Innehållsförteckning för Gardens of Bliss 2015 från Victoria

Don’t Forget For even more inspiration for gracious living and gardening, visit our website, victoriamag.com. You’ll find photos, tips, and how-tos on our social media sites, so follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. P.S. Make sure to visit my blog, theribboninmyjournal.com. One of my favorite friends, an elderly gentleman whose hobby is propagating shrubbery, said to me recently, “You don’t have to be a gardener to appreciate the beauty and serenity offered by a garden.” I think his statement is true, for all of us can enjoy flowers and plants, regardless of the interests we pursue. This amazing man certainly has a proverbial green thumb (or, more likely, green hands), as it seems every plant he touches flourishes. His botanical efforts grace many lawns around town. In addition…

In some areas of America several decades ago, ladies described elegant garden parties as “pearls and peonies.” Dressed in smart frocks and wearing pearl necklaces, these women gathered to delight in the sight of peonies that graced latespring gardens. Flower specimens wax and wane in popularity, and so it is with peonies. But Michael Hsu is spearheading a revival of the blooms in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. What began as a hobby in celebration of his family’s Chinese heritage is now a flourishing floral haven named PeonyLand. In 1998, Michael and his father, C.K., bought a 50-acre farm in Richlandtown. They wanted to grow something unusual, so they selected Chinese peonies. PeonyLand features twenty thousand plants imported from China, comprising 450 different varieties of the flower. The spectacular display is open…

Catherine Watters, who was born and raised in Paris, began taking art lessons at a very young age. She continued her studies throughout high school and college but never concentrated on an area of specialty. “I started thinking I wanted to find something specific to focus on,” Catherine explains. “I sort of stumbled into botanical art; after taking one class on the subject, I was inspired. From there, I studied the old masters and taught myself.” The high level of detail that characterizes botanical art was born of a desire in the days before photography to accurately portray every nuance of flora. In the seventeenth century, as members of European royalty began collecting plants from worldwide expeditions, they commissioned artists to document the new, exotic specimens in their gardens. These…

“...‘tis my faith that every flower Enjoys the air it breathes.” —WILLIAM WORDSWORTH “Flowers are the music of the ground From earth ’s lips spoken with out sound." —EDWIN CURRAN…

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. “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. “Ideas just flash into my mind,” she says. “I feel like Tinker Bell. I wave my wand, and…

On mornings in Donna O’Brien’s garden in Northern California, the mist curls around trees and shrubbery, their shapes hardly distinguishable in the shadows of this early hour. Then light begins to pale. The sun rises and burns the enveloping fog to a haze. Donna steps into her garden for a solitary moment. The view touches her sensibility for her Scottish heritage, including the green terrain and mists of the distant Celtic land so close to her heart. The garden, fully mature at ten years, began on a cold, damp day. Donna’s sister, Kristine Wahlberg, a designer specializing in European gardens and interiors, picked up a lonely branch nearby, using it as an artist uses a brush. “I began to move and glide through the wet soil underfoot, carving into the…

As anyone with a passion for gardening knows, the heart-stirring need to turn the soil, tuck in seeds, and tenderly nurture each tiny sprout must be indulged. For Erin Benzakein, that yearning began with a 2-acre plot of land and a big dream that has blossomed into a thriving business, christened simply Floret. Both a farm and a floral-design studio, Floret has drawn the attention of growers and consumers alike who support the local-flower renaissance taking place today around the globe. Erin’s husband and two children work alongside her, making it a true family affair. With her quick success, this Washington State resident once contemplated expanding to a larger plot of land. “As we explored increasing our footprint, something just didn’t sit right,” she says. “Bigger isn’t always better. So…

“Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them”. —CHINESE PROVERB Garden Stars Indomitable dahlias rule in Kathy and Ed Whitfield’s garden. The variety, type, and color of flowers include (clockwise, from top left):…

Behind the artfully forged iron gates and thick, centuries-old brick walls of Charleston, South Carolina, magnificent living treasures await. Although the gardens of these private residences are rarely open, a handful of the most splendid are included each year in the Festival of Houses & Gardens—a series of spring tours hosted by the Historic Charleston Foundation, beginning in mid-March and running through mid-April. During this time, eight to ten homeowners open their flower-filled havens to ticket holders who may stroll leisurely from location to location, greeted by knowledgeable guides at each stop along the way. Varied and vast in plantings and color, each display possesses a distinct personality, creating an unforgettable memory for all who view it. The day concludes in late afternoon with a wine and lemonade reception on…

CREATING A FERN PRESSED PRINT Begin with clean, dry ferns that have no tears or blemishes on the leaves or stems. Position the ferns between two sheets of plain white paper, leaving ample space between each frond. Insert the sheets between the pages of a large, heavy book, and place several books on top; store in a cool, dry place for at least one week. Alternatively, you can use a wooden flower press, which applies gentle pressure using screws and wing nuts. When dry, carefully transfer the ferns to a piece of art board, and showcase them in a frame.…

A tumbled mix of leftover stone and assorted old bricks proved just the right building materials for a simple square structure, where the owners plan their garden, start seeds under grow lights, and store all manner of terra-cotta pots and horticulture-related implements. The charm of French-enameled flower buckets, dried hydrangeas in a weathered market basket, and collectibles such as blue-glass Ball Mason jars complement the functionality of the generously sized shed. Tucked beneath the shelter of a towering oak tree, designed with windows on three sides, and equipped with a Dutch door, the little building keeps the interior pleasantly cool. And for sultry summer days, a ceiling fan is suspended from a crossbeam to stir the air. Thus, the resident gardeners can comfortably mix potting soil and transplant tender shoots…

“My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.” —ABRAM L. URBAN…

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them". —HENRI MATISSE…

“If you love what you do, success will follow, and you will never feel as if you are working”. —LESLIE LINSLEY Like Queen Victoria more than a century ago, Leslie Linsley discovered a pure adoration for the ornate craftsmanship of decoupage. She was intrigued from the moment her mother introduced her to the process as a young girl—when Leslie’s grandfather, an architect, designed small boxes and gave them to his daughter and granddaughter to work their decorating magic. A family business was born, selling the lovely, quaint boxes to high-end stores, such as Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman, and Henri Bendel. “Cartier used my jewelry boxes in their display windows,” Leslie recalls. “My grandfather left a great legacy.” Decoupage has a history as rich as the patterns and images utilized…

If scent is the most powerful conjurer of memory, many of us could transport ourselves to the French countryside of Provence during peak season on Cape Cod Lavender Farm. Heady with the aroma of one of the Mediterranean’s most ubiquitous herbs, the 20-acre farm in Harwich, Massachusetts, is nothing short of a dream come to fruition for owners Cynthia and Matthew Sutphin, now embarking on their twenty-first growing season. What began as a small experiment with four hundred lavender plants quickly blossomed into fourteen thousand plants and a thriving industry for the couple and Cynthia’s four children. “The kids were able to be a part of the farm as they were growing up,” she says. “Although three of them now live off the Cape, my youngest, Anna, runs the shop…

THE Recipes Citrus Spritzer Makes ½ gallon 6 (¼-inch) slices lemon 6 (¼-inch) slices lime 6 (¼-inch) slices orange 6 (¼-inch) slices pink grapefruit, halved Ice cubes 1 (750-ml) bottle Prosecco 2 (10-ounce) bottles lemon-lime-flavored seltzer ½ cup fresh orange juice ½ cup fresh grapefruit juice In a large pitcher, arrange slices of lemon, lime, orange, and pink grapefruit between ice cubes to fill half of pitcher. Add Prosecco, seltzer, orange juice, and grapefruit juice; stir, and serve immediately. Blueberry Tartlets Makes approximately 24 tartlets 1¼ cups half-and-half ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, divided 1⁄8 teaspoon salt ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 24 miniature tartlet…

THE Recipes Mixed Greens with Fiddlehead Ferns Makes 4 to 6 servings 1 (5-ounce) bag spring mix 1 cup fiddlehead ferns* 1 cup loosely packed green and purple basil 1 (2-ounce) package sunflower tendrils† ¼ cup extra-light olive oil 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar 2 teaspoons minced shallot ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley 1 teaspoon minced fresh sorrel‡ 1. In a large bowl, toss together spring mix, fiddlehead ferns, basil, and sunflower tendrils. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper until well combined. Stir in chives, parsley, and sorrel until mixture is uniform. 3. Pour dressing over greens, and toss lightly to combine; serve immediately. *Fiddlehead ferns are scroll-shaped,…