How did we get to late August this fast? I’ve been so busy I just noticed the crape myrtle trees in our courtyard garden are almost finished blooming. And, now the Japanese anemones are about to bloom---something I look forward to each year. Can’t wait to post about them! I [...]
Back in April, I introduced our blue garden which we planted in July 2011. This garden features plants that flower predominately blue, lavender or purple. To add depth and texture to this tone-on-tone garden, I mixed in plants with interesting foliage as well. I designed this informal garden with scale [...]
I love old houses! Our 1916 Mediterranean style stucco home is full of period details such as the front loggia, green tiled roof, and gracious French windows and doors. There are also drawbacks to life in “this old house.” One disadvantage is the lack of closet space. It never bothered [...]
Though summer officially begins June 21st, I’m already more relaxed, a bit lazier, and feeling that sunny vibe. The days are longer. Weekend traffic is a breeze. Spring garden chores are all completed. Time to sit back, and enjoy the abundant blooms of hydrangeas, lilies, and daisies! For me, summer [...]
Once a year, a certain wildling outside our kitchen window redeems itself with a spectacular show. We inherited this quite old and unruly shrub, and had planned to remove it after completion of the house renovation. The contractors even whacked it back severely. The whacking stopped one spring when I [...]
With spring so early this year, our gardens are lush and green. All of our ornaments and furnishings were brought out of storage a good three weeks ahead of schedule. I thought I'd post about garden ornaments since we just received our spring shipment of garden antiques and furniture from [...]
I am a huge fan of the color blue! Versatile blue can be cool and calm, soft and pastel, or bold and electric. My kitchen cupboards at Tone on Tone are a shade of cornflower blue. The color palette of my new home office is white, blue and beige. Much [...]
I have been growing myrtle topiaries as houseplants for nearly 10 years. I favor the small leaf variety myrtus communis compacta, which is great for shaping. And, yes, I lost quite a few early on :( Here are growing tips on these finicky gems: - Plenty of sunlight. Keep in [...]
The sight of robins in the garden is delightful. Just seeing them makes me smile. In DC, robins are native & abundant. Whenever they see me outside, one or two will invariably follow---especially when I’m watering or weeding. As soon as I move to the next spot, the robin will [...]
