The English Garden

Inspiration from Barnsley House, a luxury retreat hotel  in the Cotswold countryside.  

"Above our garden door, you'll find '1697' and 'BB' carved into the Cotswold stone.  The carvings mark the date Brereton Bouchier, Barnsley Village's squire, built the property..." -excerpt from Barnsley House HERITAGE

"...Centuries later in 1952, architectural historian David Verey and his wife Rosemary Verey, fell in love with the house and moved in.  As keen gardeners, both spent many hours transforming the grounds into a place that enjoys international acclaim for its beauty." -excerpt, Barnsley House HERITAGE

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Rosemary Verey

The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener

by Barbara Paul Robinson

BOOK REVIEW by Dan McCarthy - Garden Designer to Prince Charles, Elton John, billionaires and everyman. - Rosemary Verey, in her forties; with no training in gardening; with only four acres in Cotswold; with scant financial support, metamorphosed into the undisputed Queen of traditional English Gardening.  She authored 18 best-selling books; advised fashion luminary Oscar de la Renta; was the 'must have' garden designer to HRH Prince Charles, Sir Elton John, King Hussein, American millionaires, billionaires and the New York Botanical Garden.  Verey transformed a small grass plot into arguably the most photographed garden ever; attracting 30,000 visitors annually...[Robinson] illuminates the personal characteristics that catapulted Verey from a supportive, compliant, impecunious housewife and mother of four, into the acclaimed authority on traditional garden design, recipient of the Order of the British Empire.  The author explains the appeal of Verey's self-effacing, empowering mantra; "If I can do it, so can you.  Just get on with it!"  {cont}

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"And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."

~Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1820 The Sensitive Plant 

images via the Barnsley House website

and the Barnsley House facebook page.

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Books by Rosemary Verey (us)  ~ (uk) ~ (fr) ~ (ca) ~ (it) ~ (es)

More garden inspiration in the emporium
BOOKS:  Garden

su amazon.it

en amazon.es

garden inspiration, previous posts:

Patience, My Dear.

Spring

Jardins du Botrain

"If you build it...
Flowers in Profusion - Tasha Tudor's Garden in June

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At Home with May and Axel Vervoordt

Recipes for Every Season

by May Vervoordt with

Michael Gardner and Patrick Vermeulen

(beautiful!) photography by

Jean-Pierre Gabriel

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I pre-ordered and had my copy in-hand on the September 4th release day and I've enjoyed perusing its pages since. The recipes reflect May's penchant for healthy, balanced meals based on seasonal offerings and influenced by ayurvedic principles —(such as using herbs and spices not only to flavor but for digestive health and overall vitality.)  

Images from the Vervoordt estate – the castle of s'Gravenwezel, their chalet in Verbier and their apartment in Venice are interspersed with lovely quotes and accolades from well-known friends who have broken bread with May and Axel:

"May Vervoordt combines the simplest,most delicious food with natural, rustic tableware, and she does it all in the most elegant settings.  I'm thrilled that she's sharing her secrets so we can all bring a little of her style into our homes." —Ina Garten

"It's all good, it's all beautiful!  I would call it healthy cooking, seasonal cooking, light cooking – the sort of cooking that I love!  The vegetables, salads, and fruits are all fresh from the château's gardens."—Marielle Labèque

"May has been as creative with recipes as she has with her ability to conjure up an inspiring ambience around the table... When May prepares a table, the result is like a still-life painting... May believes that food is energy and has the power to make a person feel better, spiritually as well as physically.  The best food should not take a lot of time, as long as it is prepared in the right way. Cooking can be a great pleasure, and just as for a potter who sculpts clay, the skill is a craft and the creation is a work of art."

—Axel Vervoordt (excerpts from the foreword)

 The book contains over 100 recipes, here are just a few I can't wait to try:

• Zucchini Tartlets with Cumin
• Green Salad with Mango and Grilled Sweet Potato
• Pumpkin Risotto
• Shallots Roasted with Lemon, Thyme, and Sage
• Spinach and Tomato Quiche
• Lentil and Tomato Soup

Creamed Butternut Squash Bruschetta 
with Gingerroot and Hazelnut Crumble

• Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Winter Truffles
• Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Olive Mille-Feuille
• Salmon Sashimi with Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds
• Arugula and  Green and Yellow Zucchini Salad
• Poached Apples with Turmeric and Blueberries
• Lemon Tartlets
• Molten Chocolate Cake with Almonds and Cranberries

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Need I say more?(!)

images by Jean-Pierre Gabriel

linen & lavender

visit our new site:

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You might also like a new design book just out in some countries and
soon-to-be released in others:
  

 Interiors Atelier AM 

by Alexandra and Michael Misczynski 

introduction written 

by Axel Vervoordt

..

 (it)~ (es)

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natural treasures

Italian flat-leaf parsley, zucchini and sage from our garden.

Italian flat-leaf parsley from our garden,  my Grandmother's gathering basket.

One of my fondest memories is running through the large vegetable garden at my Grandparents' house. Rows of corn hid us from view and we could spend hours out playing in the small stream that ran through their property catching water skippers in glass jars and then letting them go.  When we needed a snack, we'd pick fresh peas off the vine and drink cold mountain spring water from the hose.  Nothing tasted better on a warm summer's day.

Considering it brought me so much joy in my childhood, I'm not sure why it took me so long to do my own vegetable garden. In California we have so many great farmers' markets and organic grocery stores, I guess it just never occurred to me that I could at least have a mini version of my own.  For whatever reason, I got the bug this season and began researching rooftop gardens.

I found a wonderful–certified organic–place near me in Los Angeles called "Two Dog Nursery".  The owner, Jo Anne, couldn't have been nicer and was quick to provide advice on every aspect of the process. I highly recommend working with her if you live in the area (or within shipping distance) and are interested in starting your own garden.  I know she offers classes for beginner gardeners and even hosts planting parties.–Sounds ideal for getting your children involved and interested in growing their own veggies.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I went up to check on the garden this past weekend. The zucchini plant had grown extra large, almost overnight it seemed. I had already harvested some parsley and sage and I was removing tree leaves that had fallen in to the beds and just doing general maintenance. I moved the giant zucchini leaves to one side, inspecting the blossoms and making a mental note that I needed to try a zucchini blossom recipe I brought home from a friend in Italy. I wasn't even looking for zucchini yet, so I practically jumped for joy when I discovered it.  I yelled down for Alex to come see, insisting that she make the climb up. . .that it wasn't enough that I just tell her about it.  (Admittedly, she was never quite as excited as I was about it, but seemed happy that it had made me so happy.)

Later, Alex made a delicious zucchini and shrimp pasta for our dinner. She and I laughed when we got to talking and learned that each of us had inspected it as it was cut open, looking for signs that it was, indeed, like the zucchini we were used to.  It just seems so miraculous when you get to have a hand in the process and to witness it all from beginning to end.—A tiny plant that grew so quickly and is now bestowing us with delicious, nutritious food.  A reminder to me that with all our "conveniences" in this world, we may miss out on some of the best experiences in life.  That appreciation and connection to nature–to the food we put in our bodies–is a gift that should be cultivated wherever possible.

I'm off to see if any new treasures await me!  

~Ciao for now.

images by LeAnn

Inspired:

Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Design Daily - stone sink, garden greens

Côté Maisons

Olives & Oranges

Recipes & Secrets from Italy, Spain, Cypress & Beyond

by Sara Jenkins & Mindy Fox

Photography by Alan Richardson

available in  the emporium:

(us) ~ (fr) ~ (uk) ~ (ca) ~ (de) ~ (it)~ (es)

Prep sinks on my mind today.  We are waiting for the cabinet maker to deliver the base for our prep sink area, then the stone concrete finisher will come in to create the integrated sink and counter I've designed. 

Everything is coming together –slowly– but surely! 

linen & lavender

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Design Daily - antique pump and stone sink

Maisons Côté Ouest Dec 2000-Jan 2001

linenandlavender.blogspot.com

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