Innehållsförteckning för October 2021 från Victoria

Whenever readers share reflections about fall, I am amazed at the beauty of the language used to describe this treasured time of year. Immersing myself in letters on page 11, brimming with your most anticipated delights, kindles my senses. I can almost see trees robed in crimson as we stroll a woodland path, listening to the leaves crunch beneath our feet while inhaling the scent of smoke from a nearby chimney. When I peruse Chimes on page 113, though settled in my comfortable hearthside chair, my imagination roams the wild expanse of Glacier National Park. And then, at the close of this lovely essay by Mary Beryl Kenney Drewry, I retreat to memories of my own favorite places from days gone by. This issue attests that the season’s arrival inspires…

Stepping into her 1937 retreat in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jan Karon is immediately welcomed into the embrace of the living room. “What I love most is that there’s no entrance hall—no deep breath between the front door and private spaces,” she says. “One goes from a little mountain porch into a soft explosion of tropical birds, warm hues, and a mix of sixties Milo Baughman and French bergères.” The home’s exterior nestles easily into the region’s October landscape, with a standing seam copper roof reflecting burnished shades of russet, gold, and scarlet that dress nearby peaks during autumn. “It continues to look its old-fashioned, mountain bungalow self outside,” Jan explains, “but the inside belongs exclusively to the colors I take as soul medicine.” The vibrant palette comprises generous doses…

“GIVE ME BOOKS, FRENCH WINE, FRUIT, FINE WEATHER AND A LITTLE MUSIC PLAYED OUT OF DOORS ….”—John Keats SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 103, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION. Sample delectable fall recipes at victorimag.com.…

“IS THIS NOT THE PERFECT AUTUMN DAY? JUST THE STILL MELANCHOLY THAT I LOVE—THAT MAKES NATURE AND LIFE HARMONIZE.”—George Eliot See more of this inviting autumn picnic at victoriamag.com.…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: Jan Karon is the #1New York Times best-selling author of twenty-fi ve books. The Mitford Museum in Hudson, North Carolina, pays tribute to the novelist and her beloved Mitford series. To learn more about Jan, visit her website at mitfordbooks.com. For information regarding the museum, call 828-726-8871 or visit victoriamag.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–17: 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. A NEW LEAF Page 19: Stamperia Bertozzi: Fern Stamped Tablecloth, 86"x86", $435, Fern Stamped Napkin, 20"x20", $24; William Yeoward Crystal: Vanessa Tortoise Tumbler, $60, Vanessa Highball, $60; from Bromberg’s, 205-537-0525, brombergs.com. Pages 19 and 23: BIA…

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 October features: An Alfresco Afternoon Find inspiration for savoring the beauty of a perfect autumn day with loved ones under the shade of a gracious tree during a lovely yet relaxed picnic. Tastes to Remember Find recipes from this issue’s Cooking and Entertaining, and linger on our website to sample more of the delectable harvest bounty that awaits discovery. Botanical Splendor Survey the horticultural bounty of Longwood Gardens, a site that greets the fall with a variety of colorful chrysanthemums at the peak of their radiant bloom. Enduring Style In charming spaces curated by California interior design duo Stamps & Stamps, view abodes…

In the southeastern corner of the Keystone State, just an hour from the bustling metropolis of Philadelphia, there is a pocket of prettiness set within the scenic Brandywine Valley. Originally a family farm with a 15-acre arboretum, the wooded property was slated to be cut down for its timber when noted American businessman Pierre du Pont saved it from the saw. Though his initial plans were simply to preserve the trees, the famed philanthropist saw the opportunity to amend the land to create a horticultural wonderland brimming with flowers and fruit trees. The transformation continued with a conservatory, greenhouses, fountains, and more, all of which opened to the public in 1921 and, henceforth, was known as Longwood Gardens. Its reputation and patronage have grown exponentially since then, and the 1,077-acre…

“THERE IS A HARMONY IN AUTUMN, AND A LUSTER IN ITS SKY, WHICH THROUGH THE SUMMER IS NOT HEARD OR SEEN, AS IF IT COULD NOT BE, AS IF IT HAD NOT BEEN.”—Percy Bysshe Shelley…

SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 103, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION.…

The streets are lined with flaming maples in hues of red and gold. I am holding my daughter’s hand. She piles a mound of rainbow-colored leaves into a heap. Giggling, she makes a dive. A field trip takes us to Glacier National Park, a wilderness area in Montana, to learn the spawning habits of the kokanee salmon. Bald eagles plummet into the icy stream, leaving with a glint of silver in their strong, sharp talons. Sitting at the edge of Lake McDonald, fall sun seeps into my body, warming but not burning. Soon, snow will blanket the Rocky Mountains, and I will remember this warmth. The deep waters are crystal clear. Gray-blue pebbles hide insects crawling beneath the surface. We pass a rare stand of giant cedars. Reflected across the…

Pines released their needles, creating a golden-hued carpet. Those pine needles glowed beneath my sneakers, and as I shuffled through their lush thickness, the sweet scent of evergreens filled my happy heart. Fall was my favorite time of the year at our lake cottage in the Adirondacks. Only a very few campers were still about, allowing every sound of the forest to be magnified as it bounced off the clear lake. Blue jays warbling and squirrels chattering—music masked during the summer—reaches its crescendo in the stillness. Humans create their own noise, from the steady murmur between the adults on the beach or the delighted squeals of children running into the water to the hum of outboard motors moving slowly through the channel. But now, humankind has left and nature reverberates…

After enjoying Atlanta for more than three decades, this husband and wife were looking toward the next phase of their life. They found just what they were looking for in a charming destination in South Carolina. During the late 1800s, Aiken was heralded as a winter colony for wealthy Northeasterners who longed to escape bitter winter weather. Well-known for its equestrian community, historic houses, and beautiful green spaces, the Southern burg has become a haven for retirees who appreciate its vibrant small-town spirit and the ample opportunities for continuing education at the University of South Carolina Aiken campus. The couple fell in love with a Pennsylvania-fieldstone house with a slate roof that sits on a 2-acre lot just a short walk from the downtown district. Blessed with high ceilings on…

For interior-architecture design duo Kate and Odom Stamps, lifelong partnership has brought about a flourishing more lovely than the most elaborately calligraphed ampersand. The husband and wife have combined their talents professionally under the moniker “Stamps & Stamps” since 1991, creating beautiful abodes that abound with history, color, and an authentic sense of home. Best known for their renovations of long-established residences in Southern California, where they have lived for three decades, the pair also accept clients across the country and even abroad, taking special interest in Louisiana and England: places to which they each have a strong personal connection. With most of their projects, Odom first sets the stage by perfecting the architecture. While he sometimes designs structures from the ground up, more often his canvas is a historic…