Enchanting Gardens:: Great Dixter, East Essex England

One of my favorite editorials this year thus far has been 'Dream a Little Dream' featuring Georgia May Jagger in February's Vogue UK.  The lace dresses, dreamy landscape, wild flower fields all captured during the 'golden hour' are just magical.  In my research, I came across the beautiful garden where this stunning editorial took place, the Great Dixter Gardens in East Essex, England.  The grounds are home to a large estate situated around a variety of different gardens.  Here is just a glimpse of the beautiful grounds. Do you have a trip to England planned? Here is all of the information you will need to visit the garden.  

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden {Early Spring}

Happy Friday everyone! It feels like the past few weeks have been going faster and faster since our wedding is less than two weeks away!  The anticipation leading up to our wedding has been pretty so great that I wish time would slow down just a little bit so that I can fully soak everything in.  This is such a special moment in our lives that I truly want to savor every minute.  I am headed 'somewhere' this weekend I(it is a surprise) to spend a weekend with a few of my sisters

 and my sister-in-law-to-be. It should be fun!  Before I leave you I thought I would share a few photographs from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden (the site where we will be getting married!) that I took a few weekends back when the tulips and magnolias were in full bloom.  I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Dries van Noten's Garden Oasis

If I were to close my eyes and dream of an idyllic garden oasis it would be just this - the country home of fashion designer Dries van Noten in the heart of the Belgium countryside.  Situated in front of a still pond and surrounded my impeccably manicured grounds, it is not wonder that this oasis serves as such a source of inspiration for his collections.  

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend! It was lovely being in Boston with the family celebrating my nephews first birthday, what a bundle of joy that baby to any room. I hope everyone has a great week!

{Le Week de Paris} The Gardens of Versailles

Have you ever visited it a place that transformed the way that you see beauty and the world?  I have been lucky to have a few experiences like that Paris, of course, but also Oia, Santorini (those white buildings against that indigo Aegean Sea).  Another place that I still talk and dream about is the Gardens of Versailles, the sprawling grounds created by the Sun King, Louise XIV, so much so that I even wrote my final major Art History paper on the subject before graduating from college.  I am enamored by the quest for perfection that was achieved in the gardens - the perfectly sculpted hedges, the glistening statues, the reflecting pools.  Located just a short train ride from Paris, the gardens and the chateau are so immense and beautiful it is almost too much to absorb.  I hope that you have enjoyed this little bit of Paris that I shared here this week, I hope that my passion and down-right love for this city has inspired you to either visit or to return.  And as Audrey Hepburn said "Paris is always a good idea" - I couldn't agree more.  Bon Weekend!

Inspiring Gardens

        With the change of the seasons, I usually find myself wanting to be outside as much as       possible.  There is nothing like spending a day surrounded by green grass, shady trees and   blooming flowers. Lately, I have found my Garden pinterest page growing at rapid speed. I have been pinning to give me inspiration on what types of plants I should include in our 'garden' or the garden that I dream to have one day.  I hope I inspire you too!

(An alley of alliums)

A Luxurious Life:: Miranda Brooks

 Do you remember how last week I was singing the absolute praise of Miranda Brook's Brooklyn townhouse that was featured in Vogue? Well, finally the photographs have surfaced digitally and I want to share them with you just in case you missed the feature.  I love the amount of rustic English charm infused into each room; I adore every room in particularly her work space - it is airy with the perfect amount of light filtering into the space.  

Garden Dreamer:: Miranda Brooks

I have long been a fan of landscape architect and Vogue Contributing Editor Miranda Brooks for how she can take a piece of land and turn it into something ethereal and magical.   As I was flipping through the January issue of Vogue, I was taken back by her newly renovated townhouse not too far from me in Brooklyn.  Her garden is nothing short of beautiful, she even raises chickens with her daughters.  My favorite part of her home was her greenhouse and work space on the top floor that is bright and sunny;  it is no surprise that she surrounds herself by beautiful things to get inspired.  Here are some of her other works that are making me dream of owning my own piece of land and turning it into something as wonderful as she has done.  

Inspiring Interiors - Outdoor Living

With spring just around the corner, I am counting down the days until our large porch can be in full use.  During the cold winter months, it is as if we loose an entire room in our apartment, as we spend many summer mornings, afternoons and late evenings lingering over candlelight on our patio.  Last year was our first year in our apartment and we managed to turn our outdoor space into an inviting oasis filled with roses, herbs and vegetables.  This year I want do more, so to get me dreaming here are some bits of inspiration. 

 All images from here, here, here, here

Lush Lanes

(Perfectly sculpted cypress trees lead the way down this sprawling path)

(Figure-eights of greenery)

My fascination with tree-lined lanes really began to evolve after my life-changing trip to the Gardens of Versailles.  I find that with winding paths or even perfectly sculpted lanes there is some sort of mystery behind them.  They all ask the question: where will they lead you? 

(Grassy covered lanes)

(A mysterious entrance)

(A stone path leading up to a country cottage)

(Shades of lavender line this stone path to this lily pad pond)

(Sculpted boxwoods line this brick path)

(A line of beautiful alliums carving out this path)

All images from veranda.com

Garden Delight

 

Despite the fact that we are nearing the end of November, I am still thinking about lush green gardens.  It could also be due to the fact that it has reached a wonderful 70 degrees two days in a row.  The grassy paths above and the white pergola covered with an array of roses has left me dreaming of spring.  

Images from source unknown

A Tuscan Garden Paradise

(A beautiful fountain is the focal point of this slice of heaven)

(Perfectly manicured walls of greenery)

(Tall skinny cypress trees just scream Tuscany)

(A beautiful maze to get lost in)

(A pool overlooking the Tuscan countryside)

(An inviting table setting)

 (A life-size chess board on the extra large patio)

Tuscany is one of those places that has the ability to just take your breath away, with it's rolling hills, towering cypress trees and the amazing soft light.  One of my favorite movies of all-time is Under The Tuscan Sun - it might not be an Oscar-worthy film, but it makes me feel just so good every time I see it.  I loved the way that Francis, played by Diane Lane, packed up her bags and moved to a country that she had never even stepped foot in and on a whim decided to buy a villa in need of a lot of work.  Her life begins to unfold in Cortona, as she slowly begins to heal from her heartbreak and rebuild her life.  I love the grounds and the gorgeous manicured gardens, as seen above. They are just so reflective of the breath-taking beauty that the Italian country side has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secret Garden - Alluring Paths

(The inspiration)

As a child, I was fascinated with The Secret Garden, both the book and the movie. When I was younger, I would sit in our backyard (it was an average city lot in Ohio) and just think about all of the possibilites that could take fold with just the planting of a few fur trees.  I would make paths with dirt, in fact I would dig for hours - my goal was to ultimately create a stream between our newly planted backyard accents.  I was obsessed with making paths, so I figure this is a good way to begin my first post about gardens.  Even today, I will walk by an overgrown lot in New York and think about how pretty it would be if it was filled with a variety of fragrant roses and a stone path. 

My passion and interest in gardens has expanded tri-fold since I was a child, as I was able to explore various gardens throughout Europe, including the awe-inspiring Garden of Versailles that I have already mentioned - see,  I told you I was quite smitten.  Even though I do not have a full-fledged garden, I still dream about the possibilities of my back porch here in Brooklyn. 

Images from Sunset Magazine and Garden Design Magazine