Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2010 i Victoria

With the arrival of each new season, I find myself thinking, “This is my favorite of all the times of the year.” Spring, however, has reached out its arms to encircle me with the splendor of trees fully robed in brilliant green leaves, tender grass underfoot, and the heady perfume of the countless blossoms in my new and treasured rose garden. What could be more perfect than this magical season? My rose garden was a gift from my husband, Neal. After installing a majestic fountain in the yard, he designed a circular raised-bed garden, with rock paths for both viewing the plants and for the practical matters of working the soil and removing any weeds that pop up. Within these beds, we planted a marvelous collection of my favorite roses.…

“A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring.” —WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, A box where sweets compacted lie.” —GEORGE HERBERT “And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies.” —CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE…

Founded as a winter getaway in the 1880s under a canopy of live oak trees swathed in curly Spanish moss, Winter Park, Florida, is a quiet town that brings to mind a simpler time. With its quaint brick streets, century-old orange groves, and estate lawns with roaming peacocks (the official symbol of the city), it’s easy to visualize Winter Park as it was more than 125 years ago. Although it’s just a few miles away from Orlando, the small community seems worlds removed from the throngs of tourists that flock to Central Florida for mouse ears and amusement parks. A perfect introduction to the area is provided by the Scenic Boat Tour, an hour-long guided trip on an endearingly old-fashioned pontoon boat that winds its way through three of the…

In a city where chance and odds are inherently part of a longstanding cultural tradition, it seems befitting that Louisville, Kentucky, designer Lee Stough considers it to have been “a lucky day” when Margie Schubert called on her to help decorate her new residence. “When Margie and her husband, Allen, moved their family back home from Houston,” Lee recalls, “I was familiar with the wonderful Indian Hills property they had bought, and I knew Margie’s Louisville family, but did not know her.” Margie Schubert’s sunlit interiors were designed to harmonize with the Bluegrass Country landscape. Visually heavy Georgian and Jacobean antiques appear weightless when balanced with white slipcovers, diminutive silver pillboxes, and soft floral fabrics. A hand-painted racing jockey and bookcases fashioned from wood reclaimed from old Kentucky horse barns…

ON OUR COVER Strawberry Pavlova Makes 4 to 6 servings 5 large egg whites, room temperature 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 1 quart strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters 11/2 cups whipped cream Garnish: mint sprigs 1. Preheat oven to 200?. Trace an 8-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper using a dark-colored pen so circle shows through to other side. Invert parchment paper, circle side down, onto a baking sheet; set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer at high speed, beat until foamy. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form and sugar…

1. ARTPLANTAE Biology and student learning scholar Tania Marien created this Web site as an online community to connect educators, artists, and naturalists. A former biology teacher at three California colleges, Tania began studying botanical art in 2001 and today combines her passions in an effort to increase botanical literacy by fostering an interest in plants and nature through illustration. Her favorite mediums to explore include pen and ink, graphite, colored pencils, and gouache. 2. BOXWOODS GARDENS & GIFTS A local favorite in the Buckhead district of Atlanta for fifteen years, Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts offers an exceptional array of fresh and preserved floral compositions, one-of-a-kind antiques, elegant decorative accessories, and unique items and apparel for men, women, and children. A convenient online shop invites visitors across the country to…

The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings from the Permanent Collection The Textile Museum | Washington, D.C. | Through July 2010 This intriguing exhibit showcases a wide array of textile décor from societies ranging from the late Roman Empire and Colonial Peru to Edo-period Japan and Victorian Britain. Including wall hangings, rugs, chair covers, and cushions, this artistically and technically amazing collection of items serves as a tangible reflection of the social traditions, aesthetic preferences, and political and economic climates of the eras in which they were created. The museum also features The Textile Learning Center, a permanent activity gallery that provides visitors with the opportunity—through touching, looking, and doing—to find out how fibers are created and dyed. For more information, visit textilemuseum.org. Celebrate the life and legacy of one of…

THE MENU MIXED GREENS WITH FIDDLEHEAD FERNS ROASTED CAPON WITH LEMON AND THYME OVEN-ROASTED ARTICHOKES POTATO GRATIN WITH PARMESAN CHEESE SAUTÉED BABY PEAS AND FAVA BEANS POUDING CHÔMEUR WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEY “There ought to be Gardens for all Months in the year, in which, severally, things of Beauty may be then in season.”—SIR FRANCIS BACON…

The magic begins when Gina Galvin opens the wrought iron gates and the peacocks unfurl their regal rainbow tails, like fancy folding fans. She and what she calls her menagerie—two cats, two dogs, three miniature horses, one donkey, and a sheep named Molly—welcome guests to Peacock Park, her fairy-tale-like palace in Grand Blanc, Michigan. “I’m passionate about all things French,” Gina says, as a stately horse gently draws a Victorian coronation carriage across the grounds at a metronomic clip-clop. “And I love antiques and things that have a timeworn look.” So it’s not surprising that the 130-acre estate looks as though it were transported out of nineteenthcentury Paris or that Gina uses it as the main inspiration for the vintage-style home accessories she creates for her company, Peacock Park Design.…

When Helene Lewand first saw Blackrock Farm in Kennebunkport, Maine, she knew instinctively it was the place for her. Fortunately, the owner was looking for a tenant, so Helene and her husband, Dana, moved in. She felt such a strong attachment to the property, she never wanted to leave. Rather than searching for an outside job, she was determined to work from home. Channeling Helene’s mother, an avid gardener, the couple planted fields of herbs and flowers, planning to dry and transform them into gorgeous wreaths and bouquets. Except for a few essential rooms, such as the kitchen, the entire house became a huge drying barn, with bunches of flowers hanging from every ceiling. To make the business more viable, Helene also planned flower-filled weddings and began designing gardens, discovering…

I t’s only natural that the throngs of Napa Valley tourists who wander leisurely through the streets of downtown St. Helena would do a double take when they first spot a tiny jewel box of a shop located in the heart of this quaint little California hamlet. Upon first glance, Woodhouse Chocolate resembles the type of Old-World chocolatier more commonly found in Paris or Brussels. Husband-and-wife proprietors John Anderson and Tracy Wood Anderson opened Woodhouse in April of 2004, but their love of fine chocolate was born and refined decades earlier, when, during their junior year of college, the two traveled abroad to spend a semester studying in England. “One of the greatest things we discovered was European chocolate. It was a revelation!” John recalls. “Tracy and I developed a…

COVER Wedgwood Duchesse footed cake plate, $125; 866-714-0592, wedgwoodusa.com. O SPRING ENCHANTING Pages 16–17: Kai Twilight Candles, set of 4 votives, $40; luckyscent.com. Paddywax Classic Lavender, 8-ounce glass, $24; paddy wax.com. Diptyque Violette Candle, 6.5 ounces, $60; luckyscent.com. k. hall designs Peony Candle, $25; khalldesigns.com. Archipelago Sweet Pea Soy Candle, 14 ounces, $29.50; archipelago-usa.com. Votivo Tuberosa Candle, 6.8 ounces, $25; votivo.com. Paddywax Stargazer Lily Luxe Candle, 20 ounces, $40; paddywax.com. Illume Gardenia Retro Tin Candle, 16.2 ounces, $20; illumecandles.com. RHAPSODY IN ROSES Page 18: Mosser Glass Elizabeth cake stand, $82.70; 740-439-1827, mosserglass.com. Fluted glassware, $12, fluted vases, $18; available through Four Seasons Antiques and Art, 205- 803-4059. Laura Ashley “Isabelle” rose fabric, $35/yard; available to the trade, lauraashley.com. Williamsburg Marketplace nesting bird bud vase, $9; 800-446-9240, williamsburg marketplace.com. Page 19:…

PEACOCK PARK: A LIVING FAIRY TALE Experience the elegance of days gone by at Gina Galvin’s magical Michigan manor, Peacock Park. Amid 130 acres of pristinely manicured estate grounds, this entrepreneur creates an array of vintage-style home accessories inspired by nineteenth-century Paris for her company, Peacock Park Design. AND DON’T MISS… TOASTING OREGON’S BEST WINES Celebrate this relatively young wineproducing region’s cream of the crop—from distinctive Pinot Noir and crisp Pinot Gris vintages to other noteworthy whites and exceptional Oregon aged wines. A GROWING VISION Explore the beautiful gardens of Blackrock Farm, situated within the sprawling seacoast countryside of Kennebunkport, Maine. Here, a husband-and-wife team have lived out their dream for more than twenty-five years, raising tender perennials, annuals, succulents, and vegetables, while also creating a thriving garden and landscaping…

PAINTED WOODEN EGGS AND EGGCUPS Supplies Small, unfinished wooden eggs and eggcups • Acrylic paints • Fine paintbrush (a 5/0 round brush works well) Larger paintbrush • Pencil Instructions 1 Paint eggs and eggcups with several coats of a base color, and let dry completely. 2 Using a pencil, lightly draw designs on the egg. (You can take inspiration from folk art patterns or floral motifs.) 3 Paint details, and let dry. NEST PLACE SETTING Supplies Shredded wood fiber basket filler • Strip of paper, about 8 to 12 inches long by 1 inch wide • Length of ribbon • Small, unfinished wooden eggs • Candies or favors Instructions 1 Shape a small handful of basket filler into a nest. 2 Encircle the nest with the strip of paper, and…

In Praise of the Potting Shed A potting shed is the heart and soul of the garden—a place for tranquil contemplation in which to find inspiration and to dream. Quaintly utilitarian, it provides a useful storage space, as well as a welcome respite where gardeners can go to visit with neighbors, ponder the perils of the last growing season, and plan anew. Amidst a hodgepodge of tools, pots, seeds and bulbs, and a potting bench where seedlings can be nurtured and raised, casual and serious gardeners alike can achieve an inimitable sense of inner peace and hope, reflected in nature’s eternal cycle. “A flflower’s appeal is in its contradictions—so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long…