Victoria Flowers & Gardens 2022

Dear Friends One of my favorite ways to experience a new location is to become immersed in its botanical offerings. The thought of springtime in our nation’s capital ushers in visions of cherry blossoms dancing in the breeze, while dreaming of an escape to the Southern coastline evokes images of a balmy oasis brimming with tropical blooms. Of course, no sojourn to Europe would be complete without exploring an old castle, getting lost in wonder amid the tangles of vines that wrap the estate in mystique. Whether my travels take me across the country or around the world, I am always eager to discover the story of a place, unfurling in its unique natural splendor. In this Victoria Classics issue, we visit some of our favorite floral havens, including the Minnesota Landscape…

The Artle Beck branches off from the River Lune in north Lancashire, its waters tracing the path it etched into the land ages ago, when it created the valley that shelters Gresgarth Hall. A gray stone structure, parts of the building date back centuries. Its thick walls and Gothic Revival tower might be a bit imposing, but the magnificent gardens surrounding the home offer an inviting counterpoint, with vibrant color that runs the spectrum from scarlet to indigo and benches tucked amid the blooms. The grounds of Gresgarth Hall are the masterstroke of revered landscape designer Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd, who moved to these picturesque environs with her husband, Mark, in 1978. With a client list that ranges from Sting to Queen Paola of Belgium, Arabella has six gold medals and a…

In a letter penned to granddaughter Anne Cary Bankhead in 1811, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “the flowers come forth like the belles of the day, have their short reign of beauty and splendour, and retire, like them, to the more interesting office of reproducing their like.” As an avid gardener, the statesman often used horticultural parameters to impart wisdom, and in this passage, he schools Anne on the fleeting nature of beauty, as well as life’s inevitable transitions—lessons he himself learned well as he observed the ebb and flow of the seasons from his hilltop perch. Jefferson’s agricultural pursuits were as integral to his life as breath itself, and Monticello remains as flourishing proof of this erudite man’s limitless enthusiasm for cultivating new and exotic varieties of plants. His architectural design…

On a quaint riverbank nestled between the mountains of the fertile Annapolis Valley, a modest town gathers to share the pleasantries of times gone by. Designated a National Historic Site of Canada, this community spans barely more than a mile, but the charming character situated within is hardly small. Its people proudly boast of diverse heritage and welcome visitors who come to enjoy each cultural delight. In order to fully appreciate the appeal of Annapolis Royal, one must understand its days of yore. For millennia, the indigenous Mi’kmaq people inhabited the land, joined at the dawn of the seventeenth century by French settlers who created their first permanent post at nearby Port-Royal. The region thrived as the center of Acadia until British capture in 1710. In honor of Queen Anne, the…

U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern redbud and dogwood trees mingle with Lady Banks roses and purple sage as spring descends on the U.S. Botanic Garden, nestled within our nation’s capital. Conceived by Founding Father George Washington, the property is as much a museum as it is a garden, with a repository of rare and endangered plants collected from all over the world. Visitors may glimpse more than five thousand species of orchids, stroll through a panoply of flowers and foliage representing various ecosystems, and travel back in time with the Jurassic-age display, where ferns and other ancient plants claim the spotlight. “FLOWERS … BLESS US IN OUR COUNTRY RAMBLINGS.”—James Riggs MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI When Englishman Henry Shaw arrived in St. Louis back in 1819, he was immediately captivated by this bustling frontier…

When Linda Vater and her husband, Jamie, moved into their home three decades ago, the only thing growing in the front yard was an old oak tree. The backyard was no better; a tangle of blackberry brambles and bare clay presented quite a daunting picture. Fortunately, the house itself was in much better shape. Original mahogany woodwork and shutters framed the spaces, and the oak floors required nothing more than waxing and buffing. A carefully researched paint treatment bestowed the walls with a mellow patina normally acquired over centuries, while the exterior was sandblasted back to its authentic finish. A kitchen renovation was the only major change. “I WANT TO MAKE GARDENING SEEM ACCESSIBLE AND PERSONAL AND METAPHORICAL.”—Linda Vater Meanwhile, Linda pondered what to do outside; her prior experience was limited to houseplants.…