Last weekend in Georgetown ~ cherry trees and brick houses. Doesn't this duplex look like something out of a Miss Marple mystery?
It was hot (too hot!) this weekend in Washington and I am yearning for cool, quiet things ~ wishing I was back in the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks. 
Dated: "36." There is a later notation identifying the car as a 1934 Plymouth. Funny what we all find interesting.
Have I lost you all yet with the gratuitous flower shots? I can't help it people! It is a disease. In fact, I believe they call it spring fever.
I have been revisiting some old favorites lately:
Honestly. Really. We could not have picked a more perfect day to see Dumbarton Oaks. The weather was divine and the gardens bursting forth with loveliness. It was all we could do to drag ourselves indoors for a house tour. But, as we had managed to get ourselves on the list for the elusive once-a-week tour, we were determined not to miss it!
Oh, glorious spring! Saturday was one of those days that you dream about all winter ~ bright blue skies, warm air, gentle showers of pale pink petals. And the most heavenly scent of apple blossoms.
Found recently on eBay. No inscriptions, no date. Just lovely.
A few bits from the gardens at Montpelier (yes, we got around this weekend!). Lots more to come about all the houses we saw, but right now, my taxes are due....
Just back from a long weekend in Charlottesville, where Easter day found us reveling in the sun and the wonders of spring. The morning was spent visiting Mr. Jefferson's house, where the tulips are in full bloom and the garden is beginning to stir with little green sprouts. And afterwards, a simple meal of bread and cheese at a local winery. It wasn't fancy, but it was oh-so-good. 
Inscribed simply: "4/65."
It seems fitting to round out the week with a little garden tour. The Paca House (which some of you may remember from a previous house tour two years ago) is extraordinary for its garden. A hybrid of classic Palladian symmetry and Repton-style "wilderness," the garden is reconstruction of the original. During the first half of the 20th century, the house was used as a hotel, and a 200-room addition and parking lot were built over the garden. In 1965 the Historic Annapolis Foundation saved the property from demolition, and returned the house to its original 18th-century appearance, removing the addition and painstakingly restoring the garden through archeological investigation (which you can read more about here). The upper garden is comprised of four terraced parterres, and a vegetable garden lined with espaliered fruit trees. The lower garden features a fish-shaped pond, Chinese Chippendale-style bridge, summerhouse, and spring house. For a few more images, please see my flickr: here (April 2009) and here (May 2007).
The Chase-Lloyd House is a fabulously imposing three-story brick mansion on Maryland Avenue, in the heart of Annapolis. Built between 1769 and 1774, it boasts a truly impressive Palladian window and staircase, and elaborate Adams-style plaster and wood work. It was constructed for Samuel Chase, who sold it unfinished to Edward Lloyd (of Wye House). Lloyd completed the house, and it remained in the family until 1847 when it was acquired by descendants of Chase. In 1888, it became a home for elderly, "well-read" ladies, which it remains to this day. (I am already plotting my retirement.) Needless to say, the furnishings are not original, but the interior architectural details are beautifully preserved.
This past saturday I joined the Center for Palladian Studies in America for a tour of houses in Annapolis and the Eastern Shore. We focused on the architecture and gardens of four houses (more on all of these later this week), but for me, the highlight was a visit to Wye House in Talbot County. The house is privately owned, but the family has been very generous about allowing scholars and archaeologists to study the property. Amazingly, it has been in the same family for 11 generations, and is probably the most complete example of a southern plantation. The land was settled in the 1650s, but the magnificent seven-part Palladian-style house (pictured below) dates from 1781/1784. Even more extraordinary is the orangery (above), which was constructed c. 1750 (the wings were added in the 1790s). It is the only surviving orangery dating from this period in the United States, and to this day is used to grow citrus. For more images of the house and outbuildings, see here.
All the world is pink right now.
It has been ages since the last found photo friday. Gosh. Well, this little gem just makes me smile. It is only 2 x 1 1/4 inches but has such joie de vivre (click to view larger). It is a perfect moment.
As someone who lives in 500 square feet of space, is it any wonder that I am obsessed with gardens? Watching all the spring things pop up makes me long for one all the more. But for now, I shall make do with the little bits I collect through my camera lens. 
Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that I am enriched, nourished and inspired by food every day. And while I have the luxury to enjoy the bounty of the local market on a weekly basis, there are many for whom simply putting a meal on the table is a struggle. On this first day of April, I am joining with Meg at Pigtown*Design, and Chris at Easy & Elegant Life, to celebrate April Food Day and to encourage my readers to take a moment to help out. So, rather than leaving me a comment today, please make a contribution to Feeding America (or any other organization of your choice). Let your actions speak louder than your words.
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