trouvée: the gemberling girls

Another gorgeous image from the Gemberling album. No date or inscription.

A few artists I have been looking at lately:

* Irving Harper
* Stratis Vogiatzis
* Donald Judd (especially his library)

Here's wishing you all a happy Memorial Day. Be safe.

easing into summer

Washington summers arrive early, and stay late. Beginning in mid May the air becomes heavy with humidity, and the hot sun steams up the city. Late afternoon thunderstoms become routine. And I stop cooking. Well, not exactly. I make things, I just don't like to cook them per se. Fresh salads with vegetables from the market (and herbs from the garden!). Grilled bread smeared with cheese or drizzled with oilve oil, topped with sliced tomatoes.

Some culinary inspiration:

* Jewels of New York: the recipes
* some spinach!
* and a new cookbook (coming out just in time for the summer harvest!)

Yum.

the beauty of simple things

Two photos: one looking up, the other down. From last night's sunset on the roof. A good mix of rain and sun has made for some very happy tomatoes.

Some other beautiful things:

* an award from Barbara

* being in good company

* and knowing that there is someone out there who eats spinach and green beans for breakfast (regularly)

Thank you.

daily duties and diversions

Like many of the grand old houses of Fairmount Park, Woodford Mansion has a long and varied history. It is one of Philadelphia's earliest country houses, built in 1756 for William Coleman (described by his friend Benjamin Franklin as having "the coolest, clearest head, the best heart, and the exactest moral of almost any man I ever met"). After Coleman's death in 1769 the house passed through a series of owners before it was purchased by the city in 1869 to be incorporated into Fairmount Park. It served briefly as the home of the Park's chief engineer, and later as the Park guard headquarters and even a traffic court, slowly spiraling into that usual vortex of municipal decay.

Enter Naomi Wood (1871-1926), the daughter of a moderately wealthy Philadelphia shop owner. She never married, and after inheriting her father's business turned her energies to collecting American decorative arts and antiques. Upon her death she directed that the collection be put on display in an appropriate historical venue. Beginning in 1927, Woodford was restored for just that purpose, and reopened in 1930 as gallery for her fine antiques. While there is plenty of Chippendale and Hepplewhite to tempt the furniture lover, it is the little accoutrements of life that distinguish her collection. Playing cards and chess sets, sewing birds and whist games, samplers and beaded needle cases ~ small things, well loved and used (and often overlooked by major collectors of American antiques). Together they give a picture of life in the 18th century: its daily duties and diversions.

(more on flickr)

trouvée: the cherry orchard

Inscribed, recto: "cherrie [sic] orchard"; verso: "Pa picking Cherries / Kansas City Mo." Orchards seem to be the theme for the week.

Some bits:

* cherry blossoms for supper
* with a glass of Savennières

Wishing you all a happy, sunny weekend!

strawberry time

One of our stops this past weekend in Philadelphia was at Woodford Mansion. While we were treated to a tour of the house (more on that later), an army of volunteers (primarily children) were busy in the garden with shovels and spades. I was delighted to discover that they were part of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, which is dedicated to planting fruit trees in primarily low-income areas of the city. Upon closer investigation I was amazed to find the garden home to a bountiful patch of strawberries and a myriad of young fruit trees.

So why Woodford? Built 1756-1758 as the summer retreat of a wealthy Philadelphia merchant, William Coleman, the house was once surrounded by a substantial garden and orchard. In the late 19th century the house was incorporated into Fairmount Park, and its environs changed dramatically. Set on the fringe of the park, the house is now bordered by a pretty rough neighborhood. Working in conjunction with the Park Commission, which owns the house, the Orchard Project is bringing the gardens back to life ~ if not with strict historical accuracy, then at least in spirit.

I am so happy to see more and more green projects like this taking hold in the cities. Incidentally, some of these have been quietly growing for years!

UPDATE: And if you haven't already, you must read about this historic orchard reborn ~ congratulations Dilettante!

historic house tour: bartram's garden

John Bartram (1699-1777), along with his sons William (1739-1823) and John, Jr. (1743-1812), are best known for their pioneering work as botanists, naturalists, and explorers. Over the course of their lifetimes, they traveled north to Lake Ontario, south to Florida, and west to the Mississippi River, collecting native plant specimens along the way. These they brought home to Pennsylvania and cultivated in their modest garden along the banks of the Schuylkill River. There they grew as many as 2000 types of plants, shipping specimens on request to clients throughout the colonies (men such as Washington, Jefferson and Franklin), and on to England. In 1765 he was named by George III as the King's Botanist for North America.

The house, often only a footnote in the Bartram story, is fascinating. It grew organically, much like the garden, expanding as needed to meet the needs of the family. Built almost entirely from Wissahickon schist (a local Pennsylvania stone), the two-story building began in 1728 as a simple four-room, single-story structure. As fashion and fortunes changed, the house was expanded. In keeping with the Bartrams' Quaker faith, it is intentionally modest, ornamented only by the odd, interesting stone carvings and columns, created by John Bartram himself.

In the mid 19th century, at a time when the banks of the Schuylkill were rapidly becoming the industrial cesspool of Philadelphia, many old houses were abandoned and torn down to make way for factories. Miraculously, Bartram's house and garden were saved through the efforts of a series of fore-thinking men. Today, the house stands as it did almost three centuries ago, along with a stone barn built in 1775 (thought to be the oldest in Philadelphia), and a flowering Yellowwood tree sent to William Bartram by the explorer André Michaux.

(a photo set on flickr)

UPDATE: Click over to the American Garden History blog for a bit more Bartram.

sunday at bartram's

A sneak peek at an outing to Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia. Indeed a city of brotherly love ~ I have much to share from this weekend.

Oh, and there was sun, glorious sun!

trouvée: aunt flora

Inscribed, top: "Puzzle ~ find Aunt Flora" / center: "May 30" / bottom: "I held my camera down for these little old fashioned pinks. See how clear the lower right ones are. You can almost see the stamens." This group is by the same photographer as this wonderful winter scene. {click to view larger}

I am curious to know what you all think of the Kiki Smith installation at the Brooklyn Museum. Has anyone seen it? Taking a look at women's work (reviews here and here).

Happy weekend! An a happy birthday to this special lady! xo

the early girl

This morning I ventured up to the roof garden, and much to my delight discovered that the "Early Girl" had delivered! Two perfect yellow buds. And then LOOK what I found on the "Cherokee"! I practically cried. For those of you seasoned gardeners out there, I am sure this is all routine, but for me it is miraculous. The challenge of bringing this garden to life has been immense, from getting approval from the condo board and overcoming the nay sayers to battling a rather unforgiving roof-top climate. So, yes this is a minor miracle. Of course, we are not hanging up the victory banner until we sit down to our first home-grown Caprese salad and a cool bottle of rosé. There is still a way to go.

A couple of you have chided me about not sharing some wedding details here. Well, honestly I didn't want this to become a bridal blog! However, there are some fun things you might enjoy hearing about (from historic houses to grand old gardens), so stay tuned over the next few months. {wink, wink}

germander and lavender

I had hoped to get a house tour up this week! Oh...where do these May days go?

In between wedding planning, I have been avidly reading Alys Fowler's book, Garden Anywhere, which has been hugely helpful (along with Gayla Trail's fabulous gardening blog). Over the weekend we had some very cold, windy weather, which took a little bit of a toll on the garden ~ the basil specifically. So we transplanted it on monday to a more protected container. We also added six more tomato plants (things with names like "Early Girl" and "Lemon Boy").

Some yummy spring dishes I am dying to try: asparagus pesto and roasted radish!

(photos from our trip to Williamsburg last month!)

patina

At Housewerks in Baltimore several weeks ago. On an outing with the marvelous Meg.

I am inexplicably drawn to rusty old bits, and things with patina. I think it might in part be the color. Three nights ago I found myself complimenting a neighbor on his gorgeous orange-silk tie, saying "rust is the new black." (Honestly, I have no idea where I came up with that.)

More from Baltimore tomorrow...and an update on the herb garden.

trouvée: an outing

Inscribed: "May 8, 1911." Obviously, a good day to be outside!

Friends, it has been a deliriously busy week, so forgive me for leaving you with no links. Instead, just heart-felt wishes for a wonderful weekend.

Cheers and Happy Mother's Day!

spring cooking

Fresh greens! Such a wonderful spring indulgence. At monday night's garden fête I made a huge bowl of pasta salad to feed the worker bees ~ an old favorite (low fat and flavorful). Little did I know that it would be such a hit! It's a twist on a recipe I found several years ago in the omni-present Martha Stewart Living. My version below. Serve with a glass of Provençal rosé...and enjoy!

Pasta with Vegetables and Lemon

1 cup frozen shelled edamame
10 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound shaped pasta (I use farfalle)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
finely grated zest of lemon, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon total)
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups baby arugula (about 1 ounce)
6 ounces yellow grape tomatoes (or other baby tomatoes), halved (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
freshly ground pepper

1) Cook edamame and asparagus in boiling water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid; set aside.

3) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine; bring mixture to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add lemon juice, edamame, asparagus, pasta, and 1 cup reserved liquid; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Add arugula and tomatoes; toss. Top with pecorino romano and chives. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with lemon zest and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and season with pepper.

p.s. I tossed in a little lemon thyme from our garden. Delish!

parsley, sage

Rosemary and thyme. All happily planted, ten stories up. We filled five 3-foot containers with herbs, and two large terra cotta pots with tomatoes. And there is space for more! Many of the building residents are a bit dubious that we can pull this off, but I am happy to report that our little garden seems to be flourishing after only a couple days. The tomatoes have settled in nicely and are already showing a few flowers.

I found two of my neighbors on the roof this morning, sipping coffee by the tomato plants. They said they have been coming up every morning to check on the progress. No matter where you live it seems, it is the simplest things that bring the most joy!

I intend to document the garden throughout the summer ~ you may keep up with our progress here.

may flowers

...for a marvelous lady. A bit deconstructed, but I do suspect she will like that.

We are planting our container garden on the roof this evening (weather permitting, ahem). Tomatoes (three varieties) and herbs. I think think they will have an awfully good view of the city!

Cheers.

trouvée: treasures

From a group of photographs I found last week at an antiques mall in Weimar, Texas (along with an 1830 Irish sterling silver serving spoon!). Ahhh...treasures. No inscription or date, but if a picture can be worth a thousand words, I certainly think this one is. {click to view larger}

Some things:

* Muybridge!
* a Louis Faurer film rediscovered
* a Jasper Conran book: Country
* and The Duel (looks interesting)

Happy weekend! Hurrah!

at bayou bend

Sitting on a lush, green bend of the bayou in Houston is an extraordinary house and collection: Bayou Bend, once home to the inestimable Ima Hogg, whose collection of American furniture and decorative arts rivaled that of the Duponts. The Spanish Colonial revival mansion, oak trees, and verdant gardens seem right at home in Texas. But step inside and one feels transported back East ~ to old Boston, Newport, New York, and Philadelphia. The house showcases some of the best American craftsmanship from the 17th through the 19th century. You may see a few of the rooms here, but for a more in-depth study, there are two wonderful publications: America's Treasures at Bayou Bend (with gorgeous color illustrations), and American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection (a full scholarly catalogue of the collections).

(more photos on flickr in the Texas set)

in san antonio

Along the riverwalk in San Antonio. So abundantly green ~ an urban oasis. Oh, and the McNay Art Museum is beautiful (its buildings, collections and people)!

I started a Texas set on flickr (with more to come!).

on the road again

"Goin' places that I've never been / Seein' things that I may never see again…" Down in Texas for a work trip, somewhere on the road between San Antonio and Houston with Willie Nelson running through my head.

The wildflowers are spectacular this year. Even the locals say they have never seen anything quite like it. The bluebonnets have mostly passed, but the fields are full of Indian blanket, primrose, poppy, and Texas paintbrush. It is the sort of scene that makes you want to weep it is so beautiful.

historic house tour: bacon's castle

Set on a remote tract of land along the James River in Surry County, Virginia, is an extraordinary gem of colonial architecture ~ Bacon's Castle. A rare survivor. Built in 1665 by a wealthy landowner, Arthur Allen, it is the only extant brick Jacobean house in the United States. Featuring unique brickwork, three-part chimneys, and curvilinear gables, the exterior of the original house has changed little in almost 350 years. The most notable modifications include the replacement of the leaded glass windows and the relocation of the main entrance to a 19th-century addition. The first wooden addition was built around 1815, replaced in 1854 by the current brick version.

The name Bacon's Castle is one that emerged in the 19th century, in reference to the role the house played in the 1676 uprising lead by Nathaniel Bacon, known as Bacon's Rebellion. For many years, the house had been referred to simply as "Allen's Brick House" ~ likely a nod to its contemporary significance as a brick dwelling.

While the house has survived, its original furnishings have not ~ with the exception of a baby's cradle that has remarkably never left the house. The interior is now furnished with period pieces, based on Allen inventories from 1711 and 1755. The house retains the original hand-hewn beams, and some beautiful Georgian paneling installed in the early 18th century by Elizabeth Bray, the widow of Arthur Allen III.

For the garden enthusiasts, it should be noted that Allen's garden has been partially reconstructed based on archaeological investigations.


(more photos here)

trouvée: the daisy field

This photograph is one of several I purchased recently on eBay. Taken in the environs surrounding Bala Cynwyd and Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, the photograph came from a album once belonging to the family of the artist Grace Thorpe Gemberling Keast. Keast was born in Philadelphia in 1903, studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and exhibited in the Salons of America and Corcoran Biennials. (Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a few more from the Gemberling album!)

Lots to mention this week:

* the White House spring garden tours
* some notable Pulitzer Prize winners: Tinkers (fiction) and The First Tycoon (biography)
* and the Bibliography of the History of Art (now available free of charge via the Getty!)

I am headed out of town for a week, but have scheduled a few goodies for you in my absence.

Enjoy...and happy weekend!

on crabapple hill

Last tuesday, the gentleman and I took a trip to Dumbarton Oaks ~ the wisteria was in full bloom and the scent of spring blossoms hung gently in the warm air. We sat under a canopy of crabapple trees, and watched as the evening sun began to cast long shadows.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

Yes. Of course.

After a while (and a half bottle of pink Champagne), we looked at the garden map to orient ourselves: Crabapple Hill. Somehow that seemed perfect to us.

So, forgive me for being absent from here. I have been a bit distracted!

bits and pieces

I loved reading all of your Williamsburg memories! Thank you for sharing them. Sorry I have been absent lately...the past week has been a whirlwind! And there so much more to share from Virginia (and beyond). In the mean time:

* a Philip Johnson house is remade
* and I secretly adore the loser lettuces! (so glad to know that I am not the only one)

See you wednesday! xo

april in williamsburg

Red bud trees, blue skies, and soft breezes. I really think Virginia is at its best in the spring.

A Willamsburg set on flickr (with lots yet to come!).