Victoria March/April 2021

Dear Friends Spring beckons like a rich green carpet that has been pulled from storage, shaken of its icy crystals, and unfurled over hill and dale. Draped in a profusion of blossoms, the verdant landscape rouses me from the quiet stillness enjoyed during the colder months, and I feel energized to make strides in transforming my surroundings. This March/April issue brims with ideas for cultivating seasonal beauty. Escape to some of the most magnificent public gardens across the country in Touring, glean sage advice for sowing your own seeds in Reader-to-Reader, and consider how this worthwhile pursuit refreshes the spirit in Chimes. The Victoria team brings a bounty of inspiration to these offerings. Cooking and Entertaining, which begins on page 43, showcases a menu chosen by our editors in homage to the…

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 March/April features: Garden-Fresh Fare Rows tended by beloved author and illustrator Beatrix Potter inspire tasty recipes perfect for celebrating the sweetest gifts of springtime abundance. A Place for Beauty Taking inspiration from iconsof style who came before her, tastemaker Jenny Bohannon brings the loveliness of the seasons to her Virginia home. Shades of Serenity Drawn to soothing pastels and traditional details, content creator Monica Lavin infuses the interiors of her Savannah, Georgia, abode with grandmillennial charm. An Irish Dream Looking ahead to possibilities for international sojourns, we share storied destinations that beckon exploration of the Emerald Isle. We love your ideas! Do you have any suggestions about something you’d like to see in the…

“When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there’s always the garden.” This thought by poet Minnie Aumonier was my father’s favorite quote. He grew up on the farm, where he was born on Harvest Day, when his mother took time off to give birth. Gardening was in his blood and rubbed off on me as I sat in an apple tree watching him tend his garden with care. My garden is sleeping—yes, it has its rest time for nurturing veggies and flowers. An arbor shields them from brisk winds and filters sunlight for growth. Little songs gladden my heart, seemingly providing what is needed for the plants. When the hour is early in the morn, the dew still on the canopy of roses, I thank God and nature for…

Jan Karon has never needed a spectacular view to inspire her forays into the fictional community of Mitford. In fact, with the cast of characters in her beloved series of books exceeding 750 people and pets, the novelist often feels a whole town of inhabitants vying for her attention. The #1 New York Times best-selling author has proven that she can escape into another world, unrestrained by location or conditions. Jan has written in grand dwellings, such as a circa 1816 Jeffersonian farmhouse that she restored in Virginia, and through the gamut of challenging and uncertain circumstances. But, these days, Victoria’s Writer-in-Residence finds her creativity nurtured within a rustic hideaway in Black Mountain, North Carolina. “I like to feel the embrace of a room,” Jan says, describing the snug proportions of the…

It is easy to be inspired by the sheer beauty of spring, with its panoply of flora in a rainbow of colors. Taking the next step—turning that inspiration into decorating endeavors—might call for a little guidance, and who better to provide that tutelage than decorative-paint artist Annie Sloan? A project might be as simple as changing a room’s color. In her sunroom, Annie chose Chalk Paint® in Arles, a hue inspired by its namesake town in France, where earthy yellow pigments are mined from quarries. Ochre is the perfect shade to maximize sunlight and add warmth on days when the weather is less than ideal. She created a pretty plaster effect with paint in one bedroom by layering classic Old White over a base of Antoinette. For a smaller but no less…