Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2013 i Victoria

After long winter nights spent carefully studying my favorite seed catalogs, I am ready to don my gardening gloves and work in rich soil, planting rosebushes, as well as vegetable seedlings. I tried my hand at creating a fruit orchard a few years ago and found it very rewarding to nurture the young trees—sprinkling fertilizer and carrying water to each tender specimen. But just as the little pears and apples were in the middle stages of growth, hungry deer invaded my grove and took the fruit from every tree. These days, I am content to cultivate flowers and vegetables, and I make sure these are safe from the deer frequently seen in our neighborhood. Perhaps you long to add the greenery and color of flowers to your home but you…

One reason I love to travel is that it seems to stretch time by filling with vivid memories what otherwise might be ordinary days. When I visit new destinations, I always have a heightened sense of awareness that makes a few days away feel like a year’s worth of experiences. I spend time in unfamiliar places, as well as in what are, too often, unfamiliar states of mind—awe, inspiration, and appreciation. That happened to me last year when I took a trip to Patagonia—the southernmost tip of Chile, known for its edge-of-the-world ruggedness and spectacular vistas. I grew up in Colorado, so I am used to impressive mountain ranges. But the peaks in Patagonia, rising straight from the sea with craggy cliffs and ferocious waterfalls, are on a completely different…

In St. Louis, Missouri, about a mile west of the majestic Mississippi River, there stands a Civil War–era structure that once presided over Lucas Place—the city’s most elite neighborhood at the time. Today a museum, the austere, painted-brick facade of the Greek-Revival mansion once known as Campbell House is poised gracefully amidst warehouses and office buildings, belying what is contained within—exquisite treasures from a lavish mid-1800s household that once hosted parties and presidents. Business magnate Robert Campbell, an Irishimmigrant- turned-fur-trader-and-businessman, and his wife, Virginia, moved into the house in 1854, about five years after a fire ignited by steamboats on the Mississippi burned nineteen city blocks, says Andrew Hahn, executive director of the Campbell House Museum. Lucas Place was a prestigious private residential enclave then and one of the first…

“There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, at cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight.” —GERTRUDE JEKYLL…

VISIT VICTORIAMAG.COM FOR MORE TIPS ON CONTAINER GARDENING Classic Picks for Potted Gardens Like a painting, a well-composed container garden blends multiple elements into an artful whole. Paint living portraits with an idyllic palette of plants: * SWEET POTATO VINE Dramatic deep purple and chartreuse varieties of this vigorous trailer steal the show, opposite. * COLEUS A favorite of the Victorians, this dazzling beauty packs a vibrant punch with brilliant, variegated foliage, opposite. * PETUNIAS Floriferous charmers, above, left and right, fill out a container in no time and thrive in a range of growing conditions. * GERANIUMS Long-lasting blooms are happiest in the sun and stand up well to hot, dry weather. * CALIBRACHOA Commonly known as Million Bells, this abundant selection resembles petite petunias and makes a colorful…

COVER Antique white vase with pansies, antique floral stationery set, and pink gingham tea towel, call for pricing; from Attic Antiques, 205-991-6887. Antique silver sugar bowl and blue plate, call for pricing; from Trisha’s Treasures, 205- 871-9779. WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: To learn more about Laura Fraser and her work, visit laurafraser.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: Jessie Davidson Interiors, 847-482-1466, jessiedavidsoninteriors.com. BOTANICAL BRAVADO Page 17: Thibaut wallpaper in Lillian Blue T3141, Margo White T3146, and Picking Flowers White T6104, available to the trade; 800-223- 0704, thibautdesign.com for interior designers and retail stores. Dartington Crystal Mini Flower Bottles in Daisy (Turquoise), Anemone (Amethyst), and Lily (Green), $40 each; usa-sales@ dartington.co.uk for retail information. Matouk Mirasol cocktail napkins in Leaf, $95 for 6; 212-737-2123, finelinens.com. Studiopatró Piece of Cake Set, $42; 415-775-3432, studiopatro.com. Garnet…

When I was a fearless traveler in my early 20s, I often trekked to Europe from England, using the cheapest methods available. I know my parents worried, but I was full of the spirit of adventure and loved all the different people, places, and cultures I was exposed to along the way. On one particular journey, however, my courage wavered a bit. I had had a particularly rough channel crossing and found myself at Victoria Station in London at midnight during the winter. I missed my connecting bus up north, and the next one did not depart until dawn. Spending five hours in an open bus station where various characters were wandering in to seek shelter from the elements for the night was not appealing. I didn’t have enough money for…

A spiring to provide her clients an alternative to oversize furniture, interior designer Jessie Davidson created the very first chair in what has since evolved into a full signature line. Called Adelaide, after her grandmother, the petite and decidedly haute couture–style club chair with a scalloped skirt and a tied-back pleat completely captures all the elegance and panache of its namesake. “My grandmother was a remarkably stylish woman whose home reflected her impeccable taste down to every detail,” notes the designer. “After I produced the Adelaide Chair, everything just grew from there.” Influenced also by the exceptional antiques discovered on her travels to London, Italy, and Paris, Jessie scaled down her chairs and ottomans to more versatile proportions that are ideal for living spaces that cannot accommodate supersized seating. Dressmaker…

“Gone were but the Winter, Come were but the Spring, I would go to a covert Where the birds sing”. —CHRISTINA ROSSETTI See Recipe Index, page 83, for recipe information.…

Lauren Lachance’s life in flowers began when she was a child, during summers spent in a log cabin tucked in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was there that her mother would pick bluebells, wild clover, and sage and carefully place them between the covers of heavy encyclopedias. “At night, she would read us stories, and sometimes a little fern or pansy would be snuggled in between the pages,” Lauren recalls. The young girl’s love for botanicals blossomed half a world away from that cabin in the woods—in Okinawa, Japan, where her father, an officer with the U.S. Air Force, had been assigned. She explored the banana plants, pineapple trees, lilies, hydrangeas, and orchids that filled her family’s yard. The exotic display piqued Lauren’s interest in recording her findings,…

“Rise and put on your foliage, and be seen To come forth, like the spring-time, fresh and green … .” —ROBERT HICKMAN See Recipe Index, page 83, for recipe information.…

On a fresh spring day, as I tended plants near my front door, I looked up and noticed a crooked twig—the rudimentary plan of a nest—suspended from a tiny ledge beneath the eaves. Wispy branches, neatly entwined with moss still bright green from the forest floor, now perched on the top left corner of a porch column (one of four added during a recent major remodel). The bird had good taste. This column is a work of art, if I may say so myself: simple but welcoming, freshly painted in #7004 Snowbound White, with moulding telescoped at both ends. For months we had bent over our old, oak kitchen table, contemplating architectural plans, the columns at the entry being a final touch to the renovated abode. Then we endured dirt,…

Ever Green Lauren Lachance fell in love with the visual poetry of leaves and blossoms at an early age, collecting and displaying her most beautiful finds on the pages of a journal. That beloved hobby has evolved into a profession for the Austin, Texas-based artist. Today, Lauren and her husband, Eduardo Benitez, continue a centuries-old tradition of pressing and preserving the ephemeral loveliness of the garden to create exquisite botanical artwork that will be cherished for generations. See more of Lauren’s prints at victoriamag.com. Nature Made Inspired by the loosely cultivated blooms and native plants that thrive in her 1-acre cottage garden, homeowner Sharon Marbury favors a similar earthy palette and a casual, lived-in style for her interiors. The light-filled house she shares with her husband features comfortable furnishings, third-generation…

“I wanted my home to look traditional, but it also had to be livable—family friendly, pet friendly, approachable, and comfortable.” —AMY AGER…

SEE MORE OF SHARON MARBURY'S HOME AND GARDEN AT VICTORIAMAG.COM “I GARDEN BY SEED … JUST LET THINGS GROW AND BE. THE MAJORITY OF MY YARD HAS COME FROM A DOZEN PLANTS— I GIVE THEM A GOOD WATERING, AND THEY LIVE ON THEIR OWN.” —SHARON MARBURY…

CARROT WEIGHT Begins on page 35 Curried Carrot Soup p.37 Makes 6 servings 6 large carrots, peeled and chopped 2 cups water 2 cups vegetable stock 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon curry 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Garnish: sour cream, micro basil, and red-pepper flakes 1. In a large saucepan, add carrots, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain carrots, and let cool completely. 2. In the work bowl of a blender, combine carrots and stock. Pulse until smooth. 3. Return carrot mixture to pan, and add cream, curry, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until mixture is heated. Serve warm. Garnish with sour…