Home-grown on a back country road in Howell, NJ, The Herbary at Bear Creek Farm is a beautiful place to lose yourself for an hour or two.

One of my favorite places to visit for gifts, decoratives, and home/garden items is The Herbary at Bear Creek Farm on Lakewood-Farmingdale Rd in Howell, NJ. No matter what time of year it is, the owners of this little piece of farm heaven deck this place out in “farmhouse chic” like no other place I have seen.

This is one of those places where when you get out of your car, you just want to take a deep, deep breath and take it all in. On this most recent trip, I visited post-Christmas so they were a bit on the thin side of their usual winter pine offering. Still, you could smell the wood burning stove and fresh cut greens hovering over the property.

The main barn building is full of seasonal decor, so today they had gorgeous fake + real pine trees decorated with gleaming white lights, vintage glass bulbs and handmade knitted figurines. Up in the wooden lofts you see leafless branches adorned with glass ball terrariums full of plants, feathers and things. They have the most beautiful gifts here; candles, soaps, bathroom accessories, leather goods, baskets, home-made honey & accessories + more.

Something so simple as a stack of handmade clay pots on wood shelves in a doorway makes The Herbary feel like a home you’ve never known.

Glass cases of handmade jewelry so intricate line the pathway to the back of the barn where a door leads outside to a long greenhouse.  What looks like a regular greenhouse on the outside can be transformed into a most unusual but beautiful longhouse to host a large family brunch or dinner, as The Herbary often hosts events on the property. On my visit it was cold and no events were being staged, so I was able to get some good shots of the greenhouse being used… as a greenhouse!  Even though its exciting to see the different setups of their events, I do like walking inside the greenhouse and seeing all of the different and some hard-to-find succulents, flowering herbs and their fairy garden area.

A few weeks ago I attended a craft show in here and they set it up beautifully. They often host gardening classes in here - check their Facebook page for the upcoming events schedule.

The greenhouse on my trip was quite the oasis and refuge from the cold, post-Christmas blues I was feeling this day. Sometimes there is so much to look at that I can’t even come to a decision on what to purchase. In truth, I want to purchase the whole entire enterprise!! I’m sure this place is an absolute dream-come-true for the owners; It is so well done.

One of my favorite things about the property is their Tea Shed which has recently been turned into a cafe. They serve tea cakes, sandwiches, hot and cold drinks plus drinkware and more in here.

In the summer the entire grounds are adorned with the most colorful array of flowering bushes, plants, herbs, topiaries, decorative pots and figurines. They have musicians play acoustic sets outside which makes it nice to go here, shop, get a coffee and hang out for a while. Its great for families and there’s something for both men and women to enjoy for sure.

The Herbary is one of the most versatile, intriguing & unique places I’ve ever seen which is why it is certainly one of the most Beautiful Places at Home, and a great candidate for our “Best of the Best” Award for 2018.

WLL