On the Monday after the July 4th weekend, we set a table on a patch of grass next to the boxwood gardens and the nearby corn fields - already tasseled. A mix of Simon Pearce linens, glass and pottery fit the bill perfectly. Fragrant magnolia blossoms cut from nearby trees filled a glass bowl and caught the magic light of the setting sun in their expansive, creamy petals.  Rosemary and lavender taken from the kitchen garden were tied around the napkins. A carafe was filled with cool, crisp "Steel Chardonnay" from a local vineyard. The meal: soup made with the first crop of sweet corn combined with roasted red peppers, followed by Chesapeake crab cakes, with a salad of haricots verts, almonds and crisp bacon. Summer at its best!

John G.
Mappsville, VA