what kind of feeder pleases you.
The Bird House has colored feeders, metal, copper, natural wood, and even houses with faces, so the birds climb up the nose to get inside(!) Picking just one can prove to be an overwhelming task, so ask owner Sharon to share some of her knowledge (she’s got it in spades) as to what might work best for you depending on your area or what birdies you want to attract.

Sharon’s favorite feeder for both practical and good looks is the Flipper feeder. One of the biggest problems when putting up a feeder is keeping those bully squirrels out of it. Look no further than Flipper. The metal base the birds stand on to eat their foods actually starts spinning if too much weight lands on it, so when the squirrel tries to take a nibble, it starts flying around and eventually will spin right off. How funny is that? (insert evil laugh here).

Now that we’ve brought the birds over, they need a place to frolic and take baths, so a bird bath is my next mission. Of course, the Bird House has several baths. I liked the blue glass basin on top of the black spiral stand the best, because of the color but no matter what color or style you prefer, there is something out there that will suit your tastes.

Another, more serious option is to install a bird pond. Sharon has a pond flowing in her store, so you can see how awesome it is with the sound of running water constantly tickling your ears. The bird pond is just that because it’s only two inches deep in any spot. You can decorate it with rocks, stones, and plants (think lily pads) and watch the birds come over. It also adds a water element to your garden.

We’ve got all the elements covered - fire from the candles, earth from, well, the earth, water from the pond, and air, from,..do I really need to say?

Since we only have that one fancy sculpture element, I went off to find more decorative touches to add and found my way over to Carpenter’s Square Mall and into Weather or Knot. I didn’t leave for almost an hour. The shop has so many cute things that I wanted them all...starting with the awesome sundials. I don’t see too many sundials in gardens but they are original (literally), and pretty neat if you ask me. Owner Rick suggests displaying one on a rock in the middle of the garden. I just love the thought of using such a basic time telling device, even if you don’t use it for that. It’s pretty enough with its green finish to be displayed just for décor. And bonus! It matches the sailboat weathervane. The weathervane comes with an optional stand so contrary to popular (okay, perhaps I’m the only one that didn’t know this) belief, they don’t just have to go on the rooftops.

There were two other things I found in Weather or Knot that I had to have – don’t laugh – The Buddy whirligig and matching feeder. Buddy is a black lab that looks so cute perched on top of the whirli and the feeder that I just couldn’t resist. Pick both these up if you are a dog lover or own a lab. I’m all about Buddy right now. How can you resist?
Okay, so you’ve got flowers, you’ve got earth, so watcha gonna do about it? Get out there in the garden and plant, man! Bringing a flourishing Cape May garden to your home is a fun way to exercise, and be one with nature…or something zen like that.


By Jen Calvert

Witch's Ball from Goosecreek Collections

A great little store that’s kind of off the beaten path is Goosecreek Collections on Washington Street, passed the Commons. What drew me in were these glass Witch’s Balls in the window. Stained glass is one of my favorite decorations, and I especially love the free-flowing swirls in these ornaments. They’re called Witch’s Balls because they’re supposed to capture evil spirits in the inner veins of the glass and keep bad auras away from your home. The best part is they’re beautiful to look at and add a nice bit of color and whimsy to the room.

 

Gel Gems from
the Flying Fish

Flying Fish Studio in West Cape May has a heap of unique things in addition to their racks of cool summer clothing. My favorite “toy” of all is Gel Gems, a group of jelly window clings for your home or car. This underwater set would be especially great for little ones to make a sea life scene in the bathtub. They even sell individual dolphins or (my favorite) crabs to add in. I also saw butterflies and dragon flies, and I’m told they’re going to order fall and Christmas Gel Gems soon! I’ll definitely be going back to pick up some autumn leaves Gems. Go ahead! It’s okay to have something a little silly as an adult. It’s called frivolity.

Wind Chimes from Import Bazaar

Something you’ll notice all over Cape May, on the terraces of Victorian Homes or swinging from the shop doors, are wind chimes. They capture the breeze from the ocean and filter it into a delightful melody. So I headed to a place where I know I can find things to fill my need for frivolity: Import Bazaar, on the third block of the mall. There, I found these great copper chimes. (They come in silver and gold-colored, too.) Believe me, these are better than all the other kinds. For whatever reason, the sound they produce is like real music… not just a clanking of metal tubes that makes that “dinging” sound. This is a hearty chime, and a must have for any shore home.

Butterflies from Cheeks

In the back room of Cheeks, on Ocean Street, you’re bound to find all kinds of cool oddities, like insect art. At first glance, I was kind of freaked out by the idea of putting insects between glass for our viewing pleasure, but as I looked at all the butterflies I calmed down. What a unique way to incorporate color and natural beauty in a room! I think butterflies are one of the most enchanting creatures on earth. So why wouldn’t I want to surround myself with them?

So, did you enjoy shopping in Cape May? Who knew you could get the same shopping buzz sitting at home in front of your computer with your jammies on? Well, perhaps you did know that Smarty pants, but did you know that you can stop back on this page every week and find the latest cool stuff from Cape May stores? Well, you can so if you can’t be here on Cape Island, the next best thing is to bring the island to you and your home. Life is a beach, after all, no?

Next Week...Cocktailing the Cape May Way!

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