Text by Claire Pool
From special holidays to backyard get-togethers, Kathryn Crisp Greeley’s Chestnut Cottage is the perfect gathering place to host friends and family. In her book, The Collected Cottage: Gardening, Gatherings, and Collecting at Chestnut Cottage, Kathryn celebrates every season spent in her 1920s cottage, inviting readers to explore the joys of welcoming guests in to experience all Chestnut Cottage has to offer.
After buying Chestnut Cottage from its first owners in 1987, Kathryn spent six years transforming the modest Waynesville, North Carolina, bungalow to its original state and turning it into her forever home. Throughout The Collected Cottage’s 362 pages, Kathryn shares a glimpse of a year at the cottage.
In spring, her daffodils and peonies take center stage while she hosts Easter luncheons and Mother’s Day celebrations. Come summer, herbs are overflowing and provide delicious flavors for birthday events in the garden. Autumn brings color in the form of bright dahlias and majestic trees with changing leaves as Kathryn reflects on dinners in the Tuscan sun. Besides Christmas and New Year’s parties, the cottage provides the perfect backdrop for holiday decorations and snowy winter scenes.
The Collected Cottage also explores Kathryn’s favorite collections, such as Wedgwood jasperware, crystal boxes, and beloved blue-and-white china. Don’t miss Kathryn’s “garden chores” provided for each season, which give readers tips on how to maintain a beautiful backyard view. Supplemented by delicious recipes and extravagant tablescapes, this book truly captures the idyllic world of cottage life.
