Victoria March - April 2010

With the arrival of each new season, I find myself thinking, “This is my favorite of all the times of the year.” Spring, however, has reached out its arms to encircle me with the splendor of trees fully robed in brilliant green leaves, tender grass underfoot, and the heady perfume of the countless blossoms in my new and treasured rose garden. What could be more perfect than this magical season? My rose garden was a gift from my husband, Neal. After installing a majestic fountain in the yard, he designed a circular raised-bed garden, with rock paths for both viewing the plants and for the practical matters of working the soil and removing any weeds that pop up. Within these beds, we planted a marvelous collection of my favorite roses. They…

1. ARTPLANTAE Biology and student learning scholar Tania Marien created this Web site as an online community to connect educators, artists, and naturalists. A former biology teacher at three California colleges, Tania began studying botanical art in 2001 and today combines her passions in an effort to increase botanical literacy by fostering an interest in plants and nature through illustration. Her favorite mediums to explore include pen and ink, graphite, colored pencils, and gouache. 2. BOXWOODS GARDENS & GIFTS A local favorite in the Buckhead district of Atlanta for fifteen years, Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts offers an exceptional array of fresh and preserved floral compositions, one-of-a-kind antiques, elegant decorative accessories, and unique items and apparel for men, women, and children. A convenient online shop invites visitors across the country to browse…

PEACOCK PARK: A LIVING FAIRY TALE Experience the elegance of days gone by at Gina Galvin’s magical Michigan manor, Peacock Park. Amid 130 acres of pristinely manicured estate grounds, this entrepreneur creates an array of vintage-style home accessories inspired by nineteenth-century Paris for her company, Peacock Park Design. AND DON’T MISS… TOASTING OREGON’S BEST WINES Celebrate this relatively young wineproducing region’s cream of the crop—from distinctive Pinot Noir and crisp Pinot Gris vintages to other noteworthy whites and exceptional Oregon aged wines. A GROWING VISION Explore the beautiful gardens of Blackrock Farm, situated within the sprawling seacoast countryside of Kennebunkport, Maine. Here, a husband-and-wife team have lived out their dream for more than twenty-five years, raising tender perennials, annuals, succulents, and vegetables, while also creating a thriving garden and landscaping design business. ON THE WEB Look for this…

Each year, prior to spring, I search my favorite stationery stores for extra-special flowery invitations to send out, complete with calligraphy-penned addresses, to seven special girlfriends to request their presence at my annual garden tea. I plant assorted bulbs to decorate my yard and to give as “thank-youfor- coming” gifts. Bordering the walk up to the bright blue front door, pussy willows, roses, larkspur, and pansies greet each guest. Inside, a delightful array of dainty sandwiches, fruit, buttermilk scones, and assorted desserts—as well as two kinds of hot tea—are displayed on an old oak table with an antique collection of floral teacups and a bouquet of English roses from the backyard. After our lunch, we move to another table to make hankie-covered May Day cones to be filled with fresh flowers…

The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings from the Permanent Collection The Textile Museum | Washington, D.C. | Through July 2010 This intriguing exhibit showcases a wide array of textile décor from societies ranging from the late Roman Empire and Colonial Peru to Edo-period Japan and Victorian Britain. Including wall hangings, rugs, chair covers, and cushions, this artistically and technically amazing collection of items serves as a tangible reflection of the social traditions, aesthetic preferences, and political and economic climates of the eras in which they were created. The museum also features The Textile Learning Center, a permanent activity gallery that provides visitors with the opportunity—through touching, looking, and doing—to find out how fibers are created and dyed. For more information, visit textilemuseum.org. Celebrate the life and legacy of one of America’s greatest writers…

“A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring.” —WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMSSweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, A box where sweets compacted lie.” —GEORGE HERBERT“And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies.” —CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE…