woollypocket

This past Fourth of July weekend (Happy Birthday America!) my darling and I visited one of our favorite places in the world, OJAI! Ojai is a quaint, friendly town nestled in a fertile valley in the hills above Ventura, California. The first people to settle here were the Chumash, who named it Ojai, which translates to “Valley of the Moon.” You’ll know why when you go on an evening stroll during a full moon!

Ojai is well known for their arts community and especially for the farms and gardens that grow so readily here. The climate, geography and soil make for a perfect environment to grow almost anything. From the moment we arrived, we were dining on locally grown Ojai produce, including the best strawberry shortcake ever from Boccali’s Pizza!

Throughout the weekend, we hiked in the hills and took strolls around town, but most importantly, we relaxed poolside at the Herb Garden Pool!

When we weren’t busy being lazy in the sun, we continued eating great meals around town, including an Italian themed lunch at Osteria Monte Grappa of Rosé, Stuffed Artichoke & Calamari and Polenta Salad!

The food was as wonderful as the setting:

We saw fruit nearly ready to be picked off the tree!

The highlight of the trip was a visit to New Oak Ranch‘s Lavender Farm where we picked bunches of lavender in their field.

The smell was simply heavenly, and the bees were so happy to share the blossoms with us!

A horse named Pal came over to see how we were faring with the lavender picking!

Heading back home we had to stop at this fruit stand for the tastiest plums ever, organic and just $1.00 per bag!

Let us know how you’re enjoying this wonderful summer and the fruits of the season! Drop us a line on Facebook or on Twitter!

Stay Woolly!
-Alex
The Engaged Observer

Hello out there, all you wild and woolly pockateers! My name is Erin Williamson, and I run a little blog called Design Crisis along with my bff Karly Hand. Most of the time I write about interiors, but I’m pretty stoked to write a post about green things for Woolly Pockets because I love the idea of bringing the great outdoors inside. Sometimes all you need to finish a room is a fat fluffy palm or fiddle fig in the corner, but I’m also interested in rooms that put plants front and center stage. We could all stand to breathe a little easier, right? So relax and inhale deeply while I take you on a tour of some indoor spaces that incorporate flora in super radical ways.

New York Times

Office for Word and Image

Miguel de Guzman

KRE House

Altro Studio

Elok House

Now, I know that most of us aren’t fortunate enough to have skyscraper ceilings, trees growing through our homes (please don’t cut a hole in your roof unless you really know what you’re doing!), or grassy tents from outer space, but indoor gardening can be accessible to almost everyone.

Head Over Heels

Dezeen

Vertical gardening takes front and center stage in these sweet rooms. Just think — you could snag a few Woolly Pockets and turn your own home into paradise.

Jean Paul Gaultier for Elle Decoration Suite

If I may offer a word to the wise, though: indoor gardening can be addictive, but don’t let your green thumb totally take over.

Well, kids, that’s it for my guest stint at WP headquarters. Thanks so much for having me — I had a blast!

Now I hope you’ll scoot on over to Design Crisis, where we’re giving away a free Woolly Pocket. Our lucky winner can get started on their own special indoor garden pronto, thanks to the nice people at Woolly Pockets. Hooray!