garden

Great Gardens of the Hudson River Valley

Filed under: Estates, Green, Books, Architecture & Design

Winter may be fast approaching but verdant greenery abounds in Gardens of the Hudson Valley, a new photographic portrait of the region's lush private landscapes. The luxurious volume chronicles 25 gardens chosen to give "a sense of place and convey the romance of the landscape" abutting the majestic Hudson River in New York state. Photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley selected gardens from Yonkers up the river to the town of Hudson, including famous formal estate gardens like Kykuit, Boscobel, the Vanderbilt Mansion, and Olana, along with smaller, more naturalistic plots that combine sweeping views and lush plantings. Each of the gardens tells a story about the people who made them, and collectively they evoke "the grace and grandeur of the Hudson River landscape" underscoring the central role the Hudson Valley played in the birth of an American garden tradition.

Tags: books, coffee table books, estates, garden, gardens, Hudson Valley, New York, photography, river, Vanderbilt Mansion

Connecticut's Poshest Private Landscapes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Green, Books

Twenty-eight of Connecticut's most entrancing private landscapes are featured in a beautiful new book from Monacelli Press. Private Gardens of Connecticut offers a privileged glimpse at the personal oases at the estates of designer Oscar de la Renta, socialite Anne Bass, decorator Bunny Williams and many more. Included are gardens from all across the state, from Greenwich to New Canaan and the coast, many of which have never been professionally photographed. A variety of styles is represented from formal to small, contemporary, wild, and old fashioned. Some, like de la Renta's (on the cover above) are grand in scale and tended by an army of skilled professionals, others modest and easily kept, but all alluring and extremely enviable. Throughout the oversized volume author Jane Garmey recounts the story of the creation of the leafy retreats while John Hall's lavish photographs of sumptuous flowers and luxuriant foliage make them leap off the page.

Tags: books, coffee table books, Connecticut, estates, garden, gardening, Greenwich, New Canaan, Oscar de la Renta, real estate

The Classicist: Tanglewood Conservatories, Turn-of-the-Century Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, The Classicist

Beginning in the 18th century, English country houses had glass-paned orangeries where exotic plants, flowers and citrus trees flourished throughout the cooler months, providing a haven from the elements for their inhabitants and spaces for entertaining in summer. Their popularity surged during the 19th century when new construction techniques allowed for ever more fantastical structures, but they pretty much disappeared as tastes and styles changed in more modern times. At Tanglewood Conservatories, on the Eastern Shore area of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, Alan Stein, Nancy Virts and co. aim to recreate some of that bygone elegance. The company designs and builds bespoke turn-of-the-century domes, conservatories, greenhouses and swimming pool enclosures in high style.

Every structure is made by hand at the Tanglewood atelier, and the prices, starting at $175,000, reflect the time, attention and high quality materials that goes into their construction. They can be added to existing houses and mansions or built as part of brand new estates, like this incredible spread in Washington. Some of their well-known clients include Eddie Murphy, director / producer Ron Howard, the Dallas Cowboys' Don Abbey, late Lazard Freres CEO Bruce Wasserstein and interior designer Mario Buatta. Each creation is totally unique; Tanglewood never repeats the same design twice. The fit and finish of a Tanglewood conservatory has more in common with fine furniture than carpentry. Usually constructed of solid mahogany, these are intricate, complex, highly detailed structures, some large enough to hold fully-grown trees. The company also constructs glass and copper domes, roof lanterns and skylights in virtually any size, shape and design.

Gallery: Tanglewood Conservatories

The Victorians regarded the conservatory as nothing short of a triumph of architecture over nature. Swimming pool enclosures might seem a more modern innovation, but in fact the tradition of building extraordinary structures to enclose both public and private swimming pools is in even older, dating to the great Roman balnea or thermae. Most Roman cities had at least one such building, which was central to the public life of its citizens. Most private villas also included a bath house. The opulent pool enclosure pictured above was constructed for an estate in Kentucky. Tanglewood's sensitivity to form, proportion, materials and detail is evident in its pleasing lines. Their craftsmen are heirs to a 300-year-old craft and woodworking tradition, especially in an area with a long history in boatbuilding. See the gallery for more examples of Tanglewood's high-end designs in various styles.

Tags: architecture, conservatory, Eddie Murphy, EddieMurphy, garden, greenhouse, Maryland, swimming pool, SwimmingPool, Tanglewood Conservatories, TanglewoodConservatories

The Classicist: Celebrating the English Country House

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Books, The Classicist

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.

Gallery: The English Country House

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.

Tags: architecture, castle, country house, Country Life, CountryHouse, CountryLife, England, garden, photography, UK

Handpainted Umbrellas for the Garden

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

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

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Tags: cool summer, CoolSummer, garden, handpainted, outdoors, patio, umbrella, umbrellas, yard

Hearst's San Simeon: The Gardens & Land

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Books

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.

Tags: California, garden, Hearst Castle, HearstCastle, mansion, San Simeon, SanSimeon, william randolph hearst, WilliamRandolphHearst

Van Cleef & Arpels Les Jardins Collection Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

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.

Gallery: Van Cleef & Arpels Les Jardins Collection Watches

Tags: eyecandy, garden, les jardin, les jardins, LesJardin, LesJardins, timepiece, van cleef arpels, VanCleefArpels, watch

Rotating Sphere Lounger

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Garden

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

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Tags: garden, gazebo, outdoors, outside, rotating, rotating lounger, RotatingLounger, sphere, yard

Porter Garden Telescope

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Garden

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.

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Tags: garden, garden telescope, GardenTelescope, outdoor telescope, sculpture, sundial

Pennoyer Newman Parthenon Pot

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Garden

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.

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Tags: garden, pennoyer newman, PennoyerNewman, plants, pots

Sling by Ting

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Garden, Green

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.

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Tags: eco friendly, eco friendly design, EcoFriendly, EcoFriendlyDesign, environmentally, garden, green, hammock, inghua ting, InghuaTing, landfill, luxe hammock, LuxeHammock, luxury hammock, LuxuryHammock, relax, seat belt, SeatBelt, sling

YoYo Elmar Flototto Floor Lamp

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

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

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Tags: floor lamp, FloorLamp, flototto, flottoto, garden, indoor/outdoor, indoors, lamp, light, lighting, outdoors, yard, yo, yo yo, YoYo

The Modern Pinwheel

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

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.

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Tags: chiasso, fun, garden, indoor, indoors, outdoor, outdoors, pinwheel, pinwheels, stainless steel, StainlessSteel, steel, whimsical, whimsy, yard

The Waterfall Shower

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas, Garden

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.

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Tags: garden, jane hamley wells, JaneHamleyWells, outdoor, outdoors, shower, showering, water, waterfall, wells, yard

The Patrick Blanc Vertical Garden

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Garden

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

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Tags: blanc, garden, gardening, green, grow, growing, live, living, patrick blanc, PatrickBlanc, plant, plants, vegetal, vertical

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