A quick weekend in New York City bore fruit to some superb eateries, to include Palma in the West Village. Traditional Italian cuisine was paired with a lively garden terrace to include blooms of roses, casablanca lilies, herbs and the like. Candles flickered while the room danced with soft conversation. A C&C Approval, rightfully earned. Follow them along on Instagram: @palmanyc
Full Bloom
One of the best things to wake up to this morning.... a new bloom on our 20 year old hibiscus tree we were anxiously watching. Can't wait to see the rest of her....
Fern Fanatic
My fern fetish began when my dear friend Betsy carried the most beautiful bouquet at her wedding with ferns. She later mentioned that Jackie Kennedy also had ferns in her bridal bouquet...
Ferns fascinate me as there are over 10,000 species and aesthetically, they exude a mystical yet understated elegance. On the subject of ferns, one of my favorites to follow on Instagram as of late is the English artist @lucindawhartonartist. Her posts usually include lovely vignettes around her Georgian Country home she is restoring, often with her two labrador retrievers in tow. She also seems to be a fern fanatic as her posts (akin to the above) include garden ferns around her home.
THE LAUNCH: Private Newport's Parterre Bench
I am pleased as punch to see the launch of the Parterre Bench come to fruition today. C&C Consulting, along with the Private Newport team, worked tirelessly and passionately to truly bring a dream to a reality. The Parterre Bench is a beautifully-scaled, custom bespoke garden accessory that commands celebratory order. It is available for any discerning eye to bring home to their own garden setting.
My client was inspired by a whimsical bench spotted some 30 years ago at Birr Castle in Ireland. She then specifically created a bower in her own Newport, Rhode Island garden (one that effortlessly mirrors Gardens of Versailles, mind you), to house the custom bench she designed to satiate her dreams. Years later, with some guts and grandeur, we are thrilled to bring the Parterre Bench to market.
DO: Get inspired & watch this video.
Thank you for your support & Happy Gardening!
xx
C&C Consulting
(Photograph above shot by the uber talented Jodi Paquin | http://www.jodipaquinphotography.com/)
Garden Bounty
Thanks to a gracious neighbor, I didn't have to forage long to assemble a bounty of spinach, swiss chard and radish. Her garden was yet another reminder that summer is practically here.
The Ultimate Luxury
This weekend certainly had me thinking. I spent it with my two best friends, soaking up the sunshine across the Golden Gate bridge at a dear friend's home. Early mornings were spent with refreshing swims in the pool, followed by coffee on the terrace while listening to the birds hum their morning tune and watching the sun fill the yard with its warmth. We hunted for fresh cherry tomatoes and scallions in the garden for omelet ingredients, and later poured ourselves into books and magazines by the dark-bottomed pool. I found myself reflecting on how simple our days were, yet how happy they made me. Perhaps this is the definition of summer to many, however that definition changes when you live in San Francisco. Just the vision of lush shrubs and greenery and the act of sourcing our breakfast ingredients from the garden filled my soul with delight. A joyful garden, in my opinion, is an ultimate luxury. I am devoting this post to the simplicities of life and the beauty and luxury they often bestow.
Images above are from Mark D. Sikes' curated collection via Pinterest. Be sure to follow his blog, also, a C&C favorite!
A Flora Flop
Behold, the catalpa tree. Very few gardeners have planted one since the financial crisis (the one in the 1930s), perhaps due to its messy nature. The seedpods it drops are abundant and pesky and its blooms are shortlived. The catalpa has company though. According to Wednesday's article in the NYTimes, American homeowners have stopped spending money on all types of trees and shrubs. In the four years after 2008's financial crisis, landscaping purchases dropped by 46 percent. Among other floral flops? The Poppy, the Firethorn, the Fig tree and Crinum. I highly suggest reading the article and skip to your nearest garden shop.
The Silver Thief
When I moved cross-country, I didn't bring much with me by means of furniture and home decor, but did tote with me my Father's and Grandparents' silver. I love the idea of integrating antique silver into any design scheme, particularly if it has any sentimental value. I get great joy from using my Dad's sailing trophies as jewelry troughs and bar accessories, and love serving my Pink Panty Punch in the same punch bowl my Great-Grandmother used for her parties in New Orleans. (Read more about the punch bowl's fruitful life, here). I look forward to one day flooding my home with their treasures as each one has a unique tale to accompany.
I thought the recent story in Garden & Gun about the infamous "Silver Thief" was quite remarkable. Blane Nordahl, the man behind a long string of large-scale silver thefts in the south and beyond, has finally been charged after thirty years of suspected robberies. (Silver and the South often go hand-in-hand as it represented a new beginning after the Civil War. Because so much of it had been lost during the war, curating a new collection of silver post-war signaled that life would go on and people would prevail. I suppose Nordahl knew this all too well, too)...
Among other themes and takeaways, the article was a reminder to keep treasures like such under a watchful eye. Now I'm off to take inventory!
Read the full story here.
Garden Party Ready
Admittedly, this particular catalog is usually put in the stack of discarded mail, however this month, it gave me pause. The cover is perfectly enticing and all things Spring, showcasing a garden oasis with two chic seating areas. It is a scene I would teleport to in an instant - truly my definition of heaven. If you're in the market for outdoor furniture, I encourage you to look at Frontgate. Currently, they are offering 20% Savings on all furniture sets. My pick? The Grayson Collection in white with jade cushion fabric.
Images via.
Give Me Green
Heather Preston of KIC posted a few weeks ago about her longing for spring and all things green. I found myself envious of her mentioning that seed catalogs were stacked for the season ahead. One of the drawbacks of becoming a city girl is the lack of yard and green space at home.
Growing up, we were surrounded by every kind of fruit tree, flower and vegetable you could imagine in our yard. We'd pick blackberries, peaches and rhubarb for summer cobbler, mint for iced tea, zucchini for my Mom's zucchini bread and summer blooms for the table on the porch. It took a lot of sweat equity to be able to enjoy the bounty we loved, but worth every effort. Green is Good.
Image above via.