Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2014 i Victoria

I treasure every part of Victoria’s content, but I especially enjoy the pages devoted to submitted letters, called Reader to Reader. We believe that many of our followers share similar lives, dreams, and goals, so it seems natural to present missives focused around a single topic. I think these might bring a smile or a nod of recognition as you peruse the correspondence. In each magazine, we announce in a note placed at the end of the department a topic for the next issue. This information is also found in our free newsletter, sent via e-mail to all who have registered for the bulletin. I encourage you to visit our website, victoriamag.com, and sign up. (Look for the box titled Connect with Victoria.) Join us on Facebook, as well, for…

Dignified and imposing, stately Bantry House & Garden looks out at cerulean skies and down the watery expanse of Bantry Bay in County Cork, Ireland. Inspired in design and thoughtful in concept, the property was planned to incorporate the landscape, gardens, and mansion as a singular experience. In 1739, Captain Richard White purchased the site as his family home. Today, members of the eighth and ninth generations of the White family own and operate the estate and continue to reside there. The house and garden, which date back to the second Earl of Bantry, are notable for the contrast between the formality of the architecture and the unbridled lushness of the surrounding vegetation. Beginning in the 1820s, the earl departed Ireland to travel extensively with his wife, Mary, throughout the…

The Splendor of Vizcaya Venture to Miami, Florida, to visit the stunning mansion and grounds of Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. Completed in 1922 as the winter retreat for wealthy industrialist James Deering, the seaside villa reflects the architecture of an eighteenth-century Italian country home. Guests can roam the lush 10-acre subtropical garden, explore the exquisite seventy-room manse, and marvel at the estate’s extensive collection of European antiques. Don’t miss this historic Florida treasure, located just south of Miami’s urban skyline. Fresh Picked “I believe in a relaxed and comfortable approach to life, and I hope this comes through in everything Pomegranate Inc. produces,” says Angela Beck, owner of the popular textile company. “My personal aesthetic is not fussy or contrived, but real, accessible, and fresh.” Step into the designer’s airy…

“ It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart. ” —RAINER MARIA RILKE “ No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” —EDITH SITWELL…

“Perhaps the chiefest attraction of a garden is that occupation can always be found there … with mind and fingers busy, cares are soon forgo en.” —ALICIA AMHERST…

A tumbled mix of leftover stone and assorted old bricks proved just the right building materials for the simple square structure, where the owners plan their garden, start seeds under grow lights, and store all manner of terra-cotta pots and horticulture-related implements. The charm of French-enameled flower buckets, dried hydrangeas in a weathered market basket, and collectibles such as blue-glass Ball Mason jars complement the functionality of the generously sized shed. Tucked beneath the shelter of a towering oak tree, designed with windows on three sides, and equipped with a Dutch door, the little building keeps the interior pleasantly cool. And for those sultry summer days, a ceiling fan is suspended from a crossbeam to stir the air. Thus, the resident gardeners can comfortably mix potting soil and transplant tender…

See Recipe Index, page 83, for recipe information.…

COVER Custom petits fours, call for information; from Dreamcakes Bakery, 205-871-9377. Antique floral vase, pitcher, teacup and saucer, cake stand, and floral tray, call for pricing; from Tricia’s Treasures, 205-871-9779. Floral tablecloth, call for availability; from Chelsea Antique Mall, 205-678-2151. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Page 7: To view and purchase Carrie Di Costanzo’s prints and original artwork, visit carriedicostanzo.com, or call 732-627-9801. WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: To learn more about Rebecca Rego Barry and her work, visit rebeccaregobarry.com. FAVORITE THINGS Page 17: Anna Weatherley Tulip Scroll Cachepot, $478, and Spring in Budapest Large Purple & Yellow Butterfly Leaf Ring Dish, $149; 732-751-0500, devinecorp.net for retailers. Page 18: Anna Weatherly Spring in Budapest Tea Set, $752, and Flower Handle Leaf/Butter Cup & Saucer, $498; 732-751-0500, devinecorp .net for retailers. Michael Amini Bedding Ensemble, $379 for…

My favorite garden is on the grounds of my alma mater, Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina. The Sarah P. Duke Gardens are open to the public, and while not a secret, they might not be as well known as are other parts of the campus. When I was a student there in the early to mid-1970s, young men and women played Frisbee on the open bowl area in springtime, sunned themselves on beach towels, and studied in a place hidden away from the Gothic buildings of West Campus. This was a far cry from my mother’s days at Duke, during World War II. She recalls the gardens as breathtaking but as having rules. Her freshman handbook, titled Coed Dos and Don’ts, stated, “Coeds may not lie prone on the…

“Spring drew on … and a greenness grew over those brown [garden] beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” —CHARLOTTE BRONTË…

Evocative of sun-drenched days and sentimental journeys, wispy blockpainted textiles from Pomegranate Inc. speak of a lifestyle that is sophisticated yet approachable, much like company founder Angela Beck, of Lexington, Kentucky. “My overall creative and design process is definitely rooted in the cheerful palette of my childhood, the lush kaleidoscope of Kentucky, and the peaceful beaches of Harbour Island in the Bahamas,” she says. Angela grew up exploring her mother’s art studio—an enchanting playground where, from an early age, the girl was encouraged to experiment with different media. College studies in art history, fine arts, and marketing refined her creative talents, and her first foray into the marketplace was making fashion accessories by hand to sell to top department stores. “I learned that I love people and do not have…

AN ALFRESCO LUNCHEON Begins on page 35 Goat-Cheese- and Spring-Herb Tart p.37 Makes 8 servings Tart Crust (recipe follows) 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 egg yolks ½ cup chopped green onions 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled 1. Preheat oven to 325°. 2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in bottom and up sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick dough with a fork. Line dough with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes; remove pie weights, and bake for 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from oven,…

My garden is where I go to putter, plant, ponder, relax, reflect, reminisce, read, write, and dream. It is a place where I can just be. Four summers ago, I wasn’t able to spend any time there at all. I was being treated for breast cancer, and the chemo was brutal. I just didn’t have the energy, although my heart was right there, with my flowers. I wondered if they missed me as much as I missed them. My dear neighbor, Joanne, shares my love of gardening and unabashedly proclaims to the world that she especially enjoys weeding! (Can you imagine that?) She assured me early in my treatment, one day taking my arm in hers, that she would tend to my garden while I could not. Joanne announced brightly…