Design

View From My Porch : The flowers have been planted and are in full bloom. A cricket serenade can be heard from the front porch rockers and the hammock in the back. Arnold Palmer's flow freely (lemonade and ice tea mixed) all the day long. Soaking in the sunshine is food for the soul. Photos: Hanging basket attached to front porch; Mountain views, Miss Holly (my dawg), Jake (my grandson).

A wonderful stretch of downland and chalk coastal bluffs is preserved by the National Trust between Seaford and Eastbourne, on the Sussex coast. It's surrounded by seaside sprawl (and heavy traffic) in the surrounding large towns (Newhaven, Hastings, Bexhill by the Sea, and Brighton). It reminded me of Pt. Reyes National Seashore, north of San Francisco, California, a place that I knew well years ago, with grazing land combined with spectacular coast scenery. Clearly, it was a favorite place for walkers, because of the views and open space. On a Saturday morning at 10am, people were streaming in, with knapsacks and walking sticks at hand. It certainly underscores to me the need for preserving natural places, whether natural gardens or spectacular scenery.

The first time I saw this room designed by David Hicks I really didn't like it. But the more I looked at it, the more I liked what I saw. And now I really honestly love everything about it. So timelessly chic. - David Hicks Archives

I'm fascinated about how people create gardens that please them. We have different tastes in colors, color combinations, whether our gardens attract wildlife, focus on natives, or some other passion. I'm firmly in the 'creating gardens that mimic nature' side of things, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the exotic and unusual in other people's gardens, even if I think, I'd never plant that! I'm also interested in how gardens change. I listened to a lecture program coming over to England, I think from the RHS, that I had downloaded (to my iPod), with Sir Roy Strong and Fergus Garrett talking about whether you can preserve a garden that has a personal imprint of the gardener. Roy Strong clearly was of the opinion that change (often radical) was good, reflecting on how he'd changed his house and garden after losing his wife, who had created the garden with him. But I had the sense that he and his wife had been of differing tastes, when i...

Style Court posted these images from an adorable nursery belonging to event planner Tara Guerard . The modern nursery was designed by the talented South Carolina-based designer Angie Hranowsky . More blue, yellow and aqua action going on here and I love it!! - Style Court

The songs of birds and diversity of bees are constants in the gardens in Southern England I've been visiting. It's notable, particularly since even though England is a lovely place, it's not unusually species-rich in terms of natives. So gardens, regardless of whatever plants are there, are often quite rich places for harboring an array of wildlife, simply because of the diversity. A biologist at the University of Sheffield (a fellow whose name escapes me at the moment) wrote a really interesting little book about wildlife in English gardens called something like An Ear to the Ground - basically, his studies had found that diversity of habitats and plants was a key to wildlife diversity in English garden, regardless of origin of plants, and had all sorts of examples of native wildlife using non-native plants. Certainly, I can believe that in terms of bees -- there are a LOT of different bees visiting flowers in these gardens. The mild climate here means they can grow all ...

Now here is a bath that is more my kind of scene. Imagine all the hair products I could store in those fantastic cabinets! -From Swedish Photographer Clive Tompsett

This lovely little bathroom may not be my taste, but I have nothing less than affection for a gorgeous soaking tub like this...especially when it's painted aqua! - Canadian House & Home

I've always enjoyed herbs in my garden, largely because their flowers are visited by insects, but also because they're fun to use in containers, mix in borders, and use in cooking (sometimes...) Iden Croft Herb Nursery in Kent was listed in the Good Gardens Guide as being exceptional, both for the range of their plants for sale, but also for their gardens. Arriving with rain threatening, and a cool breeze blowing, it looked like any other nursery. But when I started looking at the plants, I realized that this was really something more. Unusual plants of all sorts, but the herbs were amazing. It's a good thing I can't buy plants here! Too many of these plants would be going home with me. Happily, the rain held off and I was able to take a few pictures.

Ok so sue me...here is yet another green and blue room. But this one uses yellow too! I would have loved this room as a teenager. Actually, I would still love this room...especially that duvet cover. So cool. - House Beautiful

I think (after discussing this with my gardening companion - long distance) that there must be more common bumblebee species here than at home. I'll have to do more research, but my gardening companion (who studied pollination biology) suggests that the cooler climate here in England would favor more bumblebees, who can fly at lower temperatures, relative to butterflies and other insects. I have seen a few wasp-like flower visitors, but primarily a remarkable array (to me) of bumblebees, in addition to honeybees. Regardless, I've been having a field day observing and taking pictures of them!

I love how the white shelves, mirror and fireplace really stand out in this room. And the color of the green velvet chair and orange lampshade against the teal walls. All so pretty. - At Home with Color via Terramia

I've enjoyed watching some impressive bees visiting flowers-- large golden-striped bumblebees, smaller bees with different markings, and honeybees. I've only seen a single butterfly, and that from a distance-- it looked like a cabbage white.

The three gardens I visited yesterday were open on the NGS (National Garden Scheme) -- a remarkable organization that promotes openings of private and public gardens for charity, usually one to several days a year. The selection process guarantees that the gardens are all visit-worthy. They're published in an annual "Yellow Book" with garden descriptions and opening times. People clearly choose times good for their gardens, but they're usually on Saturdays, Sundays, or Bank Holiday Mondays. Looking at the maps of the different areas of the UK, and the numbers and densities of these gardens open on the NGS scheme is impressive -- it's a remarkable initiative, and raises a great deal of money for specific charities. The first I visited was Gardener's Cottage, the private garden of the Head Gardener for West Dean Gardens and his wife, also a professional gardener. It was breathtaking, really, in how compact and spectacular it was, and almost impossible to reflec...

Happy Memorial Day! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. I wouldn't mind spending my day lounging in a green and blue sunroom like this one designed by Kelley Proxmire. I adore those window coverings! - Kelley Interior Design

One of my favorite things ever is all-white bedding. And I can't ever get enough of bold throw pillows either. Love this. - Photo by Angus McRitchie for Canadian House and Home

T hat hubby of mine is a go getter. Since he retired and arrived safely to our new home, we have been busy puttering and organizing our garage. Mostly he is doing the organizing, while I just empty a few boxes of my stuff that have been sitting for over a year waiting for him to tell me to get to it ;) ... if it were not necessary to make the bed each day and do inside chores, I think my entire day would be spent outside weeding, planting, and sowing seeds here and there. We have four seed type and two humming bird feeders attached to some of the forest trees and binoculars all over the house to bird watch. Today was sunny in the morning and light showers in the afternoon.

I took the advice of the friendly woman in the tourist information office who recommended a B&B (a former hotel) in the South Downs countryside, about 6 miles outside Chichester. The Woodstock House Hotel turned out to be in a lovely village, with a perfect courtyard garden, and next door to an excellent pub/restaurant (where a groom's party was having a pre-wedding pint and lunch). There are interesting gardens and nature reserves to visit nearby, so it's an excellent location for touring, since I'm hardly needing to walk around town in the evening! Much more to my interest is poking around country lanes looking at gardens and landscapes. Having a small cozy single, with a window overlooking the garden, and a place to sit for late afternoon planning time - I'm grateful to have such a delightful opportunity.