It’s a small world…after all

22 Monday Nov 2010

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The world of blogging has taken me to some amazing sites where talented and enthusiastic folks write (blog) about home, garden and entertaining. I find it almost overwhelming (in a good way) at the number of creative individuals living in our world, and there are hundreds more that don’t even use a computer!

I recently visited one of my favorite blog sites, Trouvais, and marveled at the beautiful magazine photographs she posted on this particular day—her question was “who do you think lives in this house?” and the home in question was grand, by my standards. I say that because I’m aware that there are people who participate in blogland that might in fact believe the house was no different than their own homes or that of their neighbors.

Imagine...

images via Trouvais via Vogue Living-Australia

As I scrolled down and took in the beautiful details of each room I thought to myself, well this is probably a U.S. East Coast “country manor house” where a) a successful businessman and his lovely wife live or b) a 5^th generation blue blood and his lovely wife live. In my fantasy they are always happily married!

So when Trouvais revealed who owned the house, Gael & Francesco Boglione the name meant nothing to me. There was a link to their business and I was still in the dark (for a second) because I first saw that the Petersham Nursery and estate was located in Richmond (so I was thinking of the U.S., Richmond, Virginia. Then it dawned on me, they live in England. What surprised me is how the internet has made our world smaller—I believe that can be a good thing. And trust me, I realize this is a huge “duh” to most of you, but when I think of what you can see, sort of up-close and personal, with the click of a mouse it astounds me and makes me very happy.

an excerpt from Petersham Nurseries website…“If the nursery itself wasn’t photogenic enough, it is set at the centre of an Arcadia created in the 18th century. Just over one hundred years ago, threatened with development, an “Indignation” Campaign ensured the view from Richmond Hill, of which this Arcadia was key, became the first and only view to be protected by Act of Parliament. Running alongside the Thames, this exquisite area of woodland and water meadows has inspired poets, writers, composers and artists such as J.M Turner and Sir Joshua Reynolds”.

In addition to the beautiful estate and the breathtaking nursery, they own Petersham Properties—a company that rents out manor houses for holiday for ordinary folks like you and me—well, maybe. I’ll have to check the prices and get back to you on that.

This lovely little country house in the Cotswold sleeps 8---yes, please!

Where in the world would you like to visit today or over the Thanksgiving weekend?

Note: When hubby and I were first married we worked at Disneyland—hubby wore the cute straw bowler hat and was supervisor for the Fantasyland ride, It’s a Small World!

A magical nursery…Rogers Gardens

15 Monday Nov 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

nursery, Rogers Gardens, seasonal plants

I live in Orange County, California where the sun shines 365 days a year…at least that’s what the Chamber of Commerce would have you believe. As a native SoCal resident I’m here to tell you we are pretty lucky with our weather and we do have seasons of a sort. It takes practice, but you can detect season-to-season if you’ve lived here all your life. (I was born and raised in the state and apart from a 2-year stint in Arlington, Texas hubby and are natives).

In the background, through the trees (in this picture), you can see the gazebo that Roger's is famous for. It was built and modeled after the gazebo at Disneyland.

Image via Rogers Gardens website.

One of the jewels in the crown of “the O.C.” (does anyone remember that TV drama/soap series?) is Roger’s Gardens. According to their website under History of the Nursery,

“The original Roger’s Gardens (in Costa Mesa) was opened in 1965 by Roger McKinnon. Retaining the name, Roger’s Gardens, Gavin Herbert Sr. became the new owner in January 1970 and moved the business in 1975 to its current location in Corona Del Mar, California. Sitting upon seven acres across from Fashion Island, Roger’s Gardens has grown to be known as ‘America’s Most Beautiful Home and Garden Center’”.

In addition to blood-pressure lowering vistas this nursery offers events (artists display their plein air paintings, Halloween and Christmas previews) but they offer free classes on specific interests such as growing roses or perennials.

Plein air paintings are often featured in the gift Gallery at Roger's.

So, after deciding I’d procrastinated long enough on getting practice to improve my photography skills, or lack thereof, I drove to Rogers Gardens on my lunch hour and took a lot of pictures, hoping to capture the beauty of the place—I’m sorry to report the pictures I took don’t compare to those of their website so this post features some of both…sorry. The photography student isn’t ready for prime time yet!

Roger’s does an amazing job with flower baskets.

I was going to try to take primarily Autumnal photos but it was already “Christmas” at Roger’s and there were dozens of Christmas trees decked out with ornaments for sale in the fabulous gift Gallery. Not to mention the LGB train (a larger scale train) that circles the most amazing array of evergreen trees and seasonal plants. Rogers manages to create a completely detailed fantasyland of beauty for all to see. I’ll go back later and try my hand on some “winter wonderland” shots.

You will find so many interesting and uncommon plants at Rogers. The planting materials they stock are the highest quality plants and almost always perform beautifully in the garden.

In addition to their stock of amazing bedding plants, perennials, shrubs and trees, they have a florist studio where (for a price) you may have any kind of centerpiece or house plant arranged in a decorative planter of your own or one you have purchased from the nursery. I’ve actually hired them to create a planter for a dinner I was giving in 2009 and the plants and planter still look great—the annual color I had them add has been removed but they do such a good job it is worth the dollars you will spend.

I love sunflowers and this arrangement reflects the season.

The gift Gallery always has great gift ideas whether you need something for a specific holiday or just want to spoil yourself. The prices on most items seems very fair to me—there are some spectacular antique pieces where the items are displayed with flair. The nursery has a complete line of patio furniture from Kingsley Bates teak to Lane indoor-outdoor wicker and dozens of others.

During the holidays the place is lit with tiny white lights from the trees surrounding the nursery to every large evergreen tree on the grounds inside the nursery. I’ll have to go back to take more pictures/get more practice!

By the way, I don’t work for Roger’s Gardens and they do not give me anything for these compliments…darn, wish they did! 🙂

Do you like to work in your garden—do you have a favorite place to buys plants or just to get inspired?

Fall gardening—growing peonies in Southern California

27 Wednesday Oct 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening

≈ 9 Comments

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Gardening, Peony

One of my favorite flowers is the peony. I love their bold yet lacy beauty and the delicate to daring, colors they bloom in. Unfortunately I am in zone 18 (according to the Sunset magazine guide). We rarely get frost in my neighborhood (peonies like a chill in the winter) and we can warm up in the summer to the mid-to high eighties, even nineties, this is not an ideal climate for peonies. Until now?

Monrovia sells some very lovely peony however they can be expensive.

I just read that there is a variety of peony called ‘Itoh’—a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies—not sure what that means exactly…but if it means I might be able to cut a peony blossom from my yard occasionally I’m up for giving a 5-gallon plant a try.

There are some David Austin roses that remind me of peony blossoms; if all else fails I will plant a couple new DA roses.

According to Sunset you can plant the ‘Itoh’ peony in spring or fall. You want to make sure the rootball is level with the soil line—taking care not to disturb the tender feeder roots. The article even says you can plant them in containers if the container is larger than the container the plant came in from the nursery.

Wouldn't it be fun to be able to stroll into the yard, clippers in hand, and come in with a bouquet like this? Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Add plenty of compost mix to your planting soil. The plants should be watered regularly and you should feed them once when the plant starts to leaf using a low nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10) and again after the last flower of the season fades. The article also said that as the plant ages there will be a noticeable increase in blossoms…especially after 3 years in the ground.

Ahhh, yellow, so sunny and happy!

I realize that most of the U.S. probably can grow peonies with ease, it’s just that here in Zone 18 of Southern California we miss out on lilacs and peonies, two of my favorites. We can grow hydrangea without much difficulty so that’s the consolation prize for living where it’s warm nearly every day! If any of you have grown these peonies successfully, please give me any and all advice you may have on how to do it.

Moving the fountain

08 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Gardening, Maintenance, Outdoor living

≈ 4 Comments

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Gardening, maintenance

The other day I needed to do some cleanup work in the atrium (the fig ivy starts growing like it’s attempting an escape during the summer months). After fertilizing and hosing off everything I sat down for a rest and the little gray cells started working on an idea—this only happens every so often so I need to capitalize on it when it hits me.

This vine was perfectly happy in the atrium but I felt it could branch out and grow even larger (be happier) on the patio where our fountain sits.

We have a fountain on our patio that I had purchased many years ago. It’s been a bit of a disappointment due to the sound it makes when the stream hits the water bowl—it sounds like a little boy peeing in the pool. How do I know this sound? I raised sons. If any of you out there in blog land can tell me how to fix this and make the stream sound more like water drops gently landing on a pool I’d be eternally grateful.

The fountain was something I thought would add to our dining enjoyment when we ate on the patio---unfortunately it really took up more space than we had and the sound was not as relaxing as I'd hoped. I believe it will be much prettier in the atrium.

Anyway—the fountain and the 2 large pots I had on either side seemed to crowd the patio a bit and it dawned on me (the day I was working on the atrium) that the fountain might look better in the atrium. It would also stay cleaner since my gardener doesn’t work in the atrium so his blowing of dust and leaves wouldn’t be a factor.

One of the bower vines got a new home on the patio post with this angel doorknocker.

The birds in our yard actually use this birdbath (when it has water in it). I think one of the local sparrows has a crush on the iron bird that rests here.

I’ve moved the bower vines that book-ended the fountain—one is in the atrium and one is on the patio. The calliandra (‘red powder puff’) vine that had been in the atrium is probably going to be a lot happier on the patio—that’s the goal, keep those plants happy.

See, doesn't this vine look happier on the patio?

Now we can listen to the splash of water all through the house.

Have you rearranged any planted items or changed the look of your garden lately?

Morning Glory in the Garden

08 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening

≈ 2 Comments

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Garden, Morning Glory, vine

I live in Southern California and during the summer months we are lucky enough to enjoy morning glory (‘ipomoea’) in all of its blue, pink, white or violet finery. I have grown the flowering vine every year that we have lived in our current home—28 summers of morning glory!

My morning glories are more violet than blue---I really prefer the blue ones so I'll need to make sure I plant new "blue" seeds.

I was first introduced to the ease of growing these flowers years ago (before marriage) while visiting my dear friend, Linda. She was living with her parents at the time and her father grew morning glory in their back yard in Corona Del Mar. When I admired his vine filled with vibrant blue flowers, he explained that they were easy to grow and promptly gave me a 1 gallon container with seeds already planted.

Mine is just getting going and as you can see, I have an insect already nibbling on the leaves. I don't mind sharing but I wish they would eat the less noticeable leaves.

My husband and I bought our first home in Tustin and I was able to grow the morning glories from a pot, the vine grew around the patio post. In this Irvine house I grow them in the only sunny spot in my yard and they twine their way around the fence posts. They are listed in a popular book by retired L.A. Times Garden Editor, Robert Smaus, as a “pest plant” in his popular book, “52 Weeks in the California Garden”—but I still love them! When the little ‘starts’ pop up in the wrong spot in the yard they are very easy to pull up by the roots and eventually they stop coming around.

I've asked this angel to keep the bugs dining to a minimum!

There comes a time in the year when they start looking kind of sad and I simply pull them out, roots and all, when that happens (usually in late September).

Here is a sample of colors that I've seen---I believe they come in a variety of colors, including white.

Isn't this a beautiful shade of blue?

To plant: Buy seed from your local nursery or big box home improvement store. Soak the seed overnight. Sow the seed in a sunny location after danger of frost (spring). Sow them 2-3″ apart and cover with 1/2″ of fine soil. Once the seedlings pop their little heads out of the ground, thin to space them 1′ apart. Don’t over fertilize—this encourages growth of the vine and fewer flowers. I believe you will have fun with this easy to grow plant.

Rehersal dinners & other wedding tales

07 Saturday Aug 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Party Planning

≈ 5 Comments

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bridesmaid dress, centerpieces, wedding

Hubby and I are attending the wedding of Jeff, the son of a couple we have known since we were first married. Jeff and his lovely fiance, are getting married over Labor Day weekend in St. Helena, California. The wine country in Northern California is amazing.

This is the winery where the wedding will be held. Are we in Italy?

Anyway, since my friend is the “mother of the groom” she and her husband will be hosting the rehearsal dinner. They have a venue and are in the process of selecting invitations and determining centerpieces for the tables.

I love the simplicity of a single hydrangea blossom in a jelly jar.

There are so many beautiful ideas only a ‘Google search’ away. Have you noticed how many amazingly creative people there are out there?!

With the wedding being held in September I believe sunflowers would be beautiful.

I attended a wedding where the bride used jelly jars with wild flowers on the tables and it was amazing.

Speaking of weddings, a friend of mine recently began posting at paper{whites}, (visit her site, you’ll love it). She posted a piece on the wonderful bridesmaid dresses on the market today…and more importantly, you don’t have to break the bank to find them…visit her site for details.

I believe this was in Traditional Home or Veranda some years ago---it's designer Nancy Braithwaite's daughter's wedding.

Small Yards – Making the cut

20 Tuesday Jul 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening, Maintenance

≈ 2 Comments

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Gardening, replacing plants

As you may have gathered, we live in a cottage. We love small spaces and it works for us. It certainly keeps us on top of the weeding out what we don’t use game. And because we have a small house we have a relatively small yard. I should mention that I know this isn’t the case in all regions of the U.S. but in California, where real estate is always at a premium, this is often the standard.

In small spaces some plants aren't able to hold their own year round.

So my dilemma has become…should I get rid of the few plants that haven’t been living up to their end of the bargain? I hate to be heartless and cruel but there are several plants in my yard that just don’t look very good and because of their close proximity to the house (i.e. small yard, etc.) they are highly visible.

This white bower vine was pretty last year. This spring, due to the rains we had, it looks like it doesn't have enough leaves.

I am going to replace them with a new player (as in sports team language). If a plant/team member isn’t doing what it takes to make a pretty yard/winning team then I’m forced to make a change!

This corner has struggled due to the shade. Tree trimming is necessary before next fall!

Am I being heartless? What do you do when a plant is struggling and you’ve nursed it and it still looks pitiful?

When there is limited space you want all of the plants to look good all of the time, is this too much to ask...probably!

I hope to plant a rosemary near this bed, the old one outgrew its location.

What do you do when plants begin to look like they aren’t happy where they are planted? Do you have a solution? I’d love to hear from you.

A new world of amazing ideas…free

19 Monday Jul 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Gardening

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

blogs, discovery

I have a confession to make, my first post for Garden, Home and Party was in June 2007. As you may have read in a recent post I was uncertain about the direction I wanted to head in with the site. Although the name of my site sums up my passions I was brand-spanking new to this form of expression and not yet confident that anyone would care what I thought about gardening, decorating my home (and home life in general) and party—entertaining and all of the fun associated with that (cooking, table settings, recipes).

Gardening is a passion, I find it to be so relaxing.

As you will notice if you visit my “archives” (some of which seem to be missing, I will have to consult my IT guy-son #2), I was sporadic at best and downright absent from posting for many months. Then I discovered, quite by accident, Pioneer Woman’s website. I was hooked on her entertaining style of writing. Sharing stories of her life on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma with 4 kids and a wonderful husband. From her site I followed links to other sites that were inspiring {The Lettered Cottage, The Inspired Room and Holly Mathis Interiors}.

My heart sings when I can relax with a stack of "nesting" magazines or embark on a new project for my home.

I realize that I will never have the following of fans Dee Rummond (PW) has but I can follow her lead and be inspired by her “journaling” (PW explained that she started her site as a means to keep her mom up to date with pictures and activities at the ranch). I can journal my passion for Garden, Home and Party.

There is nothing like entertaining friends and family in our home.

New to me is the site French Kissed. I love visiting her site. Her philosophy says it all, “French Kissed is a design philosophy for people with big ideas and small budgets. Adherence to its principals produces proof positive that we do not have to be wealthy to live richly.”

Antique Staffordshire figurines add a charming touch to any home.

If you are passionate about your home take some time to visit some of the sites out there, there are some incredibly talented folks offering all of us their ideas for creating a beautiful life using more creativity then $$$.

Welcome to my cottage! {I'm just kidding!}

Share some of your findings with me. I’d love to hear from you.

In a former life…I may have been British

09 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening

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English cottages, English gardens, living in England

Most of my adult life and certainly after my first visit to England in 1985 I began to think of the U.K. as ‘home’ away from home. I absolutely fell in love with all things British and have returned 3 times since the initial vacation.

I visited this charming cottage in Chipping Campden and yes, it's as lovely as the picture.

I love the weather—okay, I know I haven’t actually lived in it for any prolonged period of time and might (as some suggest) grow tired of all the gray days. I don’t think so. I am so much more comfortable in cool weather than I am in warm so I believe I’d love the fact that most of the year you really need a sweater.

Since I have a passion for gardening I am sure I’d enjoy growing some of the amazing plants that thrive in England’s climate.

It seems that there are beautiful flowers in the front yards as well as the back.

One huge bonus would be that I could grow peonies—which I can’t do in Southern California (not enough cold weather).

There are plans available online for those interested in building their own English cottage.

Isn’t this pretty? Yep, I think I could live in England…if only I could talk all of my friends and family into moving there with me.

This is a typical village scene.

Happy Friday! Do you ever believe you love something/somewhere so much, you must have been a resident in a former life?

4th of July

04 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Entertaining, Flowers, Gardening

≈ 2 Comments

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outdoor space, plants

Cayley, a dear friend of mine, lives in a beautiful home. The home is only 4 years old but her landscape and the amazing furnishings make you feel like this house was built somewhere in the countryside of Italy many years ago. The warmth and welcoming feel is what you might expect to find in a comfortable and cozy country home of Tuscany. She always sets a wonderful table and her setting for the 4th is no exception.

4th of July

I think my favorite outdoor space in her home is the courtyard, located off the dining room. This space has everything you could wish for in an outdoor living room. There is a fireplace with a back drop of olive trees and flowering plants…

…a multi-tiered fountain that provides relaxing sounds that calm and soothe you after a busy day…