Mosaic Monday: Linda Allard's Garden

I'm so sorry to be dumping so many photographs on you, but honestly, I couldn't decide which ones to leave out! When my husband and I visited Connecticut last month and swooned over saw Bunny Williams' garden, we also visited two other beautiful gardens. The one you see here belongs to Linda Allard, the genius behind the fashion house of Ellen Tracy.

Set on 60 acres of beautiful rolling hills, the main part of the garden is very formal and European in nature, with a strict geometry of box-edged beds. There are standard roses, a pair of rose allees that bisect the garden, and pairs of stone outbuildings that are used as garden sheds and an outdoor kitchen. I actually felt a little uncomfortable taking a picture of the house itself, so all you can see is a corner of it peeping out of one photo.

The house itself was designed by Miss Allard's brother, an architect. It is an imposing and large structure, inspired by a Palladian villa. It overlooks a great lawn and an orchard, with views of the Litchfield Hills. There is also a pool, a studio and a shade garden. We actually met Miss Allard in the shade garden, and chatted a few minutes about the depredations that deer can make on a garden. (Yes that's right, we didn't talk clothing design, we talked deer!) Much of her garden is walled, but the shade garden is outside the wall and requires the copious use of deer repellant.

More gardens to come this week. ;)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

More Bunny

After seeing all the beautiful formal spaces in Bunny Williams' garden, I thought you might like to see the service area. The barn shown in the top photo was built to replace the original barn which was remodeled into an entertainment and guest room. Immediately behind the new barn is a very posh chicken house, filled with exotic birds. The birds are favorites of Miss Williams' husband, antiques dealer John Roselli.

Also behind the barn is a large working greenhouse, complete with potting table. It was very hot the day we visited, and the greenhouse was home to succulents, house plants and annuals, many of them in beautiful hand thrown pots by Guy Wolffe, whose pottery is nearby. Don't you love the pot with the ruffled edges?

As you can see, there is a rather large vegetable garden here as well, complete with a compost pile enclosed with a fanciful iron fence. I know the photo is not the best, but I had to show it to you. Have you ever seen such an elegant compost heap in your life? :)

Anyway, I guess that is about it for today. I'm beginning to think that this will be the summer of gardens here on Little Red House, for I've got lots more to show you from all my garden tours. And my favorite thrift store is closed till the fall. ;)

Mosaic Monday: Bunny's Parterre Garden

Well, what do you know? We have yet another post about Bunny Williams' garden! lol

This is the beautiful parterre garden, which adjoins the back of the barn and conservatory. According to Miss Williams' book, An Affair with a House, the parterre garden started out as a potager, modeled on one by famed garden writer Rosemary Verey which was, in turn, taken from the historic French style. But as the barn was renovated, the vegetables were moved elsewhere and the garden became more of a formal knot garden. In spring it is filled with bulbs, which are pulled and replaced with colorful annuals come summer.

In the first photos, you can see the side of the conservatory with a row of stone troughs filled with succulents. The second set of photos show the criss-crossing lines of the boxwood parterres, with a large Italian oil jar in the center. Also shown are a rustic wooden pergola which is covered with climbing roses, and several standard dwarf Korean lilac trees. In a garden with such strong horizontal lines, some vertical accents are key. As you can see, there is also a metal pergola in the center of the garden. The final photo shows the conservatory.

I hope you are enjoying this extended tour of Bunny Williams' garden. I still have a few more photos to share, if you can believe it. What a lot of blog fodder I've gotten from this amazing visit!

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Another Saturday Night...

Well, it seems that another week has totally gotten away from me without blogging. I guess that happens in the summer, when so much seems to be going on...

So, what have you been doing this week? We have had a record heat wave here in New Jersey. In fact, it was a breath-taking 108°F in Newark on Friday. The only silver lining I can find is that after 108°F, even temps in the 90's don't seem so bad. :)

I had two photo sessions this week; thankfully one of them at least was indoors. I will be posting some sneak peeks on my portrait blog next week. I wanted to thank everyone who "liked" my entry in the {Framed Show} contest on Facebook. I made the finals, but didn't win. :)

And because I can't do a post without a picture, here is my new favorite lunch -- cherry tomato bruschetta. I used ciabatta bread, toasted and rubbed with a piece of cut garlic clove. Then pile on the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. It can be rather messy to eat but oh-so-delicious!

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Although I have absolutely no idea what to post for this week's Mosaic Monday, I still hope to see you all at 8:30 pm Eastern time, Sunday. Thank you to all our participants -- you are the best!

Mosaic Monday: Outside Bunny Williams' Barn

Yes, I am officially mad for Bunny Williams. :)

Today I have some pictures of the outside of the barn that I showed you here. The top pictures show a lovely little table and chairs outside the mud room door, and a dovecote that sits in the graveled courtyard. In the two bottom pictures you can see that the courtyard is divided into squares by cobblestones, with gravel in between. I think that is a beautiful way to dress up a simple gravel driveway.

There is a lovely glass conservatory on the back of the barn, shown inside and out in the photos here. The marble topped table and upholstered chairs take center stage, with ferns and other plants lining the walls. There is a small kitchen in the barn, which makes it a wonderful space for entertaining.

In the side view of the barn you can see a beautiful group of hostas lining the walkway. Also visible are a side view of the conservatory and the small porch that leads to the mud room. Finally, in the last photos notice that the pair of french doors are protected by sliding barn doors. This helps retain the look of a barn, which might have been lost in a less sensitive renovation.

And now, what the heck is this photo doing here? It is a view from my favorite park, Natirar, on a misty autumn morning. I have entered it in a photo contest on Facebook, and I am going to shamelessly ask you to please scoot on over there and click "Like" underneath the photo caption. Pretty please? Many thanks!

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Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Heat Wave

Sometimes you just have to spend the week on the sofa, hiding from the heat and nursing a summer cold. It's getting a little less humid here, and I think I'm almost done with the coughing.

I also spent some time this week updating my professional photography blog, with some more of the sessions I shot last fall. Still have more to post about there, and I have two shoots next week. Wish me luck!

More Bunny Williams next week, too. (I know what you're saying -- "Dear God, will it never end?") See you Sunday night for Mosaic Monday. Stay cool, dear bloggers! :)

Mosaic Monday: Bunny's Sunken Garden

"If you take the time to listen, the land will speak to you."

That is the first sentence of the chapter on Bunny Williams' sunken garden in her book, An Affair With a House. She then goes on to say that she did not follow her own advice when she was starting this garden. She was (and still is) an impatient gardener. But little by little, aided by an unerring sense of scale borrowed from her work in decorating, she has created a stunning formal sunken garden.

An elderly neighbor told her that the site was originally used for tennis. Miss Williams added two facing perennial borders, backed with a lattice fence. Next came a stone wall, which made the garden seem more like an enclosed room. Finally, a small rectangular pond, surrounded by stone paving and an evergreen hedge was added to pull the two borders closer together. A lattice archway with facing benches leads through a yew hedge to the more wild area beyond.

In the photos above, you will note the formal layout of the garden. One of the double borders is shown, with it's hot color scheme of reds and yellows. A pair of beautiful lavender hydrangeas flank the entrance to the garden, and the small pool is inhabited by a school of huge carp.

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic

Bunny Williams' Pool House

Just a quick post today... I've got a nasty cold, and I'm going to sit on the couch with some hot tea and a good book. Just thought I'd show you a few pictures of Bunny Williams' pool house.

As you can see, it's a blend of 18th-century garden folly and 19th-century Greek Revival architecture -- the proportions are definitely classical, and the materials are wonderful and whimsical. The pediment is clad in rough hewn timbers with bark still attached, and the columns are actually tree trunks.

Here you can see a beautiful dining area, complete with Joni Webb's favorite Kooboo wicker chairs, Do you suppose Bunny Williams reads Joni's blog? (She probably does. Everyone reads Joni's blog!) There is a kitchen out of sight to the right of the photo.

And finally, a shot of the hand-carved limestone fireplace, with a beautiful piece of architectural salvage hanging above. There is a sitting area off camera to the right, but the only picture I have of it is one my husband took, of me sitting where Bunny may have sat. And trust me, it would need a whole lot of Photoshopping to convince me to post that here... ;)

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I hope to see you all for Mosaic Monday. And yes, it will probably be more Bunny Williams! The link machine should be up by 8:30 pm, Eastern time, Sunday. See you then!

Bunny Williams' Barn

By now you know that I have really gone gaga for Bunny Williams. I still have at least two more posts pending about my visit to her garden. (Just humor me, OK?)

Seeing this beautiful garden was a dream come true for me. But when I realized that her renovated barn was also open, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. lol

Originally built in 1840, the barn has a concrete floor with a grid of old, rough boards. It is 22 feet to the ridgepole, and most of the space is taken up by a large living room, filled with several conversation areas. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the barn's hand hewn, beamed ceiling in that beautiful English bulls-eye mirror.

A pair of beautiful arched windows flank the 1840's mantel. You will notice the unusual arrangement of the panes here -- the muntins are staggered instead of being aligned evenly. In front of the windows are a pair of matching tables with lamps made from old wooden balusters.

The 30 X 50 ft. room is filled with large scale furniture, including this Italian marble-topped table, with it's huge flower arrangement. The chair behind it is also Italian, and still has it's original needlework. Look closely and you will see one of three family dogs -- all well-loved. There are many paintings and statues and pillows with a canine-theme in the room as well.

I have to tell you that I felt a little uncomfortable taking pictures in here at first. Miss Williams' husband, John Roselli, was stationed here, talking to some of the people who were visiting. I really should have taken my time, and taken more (and better) photos, but all I can say is that I was overwhelmed at the opportunity, and just slightly uncomfortable. After all, I cannot imagine how I would feel if strangers were poring into my living room with cameras.

We actually walked through once, went out into the rest of the garden, and came back again. I still wish I had taken more time to set up shots and change lenses for some close-ups. Ah well, maybe next year! ;)

(We're going back next year, right, honey?)

In her book, An Affair With a House, Miss Williams relates that the barn renovation was a joint effort between her and her husband, John Roselli. Mr. Roselli is a world-renowned antiques expert, and his love of large-scale pieces is on display here. There are also several wonderful smaller antique chairs, including this beautiful specimen shown above. Note how the circle and the square in the back appear to be intertwined. What a lovely detail!

Although we did not see Bunny Williams, we did get to chat with Mr. Roselli for a few minutes. We learned that he grew up in our home state of New Jersey, and that Miss Williams decorated the house where my mother worked!

This last photo was taken from the staircase that leads to a small guest bedroom and bathroom on the upper level. Below these rooms are a small kitchen, a bathroom and a mud room. There were so many people in the bedroom that I couldn't get a decent photo. I actually missed seeing the downstairs bathroom.

See, we really do have to return next year! :)

Mosaic Monday: Garden Furniture/Bunny Williams

Well, I promised (or threatened) to show you more photos from our weekend in Connecticut, so here they come.

Have you all done your homework on Bunny Williams since Friday's post? Because I have a lot more photos from her garden for you today. Miss Williams and her husband, antiques dealer John Roselli, have a shop called Treillage, where they sell beautiful architectural elements, decorative accessories, and garden furniture.

They have obviously collected a lot of antique garden accessories for their own home as well. There are such beautiful and stylish spaces to sit and enjoy the garden. I loved the patio set on the crazy paving, with moss between the stones. I also adored the potted ferns displayed on the black table, with an iron tree and white oval mirror behind -- such a pretty vignette. And the gorgeous faux bois table, with iron chairs and bench look so lovely against that white picket fence.

Bunny Williams' book, An Affair With a House, is my all-time favorite decorating book. The interiors are filled with beautiful antiques and comfortable chairs and sofas. It is not a showplace, but a real home -- where the dogs are allowed on the furniture. There is a fireplace in the kitchen. I have always wanted a fireplace in the kitchen! :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

The Ultimate Yard Sale

Dear Friends, Having just had a "milestone birthday" and embracing some of the ideas from the book--titled "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, I decided to do more than clear a shelf or a closet. In my usual obsessive way I tackled barns and attics, my studio and the basement. Whilst I am not quite going zen in style (far from it), I am attempting to "declutter". This will not be the organized, "pretty" tag sale like the one I wrote about in Veranda Magazine a few years ago, but just your classic old fashioned yard sale. With a mix of things from garden hoses to some of my beloved ribbons and silk flowers (it has been hard for me to give up some of those, but this is an exercise in editing), there is a bit of everything. If you are around the northwest corner of Connecticut, please stop by. Best,

Do you suppose I can convince my husband that we need to go back to Connecticut next weekend? ;)

see a little of Weatherstone here.