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Books & Blooms’ tenth anniversary
Jun 11, 2025
Dee Salomon on what makes a garden a garden.
hoto by Ngoc Minh Ngo for Architectural Digest
On June 20 and 21, the Cornwall Library will celebrate its 10th anniversary of Books & Blooms, the two-day celebration of gardens, art, and the rural beauty of Cornwall. This beloved annual benefit features a talk, reception, art exhibit, and self-guided tours of four extraordinary local gardens.
The first Library sponsored garden tour was in June 2010 and featured a talk by Page Dickey, an avid gardener and author. This year’s Books & Blooms will coincide with Ellen Moon’s exhibit “Thinking About Gardens,” a collection of watercolors capturing the quiet spirit of Cornwall’s private gardens. Moon, a weekly storyteller to the first grade at Cornwall Consolidated School and art curator for The Cornwall Library, paints en plein air. Her work investigates what constitutes a garden. In the description of the show, she writes: “there are many sorts...formal, botanical, cottage, vegetable, herb...even a path through the woods is a kind of garden. My current working definition of a garden is a human intervention in the landscape to enhance human appreciation of the landscape.” Also on display are two of her hand-embroidered jackets. One depicts spring’s flowering trees and pollinators. The other, a kimono, was inspired by Yeats’s “The Song of the Wandering Aengus.”
On Friday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. writer and garden philosopher Dee Salomon will give a talk titled, “What Makes a Garden a Garden?” at Cornwall Town Hall. Beloved for her “Ungardener” column here in our newspapers, Salomon will reflect on the meaning of gardens and their place in the human imagination. The presentation is followed by a festive cocktail reception at the library, with live music by the Crownback Funk Trio, an improvisational blend of funk, blues, and jazz.
Then on Saturday, participants can enjoy self-guided tours of four distinctive Cornwall gardens, each with docents on hand to answer questions. From a terraced Italianate hillside overlooking the Housatonic River to a wild deer-frequented garden brimming with perennials and daffodils, these gardens tell stories of transformation, imagination, and place.
Books & Blooms is a reflection of the Cornwall Library’s vital role in town. “The library really is the central meeting place,” said event organizer Kirk Van Tassel. “People come here for talks, kids’ programs, art exhibits. It’s a cornerstone of community life.”
To purchase tickets, visit cornwalllibrary.org
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Pastries and pages
Jun 11, 2025
Some of Gabriella Rosa’s favorite cookbooks.
Gabriella Rosa
‘What Are You Reading?” explores the lives of our local community through the books they love. In this edition, we meet Gabriella Rosa, a pastry chef whose journey from high school baker to a.m. sous chef at White Hart Provisions is flavored by heritage, passion, and a deep respect for the culinary craft.
In her junior year of high school, Gabriella Rosa discovered she had a knack for baking. “Holiday Collections” was one of the first cookbooks Rosa spent time with, learning how to perfect brownies, cookies, and especially cupcakes.
For International Food Day at her high school, she made a classic French chocolate truffle. This memory marks the beginning of her decision to be a chef.
Rosa applied to several culinary arts schools and attended the Art Institute of New York City where she majored in pastry arts.Upon graduation she worked at the Mayflower Inn, located in Washington, Connecticut, where she immersed herself in the unknown — artisanal breads, pies, quiches, etc.
Driven by the never-ending pursuit of knowledge, she applied to be a pastry chef at The White Hart Inn.
For her interview, she was asked to prepare three types of cookies and two plated desserts. Her chocolate chip cookies and brownies were such a hit that the recipes are still used at Provisions today.
Rosa takes great pride in her team in the kitchen. She invests time in training each member, not only to ensure consistency in their work, but also so they may go home with the skills to cook for their loved ones.
Rosa finds a deep satisfaction and pride in feeding the community with food that is of quality, with food and ingredients that she believes in.
Rosa’s newest project is developing and executing the menu for “Taco Tuesdays.” As a Mexican woman, she is proud to create and execute a menu that celebrates her roots. The goal is to represent her culture’s food and flavor with unwavering authenticity.
“I am doing taco night as a kind of ode to my history, and ode to my heritage.”
One of the many cookbooks that inspired Rosa is “Norteña,” by Karla Zazueta. The author is from the northern region of Mexico, the same region Rosa’s family calls home. In these recipes Rosa dances with the nostalgic memories of her childhood, recalling visits to her grandmother in Mexico who also cooked meals written down on a page from another woman with similar tastebuds.
This past Christmas, Rosa’s mother gave her a copy of “Holiday Collections.” She uses the recipes— with some minor tweaks— finding honor in upholding tradition.
Some of Rosa’s other favorite cookbooks include:
“Mosquito Supper Club,” by Melissa Martin
“Six Seasons,” by Joshua McFadden
“Kismet,” by Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson
“Diasporican,” by Illyanna Maisonet
“Nopalito,” by Gonzalo Guzman and Stacy Adminano
“Mi Cocina,” by Rick Martinez
Provisions at the White Hart Inn is located at 15 Under Mountain Road. in Salisbury and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Olivia Geiger is an MFA student at Western Connecticut State Universiry and a lifelong resident of Lakeville.
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