I've stood in Bunny's barn....

yes, the barn that goes with this house... the barn.

The barn of all barns! I've stood in Bunny's conservatory, I've walked her property, peered into her kitchen, lingered in the pool house and marveled at the chicken pavilion. I've stood in her greenhouse, walked around the sunken garden, through the woodland garden, and gathered landscape ideas from her parterre garden.

I've met Bunny and her pack of rescue dogs.
(Now, at this point you are probably thinking I was under the tutelage of Joni at Cote de Texas and was in 'stalking' school, but that wasn't the case, and the police were not called to the scene!)

Bunny even mentioned my visit in the book! Okay, well not exactly my visit, but the event in which my visit took place! See page one hundred eighty eight were Bunny says... "I'll never forget the Saturday..." Neither will I Bunny!!

This is how I met Bunny... I had read in a magazine about Trade Secrets a charity plant show, antique sale, and garden tour that Bunny had at her Connecticut house. (She no longer hosts the event at her house, but opens her gardens for the garden tour. One year Carolyne Roehm's garden was also on the tour, and this last year's tour featured Michael Trapp's garden! Imagine!) I marked my calender and when the event came around the following May 18th of 2002, Dan and I flew up from Dallas to attend! The forecast was for sunny skies, and highs in the low 70's. I packed all new Spring outfits and cute new sandals! The morning of the event we woke up to rain, mixed with snow! It was snowing snowflakes the size of silver dollars! We found some rain ponchos at a local store, and I donned my not-so-cute tennis shoes instead of the cute sandals I had planned to wear. We then had to buy some gardening gloves at the event to even keep our hands warm! It was freezing and because of the crazy, cold weather Bunny generously opened up her Barn so people could have a place to warm up. It was there, standing in her magnificent barn with a fire roaring in the fireplace, where we met Bunny! She was beautiful, sweet, lovely and gracious as all these unexpected guests milled about her room. We chatted for a long time and then at the end she invited us to come back sometime!! Little did we (or Bunny;) know, but a mere six years later we would live within driving distance, and just might take her up on that!!

All of Bunny and John Rosselli's (he was there also, although we didn't meet him) dogs were there, running in and out, throughout the visitors. Adorable Charlie was there... Charlie was featured with Bunny in one of my favorite books that I have kept by bedside for years... Found Dogs. When you walked from the conservatory into the barn Bunny had a large skirted table filled with books, and right on top was Found Dogs!

Being a good Southern girl I wrote Bunny a thank you note after returning to Dallas... but, now I'm realizing that she doesn't have my new address...... must remember to drop by to give it to her! Hummmm..... what would Joni do?!

Bunny standing in front of her greenhouse!

p.s.

I just found Joni's post on Bunny's house and barn, so head over to Cote de Texas to see some beautiful photos from the book! Great timing!