Welcome to Antiques, Etc.!
Early summer is glorious here in Virginia. The gardens are brimming with flowers and early vegetables. We’ve already had our first major heatwave, and we could use some rain. But mornings and evenings are still cool. It’s the time of year we should be out of doors as much as possible.
I enjoy waking early to watch the hummingbirds drink their homemade nectar while I sip my coffee. (I’m really still in a coma until my second cup!) Then it’s on to my barn and garden chores. The routine is easy this time of year; the horses are turned out in a paddock with plenty of shade. They get hay and a minimal amount of grain. No stalls to muck!
I’m a big fan of container gardening, so I water my plants every morning. Though I dream of an expansive flower garden, I’m satisfied for now with the perennial beds and many pots surrounding the patio. They’re easy to maintain, and I get instant gratification from bursts of color by growing annuals in containers. I confess I don’t have a landscape plan; I tend to shove plants in wherever they’ll fit! I do try to have plants of varying height, texture and color. I also stagger bloom times so that I have color all season long, right into the first hard frost.
There’s no color I don’t want in my garden. I hear people say, “I don’t like yellow”, or “I only want shades of blue and white“. How can you not love them all? Come August, it seems that the yellow and orange-blooming plants are the only ones who can really tolerate the heat. I say, if it survives it’s welcome in my flower beds.
I own a haphazard collection of pots and urns that I fill with everything from pansies to basil. The urn (below) is so beautiful, I haven’t wanted to put anything in it. I have a pair on the front porch, on either side of my front door.
This is another fabulous garden piece by Orlandi, the company whose statuaries and urns I’ve been carrying for several years now. They have a large catalog, so let me know if you’re looking for a special focal point or piece for your home. Their prices are quite reasonable, and their designs are out of the ordinary.
This time of year I entertain outdoors whenever possible. I can’t stand paper plates, and who needs them with such beautiful options like these new introductions from Gien:
This is Ronde d’Orient, featuring the dessert (or salad) plate.
And this is the Sultana dinner plate. These patterns are a slightly new directions for Gien — a nod to influences from around the world. There are dozens of patterns, so peruse the website www.gien.com. I can order and ship any pattern you choose. Gien china is still made in the village of Gien, France. It’s dishwasher safe, so make your guests feel special around a gorgeous dinner table while making life easy on yourself. I also offer a bridal registry, so let me know if I can help you, a friend or daughter pick a pattern you’ll treasure.
Antiques, Etc. will have a vendor booth at the Old Dominion Horse Show near Richmond, Virginia from July 21 through July 25. If you’re in the neighborhood, please visit me there. For more information on the show and for directions, go to www.olddominionhorseshow.com. Enjoy summer!
