In the Garden

Garden/Floral
July 15, 2014

1. Chippendale Planter /2. Meyer Lemon Tree /3. Chic Gardening Tools /4. Attractive Watering Can /5. Terra Cotta Planter /6. Olive Tree /7. Copper Labels /8. Teak Planter /9. In the Garden by Stacy Bass

You all know that I am not the gardener in the family, that skill falls to my husband. He loves our garden and all its faults, enjoying the challenge of making things grow and keeping them alive and hopefully blooming. You don’t need to have a large outdoor space to have a garden of your own, all you need are a couple of pots and a watering can. So don’t be discouraged if you live in an apartment with no outdoor space. Pots of plants can be very happy on a fire escape. So today some of my favorite things in the garden and for the garden. Happy planting.

Paying for Planting

Finds
May 20, 2014

If you’re anything like me, you have always dreamed of owning a Chateau de Versailles Tree Box from Jardins du Roi Soleil, seen here on the left. Or more recently, after perusing the May issue of Elle Decor, I discovered a new planter to love, the Dutch Planter by Pennoyer Newman, seen here on the right. The only issue here is that the Tree box is upwards of $2,000 and the Dutch Planter is upwards of $1,000. Now, I love these planters, but I don’t know that I love them that much. Enter my wonderful contractor George, who was happy to build me some little boxes for our boxwood. They’re no Chateau de Versailles Tree Box, but I love them just the same. Now if you don’t have someone like George to build you some planters, I honestly think Terrain has some of the most beautiful planters right now. Like this Cube Plant Basket. How chic is this? Or these Lattice Box Planters? Perfect for the Francophile! Or how about these really cool Zinc Pail Planters? Very vintage modern. My girl Chassity over at Look Linger Love used these on her porch, and they look fab. You can get all of these planters from Terrain for under $200. I know that isn’t free, but it isn’t $1000, and Terrain often has some really great sales …

Church Street photo by Francesco Lagnese

Louisville, No Longer a Mystery

Architecture
April 2, 2014

I recently found out that one of my dearest friends here in Charleston is leaving the Holy City and headed to Louisville, Kentucky for her husband’s medical residency. So I did what any northern girl who lives in the South would do, I went to the Garden & Gun website and searched Louisville. What came up was Lincliff. Built in 1912, this Georgian Revival mansion on the banks of the Ohio River is home to famed mystery novelist Sue Grafton and her husband Steve Humphrey. The couple bought the abandoned and dilapidated house in 2000, and Humphrey, a newly enthusiastic gardener, spent the first five years of ownership clearing, fixing, and researching the beautiful gardens surrounding the house. During their research, Grafton and Humphrey discovered that the hilltop site plan had been designed by John Olmsted, nephew of famed Central Park landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Since then, Grafton and Humphrey have been restoring the gardens and even adding touches of their own inspired by their travels in Europe. I think I have mentioned that W is the gardener in our marriage, so maybe one day we could take on a project like this. Whaddya say Mr. B? In the meantime, knowing that there are places and people like this living in and around Louisville, my friend is going to be just fine … and I have now found an excuse to go visit.

Photos via Garden & Gun