Surprising Succulents
A couple of weekends ago, we were in Pebble Beach, Carmel and Big Sur taking in the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. We were fortunate enough to spend a couple of nights with some dear friends who have particularly spectacular views of the ocean and Monterey Cypress trees – a personal favorite. Ann has a passion […]
Your favorite flower?
My friend Jan sent me a fun article today from the September 16 issue of Apartment Therapy, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve shared the article By Brittney Morgan below and added not only her photos, but a couple of my own. I thought you would enjoy reading it too! What is your favorite flower? “What Your Favorite […]
Tyrolean window boxes
I think that some of the prettiest window boxes in the world are found in the Tyrolean region of the world – in Austria and northern Italy. When we arrived in San Cassiano a few weeks ago, located in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, the window boxes greeted us from every window. Helen and I […]
Chateau Mcely gardens
The multi-century history of old buildings and their beautiful gardens in Europe is so much more extensive and interesting than anything we have in America, simply by virtue of their ages and I am always fascinated to learn about them. The Chateau Mcely, located in the Czech Republic countryside, is one of those special properties […]
Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape
While traveling through the Czech Republic a couple of weeks ago, we made a stop at a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (also known as Lednice-Valtice Complex), located in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic. The gorgeous chateau on this property was the principal Liechtenstein residence for over 700 years, from 1249 […]
Parisian Farmer’s Market
We just returned from a trip around Europe with friends and I saw so many beautiful gardens and places I wish to share with you. The perfect place to start is my absolute favorite farmer’s market in the world – the market on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays on Rue Raspail between Rue de Rennes and Rue du […]
Onions Love Lettuce
Companion planting has been going on for centuries and as the science behind the value is revealing a deeper understanding of the benefits, one of the main reasons companion planting has been used is for protection from pests. I do remember my father planting tomatoes and carrots on the same side of his garden bed […]
Fall is in the Air
I can always tell when Fall begins in the Napa Valley. Sometimes is it before the Autumnal Equinox and sometimes it is after. This year, Fall seems to be starting early. The light has changed, shadows are longer, mornings are cool (42 degrees this morning) with warm afternoons and the smell of the wine crush […]
Chilled Persian Cucumber Yogurt (Maast-o Khiar)
My mother-in-law is Persian and she makes the best Persian food you’ve ever tasted. For those of you who are not familiar with Persian food, it is incredibly time consuming (a typical meal can take days to prepare), is a little complicated and may require ingredients that are not part of a non-Persian’s every day vernacular. Maryam’s […]
Farm Stands in the Hamptons
I am a big fan of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, who is a cookbook writer and Food Network cooking star. She has lived in East Hampton for many years and has showcased local farm stands and farmer’s markets on her shows that she frequents to purvey produce. I am staying in The Hamptons (a series of towns […]
Cantaloupe Melon
I picked the first of my cantaloupe melons yesterday. I could smell its sweetness as I brought it into the kitchen. A super easy snack is sliced melon wrapped in prosciutto. Delicious and refreshing!
Kate’s Tomato & Cheese Tart
Kate and I spent a day in her home in Healdsburg this week, which was fun girlfriend time. She made lunch for us, which consisted of a fresh summer salad and a fantastic tomato & cheese tart. Her tart was as beautiful as it was delicious, so I just had to know how to make it! The […]
Zucchini Cake
I have been traveling a lot this summer and have really missed being in my garden. My daughter and I drove up to Napa to hang out for the day and do some gardening. We harvested a lot of zucchini (my plants have produced an abundant supply), several types of peppers, several varieties of tomatoes, […]
French Laundry Tomatoes
The French Laundry vegetable garden is currently growing over 40 varieties of tomatoes, most of which I was unable to identify when I visited the garden yesterday. The plants have been grown in the vegetable garden hoop house from seeds, which were acquired either through Johnny’s Seeds, Seed Savers exchange, or their own seed saving program. Their tomatoes […]
Sunset Western Garden Book
I’m a little late to the party, but I finally purchased my first Sunset Western Garden Book. On my last Garden Conservancy trip to Chicago, a fellow gardener said, “You don’t have the Sunset Garden book?!?” So, this was one of my first purchases when I returned home. It will be a great resource for […]