Innehållsförteckning för March/April 2021 från Victoria

Dear Friends Spring beckons like a rich green carpet that has been pulled from storage, shaken of its icy crystals, and unfurled over hill and dale. Draped in a profusion of blossoms, the verdant landscape rouses me from the quiet stillness enjoyed during the colder months, and I feel energized to make strides in transforming my surroundings. This March/April issue brims with ideas for cultivating seasonal beauty. Escape to some of the most magnificent public gardens across the country in Touring, glean sage advice for sowing your own seeds in Reader-to-Reader, and consider how this worthwhile pursuit refreshes the spirit in Chimes. The Victoria team brings a bounty of inspiration to these offerings. Cooking and Entertaining, which begins on page 43, showcases a menu chosen by our editors in homage…

Jan Karon has never needed a spectacular view to inspire her forays into the fictional community of Mitford. In fact, with the cast of characters in her beloved series of books exceeding 750 people and pets, the novelist often feels a whole town of inhabitants vying for her attention. The #1 New York Times best-selling author has proven that she can escape into another world, unrestrained by location or conditions. Jan has written in grand dwellings, such as a circa 1816 Jeffersonian farmhouse that she restored in Virginia, and through the gamut of challenging and uncertain circumstances. But, these days, Victoria’s Writer-in-Residence finds her creativity nurtured within a rustic hideaway in Black Mountain, North Carolina. “I like to feel the embrace of a room,” Jan says, describing the snug proportions…

Monica Lavin’s website describes her as “an independent content creator, social consultant, and founder of Lavin Label,” but that only begins to illustrate the impressive abilities this energetic entrepreneur possesses. Followers of her blog and Instagram account are treated not only to tours of her graciously appointed home in Savannah’s downtown historic district, but also to an ever-growing panoply of inspiring ideas for travel, entertaining, fashion, and beauty. While earning her master’s degree in education from West Virginia University, Monica worked as an intern at the nearby NASA IV & V facility, teaching local K–12 teachers how to use technology to engage with their students. She later became an instructional technologist at the College of Charleston, where she quickly rose to department head and adjunct professor for the School of…

“THE AIR IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY WITH FRAIL BLUE WINGS. THE HAPPY EARTH LOOKS AT THE SKY AND SINGS.”—Joyce Kilmer…

A Lesson in Beauty My mother creates beauty. I didn’t recognize this talent when I was child, despite how frequently other grown-ups mentioned it. “Your mom has a gift for making everything lovely,” her friends would tell me. The world my mom designed was the only world I’d ever known. I didn’t see what was so special about it until I was an adult myself, fumbling to make a home out of a wood-paneled studio apartment and mismatched dollar store silverware. As I set out to create my own life, my parents moved out of my childhood home, settling in Texas, then in Missouri, and again in Texas. Each time, Mom would send me photos of joyless backyardsand tacky wallpaper. Then I’d visit and see the new house made warm…

Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite March/April features: Garden-Fresh Fare Rows tended by beloved author and illustrator Beatrix Potter inspire tasty recipes perfect for celebrating the sweetest gifts of springtime abundance. A Place for Beauty Taking inspiration from iconsof style who came before her, tastemaker Jenny Bohannon brings the loveliness of the seasons to her Virginia home. Shades of Serenity Drawn to soothing pastels and traditional details, content creator Monica Lavin infuses the interiors of her Savannah, Georgia, abode with grandmillennial charm. An Irish Dream Looking ahead to possibilities for international sojourns, we share storied destinations that beckon exploration of the Emerald Isle. We love your ideas! Do you…

It is easy to be inspired by the sheer beauty of spring, with its panoply of flora in a rainbow of colors. Taking the next step—turning that inspiration into decorating endeavors—might call for a little guidance, and who better to provide that tutelage than decorative-paint artist Annie Sloan? A project might be as simple as changing a room’s color. In her sunroom, Annie chose Chalk Paint® in Arles, a hue inspired by its namesake town in France, where earthy yellow pigments are mined from quarries. Ochre is the perfect shade to maximize sunlight and add warmth on days when the weather is less than ideal. She created a pretty plaster effect with paint in one bedroom by layering classic Old White over a base of Antoinette. For a smaller but…

As a child growing up just a stone’s throw from Washington, D.C.’s patrician social scene, Jenny Bohannon looked to quintessential tastemakers Jackie Kennedy and Bunny Mellon, as well as to classic movie actresses, including Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, as she developed her own sense of style. Their shared passion for the arts inspired the young girl, a classically trained pianist from the age of four. When she married, she traded her musical career for an equally demanding one: mother to a trio of boys. Three years ago, the Bohannons moved to a house four doors down from her parents in the Virginia Horse Country neighborhood of her childhood. Named Tallwood for the towering trees on the property, the home is furnished with an enchanting mélange of antiques, beautiful wallpapers,…

SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 105, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION.…

“When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there’s always the garden.” This thought by poet Minnie Aumonier was my father’s favorite quote. He grew up on the farm, where he was born on Harvest Day, when his mother took time off to give birth. Gardening was in his blood and rubbed off on me as I sat in an apple tree watching him tend his garden with care. My garden is sleeping—yes, it has its rest time for nurturing veggies and flowers. An arbor shields them from brisk winds and filters sunlight for growth. Little songs gladden my heart, seemingly providing what is needed for the plants. When the hour is early in the morn, the dew still on the canopy of roses, I thank God and nature…

U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern redbud and dogwood trees mingle with Lady Banks roses and purple sage as spring descends onthe U.S. Botanic Garden, nestled within our nation’s capital. Conceived by Founding Father George Washington, the property is as much a museum as it is a garden, with a repository of rare and endangered plants collected from all over the world. Visitors may glimpse more than five thousand species of orchids, stroll through a panoply of flowers and foliage representing various ecosystems, and travel back in time with the Jurassic-age display, where ferns and other ancient plants claim the spotlight. “FLOWERS … BLESS US IN OUR COUNTRY RAMBLINGS.”—James Riggs MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI When Englishman Henry Shawarrived in St. Louis back in 1819, he was immediately captivated…

“THE SMELL OF MOIST EARTH AND LILACS HUNG IN THE AIR LIKE WISPS OF THE PAST AND HINTS OF THE FUTURE.”—Margaret Millar…

Bethany Berk makes her way to the greenhouse in her garden, threading a path through raised beds brimming with aromatic herbs. The crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the eye-catching iron-and-glass structure is the first hint that besides a green thumb, this accomplished gardener also has impeccable taste. Bethany knew from a young age that she wanted to be an interior designer. “I learned from my mother about the charm and value of decorating with antiques,” she says, adding, “I like to think of my aesthetic as classic, elegant, traditional, and timeless, using high-end European antiques to add whimsy and glamour.” After earning a BA from Interior Designers Institute and an MA in European Studies from Columbia University, she worked for a number of years in various areas of…

HILL TOP BOUNTY Begins on page 43 Blackberry Gin and Tonic p.46 1 cocktail 2 ounces gin¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice½ ounce Cucumber Simple Syrup (recipe follows)Crushed ice5 to 6 fresh blackberries2 slices cucumber4 ounces tonic waterGarnish: shaved or sliced mini cucumber, fresh blackberries, lime slices 1. In a cocktail shaker, add gin, lime juice, and Cucumber Simple Syrup. Add ice. Cover and shake until cold, 10 to 15 seconds. 2. In the bottom of a serving glass, muddle blackberries and cucumber slices. Pour gin mixture over mashed berries mixture. Add ice to fill and top withtonic water. Garnish with cucumber strips or slices, blackberries, and lime slices, if desired. Cucumber Simple Syrup Makes ⅓ cup 2 cucumber peels*½ cup seeded and chopped cucumber½ cup granulated sugar½ cup waterPeel…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 17–20: Jan Karon is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of twenty-five books. Set to open this year in Hudson, North Carolina, The Mitford Museum pays tribute to the novelist and her beloved Mitford series. To learn more about Jan, visit her website at mitfordbooks.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 21–24: Annie Sloan, a decorative painter, invented and manufactures Chalk Paint®. She has written 26 books and produces The Colourist, a bookazine dedicated to her passion for color. To learn more about Annie’s work, visit her website at anniesloan.com. LADY LUCK Page 25: Annie Glass: Edgey Charger/Serving Plate in Gold, $137; 800-347-6133, annieglass.com. Herend: After Dinner Cup in Green, $80, After Dinner Saucer in Green, $55, Rectangular Tray with Branch Handles in Green, $570, Chinese Bouquet Green Dessert Plate, $115,…