Sunday, August 31, 2014

Small Towns to Visit #3: Webbs Mills, Maine

This afternoon we took a ride to the little crossroads town of Webbs Mills, Maine. Webbs Mills, which is now a part of the towns of Casco and Raymond, is typical of tiny rural New England villages that still look much as they did 100 years ago.

On a beautiful day like today, we like to head out of North Windham on 302, open the car windows, tale a right, and ride over the hills of Rt. 85 (Webbs Mills Rd.) catching occasional views of distant lakes below. Our destination on these rides is often Bitter Sweet Barn in Webb's Mills.



Bitter Sweet Barn bills itself as a "Mercantile" and sells unique country décor, jewelry, garden art, and gifts, beautifully displayed in a 300 year old barn pretty close to the official "middle of nowhere".

 
There is not much else in Webbs Mills now, except for some historical homes, a general store, and small church at the crossroads which anchor the little settlement.

 
But the garden at Bitter Sweet Farm is worth the drive...it is quirky, creative, organic and just "rusty" enough to suit my fancy each time I visit.


I love these rusty vintage pedal cars mounted to a track . . . like a whimsical vintage roller coaster zooming through the flower garden.
 
And how about this old rusty bed in the garden...complete with giant old rusty bed bugs. We had our daughter, Kristen, with us today and she got a real kick out of these "big bugs". This is a garden that doesn't take itself too seriously . . . how much fun is that?


Most of the structures in the garden are made from recycled, reused, or mismatched  "found objects. I love that too!


Like these shutters, hugging an old window that looks inward to the center of the garden itself, framing the sunflowers in the background.


 And how about these HUGE red flowers surrounding a little shady area to sit and listen to the sounds of late-August nature in transition.


How about this trellis? It's made of mismatched cast-off doors . . .


and anchored by a flower-filled vintage washing machine!




 
 This is a very happy garden . . .


 that doesn't take itself too seriously.


And I love it!
 
You never know what you'll find when you choose to take the road less traveled.


 So, if you're looking for a place to ride to this fall, consider Webbs Mills, Maine.
There's not much there but . . .
That's exactly the point.
 

p.s. I'll be sewing zippers together all day tomorrow . . . keep posted for the final results and a fun tutorial . . . Coming soon, I promise!

 
I'll be sharing this post at the following blog parties: 
 Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors
Nifty Thrifty Sunday  at Nifty Thrifty Things
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
 

12 comments:

  1. Cheryl, this post is absolutely inspiring to me! Thank you for sharing all these lovely and funny things! All my best from an Austrian gardener and a happy happy time
    Elisabeth

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  2. What a fun garden!

    And, I love the selfie in the first photo - there you are in the window of the store taking your photo!

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  3. Gorgeous!!! How very beautiful everything looks! How I love the big bucket of flowers. I can look at your garden, and your beautiful home all day. It makes me happy!
    your Garden for Summer

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  4. I enjoy finding special little spots like this. What a great garden! So pretty and unique. Thanks for sharing and a happy September to you Cheryl.
    Hugs,
    Pam

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  5. What a neat place to spend the day just browsing and enjoying the sights. I love how creative everything is in the garden. Thanks for taking us along!
    Hugs,
    Patti

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  6. When my Husband was alive we used to go explore Maine.
    There are so many hidden spots. I love Maine.
    You see so many cute things, Mainers have fun.
    I remember seeing a real bed in a yard full of flowers.
    yvonne

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  7. Oh, I love the washing machine! That's awesome.
    Sherry

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  8. Cheryl, this garden tour was absolutely delightful! You tagged it right... it was worth the drive and I'm glad you did it so we could enjoy it too! I've featured your post in this weekend's Party Junk. :) Thanks for linking it up last weekend!

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  9. Hi Cheryl - so nice to " meet " you - I'm in Montreal - so we're neighbors lol !
    Loved the tour - that arbor made out of doors is just fabulous - I have 2 antique doors I'd love to do this with - thanks so much for sharing !
    Hugs from just across the border :)
    Suzan

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  10. I love your garden angel! She is beautiful and you are so creative!

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  11. What you're saying is completely true. I know that everybody must say the same thing, but I just think that you put it in a way that everyone can understand. I'm sure you'll reach so many people with what you've got to say.

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  12. How did you stabilize the yellow doors arbor??

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