hellebores – Stylish Heath

A Few Favorites

{Hellebore’s at Heath growing profusely along a heavily wooded area known as Poison Ivy Row}

With warmer weather upon us and temperatures continuing to climb each week, my primary focus has turned to gardening. There is nothing like getting into the yard to clear debris and search for new plant life within the ground. Reading materials are everywhere and its great to see what other gardeners are doing during the season. Reviewing old manuscripts from the museum complete with notations from the previous owner is a thrill. I like to compare the annotations within these books to my gardening notes and have found this to be an innovative way to design the flower beds and vegetable rows at Heath.

Geometry Book of Louis XVI
Abrégé Géométrie, Paris 1765
While perusing the Walters Art Museum a few weeks ago I found this geometry book that was made for the future king of France in the mid-eighteenth century when he was eleven years of age, and while textbooks were commonplace, this unique manuscript had meticulously drawn diagrams and hand-written notations by Louis XVI.

Favorite Boulangerie
I will never tire of the breads, tarts and pastries from la Madeleine at the Reston Town Center. This quaint French cafe hidden by towering skyscrapers is a place one can hideout and enjoy a fresh baked treat with an espresso or a even a glass of wine….how français!

Honda CR-Z {The White Pearl}
This sporty hybrid coupe is my newest love and successor of my 25 year old CR-X {don’t say a word!}. And, for the pièce de résistance this compact cutey is one of the least polluting and rated as an “advanced technology partial zero emissions vehicle {AT-PZEV} in the United States. I get great gas mileage and enjoy a comfortable ride… absolutely love her!!!

Stay stylish,
K

May 14, 2015

Kathleen7 Comments

Signs of Spring!!!

{Hellebore buds and daffodil shoots growing in “poison ivy” row on the north east portions of the property}

While walking last night it was delightful to experience the sights and sounds of spring. This is definitely a season of renewal, especially after the harshness of winter. The weather a balmy 54 degrees at sundown enabled neighbors to come out of their homes to partake in barbequing delicious steaks, which incidentally smelled fabulous wafting throughout the air, walk their dogs or chase howling cats from fences…yes signs of spring are upon us.

{Shoots of crocus and peonies growing in spite of the frigid ice and cold}

So this morning while taking my first sip of coffee and looking through the breakfast room window, I noticed the buds of the maple tree leaves were a bushy red and the faint tint of yellow on the brown forsythia plants were most refreshing after seeing snow on the ground last week.

As I do every year at this time, I grabbed my camera with coffee in hand to take a few pictures of the first signs of spring at Heath!!!

Spring forward!!!
K

March 22, 2015

Kathleen3 Comments

Flowers @ Heath

{This years crocus and hellebore’s at Heath}

The cherry blossoms lining the Tidal Basin off the Potomac River tell us that spring is most definitely on the way! And after the long harsh winter, everyone is waiting for warmer weather, longer days and more time spent outdoors. The anticipation of things to come begins with the gorgeous colors of crocus, daffodils and hellebore’s sprouting around the grounds at Heath.

{Large bowl of daffodils in the kitchen}

My love of flowers goes back to early childhood, when I would pick blooms from my mom’s garden or even the neighbors {mostly without their knowledge}, and would decorate the rooms at home with freshly picked tulips, daffodils or lilacs. The fragrance that emanated always inspired me to sketch or paint these fabulous flowers into notebooks. I am really looking forward to the feel of spring rain and the warmth of the sun while working in the garden, where I will create my own spectacular beauty at Heath.

Garden stylishly,
K