peonies

Admiring blooms within gardens or viewing their pictures in magazines has always made my heart beat a bit faster. I remember at a young age a neighbor grew the most fantastic tulips in her yard, and the beauty of them all was her black tulip’s…and oh my gosh, I thought I would leap over the moon if I could not cut a few to place in my bedroom. So, I sneaked out at sundown snipped a few cuttings and et viola, my desk area was transformed into the perfect study area. But, oh the guilt of cutting my neighbor’s flowers made me feel horrible. So, I told my mom what I did and she had me build a bouquet from her own flowerbed, promptly walk over to our neighbor to apologize.

My love of flowers has never waned, as I continue to peer into secret gardens, peek in yards or read books, I do everything necessary to learn all there is to know of these exotic delights.

Another deep affection is for peonies and though these blossoms are around for a short three weeks it becomes imperative each year to get as many cuttings into vases as possible. With scissors in hand, I have already begun cutting these flowers to place in rooms throughout Heath. We had a severe thunderstorm last night, which pushed these herbaceous beauties to the ground, but there are a few sturdier buds growing in the cutting garden just waiting to bloom and to be placed in vases.

May 17, 2015

Kathleen10 Comments

Stylish Weekend

The last of the spring peonies after a rain storm a week ago. Even with age, the flower is extremely vibrant in color and shape.

Upon awaking yesterday morning I was determined to ease into the weekend instead of being tossed head first into the waves of decision-making and arduous tasks. Gliding into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee to go with the almond croissants purchased the day before at la Madeleine was my idea of a perfect start.

Harvested bay leaves, which have been growing for many years at Heath were be placed in containers to be shared with family and friends.

There was also the great opportunity of working on the deck this morning with mom, planting additional herbs in various pots to be used in meals for the remainder of the year. Mom helped by pulling weeds and harvested the bay leaves which were stored in containers for upcoming stews, soups and sauces. It is always a lot of fun to work with mom while gardening. We had our music playing our favorite playlist and enjoyed lunch al fresco.

Work stylishly
K,

June 8, 2014

Kathleen4 Comments

A Few Favorites {6. 3. 2014}

{I was sitting in the window seat at the front of the house when this spring storm appeared fast and furious!}

Spring Rain
Have you noticed spring rain is so invigorating and refreshing, not only for the lawn and vegetables in the garden, but also as a natural beauty treatment. I remember collecting rainwater to rinse my hair as a teenager and still enjoy being caught outside during a heavy deluge when working the grounds at Heath; it makes my hair feel so lush and soft. These luxurious drops of water vapor are the ultimate earthy product.

{The pinky-red peony buds are bursting through the leaves above this creamy iris.}

First Iris’s and Peonies
The first cutting flowers to bloom after the cherry blossoms are the irises and peonies around Heath. After an extremely cold spring, their flowering was later than usual by a few weeks and very rapid process.

Toro Toro
1300 I (Eye) Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
202.682.9500

I stopped by Toro Toro for lunch after frequenting a few art galleries while on a recent visit to Washington, D.C. The restaurant features a churrasco and grill type cuisine in a trendy lounge-like environment with Japanese and Latin American design elements. It was completely relaxing after a day of viewing an abundance of art. We were able to sample ingredients and flavors from South and Central America, and could taste an array of hot and cold plates with various steaks, seafood and poultry all meant for sharing. It was wonderful to be encompassed by such convivial surroundings, which made talking to the people at the next table extremely interesting.

Patches the Dachshund
This is my brother’s dog, a frequent member at many family gatherings. Most of my siblings have a myriad of dogs, but I am the only one with a cat. My brother-in-law {Omar} helped me with a brush-up session in Photoshop and this image is what was created, a very “Andy Warhol-ish” type representation of modern of art and photography. I love this picture of Patches!!!