Let's Start From The Beginning...
As the summer slowly begins to fade away, and the first few nips of cooler air begin to make themselves known, it may seem an odd time of the year to begin a blog that will largely be dedicated to a garden, but as they say, there is no time better than the present. And as this blog will also deal in great detail with the interior of the house - our collections, our design sense, our passion for vintage, antique and bespoke items, and general appreciation of all things old, handcrafted or just simply beautiful - well, that basically renders the time of year that we begin, irrelevant, and makes everything rather timeless - where no page of the calendar can dictate a correct start or stop. So September is a perfect time of the year to begin. Besides, the weather is beautiful and the gardening is still fine, so here goes…
Elm Cottage, Nutley, New Jersey
This is Elm Cottage in suburban Nutley, New Jersey (approximately 10 miles west of New York City). It is an Arts and Crafts style home built in 1916. Many would refer to this type of architecture as being a ‘Bungalow’, or simply a ‘Craftsman’. Both labels would be correct. And we too use those names to describe our home, but we also refer to our house as being a ‘Cottage’. The size and dimensions of the house, as well as the character and design of the house (both the interior, with its classic arts and crafts detail and unpainted woodwork, as well as the exterior, with its stucco coated walls painted creamy white with brown trim and red roof) all help to define our home as a cottage. But what most particularly has influenced the description of our home is the cottage garden that perfectly encircles the house and safely nestles it in place. Over the last 10 years I have created a classic, English-style, cottage garden - removing traditional grass and lawn and replacing it with perennials, shrubs and trees - deciduous and evergreen. I have taken great lengths to rid our property of anything that even resembles a conventional suburban lawn (except for a few grass pathways in the front of the house - and even those I wish to be gone before too long - perhaps a project for next spring?). Which leads us to the current look and feel of the property, with the house happily sitting directly in the middle of a garden - just as the original British Arts and Crafts movement from the late 1800’s intended: to meld home and garden was the ideal. And I have tried very hard to do just that. The outside is an extension of the inside. The inside is a window to the outside. And both parts, in harmony, work together.
The Trellis Garden at Elm Cottage, Nutley, New Jersey
It would be a pleasure to share some thoughts, some pictures, some ideas, some inspirations, and even a few frustrations or downright aggravations with you. Living in a house that is over 100 years old has plenty of those! And of course the garden is itself a continuing project that regularly evolves and demands constant attention and care. But as a passionate gardener and plantsman, I think that is little to ask for such great reward! I look forward to using this medium to showcase some of my work and to document my stories - both of garden and home. As someone who greatly appreciates good interior design, as well as good garden design - of many varying styles - I am excited to begin this journey here. I believe that the perfect collaboration between garden and home is absolutely essential. Creativity is the medium that drives good design, and we are all capable of that. Beauty is all around, so just open your eyes once in a while and take a look - you will be fascinated!
Until next time…
