Do You Compost?

I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I have never composted. That is about to change, but you would have thought I would have tried it long ago.

I would love to hear from you! Do you compost? 

What is your preferred method? 

Just a pile in the corner of the yard? Do you use a wood frame? Metal or wire frame? 

How often do you turn it? 

Do you add any bones to the pile?

Because our yard is rather petite and packed with plants, the compost pile will not have a very glamorous or large spot. We have great soil after years of faithfully adding more than a few inches of leaf humus over all of the beds, but it has been bothering me for a long time every time I throw out all those veggie peels that could be giving back over time.

So, this is the year!

The main challenge we'll have is to urge our dog to avoid crashing into the compost pile as she races around the yard!

What do you think?

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Fancy Fence

Enjoy the view of the Kohl Gate at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. It was created by Albert Paley in May, 2004. The metallic-brown structure sits sixty-feet long and fifteen- feet high and is made of Cor-ten steel depicting enormous, stylized leaf shapes. The steel plantings mirror the Botanical Garden's own collections of plants native to Costa Rica and Madagascar.

 

The structure was created in Paley's Rochester, N.Y. studio. Paley wanted to introduce a sculpture that drew its imagery from the botanical world- reflecting the Garden's purpose.

I thought it was seriously impressive. Your thoughts?

Inspirations For Sure!

Having just run across Wall&Decò's 2012 Collection, I just had to share their fabulous works with you. 

Wall&Decò, located in Milan, Italy, reinterprets the traditional wallpaper concept with visual graphics. 

Ranging from the quirky / contemporary of Camelot...

 

to the beautifully aged Borgia...

to the ancient Desus...

to a contemporary graphic, Presenze.

Care to try your hand at drawing? No, I cannot either, so here we go with Flamboyant.

If for no other reason than to be inspired with the possibilities, 

check out Wall&Deco here.

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Wisteria Lane

Last weekend's warmth rewarded us with amazing blooms. 

Have you ever had the chance to smell wisteria? 

I have never grown wisteria, but it sure captured my attention as I walked past the blooming vines at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Not only because of its unique beauty, but also because of its grape-like scent. Wow!

Just a few feet away, the white tulips caught the intense sunshine 
and looked like they were lit from within.  

They just glowed.

Pitfield London

 

It all started as I was glancing through the latest edition of AD and I caught a glimpse of this fabulous wallpaper. You see, London is the hopping place right now, with the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee blowout both taking place this summer. Anyway, AD's Treasure Hunt column covers the latest must-see design stores and that cool wallpaper happened to be on a wall in Pitfield London.

So I went to their website and blog and knew I was in trouble when I saw this unusual brush (I am such a sucker for brushes).

 Cabinet broom (or the "cupboard brush") because it’s ideal for cleaning behind  hard to reach places.

Pitfield London just opened up at the end of last year and it is already a huge success. Owned by  interior designer Shaun Clarkson and textile designer Paul Brewster, it is half emporium with reinvented furniture, vintage finds and designer wallpaper and half café serving healthy  salads,  sandwiches, pizzas and indulgent treats. They even have an exhibition space for artists and designers.

It looks like a fun place to be... and shop. 

And those brushes- I'll appreciate them from afar 'till I travel to London!

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From the Artisan's Hand: Fortuny

Mention the word Fortuny and it brings to mind a man with a great gift. I have written about Mariano Fortuny before, here and here, on the subject of his paintings. It's so nice to see the Fortuny company carrying on the tradition and presenting beautiful fabrics.

Some of my favorites include:

  Sevigne

 Carnavalet

Fortuny's powder pigments, used for his fabrics, much like the new collection below

  Colourismo collection 2012

La Sainte Chapelle church in Paris was the inspiration for the Sainte Chapelle fabric below. See the squiggle line area between the arch and the column?

Sainte Chapelle

 

Melagrana

Ashanti is a fabric named for the Ashanti tribe of Ghana, known for their weaving

Girandole is an original Fortuny pattern recovered from Mariano Fortuny’s archives in Venice.

Are you a Fortuny fan?

If so, stay tuned for THE new book on Fortuny, Fortuny Interiors, to be released in August, 2012.

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Second Act

Just the kind of eclectic home that I appreciate. The exterior reminds me of both an Italian and French villa, except that this home is in New Jersey.

Owners Andrea Filippone and William Welch actually combined the four run down barns on their 35 acre property to create their home and showroom for their company, Tendenze Design.

They have devoted more than 10 acres to an all-organic, pesticide-free landscape. In June, they will host "Earthly Delights," an event for rare-plants enthusiasts and garden-antiques dealers.

Below is the 800 square foot orangery, which was added onto a 1970's era reclaimed greenhouse. 

Love the bluestone-top table in the outdoor dining area below.

The courtyard's dramatic boxwood hedges are just one reason why the home is often rented for photo shoots.

One can dream once in a while...

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