Design

One of our first native woodland wildflowers to bloom is Hepatica . Hepatica acutiloba has slightly pointed liver-shaped leaves (the genus name reflects this), while H. americana has more rounded lobes. Spring is definitely on the way when we see the first Hepatica flowers, tucked among the leaves on moist banks, often along stream. Hepatica nobilis is a European species that also flowers early. I remember the excitement that my fellow lab members expressed in a long ago excursion; apparently, it was a German tradition, at least among botanical types, to troop off to see the first Hepatica flowers, even if they were just emerging above the snow! We have a small patch in our Woodland Wildflower Garden at the botanical garden -- flowering through the cold and warm spells of late February. Camellias are stalwarts of southern winter gardens. We're lucky to be able to grow them; our northern neighbors are anxiously hoping for hardier cultivars that are reliable. Ours are droug...

This stunning aqua and brown bath with glass tiles was designed by Austin interior designer Barbara Brooks .

A preppy pairing in high gloss defines and energizes the all-time tiniest nook. For a wee, windowless room like this one, choose paints in pearly or glossy finishes. They reflect light and make even the most minuscule spot feel brighter and more spacious. - Domino

Go for a deep aqua tone of blue for the walls, as it's a warm shade of the color. Mix with darker blue furniture and off-white pieces to create balance, and accents of taupe will bring richness to the scheme. Dark wood is also good for adding depth and hints of bright pink will lift the room. - House to Home

-From HouseBeautiful

The calendar is late February, but there are many signs of spring on a morning walk at the Garden. All the winter and early flowering Asian species are in full swing; camellias, Japanese apricots, and magnolias, joined by the Mediterranean daffodils and rosemary. But some of our natives are also early; the tiny flowers of winged elm pose a nice contrast to the corky stems, and the male cones of red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana ) released great puffs of pollen when touched. Walking in the woodland wildflower area, part of the Garden's forest & woodland areas, we spotted first a single red-shouldered hawk in flight, stopping briefly so I noticed s/he was carrying a stick. The females are bigger than the males, but otherwise they look similar. Flying on to a large twiggy nest high in a tulip poplar tree, a second hawk joined the first, and then they stood on a nearby branch together. It's not too far from where a pair nested 2 years ago, and were quite easy to observe fee...

I talked to a fellow this week who grew up in West Texas, where he said the topic of discussion has always been rain. Ranchers there (of which his father was one) talked about needing rain, is rain coming, how much did we get, etc. -- it was critical to the dryland forage that the cattle depended on, and meant big expenses to bring in extra hay for feed. So the continuing drought in the Southeast (where he had lived for 15 years, compared with the deluges that came last summer in Texas and mid-west, where he lives now) posed an odd puzzle for him to contemplate. Thinking about the drought here, and the weather extremes that seem to be becoming greater, with the contrast of floods in the Central U.S. last summer, and record snowpacks in the Rockies and Sierra, with concerns of spring flooding this year are something to consider. But it's raining here now, and perhaps we'll get a couple of inches. Our rain gauge split over winter break, an unfortunate casualty of being not put...

Modern style vintage accessories are popular and easy to get hold of nowadays, and they give a modern kitchen a quirky edge. - LivingEtc

You can't help but love a bathroom where it feels like you are swimming in the ocean. - House Beautiful

We need all the rain we can get in the Southeast. It's been raining tonight, and this winter, more in some places than others. The Greenville paper reports that we're still behind by a third of normal for this year for the area that they monitor. The local ponds have filled up but the larger lakes (which serve as local water reservoirs, in addition to their recreational uses, and power plant support) have tremendously large blank areas along their edges. The long-term forecast from NOAA suggests that the drought will ease here this spring. I hope so. But I'm also hoping that the winter respite from the evaporative stress of summer and fall won't lull us into thinking the drought is over. I heard a public service message last week (on a Charlotte, NC station) with the Governor of North Carolina reminding listeners to conserve water, as the drought was still severe.

Clever storage solutions, fresh linen and a beautiful bed will brighten a tired bedroom. Lined baskets perched on the wardrobe, white runners covering bedside tables and ottomans adorned with decorative trays all maximize the space. Introduce spring greens with dreamy lilacs to create an intimate, relaxing area. - House to Home

I woke up this morning to a mockingbird's song. He was singing his song cycle - echoing the songs of the other backyard birds. Mockingbirds are tremendous songsters; their repertoire repeats (I think) Carolina wrens, robins, thrashers, cardinals, titmice, doves, etc. The frost was lovely on the winter annuals and border edges; we're in for a spell of winter after some lovely warm afternoon days that promised spring to come. But for us, here in South Carolina, spring really IS just around the corner. Already, I'm sure, the hepatica are in flower at Station Cove, and along Lake Issaqueena. The sassafras and blueberry flower buds are swelling, as are the dogwood's, and the foliage of the spring bulbs is already up. The Iphieon has been in flower for some time.

We just received the new fabric books from Robert Allen today and we just LOVE them. As regular readers of this blog already know, we are suckers for pretty, soft yet modern looking things. The new books from Robert Allen fabrics are just so. Here are a few patterns that we particularly like. They are from the Robert Allen Fabric books called Wisteria , Orchid and Sterling. You can see the complete books by clicking on the links shown. Our favorites: -------------------------- This one is very Kelly Wearstlerish, except it cost 1/2 as much. The pattern is called ENTRELAZOS. ------------------ Oh my god we just love this one. The pattern is called Vesoul. We like this one when we are in the mood for something geometric. This pattern is called Canelones. This one is so pretty too. The pattern is called Sol/Orchid. Robert Allen fabric pricing is fairly reasonable. To see them, you can visit their web site at www.robertallendesign.com. You can search by patterns, colors and textures. O...

If you watch a lot of movies and TV, you'll probably see Jamie Young Lamps featured everywhere. It's our favorite lamp line, because it's so soft and pretty and feminine and delicate. It's a perfect lamp if you like a pretty but modern look. What makes Jamie Young unique is their shade offerings. They make shades to be interchangeable with the lamps so you can change the look as often as you like. The shade fabrics are quite nice. You must make sure the shade is the right size and shape for the lamp though, as they are quite pricey. Jamie Young lamps range from $500 for a table lamp to $1000 for a floor lamp. Pricey, yes, but they are so worth it. Here are a few of our favorites: We love this one because the shade is so pretty and feminine. The base is made of solid brass and feels very solid. This is a new one that just got introduced last year. We love the twisted branch base. We like this one paired with a nice, comfortable linen couch. It's a great look for a be...

Three of the walls in this small San Francisco bathroom are lined from floor to ceiling in 2- by 2-inch watery blue glass tiles; the entry wall, which gets direct sun, is covered in tumbled black mosaic tile to reduce glare and soften the light in the rest of the room. Lake Garda 2- by 2-inch glass tile in Water Green. - From Sunset Magazine

Before planting late this afternoon, I swirled around a batch of soaked peas (sugar snap and sugar sprint) in the recently-arrived packet; it created a rather evil-looking dark inoculant 'slurry' boasting 200 million live Rhizobium spp. good for peas, beans and other legumes. I've had lots of fun sharing my enthusiasm for growing vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs in two recent programs. One was about Creative Uses of Herbs and Edibles , the other about Three-season Vegetable Gardening. I was inspired to extend my vegetable gardening seasons by Eliot Coleman, Four-Season Harvest , and Barbara Pleasant's Warm-Climate Gardening . If Eliot Coleman, in Maine, can be harvesting vegetables through the winter, surely here in South Carolina, even in the the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I can grow things for three seasons, working on four. I had a great group of participants for both programs. I love my vegetable garden; gardening for nature may be a primary i...

A chinoiserie-inspired wallpaper is the starting point for this vibrant scheme, Benches in turquoise linen and a sleek table act as a foil to the flamboyant pattern and encapsulate this modern take on a classic style. - House to Home

It was mild enough on Sunday to have fun preparing the main vegetable garden for seeding of cool weather vegetables and flowers. The soil is lovely, fluffy and dark. The fall amendments and mushroom compost from the fall change outs has been nicely incorporated, and since I try not to ever step on the blocks, all it takes is a quick turnover to provide an excellent seed bed. Now, I do have a soil thermometer that tells me that the soil temperature is still closer to 40° than 50°, so I do need to be patient a bit longer. But, I had some older seeds of spigarello broccoli, broccoli rabe, mache, and something called Zamboni broccoli (another sprouting sort) that I went ahead and sowed in my potting bench flats, which were warm on a sunny afternoon. I should have put them in the cold frame, or on the germination pad in the garden shed, but the light was waning. We'll see how they do. I put some more peas to soak (sugar snap and sugar sprint), waiting for the legume inoculant that ...

Reader's beware, this takes patience! Above and below you will see a remarkable display of skill in taking a SMALL photocopy of a fabric pattern and blowing it up into a super cool contemporary design. - Apartment Therapy

This aqua painted kitchen floor is absolutely gorgeous. Designed by Windsor Smith, an interior designer from California. -From Cote de Texas

-From Domino (via Stylecourt )

-Photos from Caroline Vesey Design

A small space can be just as restorative as a large one -- and color is the main ingredient for setting a peaceful mood. In this bungalow bathroom in Seattle, the mix of materials is limited to two colors: cool blue (which is calming and evokes natural elements) and warm cream (which suggests coziness and comfort). The effect is the visual equivalent of a long, cool drink of water. At the vanity, chrome towel rings, unadorned mirrors, and other minimal accents add to the peaceful mood. The blue tint of the frosted-glass shower surround stays in step with the wall color, while the translucency of the glass allows light into the shower and adds to the open feel. The shower's half-wall creates the perfect shelf for pampering products. - Cottage Living

I'm afraid that I'm probably a vegetable and seed addict; I love looking at seed catalogs and thinking about growing new (or heirloom) varieties of vegetables, trying new things (geez, it only takes 60 days for kohlrabi to mature?), or trying to figure out what odd things in foreign markets might be. Anyone know what this is? We saw it in a South Indian market this winter break. It doesn't appear to be celeriac, nor jicama, but seems to be something that grows underground. I ordered another flurry of seeds today, to have enough to get the early spring garden set (uh, actually I just couldn't help ordering them). We have really 5 seasons of growing here in Zone 7b (working on Zone 8), a concept that I'm embracing thanks to Barbara Pleasant, a great gardener and garden writer. Gardening is a wonderful hobby; where else could I spend $25 that would provide such a wonderful promise of future delicious experiences (eating homegrown vegetables) to come.

“I really love lots of light, so I don’t use curtains very much,” she says. An exception is the master bedroom, where turquoise accessories, including curtains rendered in a turquoise, lime and hot pink Designers Guild fabric, provide a brilliant contrast to the white-on-white space. - At Home in Fairfield County

A recent comment had me thinking about winter greens and their response to the lengthening and warmer days to come in spring. Hardy kales, cabbages, and collards are able to withstand the frosts and freezes of winter because of their leaf chemistry and built-in ability to produce natural 'antifreeze.' But they don't have the ability (nor does much else) to grow very vigorously at low temperatures. So our winter vegetable gardens are basically in suspension, until warmer temperatures support the physiological functions that convert sunlight to sugars and drive cell division and expansion. So collards or hardy lettuces in an unheated greenhouse can be harvested all winter, but won't start new growth until it's warm enough again.

From Apartment Therapy Smallest Coolest Apartments 2007. Southwest Semi-Finalist #1: Laura's Fresh Start Studio

Hearing gardeners talk about gardening and gardening is always inspiring, especially on a cold winter morning. We regularly have a series of Saturday morning lectures in February, and I always try to have a mix of programs about garden design, plants, garden ideas, etc., but my favorites are always hearing about personal plant choices and reflections on gardening style. We become better gardeners, with more satisfying gardens, if we've noticed what we enjoy in other people's gardens and our own. And part of that noticing requires careful observation; is it the texture mix, or the color contrast, or the backdrop, or the meandering path? Why does one color combination work and another doesn't? What suits you best? Our speakers this morning were both accomplished garden writers, and are used to describing plants and gardens in clear and visually oriented prose. Writers who write to encourage people about gardening also make excellent speakers, I've found, as well as ...

Barbara Barry is everywhere nowadays. She designs furniture, rugs, chinaware, linens--all under her own name for different manufacturers; all carries her signature style, which is understated and classic. Our favorite Barbara Barry product is the Barbara Barry fabric collection for Kravet. Simple, muted and elegant, it's a perfect choice if you like subdued elegance. To see the fabric collection, you can visit the Kravet web site under "Barbara Barry Collection". The fabrics look way better in person though, so it's best to check out your local Kravet showroom where you can touch/feel the fabric. Our favorite Barbara Barry fabrics are shown below: This one is a best seller. It features Barbara Barry's signature design: This pattern is fairly new. We like the red corral pattern...Perfect for a pillow: We love brown, as it is one of the easiest colors to work with. This one has a very rich pattern to it: This one is so pretty... Another brown pattern that we li...

This 1840's East Hampton, New York home was reinvented with a modern color palette, including Robin's Egg Blue walls in the bedroom and turquoise accessories in the living room. "And what could be more restful than a wonderful robin’s-egg blue?" says Drake of the wall color of the master bedroom. It's a quiet whisper of the living room’s turquoise. - Point Click Home