Horse chestnuts, encompassed by prickly, husk-like shells, are the autumnal pearl of the Berkshire Mountains. Each October brings a sprinkling of horse chestnuts that decorate the region’s majestic landscape creating a scavenger hunt of good fortune. These beautifully sleek nuts are believed to bring overall good luck and financial prosperity. Native Americans, who dubbed horse chestnuts as “buckeyes” due to their resemblance to the eye of a deer, would carry these nuts around in their pockets or strategically place them throughout their villages and homes with wishful intentions.
In many ways, the simplistic expression of a horse chestnut resting upon the earth, partially encased by its hearty shell, symbolizes the spirit of the fall season – one of preparation and togetherness. Brisk mornings serve as a reminder of what is to come and an innate nesting instinct surfaces throughout the region as we work to prepare our homes and reconnect with the comforting inner warmth that radiates throughout the Litchfield Hills.
