We have always been entranced by the history, both cultural and architectural, of the grand country houses of England. The London-based magazine Country Life has long been the essential chronicle of these iconic estates, having featured a different country house in each weekly issue since it was founded back in 1897 and advertised many hundreds more in its property pages. A stunning new book, The English Country House, by Mary Miers from Rizzoli is sourced from the magazine's incredible archives. More than 400 images, mostly in color, highlight 62 houses encompassing a range of architectural styles spanning seven centuries beginning with the medieval Stokesay Castle and also examining the decoration, gardens, and landscapes, settings that inspire a continuing tradition of sporting style via country pursuits pursued with panache such as hunting and shooting, as well as whole schools of interior design.

As a result of its famous series of beautifully illustrated and authoritative articles, Country Life amassed an "astonishing library of photography and scholarship that provides a fascinating record of changing tastes and approaches to the country house and its garden over the past century," Miers notes. The book is illustrated almost entirely with images from its famous picture library, many of them by leading photographers of their day. The focus is not on the world-famous palaces that have now become museums, but rather the sort of houses to which Country Life has had privileged access over the years, many of which are still private homes often occupied by descendants of the families that built them. In the gallery you can preview photos from the book of Parnham House in Dorset, Honington Hall in Warwickshire, Claydon House in Buckinghamshire, and Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire.



Spanning more than seven centuries, these houses were nearly all built as an "expression of status at the center of a landed estate, many interpreting the mainstream architectural trends of the day with their own distinctive provincial character," Miers notes. "They celebrate that rich seam of English domestic architecture that reflects, through a variety of material and design, the diversity of the English landscape and its regional traditions of craftsmanship." Punctuating the book at intervals in the form of booklet inserts on rich, uncoated paper are six essays by leading British architectural historians that set the English country house into its social context and chart "the changing tastes in decorating and collecting, the development of ancillary buildings, gardens and landscapes, and finally, its influence in the United States" in our own magnates' mansions.

One of the reasons I love working from home is the fact that I can step outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather whenever the mood strikes me, and you can bet my patio furniture sees plenty of use. To that end I would love to get one of these Handpainted Garden Umbrellas to sit under once the heat of July and August hits -- they're so artistic and beautiful in earthy tones of parchment, sage, and mahogany. And if you're into evening parties you can get them with a light up under the canopy. $1,599 - $1,999

In a recent Classicist column on magnates and their mansions we discussed the famed Hearst Castle at San Simeon, one of the most lavish private residences ever constructed. Now in a beautiful new book due out May 1, Victoria Kastner focuses on the equally impressive estate itself, which encompasses 120 acres of luxuriant gardens and 450 square miles of pristine coastland, that belonged to William Randolph Hearst.

In Hearst's San Simeon: The Gardens and the Land, Kastner, Hearst Castle's historian, draws on many anecdotes from famous visitors - Hollywood celebrities, literary figures, and politicians flocked there - and examines the varied artistic influences contributing to San Simeon's design and the recent efforts that preserved its surrounding land from commercial development. It features Victoria Garagliano's stunning color photographs, plus historic images and original drawings.

The book (above) is available for pre-order on Amazon.

These watches are beautiful, and celebrate the love of gardens all over the world. The Van Cleef & Arpels Les Jardins watch collection starts with their manufacture made "quantièmes de saisons" movement that they released in 2006. The movement is unique in that is utilizes a disc plate as the back of the face that makes a full turn each 365 days. Meaning that the watch looks a little bit different each day of the year. Painted on enamel, are four garden varieties placed on the rotating discs. First is the Jardin romantique Anglais (for English gardens), the Jardin Italien (Italian gardens), Jardin à la Française (French gardens), and finally the Jardin d'Extrême-Orient (Oriental gardens). If you look closely at the colorful images you should be able to identify which is each. In front of the enamel discs are white toned cut-out frames that help enhance the daily imagery changes.

The watches are limited to 100 pieces each and constructed in 18k white gold. Mother of pearl lines the mechanical movement, while a diamonds stud the bezel and crown. The watch strap is white alligator. These watches are pure art pieces, and a testament to the ingenuity and creativity that French Van Cleef & Arpels is known for. For the lucky few, the bright imagery on these watches may help ease the melancholy colors of these difficult-for-luxury good times.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

I can't wait until the weather gets warm enough here to start sitting outside with my morning coffee, and maybe if I had one of these Rotating Sphere Loungers that day would come just a little bit sooner. It's kind of a "tent meets gazebo" contraption, plus a healthy dose of contemporary styling. Designed as a large sphere made up of 10 individual half circles, it's advertised as not only a lounging area but also a dining and a sleeping area -- and besides offering a comfortable outdoor living space it's sure to catch the eye of your neighbors. £6850

Last month we picked up on an article in the NY Times on how observatories are a new trend in many luxury homes. An outdoor alternative is the beautiful Porter Garden Telescope from Telescopes of Vermont. The cast bronze reflecting telescope is a bit of astronomical history, it was designed in the 1920s by astronomer and scientist Russell W. Porter. The telescope has a working sundial and the mirror and eyepieces of the telescope can be removed and stored in a custom mahogany box so the telescope can stay outside all year long. Each one is individually cast, hand-finished bronze and stand 70" overall including the marble pedestal. It sells for $59,000.

If your garden needs a posh makeover the pricey pots of Pennoyer Newman are an excellent place to start. The small company specializes in garden pots, birdbaths, statues and pedestals cast in resin stone and based on antique designs. The designs are all weather resistant. One of my favorites is this Parthenon plaque container. The designs are copies of a frieze on the west side of the Parthenon and were made before the practice of taking impressions of the building was banned. This pot measures 20"H X 26"W X 26"D and sells for $750.

Do you want to relax and enjoy a lazy summer day, but you can't sit still for worrying about the environment? In the Sling by Ting, you can satisfy your need for relaxation and feel confident that at least at that very moment, you are part of the solution, not the problem. Made from end-of-the-line seat belt webbing that would otherwise end up in a landfill, the sling is as eye-catching as it is environmentally friendly. Designed by Inghua Ting, this durable and weather-resistant hammock is available in six colors, including my favorite - orange. $578.

I seem to be finding all the items with tongue twister names lately, but it's worth the risk of sounding like an idiot when their looks are as fun as their names (plus you guys can't hear me trying to read them out loud). Enter the Yo Yo Elmar Flototto Floor Lamp, which will bring to your home the vibe of a large Yo Yo sitting on the floor. The cord wraps around and forms the "string" for the Yo Yo and allows you to roll the lamp anywhere you might need light. Designed by Caterina von Matern and Lisa Lindstrom, it's suggested as great in the garden (outdoor safe?) or as an art piece indoors. $317.98

Via Luxury Launches

I'm a sucker for accent pieces that find a way to blend the whimsical energy of happy childhood memories with a dose of maturity for the adult I am today. These stainless steel pinwheels from Chiasso take the breezy fun from days past and mix it with a healthy dose of class and durability by creating them of lightweight stainless steel. I think they'd make a fun summertime addition indoors or out, and considering the average plastic pinwheel goes for $2 or less, these are actually a little pricey at $15 each.

There are many nice outdoor showers out there, but this one, the Waterfall Shower by Jane Hamley Wells, is especially appealing to me for some reason. I'm not sure if it's the fact that it gives the feeling of standing under a waterfall in the tropics or the sheer organic simplicity of the design, but I want one. Standing over 7 feet tall, the teak back panel and base platform is accented only by the single cross-style handle. Add in the sheet of cool water cascading down when the shower is in use and I think it's almost pretty enough to just be appreciated as a water feature, whether you use it to clean off and cool down or not.

In some places gardens and live plants are a luxury that just isn't realistic because they need soil, water, and most of all they need lots of room. In cities especially, where the green would be most prized amidst the concrete and tile, is where plants and flowers are the hardest to grow, right? Maybe not.

Using a system that allows plants to grow without any soil, The Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc allows for natural living beauty in the otherwise most uninhabitable of places: the very walls of buildings, indoors or out. Watering and fertilization are automatic, so it's almost completely hassle free. Patrick Blanc has created customized living walls all over the world.

I wonder how my landlord would feel if I had something like this installed in my apartment?

Via CribCandy

With warm weather comes picnics, outdoor barbeques and days at the beach. And who doesn't love to eat and drink with friends while you soak up fun under the sun? Or is it soak up the sun while having fun? Regardless, while you are out be sure not to spill your drink, or better yet the bottle of spirits, by using Red Envelope's Steady Sticks. Made of rust-resistant stainless steel, you get four holders for your wine glasses and the fifth holder is for your wine bottle. The heavy-gauge allows it to be embedded in a grassy patch or at the beach. At this price ($30) you could buy multiple sets to accommodate all your guests.

A fire pit is one of the best outdoor accessories you can have on a cool night, whether you want to cozy up to it with a loved one or gather around it with friends. Pits that use real wood have an authentic feel to them, but the smell and smoke often keep people away, rather than inviting them in . The River Stone Gas Fire Pit has the look of a real wood-burning fire pit, but is powered by gas and turns on a roaring blaze (40,000 BTUs of heat) with the touch of a button. The aluminum frame and fiberglass body require no maintenance and make the fire pit safe for all types of yards, patios and decks. Price: $800.

The loss of a bird feeder to the squirrels - something every bird feeder-owner is familiar with - means that a replacement is in order. Most anti-squirrel feeders are, to be honest, ugly. The Feed Bird Feeder makes no guarantees about is squirrel-deterrence abilities, but the design alone is easily worth giving it a change. The feeder was designed by Gary Cruce as a companion to his Nest birdhouse. It is made of bent European Birch laminate with a clear window and is weatherproofed by a high quality oil. Price: $85.