Welcome, summer.
There’s something about these first few white-hot (or not) days of summer that feel like a blank page—sun-drenched, wide open, and humming with possibility. Maybe it’s the light: longer now, softer, spilling into the evening with no sense of hurry. Maybe it’s the white dresses—satin and linen, cotton and embroidery —appearing like a quiet little parade of joy in motion. Or maybe it’s just that this season, more than any other, invites us to softly begin again. READ MORE
Is there such a thing?! Usually, I'd say no.
You know how I say that writing this note is one of my favorite parts of the week? And oh it is oh so true. But today, I’m coming to you from beneath a glorious, slightly teetering tower of too-muchness.
Between a flurry of bespoke design projects (really dreamy ones - new scarves and so much more - I can't wait to share!), along with prepping armfuls of flowers for the grand Historic Garden Week house tour this past Saturday, my days have been brimming. Truly brimming. With lilacs. With lovely dressmaker details. With logistics. With laughter. With lists I’ve lost track of.
It’s all been an absolute joy — and also, a gentle reminder that even beautiful things can be a lot. READ MORE
I've learned a lot about native plants and pollinators through my 29 years in the Garden Club of Virginia and the Garden Club of America. Perhaps most importantly, I've learned how much I don't know.
Pollinators are essential for maintaining vibrant ecosystems, and for the health of many of our food crops. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats and other insects visit flowers in search of food, found in nectar and pollen. While these small creatures feed, they transfer pollen from one plant to another. From this, *cue the fireworks*, comes fertilization, leading to the formation of fruit and seeds. As much as three fourths of the world's flowering plants and 35 percent of our food supply depend on pollinators. READ MORE
Hang onto your spring bonnets - this one's a big one. Welcome happy Monday morning! I arrived home from my Florida adventure last Monday to be greeted by a sea of hellebores, daffodils, forsythia, camellia and tulip magnolia in full bloom. Mother Nature's welcome party - WOW thank you! I dragged my "HEAVY" bags into the front hall, and out the back door I skipped, eager to survey nature's blossoming ladies in waiting.
Strolling through the garden, I found myself in full conversation, "Oh my how you've grown Miss Camellia, almost halfway up the fence now aren't we?" I had worried about her and her two sisters during our unusually frigid winter here in Virginia. READ MORE
