See Charlotte Moss in DC, May 6 2015

Join the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the ICAA in welcoming Charlotte Moss to historic Dumbarton House on May 6, 2015.  

Following a reception, Charlotte will speak about her latest book, Garden Inspirations.  Afterwards she will sign copies of her books. It should be yet another great event sponsored by the ICAA here in DC!

Hope to see you all there; be ready to be inspired by this fabulous taste-maker and don't forget to bring a copy of your book to be signed!

Tickets are available on the website HERE.
Images via Veranda Magazine and Charlotte Moss.

Springland Lane Garden Tour: Cleveland Park Historical Society

Adjacent to Cleveland Park is a little wooded area which when one enters feels like the street that Washington forgot.  Springland Lane and the beautiful houses and gardens which have grown into it is a tiny alcove nestled just north of Cleveland Park that until recent times was a farm and vineyard (right near the heart of the city!). On May 23, 2015 the Cleveland Park Historical Society is cohosting a garden tour of the area which is an exclusive look not just at the 16 pretty houses and private gardens but a look at the not too distant agricultural past of the neighborhood. Tickets are available on the website HERE - I hope to see you there!

Parc Monceau, Paris

While in Paris this past fall I left tourist central to finally pay a visit to the Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement, namely to see the magnificent Musee Nissim de Camondo (more on that another time) and what remains of Ledoux's  Rotund de Chartres (more on that later too!).

The park was built in the 18th century as a private park for the Phillipe d'Orleans, Duke of Chartres, and his friends. Under the Haussmanization of the area, creating the city we all love today, the park was turned over to the public surrounded by a very luxury sort of 'gated' community.

Today this neighborhood is one of the chicest of the city.  Many of the grand houses have been converted into coveted apartments, corporate headquarters, and embassies much like Kalorama here in Washington, DC.

The grand house below is the European corporate headquarters for Rolex.

 The houses span many different styles but all date to the 1860s.

 Imagine working for your government in one of these beautiful embassies!

Below is the back of the Nissim de Camondo which has a private gate into the park.  6 houses have exclusive use of the park 'after hours' as their own backyard.

The park itself was designed in an English or natural style.  The area may be quite small today but is jam packed with architectural follies such as this bridge below.

 Many of the follies are original to the 18th century and were meant to lend an aire of exoticism.

The park is popular with children; this is a family neighborhood of apartments without yards after-all.

 The colonnade below surrounds a man made 'lake'.

 Many of the sculptures were put in place in the late 19th century and refer to poets and artists.

Many of the follies were built to look old in the 18th century but have been even more weathered due to wars (in this very park!) as well as pollution.

 My favorite is perhaps the small Egyptian pyramid.

Maybe it's the architect in me but I enjoy parks with sculpture and architectural follies such as these so much more than just plain nature; it's the juxtaposition.

Leave it to the French; this witty nod to the Egyptian Pyramid hides some electrical work and stands about 4' tall.

Gardens of Filoli and some detective work!

Filoli is known primarily for her gardens admittedly. Yes I love the house but most visitors are drawn there for the gardens and the Dynasty connections (more on that later in the post, stay tuned Ed!).

A few years ago I briefly blogged about the gardens HERE but you can never have enough pretty pictures, right?

The gardens encompass many outdoor 'rooms' which because of deer (and security one would imagine) are walled off.

The deer actually linger just outside of the gates, visibly!  They probably smell all of the goodies inside!

The carriage house has been turned into a lovely gift shop and garden center. Some of the produce from the garden is sold here; I bought some lovely rose tea grown on site.

The roses weren't at their peak during my visit in early June but were none-the-less lovely.

If you're curious about any of the rose names the images are entitled by the names I got off the tags.

And as always you can click on any image to enlarge it on your screen!

Most of the roses were heavily scented.

Why have a one color rose when you can have two in one?

The colors were vivid and beautiful in the California sunshine.

Areas of shade were never far away either; a blessing for my sunburn!

I loved this rose arbor over a bench; a wonderful spot to rest.

The summer or tea house remains my favorite part of the property.

See a lengthier post on the summer house from my previous visit HERE.

However the best view of all isn't of the gardens but of the adjacent mountain.

Now down to the detective work.  Filoli is known to many from the 80s tv drama "Dynasty". Both of my visits I overhead snippets of conversation about the lily pond and a cat fight.  Above you see the swimming pool with the house beyond.  To the right of the pool is the lily pond and then the carriage house.

Above is the lily pond which is off the dining room terrace and the carriage house.  However the lily pond is clearly not the one used in Dynasty. Thanks to youtube I have proof - see the video below!

After driving into the entry court of Filoli the women are seen talking in the library. I watched the video closely and it is this exact library (with different furniture and artwork). See my earlier post on the library HERE.  HOWEVER you can see that the lily pond is different - different shape, different plantings, AND A DIFFERENT HOUSE in the background! 

Does anyone know where this iconic scene from Dynasty was actually filmed?

Oak Hill Cemetery: a city respite

Spring in Washington is a glorious thing but how does one enjoy it when our parks and streets are flooded with tourists? One of the best places to experience the season's flowers away from the crowds is Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown along Rock Creek.

With unfortunate limited hours this ancient cemetery is as pretty as nearby Rock Creek Park if not better. Flowering trees and flowers are in abundance along the steep terrain.

Established by an act of Congress in 1849 the cemetery is home to many notable names which fill history books.

As any long time reader of this blog will know I've always loved old cemeteries as examples of mature gardens and have blogged about many (Allegheny Cemetery and Egyptian Avenue are 2 examples). This one ranks up there among the most charming that I've visited.

 I love this mausoleum in the form of a stately Greek temple atop one hill.

The older tombstones have so much more character than the granite blocks one uses mostly today.

The hand chiseled calligraphy on most is astounding in this age of machine-age engraving. It's interesting to see how the different stones have aged over time: marble, granite, sandstone, etc.

 My favorites tend towards the simple tombstones such as this scroll (is it morbid to have a favorite?).

If you can find the time in your schedule to align with the cemeteries open hours I highly suggest a visit! Information on the Oak Hill Cemetery website.