When we bought the The Big Sur House, the entry gate was flanked by two enormous pine trees, an extremely low metal arch, and a fence that had seen better days. But I loved it’s Big Sur feel. Fast forward a year, and the trees had contracted a disease that is killing pines all over the West. They had to be removed, leaving us with two great big stumps and what seemed like a barren and exposed entrance. When our…
Big Sur has something I like to call the “funk factor”. The creativity is off the charts, and often it is out of necessity. With the closest hardware store an hour away and frequent road closures due to mudslides, people learn to make do with what is available and it often leads to creative solutions. Our contractor Brendan Wahl is just such a person. He has lived in the area all his life and to him there aren’t problems, only…
When we moved to The Little Glass House seven years ago, we redid the landscaping. You can see some of the changes here. Things grow incredibly fast and big here in Southern California, and before I knew it, that cute tiny rosemary hedge became a four foot monster! Here’s what the back yard looked like when we bought our house as seen from inside……
In the tiny beachside town of Summerland, in a quaint 1920’s Victorian cottage, sits a home and garden boutique called botanik. This is another go-to destination for me and for all who know about this incredible place. What my favorite local shops have in common, are the wonderful, helpful, cheerful people who own and work at them. Botanik is no exception.…
Every home can benefit from having living plants. They add color and life to a room in a way that nothing else can. However, not everyone has a green thumb or the patience to care for plants. That’s where tillandsias can be a good solution. What on earth is a tillandsia? It’s common name is “air plant” because it grows without soil. Water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves so they require little care. While I have my share…
As I was doing some New Years purging of my desk, I came across the real estate brochure from our previous home in Westport, Connecticut. I hadn’t looked at it in some time and so with fresh eyes I studied the pictures of the home that we had lived in for twenty years. I only wish I had some of the before photos- they are probably buried somewhere in the garage in our old photo albums.…
