May Flowers, Green Weekend

The delicate, sweetly-fragranced lily of the valley is the traditional birthday flower for those of us born in the month of May. Its botanical name, majalis, even means "that which belongs to May". A symbol of spring and rebirth, bunches of these tiny flowers are sold in the streets of France on May Day (May 1st). In the language of flowers used by florists and wedding planners, common meanings for this lily include "return to happiness", "purity of heart", "sweetness" and "you've made my life complete". I have a card hanging in my office that my husband gave me years ago. On the cover is a beautiful bouquet of lilies of the valley. I think he was telling me—however unwittingly—that I make his life complete! (Right, Honey?)


The legend of the lily of the valley's origins is that it sprang from Eve's tears when she was sent out of the Garden of Eden. It is in some places believed that this flower protects gardens from evil spirits, and in Ireland, the plant is known as "fairy ladders" because of the way the bell-shaped flowers hang down from the stem like stair steps. I also think the flowers would make excellent fairy hats. This particular lily is a woodland plant native throughout the cool temperature regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and the Eastern US. They would never survive here in the arid foothills of Southern California. I wouldn't be surprised though if some intrepid botanist has designed a hybrid I don't know about. If so, even I could have my very own fairy garden. Do you have these little pretties in your garden?


While writing this post, the white flowers and green foliage in the pics above reminded me of the following scenes from the latest Design Within Reach catalog. . .

. . .white lawn chairs on cool green grass, dockside Adirondacks, crisp green upholstery on a patio overlooking the ocean, grassy green tableware under a wide white umbrella. . . all images of terrific ways to spend any part of this long holiday weekend—a "return to happiness" for those who've waited patiently for summer to officially begin.

Happy Birthday to all of you May babies out there!

And Happy Weekend to us all!!

This post marks the last in my "flower of the month" series—which means I've been writing this blog for an entire year now! They've been fun for me and I hope you've enjoyed them too. To review the entire year in flowers, click here.

Stop That Jumping and Get to Work !

Hope you moms out there enjoyed your day yesterday, because all too soon it's back to business as usual. Today is

Clean Up Your Room Day!

Those naughty kids of yours should be making their beds, not jumping on them. Channel that energy into spring cleaning! Martha's here to help too. Click on her pic to get the Spring Cleaning Checklist from her Homekeeping Handbook. She'll help you turn your little ones into junior cleaning machines.

Click on the photo below and the folks at Real Simple will help you get your cleaning done faster. Make it a game!

Seriously... "clean up your room day"? Who came up with that one? Not surprisingly, its origins are a mystery. Would you admit to creating a "special" day to "celebrate" mopping floors and folding laundry? No, me neither. But housekeeping is necessary and important work so you may as well do it right. Teach your kids to do it right too and you just might get to relax on more than your one designated day a year.

Top photo by Jean Allsop for Coastal Living

Happy Mother's Day

to my mom, to your mom,

to you and to me.

I know you have seen this painting in a variety of forms, probably hundreds of times. Reproduced not only as a print, but on mugs and postcards and magnets. It is one of those images that is so ubiquitous it runs the risk of being looked upon as trite or cliché. To see it in person though, as I have recently, is to have an entirely different experience with it. To see it in person is to understand why it would become one of our most enduring images of mother and child. It is gorgeous and glowing, simple yet profound; quietly speaking volumes about a perfect moment in an ordinary day. I wish you all such an ordinary moment on this perfectly beautiful spring day.

"Breakfast in Bed", 1897, by Mary Cassatt is on permanent display in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries at The Huntington Library.

Green House

For Earth Day, a little green house that seems to grow right out of the ground. A vine-covered metal framework in the classic shape of every child's first drawing of home, this small structure is in the Children's Garden at The Huntington.
Flower-filled boxes adorn the little windows. Under the gable is a tiny doorway. I'm sure that's how the topiary bears get in too. See their green heads in the photo above? Don't they look like they're headed home?

Inside the green house is a table and benches scaled just right for children (or small leafy bears) where they can relax in the cool shade created by the creeping fig vines covering the walls and roof. High up in the rafters is a succulent ball chandelier. See how it echoes the shape of the round windows at the roof's peak? Good design is important, even in a house of wire and vines.

The Children's Garden is a magical place. There are child-size tunnels, arbors and a maze. Water features, musical rocks, magnetic sand and a volcano. Plants with whimsical shapes and fantastic fragrance. And, as my daughter discovered, blue-bellied lizards that stand still and let you touch them. In every corner, senses are stimulated, imaginations activated and a greater appreciation for the wonders of our Earth is born. If you have young children or grandchildren, this area of the Huntington's vast gardens is a must-visit. But don't think you have to be in elementary school to thoroughly enjoy yourself. Even a nineteen-year-old kid and an old mom like me can have a splendid time.

Earth Day is this Thursday. Take action, have fun, enjoy a garden, learn more.

[ Thanks for the pics and the wonderful day, Katey! ]

Local Color : Garden Events

I spent a day this weekend at The Huntington again. With my daughter this time. She has a paper on 19th Century art due this week so we took our time with the exhibits before making the rounds through the gardens. They are so beautiful this time of year. The roses are spectacular and I have never seen so much color in a desert garden. (read more about my last visit here)

While we were in San Marino, I realized I was missing a local garden viewing that is my long-time favorite. Sharon is my gardening guru. The plant whisperer of our inland foothills. I have followed her advice via her email newsletters and open garden days to much success in my own garden. She advocates planting for your own specific conditions, being water-wise even with roses, and using perennials almost exclusively, all without forcing or babying anything into growing that doesn't really want to. Knowing what grows best in our corner of the world is her secret—here it's hot and dry in the summer, sometimes excessively windy, and can go below freezing in the winter. That bit of wisdom alone takes a lot of the headache out of the process. The pics above and below show Sharon's garden as it looks right now. Her garden (and one or two others) will be open again in May. If you're interested in details, please leave a comment or send an email.

There are so many home and garden events happening in this area over the next month or so, it will be nearly impossible to take them all in. Besides the small, neighborhood events like the one I just mentioned, there are larger more elaborate goings-on, some of which are listed here in the LA Times. Here are a few I'm most interested in:

I already have my tickets for the annual Pasadena Showcase House which opened today and runs through May 16. This is the 46th Showcase to benefit arts programs in and around Los Angeles. The historic, chateau-inspired Cravens Estate, built in 1929, has been given a makeover inside and out by 25+ local interior designers and landscapers. You can view their progress and get ticket information here.

After attending the Showcase House this coming Friday, I hope to make time on the weekend to head down to the O.C. for the 20th Annual Spring Garden Show held April 22-25 at South Coast Plaza. More than 75 specialty vendors will be on hand as well as display gardens full of great ideas for our own yards and patios. A big bonus: shopping at Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, NapaStyle, Restoration Hardware, Sur la Table and the Macy's Home Store all in the same wing.(learn more here) From South Coast Plaza it's just a short drive to one of Orange County's most beautiful garden centers: Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar. It would be a shame to be so close and not stop by.

Closer to home, from April 30-May 2, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden will hold its annual LA Garden Show. This show focuses on green living in Southern California offering workshops, lectures and demonstrations on such things as edible gardens and water-wise plant choices. (learn more here)

Back down the coast again, on May 7th, the Laguna Beach Garden Club will host a tour featuring seven private gardens in Woods Cove, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. (learn more here) The 7th is a Friday so it will take some rescheduling in order to attend. Perhaps I'll just drive down on Saturday the 8th and take a stroll through the neighborhood on my own. Any day spent in Laguna Beach is a good one.

Bunny Has a New Home

Thanks Mom !

Spring Reading

[Cottage Living, March 2007]

Hits of yellow on a creamy white background. Billowy pink flowers. Unique, personal wall decor. Bowl as art.

[Decorating, Spring 2008]

More yellow. A little green. Lots of white. And pattern. Painted furniture. Bare, shiny floors. The surprise of art above a window.

[Decorating, Spring 2009]

Spring green. Apple green. Grass green. Monochromatic collections. Window as art. Weathered finishes juxtaposed with glass and mirror.

[Cottage Living, April 2007]

A cottage garden in Pasadena. Mine could look like that. But who would take care of it? Will study anyway and make notes regarding plantings.

[La Vie Claire, Spring 2009]

Open window. Fresh air. A clothesline! White towels are the best. Turquoise and yellow always look good together. Painted furniture again. I sense a trend in my current preferences.

[Southern Accents, May/June 2009]

Yellow and cobalt with a large dose of lime for good measure. Love that combination. A party out of doors should be just as nice as a party indoors. And there must be lanterns.

[House Beautiful, May 2009]

White kitchens may always be my favorite kind. Fresh flowers are always a good idea. I'd like to add corbels to the undersides of my upper cabinets. Still happy my counter tops are pale so they reflect and multiply all the light that comes in over my sink.

[Cottage Living, May 2007]

2010 will be the year I finally make this lemony dessert. Five ingredients and four steps. Even I can manage that.

• • •

These are my thoughts—on things I like or would like to do, change, make and create— as I sit on my sofa paging through a stack of magazines from springtimes past. Do you do that? Review your magazines seasonally? Images that didn't stand out in 2008 or 2007 suddenly look new and necessary. March, April and May are what I am reading now. June, July and August will come out later for a summer review. Then September, October, November for fall inspiration. December primarily for Christmas. January and February offer ideas about winter but mostly make me hopeful for spring. Which is where we are now. With so many great ideas.

Which magazines do you save and refer to again and again?

How have your old friends - your old magazines - inspired you in new ways this year?

Off-Season Fireplace Fillers

While organizing this post, I realized it might be a bit premature for some of you in colder parts of the country. But Spring has definitely sprung here in Southern California. April and Easter are only a few days away, for goodness sake. Time to close up my fireplace. Bring it in line with the new seasons and my lighter, warm-weather decor.

However, as I'm proof-reading before posting today, it's dreary out and threatening rain. Perhaps this idea is premature here too! Maybe I'll have one or two more fires before closing it up this weekend and then... what?

What will I do to fill in that unsightly, unused fire box? What should take the place of the firewood-filled basket and hearth tools? Searching around in books, magazines and online, I've come up with lots of examples but still I'm not sure what to do here.

Part of the problem in my house is that I really don't want my fireplace to be the focal point of my living room. It's off-center and clumsily proportioned. We purposefully painted out the brick we uncovered in the process of remodeling so that it blends into the walls. I don't put much on the mantel either. A round, iron-framed mirror plus a couple of small prints propped up and some greenery or vase of flowers and that's it. Nothing that will call too much attention.

What I choose to fill or cover my firebox during the off-season will likely then be quite low-key. You, however, may have a perfectly centered, beautifully proportioned fireplace that is the star of your room. With that in mind as well, I've gathered a variety of options to inspire us.

One of the more traditional covers for an unused firebox is a decorative fireboard. A painted board or even an embroidered and framed panel does the job nicely in vintage surroundings. Plants and flowers, whether inside the firebox itself or placed on the hearth, are also classic choices. I might try a fern this year. But any fern in my living room will have to be faux. That corner of my living room lacks enough light to keep a real one alive. Dried hydrangeas or faux boxwoods in decorative containers are another alternative I might explore.

An obvious solution to covering the opening of an unused fireplace is a folding screen. Unlike the finely woven metal screens that prevent sparks and embers from escaping the fire, a carved screen like the one above, a painted screen or even an upholstered screen custom made to complement your room is purely decorative and should be replaced when fire season rolls around again.

Here's an interesting screen of sorts fashioned from the fronds of a sago palm. And while the fronds may be real, it appears that the fireplace itself is not. Placing items on the faux hearth of a faux fireplace lends authenticity to the overall look. On a real hearth, below, decorative objects and flowers soften the blackness without entirely blocking the firebox. Which is fine, I suppose, when the fireplace will be in use. But I'm not a fan of this particular flatscreen-over-the-mantel look. I would add something more to the hearth arrangement to further reduce (or eliminate altogether) the appearance of one black box on top of another.

Candles in the firebox are a tried and true solution to an off-season or non-working fireplace. I've never tried this myself though. Maybe this will be the year. No, I take that back. I know better that I'm really not a "candle person". I'd never bother to burn them.

I do like the look of these candle hurricanes set atop a chest placed in front of the fireplace opening. This particular arrangement seems meant for the winter holidays, but it could easily be replicated with branches and plants from our current season. The starfish and Nantucket baskets lend a seaside touch that can stay all summer.

A low chest or a bench placed in front of the fireplace adds extra seating while the fireplace is not in use. That's a smart use of a temporarily freed-up space.

Or move an entire seating arrangement and treat the front of your fireplace like any other wall in the room. I like this idea a lot for my own home. Since I have such a funky fireplace situation, I do tend to treat it more like a wall. There's a reading chair and floor lamp pushed right up almost against it now.

More often than not, I've taken the easy way out and simply plopped the basket that holds our firewood right into the firebox and called it a day. Expected but (sort of) effective. Decorative (kind of) but not intrusive.

I suppose I could expend a teeny bit more energy and stack the logs sideways in an artful arrangement. And make sure the room surrounding the fireplace is as interesting and colorful as the one below so the hearth is hardly noticed anyway.

Even more ambitious is this firebox packed full of... what? Is that wood? Shingles? Books? Whatever it is, it's a conversation starter for sure. Which is not what I want my fireplace to be. So, intriguing as it is, this won't work for me. (And does anyone else think of spiders when they see this? We have a lot of spiders here. No need to make them feel any more at home than they already do.)

This fireplace below, is, in fact, full of books. Sorry, but there's just something inherently wrong with this. Yes it's edgy and creative and colorful and solves a storage problem perhaps, but it's books in a fireplace! The implication really bothers me. Nope, not going to happen.

Something I have considered is making sure the room itself is so striking, so well put together and full of interesting furnishings and objects, that the fireplace becomes a non-issue. Unlike as we see it in the photo below - smack in the center of our view - I believe the fireplace here might be overlooked entirely by the occupants of this room. Now that's the effect I'm looking for!

The elements of surprise and distraction are definitely at work below. Neutralize the furnishings and windows and hang a big blue sail fish over the mantel. Fireplace? What fireplace?

I'll be working over the next few days to solve my fireplace puzzle. I have a set of small shutters that, with a new paint job, might be just the thing. I also have some wooden boxes, a couple of baskets, and maybe I'll go on the hunt for a faux fern just to see what that looks like. If I come up with anything blog-worthy, I'll show you next week!

In the meantime,

tell me -

What do you do with

your fireplace in the off-season?

Hide it or highlight it?