St. Albans Christmas House Tour This Weekend
One of the most beautiful sights of the season is a classic home dressed for the holidays. This Friday and Saturday, five elegant homes in Cleveland Park, all within the shadow of the Washington National Cathedral, will be featured on the 27th Annual St. Albans Christmas House Tour.
All of the houses are historic, dating from the early 1900s, some featuring splendid antiques, plaster crown moldings, heart pine floors, slate roofs, oversized front doors, and large gracious porches. Various florists and interior designers have filled the grand homes with flowers, garland, and magnolia wreaths reminiscent of the history and style of the houses. This tour promises to put you in the spirit of the season.
This is one of a handful of historic houses that will be featured. The architect for this turn-of-the-century house, Waddy Butler Wood, later designed the Woodrow Wilson House. All photography by Beverly Rezneck, 202.244.1738.
Details:
The tour will be on Friday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets, $35, may be purchased on the St. Albans campus at 3001 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, on the days of the event. A holiday luncheon will be served at the St. Albans Refectory each day from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Luncheon tickets are $15. A boutique, filled with holiday gifts, will be open on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Proceeds from the house tour will benefit St. Albans faculty and staff. For more information, call 301.775.0627.
The other houses to be featured include:
The wide front door on this house still holds its original 92-year-old glass panes. A two-story addition was recently added that provides wonderful views of the Washington National Cathedral.
The antiques, Oushak carpets, and Murano glass chandelier are highlights in this warm and inviting house.
Don’t miss the lovely French art from the mid-19th century in this home.
The original owners of this house, built in 1912, witnessed historic events, including a huge Suffragette rally in 1913.
CharityWorks GreenHouse Earth-friendly Landscaping
The CharityWorks GreenHouse (CWGH) being constructed in McLean, VA, continues to inspire. The house, sustainable in terms of the actual structure and the interiors, will also feature eco-friendly landscaping. I stopped by this morning and loved the transformation from the bare dirt that was there last week to the lush, low shrubbery, bushes, and grasses that have since been planted.
The CharityWorks GreenHouse will set a standard for sustainable landscaping.
This is the latest update in a series of blogs on the CWGH. For past stories, click here, here, here, and here.
Designed to be low maintenance and drought tolerant by Greg Brandon of Skye Design Studio Ltd., who collaborated with John Clime of T&J Lawn Service, the property is filled with materials native to the mid-Atlantic region, including hydrangeas, viburnums, and rapanden yews. It’s not a traditional landscape; it looks new and natural. I imagine lots of wildlife – chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and butterflies – building homes on this property.
“It’s such a nice extension of the whole theme for the house,” says Mark Lowham, senior vice president of West Group, which is building the green house with GreenSpur Inc. “That design won’t require any chemicals, fertilizers, or additional water once all those regional plants are established. It’s both beautiful and responsible.”
A side view of the house shows the landscaping in the foreground and the green roof on top of the one-story dining room beyond.
Workmen were busy finishing up the sod and planting this morning, so things will have time to take root before the CWGH opens for tours from October 10-30.
The front walk, flanked by native plants, is composed of permeable pavers with pea gravel.
Old-growth trees were saved where possible on the half-acre site, including this evergreen in the front yard.
Mark Turner of GreenSpur says they shifted the house seven feet within the setbacks of the site to save the grand silver maple.
The property is dotted with dozens of hydrangeas, including these oakleaf hydrangeas, which should be spectacular next spring.
Lots of native plants fill the front yard and a side yard. The other side yard will include a lap pool and wonderful outdoor living space. Washington Spaces is proud to be a sponsor of CWGH. See our upcoming Fall issue for a preview of the green designer show house.
My opinion about going green? Thumbs up, naturally!
Bauhaus in Aspen
I’m still basking in the afterglow of a glittering weekend in Aspen, CO, where my husband and I attended seminars at the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Society.
I knew Aspen would be beautiful, but I had no idea the Aspen Meadows Resort, home to the Aspen Institute, was a near-perfect example of the Bauhaus movement.
Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke commissioned Herbert Bayer, a leading Bauhaus artist, to design the 40-acre campus in that architectural tradition.
The buildings were constructed between 1953 and 1973, and they were all positioned to take advantage of the surrounding mountain landscape. There’s a great article about the history of the buildings right here.
And besides the spectacular view from outside, the rooms continue the Bauhaus theme.
In addition to the buildings, Bayer designed a series of “earthwork” sculptures across the campus, connected by a small stream.
Look closely here to see the huge depression in the ground, with an additional small depression and a mound and boulder inside.
Beyond the housing buildings, there are more mounds and sculpture, which are brilliant in the morning sunshine.
After passing these “earthworks,” you follow a trail across a meadow to the seminar building, which seems to rise up from the sagebrush.
The riches of Aspen are also close by, as the hills surrounding this gorgeous campus reveal its grand homes.
Here’s a parting shot from Aspen’s namesake, taken on a hike through a forest of aspen trees.
Fenwick Island
We can’t go out to my mother’s beach house in Fenwick Island, DE, until the boys finish their Little League and tee ball seasons in a couple weeks, but the gorgeous weekend coming has me pining for it. I found a photostream on Flickr by photographer Tom Lynch, whose own mother has a house out there, and his images perfectly represent what I see when we go.
Thanks, Mr. Lynch, for capturing so well what I probably couldn’t with my own digital camera.
My sons can see the Fenwick Island light house from the window of their room.
The beach at Fenwick often has little pools and eddies left there when the tide goes back out. It’s so beautiful to see when I go running there in the mornings.
These are the same beach houses I see when I go running.
But there is still evidence of a bygone era in Fenwick – tiny, colorful cottages in the shadows of the new McMansions.
Anyone who’s driving up Coastal Highway from Ocean City to Bethany (Fenwick is in between) knows these WWII-era gun towers. It’s nice that the same landmarks we knew as children remain for our own children to see today.
I found another photo stream here which shows a bunch of new – and colorful – houses that just went up along Assawoman Bay, along Route 54, which leads into Coastal Highway at Fenwick.
And, from the same photo stream, here’s another favorite view of the beach – on top of the dune, heading down. Can’t wait to go back soon.
Mother's Day in Middleburg: Wingfield and Ellerslie Farms
I think I had the best Mother’s Day of anyone yesterday. Seriously. We went on this fantastic garden tour in Middleburg, VA. The tour of two sumptuous gardens on horse-country estates benefitted the Middleburg Humane Foundation, which is run by my lovely cousin, Hilleary Bogley.
The first stop was a 60-acre estate called Wingfield Farm, which has grown up over the past 18 years to be the most impressive tour of structures, statuary, plant and tree specimens I’ve ever seen.
This weeping evergreen beautifully frames a solar garden, which gets 10 hours of sunlight each day.
I think the owner has a particular fondness for evergreens and conifers, because they were everywhere, in every shape and form.
Here’s a copse called the Pigmy Pinetum – a pine forest filled with many varieties of miniature conifers.
The Monkey Puzzle tree, native to Chile, is one of only three living specimens in the DC region.
Here’s a closer version. I nearly cut myself touching the leaves – they are pricklier than a holly bush.
An upper fountain leads down a waterfall to the lower gardens.
“Hebe,” Cup Bearer to the Gods, is a Victorian statuary, framed by juniperus horizontalis “Wiltoni.”
Here’s a bit of whimsy – a lady caught by surprise in the outhouse!
My husband, walking down one of the garden’s many allées.
My children had a blast running through these sweeping slopes of lawn:
I loved all the details in this garden, including bee hives,
an old-fashioned tollhouse made from a converted tool shed,
a statue inside a structure formed by flower pots,
and a copy of a 14th-century Siberian chapel which holds inside it all manner of stuffed animals from past hunts.
The Brighton Pavilion, with its mirrored windows and intricate ironwork, was created to dress up the farm’s machine shed – what a giveaway that the owner is a woman!
OK, so that was just the first stop. After this show-stopper, we continued on to Ellerslie Farm, just down the road. After greeting the owner’s horse and two donkeys, we roamed the home’s flowering grounds.
As an iris lover, I was in heaven.
The house is at the bottom of a hill – and these are the front steps,
which lead up to this lovely pool filled with tadpoles.
Follow these steps to get down behind the home:
The wall on the right side of the steps is covered with this:
The rest of the property in front lets you meander the grounds – no border is a straight line, to encourage wandering.
And I’ll end with some gorgeous details.
May Flowers
I was inside a beautiful home near Marshall, VA, recently for a feature I was working on, and the homeowner was apologizing for the sad state of her garden (it was in March, and hardly anything had blossomed yet). As I have black thumbs, I told her I thought it was lovely as it was. She promised to send me pictures of her garden when it was up to speed.
This is a woman who can work eight hours in her garden and not notice any time go by – sort of like a painter who can get lost in his art.
Well, here’s the result – ready for museum framing.
19th Annual Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival
There was no such thing as “April Showers” at the 19th annual Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival last weekend. But May’s flowers seemed to have come out early – and everywhere.
The streets were packed with thousands of flower and garden lovers, soaking up all the color and beauty.
Feast your eyes:
Wildwood Landscape of Purcellville, VA, took top honors with first place in landscape design – for the second year in a row.
Plank walkway in Wildwood’s display
We were also a part of Wildwood’s display.
Landscape Associates Inc. of Aldie, VA, received a “Best of Landscape Design” award for its serene outdoor living environment.
Through the Garden of Harpers Ferry, WV, displayed a lovely stone wall.
Holly Heider Chapple Flowers (my beautiful sister’s business) has been a vendor at this show since the first festival 19 years ago. It’s become a Loudoun County tradition to stop by Holly’s booth and pick up beautiful fresh-cut wildflowers and take them home for your table.
Shade Tree Farm of Sudley Springs, VA, filled Leesburg’s streets with boxwoods, dogwoods, and stone walls to complete the landscape display.
Clearwater Landscape and Nursery set the mood with a centerpiece fire pit.
Meadows Farms Nursery is a local favorite, and one of the first nurseries in Loudoun County started by “Farmer Bill” Meadows. There are now 23 locations in the DC area.
And now, for my personal favorite – birdhouses made out of cowboy boots, wrapped in barbed wire – I had to buy one. I also loved the replicated outhouse with the sign, “This Way to the Stables.”
Washington Home & Garden Show Favorites
Full-bloom gardens, serene patio scenes, and striking outdoor tablescapes transformed the Washington Convention Center in downtown DC this past weekend.
The fragrant and lush landscape vignettes were front and center at the annual Washington Home & Garden Show.
Above, from left to right, Daniel Robey, Josh Woolridge, and Anthony Cusat of McHale Landcape Design Inc. stand by the wine pavilion the company created just for the show. It took two months to construct this Tuscan setting, and it paid off – the show awarded McHale with the honor of “Best in Show.”
Another view of McHale’s “Best in Show” design
It’ll be another few weeks before we start seeing the beautiful blossoms of DC’s renowned cherry trees, but they were in full bloom this weekend at the show. As You Like It Landscaping worked its magic to “force” the blossoms out of hibernation through indoor temperature manipulation. The crowning glory of this setting was the glowing pergola in the background, which created a dreamy and ethereal outdoor respite.
This cheerful and sunny vignette, above, from Summer Classics makes me want to lounge on a wrap-around porch and sip iced tea. The aluminum outdoor furniture tricks the eye – it’s made to look like timeworn wood. The bright hues of the French linen upholstery with contrasting piping had me wishing for warmer weather.
I can picture this scene, above, filled with smiling faces and lots of hot dogs and hamburgers. It’s the perfect setting for a summer cookout, and it’s all from Crate & Barrel. Shown here are the Meridian line of metal outdoor furniture and the Garden Party line of tableware.
Of course, the point of having an outstanding outdoor space is to set the stage for a beautiful home, and the show’s list of remodeling and home décor vendors didn’t disappoint.
Jeffrey Oh of Jeffrey Oh Woodworking debuted his new kitchen design at the Washington Home & Garden Show. The countertop of this piece, above, was made from one slab of an English walnut tree and the cabinet base, complete with a Sub-Zero refrigerator drawer, is made of birdseye maple. A natural edge is kept on the wood, and each piece is unique, such as the slab at back made of rare Bastogne walnut.
Above, from left to right, Ethan and Chris Landis of Landis Construction Corporation and Daniel Steinkoler of Superior Home Services Inc. represented the Metro DC Chapter of National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) at the show. Both companies received recognition in NARI’s Contractor of the Year (COTY) Awards, which we covered here on this blog.
John Kiernan of Blue Line Studios drew a crowd at the Nash Construction Inc. booth. Sean de Launay of Nash Construction looked on as Kiernan painted cherubs on faux-marble acrylic.
Just look at the transformation.
Christmas in Middleburg, Part II
I had to share some of the lovely decorations that grace the shops of downtown Middleburg, which are heavily reminiscent of another Virginia town further south – Williamsburg – for all their fruit and fresh greens.
After strolling down Middleburg’s Washington Street on Saturday morning, my mother, sister and I drove a few minutes further down Route 50 to Upperville, where we had lunch at my new favorite restaurant, the Hunter’s Head Tavern.
The food is the definition of comfort, and they pride themselves with serving humanely raised meat and local produce. The pot pies, burgers and my spinach and feta tart with red peppers – to name just a fraction of the menu – will make you weak in the knees. I nearly fell off the chair when I tasted the butternut squash and crab bisque.
The inside has a true English tavern feel, with paneled walls and multiple fireplaces. There’s nothing like having a meal fireside. One of the walls reveals exposed logs and mortar, which reminded me of the cover of our newest issue, which you can see online before it hits the stands in a couple weeks. Make sure to make a reservation next time you’re out that way.
Going with the Faux
OK, maybe I’m going a little overboard with this faux thing, as I realize I just wrote about faux florals a couple weeks ago. But I was doing some catch-up reading of last month’s Metropolitan Home this morning when I saw this gorgeous Hollywood Hills home with the most pristine postage stamp of lawn separating the terrace from the infinity pool and the city down below.
Photographs by John Ellis
It’s fake!! I thought artificial turf existed only in football stadiums and on putt-putt golf courses. Not only is this lawn beautiful, but think about it: no mowing, no watering, and no pets turning it brown when they do their business.
The article quotes outdoor designer Tory Polone, who used SYNLawn – “the most realistic imitation she could find. ‘The homeowners have three dogs, so this was our only hope for keeping it green and lovely,’ Polone says.”
Here are some other residential projects from SYNLawn.
I adore my artificial Christmas tree, which is pre-lit and looks much more dazzling than I could do with the real thing, and I don’t have to water it, and I don’t have to vacuum fallen pine needles every day. I wonder what my husband would think if I asked for fake grass, too? (“Dear Jim,” my editor, Trish Donnally, writes in reply. “Just say NO!”)
Faux Is the Way to Go
I can’t understand people who pooh-pooh faux flowers (hello, Oprah?). I love them – you don’t have to water them and they never die. What’s there to complain about?
Certainly, really obvious fakes can be just awful. But with the likes of Diane James Designs out there, you really can’t go wrong. When I saw her new introductions for fall and winter, I had to read through the descriptions because I honestly didn’t know whether or not they were real. See for yourself:
Orchids:
Bouquets:
Plants:
Carolyn James McDonough, vice president of Diane James, was kind enough to send a list of DC-area retailers where you can find these floral gems:
Barkley Limited
3301 New Mexico Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
202.363.6664
Dalton Brody
3412 Idaho Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20016
202.244.7197
Valerianne
The Kellogg Collection
Neiman Marcus
Award-winning Auto Interiors
The best part of this job is getting to see inside some stunning homes. And most often, we find equally stunning cars parked in those driveways. Indeed, it’s hard not to think about other people’s cars every single day when you’re inching behind them during the commute.
Come to find out, awards are given out each year to the best car interiors. I’m illiterate when it comes to car engines, but start talking to me about buckskin leather, metallic accents on a steering wheel, and softly glowing turquoise dials on the dashboard, and I’m hooked.
Here are this year’s winners from the Ward’s Auto Interiors Show:
We’ll start right at the top with the “devastatingly beautiful” Jaguar XF, which won top honors in the Premium Priced Cars category.
“The once foolproof formula of highly polished burled walnut and sumptuous leather now is a cliché almost as tired as the pillow-like seat cushions and thick velour upholstery of the 1970s,” writes Drew Winter of wardsauto.com.
So the judges loved Jaguar’s update on the luxury look: an “adventurous” color palette that includes turquoise backlighting of gauges; gray-toned wood trim; and minimalist controls such as a circular gearshift dial that emerges from a recess in the center console.
“It’s all stunningly modern, yet somehow so British and deliciously reminiscent of a James Bond movie that you half expect ‘Q’ to be sitting in the back seat pointing out the buttons for the machine guns and the ejector seat,” Winter writes.
The Audi TT took the prize for the Sports Car Category:
“The TT rose above other sports cars like a thick head of German beer; its size-limited practicality trumped by superb build quality and a driver-centric environment more akin to vehicles twice its price,” writes Mike Sutton of Wardsauto.com.
The judges especially like the white-on-black gauges and “brushed-metallic accents placed in all the right places.” They also praised the two-tone interior and the D-shaped steering wheel that also made ingress and egress easier for larger drivers.
The winner in the Premium Priced Truck category surprised everyone, including the judges – Chrysler’s Town & Country minivan.
“The cultural bias against minivans runs deep,” Eric Mayne writes. “This sad truth is plainly evident when Associate Editor and sedan-driver James Amend greets his turn in the T&C with slack-jawed surprise and delight – this despite his relatively recent introduction to fatherhood, which makes minivan ownership almost inevitable. ‘Someone put a gun to my head to keep me from buying this thing!’ Amend exclaims.”
T&C’s highlights:
- Microfiber on the first- and second-row seats.
- Second-row seats swivel around to face the third row, with a removable table.
- Back-row seats fold down at the push of a button – perfect for tailgate seating.
- MyGiG infotainment system downloads music – no iPods necessary. Two video screens flip down from the ceiling.
- Under-floor storage.
To see other winners in the economy and popular priced categories, go to WardsAuto.com, right here.
Come Together
If you want to create the ultimate outdoor entertainment area, it’s seldom a one-stop shop. From the stonework, lighting, and wiring, to the ever-important grill, you could easily get overwhelmed trekking from showroom to showroom to find what works the best for your outside space. That’s why we were excited to see some of our favorite companies come together last night for an event that made perfect sense – solve the problem by getting the ideal mix of people in one room, the Charles Luck Stone Center.
And quite a room it was. As Steve Terry, executive vice president of HADCO, a supplier of top quality kitchen appliances, said, “We all have showroom envy now.”
Charles Luck Stone Center studio consultants Amanda New, at left, and Allie Lindeman flank Washington Spaces Account Executive Angela Carpenter. Tabitha Blakely, Charles Luck Stone’s concierge, is to the right.
The Charles Luck Stone Center provides unique, high quality stone from around the world. Its executives literally go to the corners of the earth to leave no stone unturned. In September, President Mark Fernandes will head to Verona, Italy, to get the most exotic stone to bring back to the States.
Washington Spaces Account Executive Angela Carpenter is in good company with Charles Luck Stone Center’s President Mark Fernandes, at right, and its Director of Marketing Mark Smucker.
The theme of the night was clear – synergy.
“We all have similar products with a similar target audience,” Fernandes says. “What a great idea getting everyone together.”
Joining Charles Luck Stone Center and HADCO were Dominion Electric, displaying energy-efficient outdoor lighting, and Integrated Media Systems, wiring the room with flat-screen televisions and flanking the outdoor space with waterproof speakers.
Lee Odess of Integrated Media Sytems and Chef Patrizia Krejci
Lee Odess, director of marketing and sales for Integrated Media Systems, had a goal from the start when he originally conceived this event. “We’ve all come together to take a more application approach to the outdoors,” he says. The application approach, he explains, demonstrates at a glance how consumers can put outdoor products to good use.
And there’s no better way to display that than by putting the beautiful stainless steel Alfresco grill on the scene to some serious work. Special events Chef Patrizia Krejci was on hand to fire up succulent shrimp and deliciously marinated steak and chicken for the guests.
HADCO’s Executive Vice President Steve Terry and Washington Spaces Account Executive Angela Carpenter get some grill time.
Alfresco Grill’s Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing Dale Seiden also lent his expertise on creating an outdoor entertainment area that will incorporate function, flow, and fun. Seiden has created industrial kitchens in some of the finest restaurants around the country. His résumé includes kitchens in the Bellagio and Venetian Hotels in Las Vegas, and he has collaborated with celebrity chefs including Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse. Seiden’s knowledge of restaurant kitchen design has carried over to creating outdoor kitchens, and he believes he’s brought a whole new thought process to the table.
Alfresco’s Dale Seiden discusses the importance of using high-quality equipment to create an efficient outdoor kitchen.
“I take the same marketing approach that I do with the restaurant kitchen, and I have applied it to the outdoor kitchen,” he says. “The niche consumer today wants products that emulate what they see in restaurants.”
Some fine points Seiden touched on included the benefits of choosing commercial-quality appliances. “They should be built like a tank,” he says. Using a heavy gauge of steel and a seamless welding process with no sharp edges are key components in a quality grill.
“Zoning” is also important, Seiden believes. To maximize the accessibility of your outdoor space, Seiden deems it significant to have different zones mapped out and separated, including preparation, cooking, plating, serving, and entertaining.
Entertaining is, of course, the most important aspect.
That’s what brings everyone together.
Josh Rosenthal of Rosenthal Homes is joined by Washington Spaces Associate Publisher Heather Heider and Account Executive Rashida Creque.
Jennifer Ingber of Fresh Confections LLC, at right, served delicious treats, while Washington Spaces Account Executive Jill Yager, center, and Charles Luck Stone studio consultant Katie Buchan, at left, enjoyed them.
Beautiful Unusual
Need another reason to be outside on a cool morning, a sunny afternoon, or a velvety summer evening? I think we may have found one! Garden Architects in Annapolis stocks an array of outdoor furniture that Jennifer pithily described as “so unusual” – in the best possible way, of course. We’re talking beautiful unusual, envious-neighbors unusual, spend-hours-on-their-Web-site unusual.
The first thing that caught my eye was the Frank Lloyd Wright Stonework.
Frederick C. Robie Residence Vase
Johnson Wax Building Vase
These pieces have some power, right? They’re strangely primitive-yet-futuristic, blending noiselessly into the scenery, making a statement when you take the time to examine them. The beveled edges of the Johnson Wax Building Vase have me swooning! So strong, so refined…
This heading had me intrigued as well: Party Gear! No sense in mincing words, right?
These gorgeous lamps speak louder than any words:
Again, we have a study in contrasts as the softest, most gently diffused light radiates from severe geometric pillars. Couldn’t you picture a set of these creating a sculpture-garden-esque ambiance at an evening wedding?
Now, for our favorite: Kokonut. This chubby, ergonomic line of outdoor seating is jaw-droppingly cool.
Where did this incredible line come from? A marshmallow’s drawing board? Outer space? My dreams? Actually, it came from Sifas, a French furniture designer on a mission to “abolish the frontiers” of exterior furnishings, and to “make sophisticated the outdoor.”
After seeing all of this, I really wanted to talk to Robbie Fitzgerald, the mastermind behind Garden Architects. My most burning question concerned how she amassed such a vast collection of interesting and well-made pieces. After a career working as a director for technology projects, she decided to make a change. After a lifetime in the corporate sector, she says, “I needed to do something that I loved.” After a period of schooling (she is now a “master gardener”) which included training at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, she started out dealing in fine art for gardens. “I realized that I was in a market where it was much harder to reach the buyers that I wanted to reach – I wanted a bigger and better niche, and to serve the community better.” From there, she moved into outdoor furniture “with a focus on quality, style, and design over mass quantity,” and Garden Architects was born.
“I really have a love of the arts and a love of design,” says Fitzgerald, “and a love of working with phenomenal designers who really care about quality and style.” Her vendors “understand how bodies are shaped,” and their “well thought-out” pieces speak to this understanding. When choosing items, she looks at a line’s reputation in addition to its style: “Are they in good company? Are they well-respected?” Above all, she says, “my vendors are my partners,” and she seeks to cultivate “relationships based on integrity and conversation. When it works, it’s so much fun!” Her favorite part of her job? “We’re outside all the time.”
Gardens of Delight
If you haven’t already picked up the latest issue of Washington Spaces, I want to direct your attention to our feature on outdoor rooms, along with its sidebar reviewing products for those outdoor rooms.
The whole point of being outside, of course, is to enjoy the natural scenery. To that end, I’ve been seeing a lot of scenic inspiration crop up.
I recently strolled through the Boston Common and saw these eye-popping alia, the size of which I’d never seen before. Being a lover of purple flowers, I need to seek them out for my own garden:
I also admired the way the Boston Common landscapers assembled this tableau using multiple floral varieties. Note to self: should I even try this at home?
Back at the magazine, we got a nice note recently from Amish Country Gazebos, which will help you design your own gazebo, from which you can sit and smell the roses.
Timely, too, is a new DVD series on gardens, and their power to inspire and heal. GardenStory, a series of 10 half-hour episodes, is a profile of gardens nationwide, from the garden of a Harlem Renaissance poet that served as a sanctuary for her to write poetry, to community gardens of New York’s East Village, to sportsman and art connoisseur Harvey Ladew’s huge topiary gardens near Baltimore. Host Rebecca Frischkorn of Charlottesville, VA, is a board member of the Cultural Landscape Foundation and the Shenandoah National Park Trust.
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