Innehållsförteckning för March - April 2008 från Victoria

Through the pages of Victoria, the editors share with you our favorite stories about people, places, special events, and other things we hold dear. We invite you to tell us what inspires you. We want every issue of Victoria to speak to your heart, so we’ve listed some questions that will allow you to tell us how we can serve you better. • What is your favorite Victoria column? • What topics would you like to see covered in future issues? • What is your idea of a dream vacation? • Who inspires you? • How would you define your decorating style? Visit www.victoriamag.com/share to send us your responses. We look forward to receiving your answers.…

Opened in 1908, the hotel holds in its confidence a hundred years of secrets and stories, the oft-told legends becoming intertwined with the hotel’s legacy over the years. Designed by Francis Rattenbury, a young English architect, the Empress opened her doors, welcoming the twentieth century with a new level of class and sophistication up to that time not experienced in the Pacific Northwest. Across the years, the Empress tended many events through her grand halls. World War II brought hustle and bustle with servicemen and hundreds of wartime wedding celebrations. Wartime filming further enhanced the venerated hotel’s register with such guests as Rita Hayworth and Katharine Hepburn. An esteemed and legendary group of women, fondly termed “Empress Dowagers,” made the hotel their home. These wealthy widows lived elegantly and gracefully…

With their exquisite properties of scent, color, shape, and form, it seems only natural to envision flowers at the dining table—not only as decorative accents but also as part of the feast. And while recently back in vogue as darlings of haute cuisine, flowers are by no means new to cooking enthusiasts. Many cultures, from ancient Rome to Elizabethan England and beyond, have experimented with the taste and texture of flowers, from sugared rose petals used for garnish to a wine made of dandelions. The use of edible flowers soared to its most popular heights during the romantic and creatively daring era of Queen Victoria’s reign, after which they fell out of favor with chefs. In recent years, however, the use of a broad range of flowers—primrose, violets, honeysuckle, pansies,…

THE GARDENER’S ESSENTIAL GETRUDE JEKYLL Nonpareil Books One of the most fascinating and prolific names in garden design, Gertrude Jekyll was a master of her craft. An advocate of a natural garden, Jekyll was neither orderly nor rigid in her designs. Instead, she was known for her painterly brushstrokelike plantings and ample use of radiant color. The Gardener’s Essential Gertrude Jekyll is a compendium of Jekyll’s finest writings compiled from ten of her most cherished books. In her commonsense writing style, she covers an assortment of topics from ornaments to scents of specific flowers to the best choices for indoor arrangements. She precisely describes every nuance of living in a garden-centric world. It is clear that Jekyll had a deep passion for and an innate understanding of the simplicity of…

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 mist to a haze. Donna O’Brien 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 10 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 damp soil underfoot, carving into…

In the summer of 2004, my husband, Matt, and I set off for a bike ride. Eight miles from our home, we had left the traffic behind and were in the beautiful green countryside, near Richmond, Virginia. As we coasted down a long, gradual hill and rounded a bend, the afternoon sun cast its golden glow on the old Hallsboro Store. Though in disrepair, it was the kind of building I’m drawn to paint—solitary and beckoning. Pedaling on, I had little idea that the boarded-up structure would become a huge part of my life just one year later. The following summer, Matt cycled by the old store again and found that it had been restored and was for sale. He came home with an idea. “Your paintings belong there,” he…

As the chilly days of winter give way to the slight warmth of spring, the first thing I look for is the little green shoots from my spring bulbs. I know that vibrant-colored flowers will be right behind. What is it about gardens that fascinates us? This issue celebrates wonderful gardens, from very formal to charmingly casual, filled with verdant greens and vivid hues. Favorite Things is one of the most endearing columns in Victoria. I especially love the offerings gathered for this issue. Birds galore grace many products that you will see in these pages. There is even a source for the oldfashioned seed packets of everlasting flowers. I already have my sweet pea seeds ready to sow. Sweet peas grew in my grandmother's yard and every year came…

Our staff would enjoy receiving your cards. Please send to VICTORIA 1900 International Park Drive, Suite 50, Birmingham, AL 35243, ATTN: Katie Brandon.…

HANDMADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR VICTORIA READERS Our limited-edition, handmade heirloom photo albums make exquisite tabletop pieces. Covered in the finest materials and adorned with an ornamental brooch, each of these albums is the perfect way to store and display your most treasured photographs. Choose from our embroidered silk, ivory upholstery, or crushed cream fabrics. DECORATIVE INSPIRATION FOR ANY OCCASION! The publishers of Victoria magazine have created these indispensable resources for planning your next get-together with friends. From tea, to flowers, to the perfect table setting, each will be a treasured addition to your collection—or the perfect gift for a friend.…

The Empress presides over the Inner Harbor, offering many choices of amusement and delight. Sitting alongside the waterfront or strolling among the shops on Government Street fills a wistful afternoon with pleasure. The influence of the British Crown has not dimmed over the last 150 years. Daily tea is still a strong tradition, and the tea shops have not gone by the wayside. The many offerings include Murchie’s on Government Street with a large selection of loose-leaf teas and classic fine china. Farther along, THE SILK ROAD (above left) sells over 70 tea blends, custom packaged in the tin of your choice. The house favorite is Angelwater, an herbal blend. The downstairs shop brims with brightly colored tea sets and accoutrements. Upstairs is a spa offering tea-inspired treatments. On a…

“Let the rain kiss you… with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.” —Langston Hughes…

Collectors all over the world pay homage to Queen’s Ware. “Creamware appeals because of its clean lines and crispness,” says antiques dealer Carolyn Pressgrove Bradford, owner of Mulberry Heights Antiques in Birmingham, Alabama. “Although intricate, it appears simple. Creamware is its own element—extremely soothing.” Josiah Wedgwood understood the craving for such qualities, perfecting the transformation of light-bodied clay into delicate yet substantial pieces. Some ceramics historians praise his evolution of creamware as his finest feat. Wedgwood introduced the use of Cornwall clay, which made a stronger body with a uniform texture. Depending on the mixture of clay, variations in color ranged from cream to saffron. Wedgwood developed creamware for table use. But he eventually produced hundreds of novel shapes, such as twig baskets, engraved plates, hand-painted candlesticks, tureens, sauce boats,…

“Blue cools a scene. That’s why I use it in the city, and it serves the same function in the country in summer.” — Lynden B. Miller It’s true that she’s wild for hydrangeas. And definitely, she’s fond of ageratum. But when Lynden designs, she never does blue on blue. Truth is, her sensual sensibilities are too highly honed to rest on only one color. A veteran designer, responsible for gardens at the Central Park Zoo, Bryant Park, The New York Botanical Garden, Madison Square Park, and Wagner Park, Lynden is best known for rescuing and restoring The Conservatory Garden in Central Park. No matter what its color spectrum, everything she designs is brilliant. But blue is the great moderator. As she was originally an artist, Lynden’s painterly outlook explains…

THE FOOD OF FAERIES: EDIBLE FLOWERS Begins on page 38 Fresh Berries with Toasted Pound Cake and Pansy-Mint Cream Makes 6 servings 1 frozen prepared pound cake, thawed 1 recipe Pansy-Mint Cream (recipe follows) 3 pints raspberries 1/4 cup clover honey Garnish: fresh mint 1. Preheat oven to 350?. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Cut the pound cake in half horizontally. Using a 3-inch round fluted cutter, cut pound cake into rounds. Place rounds on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden brown. Set aside to cool completely. 3. To serve, spoon Pansy-Mint Cream on tops of toasted cake rounds. Layer raspberries over cream. Drizzle with about 1 teaspoon clover honey. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Pansy-Mint Cream Makes about 3…

COVER Flower arrangement, www.flowerstems.com. MASTHEAD GP & J Baker, Blossom Silk in pink, pattern #10047.1, Lee Jofa, www.leejofa.com. FAVORITE THINGS Page 22: Potting Shed Creations, Ltd. Treesto- Be, $21.50, and Garden-in-a-Bag, $15, www.pottingshedcreations.com. Source Perrier chairs, $225 (set of 2), www.sourceperrier.com. Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves, $6.50, www.gardenbasket.com. Page 23: Bloomin’ Ladybug Slip-Ons, $24.95, www.gardeners.com. Anna Corba photo album, $22, Gather, 804-379-0441. Renee’s Garden seed packets, $2.99, www.reneesgarden.com. Hancock Baskets, Inc., flower gathering baskets, $16 (small), $22 (large), www.hancockbaskets.com. Page 24: Pré de Provence soaps, $15, www.europeansoap.com. America Retold wire pedestal frame, $15, 866-862-0100. Thymes Replenishing Hand Cream, $18, Deep Cleansing Hand Scrub, $18, and Gardener Candle, $20, www.thymes.com. Creative Co-op Tin Flower Buckets, $39.99 (set of 3), 866-323-2264 for stores. Page 25: Aidan Gray old-stone quails, $25, Gather, 804-379-0441. Seedballz,…

In the realm of high fashion, it is inevitable that everything old will at some point be made new again. This is true not only of skirt lengths and silhouettes, but also of the almost imperceptible details— the buttons, bows, and buckles— and, of course, the accessories that complete the ensemble. A woman’s purse is a favorite and enduring accessory and a symbol of status and style, especially ornate evening bags. “A purse is not a thing that sits on the shelf that you can look at but can’t do much with; it’s a practical object,” says beading author and scholar Alice Scherer. “It can also dress up an outfit. You can place a purse on a table when you’re dining, where people can see it. They may not be…

Once upon a time, there was a castle, a fine castle—from battlements to formal parterre, the sort of castle that rises from the sea mists like a dream. But here is a castle with a difference. This is no Old-World stronghold; here the green lawns roll to the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and the gentle climate of Victoria, British Columbia, encourages the gardens, where the master and mistress, James and Laura Dunsmuir, once strolled from the walled garden to the Japanese pond to the loggia where the wisteria drifted with flowers. Dunsmuir was a coal baron, a mighty industrialist and politician, whose father had emigrated from Scotland but kept alive the family pride in his native Ayrshire with its mists and memories. When James Dunsmuir planned his own retreat,…

On a summery evening in 1905, as awed guests of the Savoy looked on, the courtyard of London’s premier hotel was transformed into a bejeweled, makeshift scene from Venice. A silk-lined gondola flanked by snowy swans and strewn with 12,000 carnations made its way down a man-made canal toward guests while the great Caruso serenaded them—the whole of the moonlit scene gleaming in the subtle glow of hundreds of paper Venetian lanterns. The host of the famed Gondola dinner was Champagne millionaire George Kessler, who managed to top the lavish event just four years later at the Savoy with a $300-a-plate Yuletide feast in the Winter Garden, fashioned to resemble the North Pole. Last December, almost a hundred Christmases later, many of the Savoy’s wonderful wares were placed on the…

ONCE UPON A TIME, Dana Brandwein Oates dreamed of thunder and lightning, the mad-happy sounds of rockand- roll, and awoke each day to help shape the careers of some of the best-known names in mainstream music. But then something in her consciousness shifted, and Dana realized she was no longer skimming music magazines in her free time but, rather, “reading design magazines like they were the most delicious chocolate candy.” That’s when the gifts of the natural world began to populate Dana’s dreams instead: earthen clay, Queen Anne’s Lace plucked from the roadside, burled bark from the trees in her yard, and honeycomb from beehives tended by a neighbor in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut. And when the deepbreath moment descended—when Dana decided in the middle of a meeting to give up…