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DIY: Instant Children's Teepee, Summer Edition
Last summer, I spotted a great looking teepee in the neighborhood that seemed like a perfectly doable DIY. I was compelled to investigate. Greg Pitt had made it for his two young children, as the...
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Meadow Muddle: My Laissez-Faire Approach to Arranging Wildflowers
When it comes to arranging flowers, I admit that I'm most fond of the non-arrangement—that certain brand of bouquet that's more mess than meticulous. This week is going to be all about Paris, and we're...
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Squirrel Vs. Garden: Why I Made Mint Sauce
I was out in the garden the other afternoon with my friend Stacey, who had come over with a wheelie suitcase full of torture implements—actually, she calls this stuff "exercise equipment" to try to...
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Design Sleuth: A Planter with Pedigree
Strolling the gardens at Versailles or the Tuileries in Paris, one can't help but notice that many of the trees aren't rooted in the ground. The planter boxes steal the show. Beautifully designed,...
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A Walk Through One of Paris' Last Flower (and Bird) Markets
Once you've tired of Notre Dame's gothic exaggeration, head around the corner, still on Île de la Cité in Paris' 4th arrondissement, for the Marché aux Fleurs. The flower market is open daily, but they...
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Bearded or Stinking: How Do You Prefer Your Irises?
Iris—or "rainbow" if you speak Ancient Greek—is hugely varied, not only in color. It grows in the desert, it grows in a pond. It prefers sun, it prefers shade. It won't tolerate competition, it's a...
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'Of What Use Is the Tuileries to Us?' Well, Since You Asked...
"One evening in Paris, we walked over to the Louvre grounds hoping to walk through the Tuileries Garden at dusk," reports Manhattan-based photographer Alice Gao. "Unfortunately it was just closing, and...
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10 Easy Pieces: French Market Totes
This weekend there were strawberries, asparagus, and wide-open peonies at the farmers' market. While I stuffed my goodies unceremoniously into a backpack, I couldn't help but wish I had a beautiful...
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Modern Pot Pourri: How to Dry Your Own Scented Herbs
The French have been stirring up batches of wilted herbs and moldy flower petals to make air fresheners for 500 years. We're ready to try a more modern take on pot pourri, thanks to blogger Karen...
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A Balcony-Style Planter for Indoors from MAKR
I've had my eye on this plant ring from MAKR for what feels like years. It's simple and classic but still a little bit unusual. I'm not sure what the policy is on drilling into the wall, but I'm...
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Odorantes: A Chic Parisian Florist Where the Flowers Are Arranged by Scent
It's no wonder this discreet little florist in Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a favorite of Sofia Coppola. Walk inside the doorway, and prepare to be engulfed by a cloud storm of Paris' prettiest cut...
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Garden Visit: A Seaside Landscape in Northern France
In a small town in Brittany, on the northern coast of France about five hours' drive from Paris, the landscape design firm Cao-Perrot Studio designed a 4,500-square-foot garden of undulating perennial...
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DIY: How to Make a Bouquet Garni
The particulars of a bouquet garni can seem elusive, but the idea is really quite simple: to create a tiny bouquet of herbs that you can pop into whatever broth or soup or roast that you're hoping to...
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10 Easy Pieces: Café-Style Outdoor Seating
Summer means outdoor entertaining, which means you'll be needing chairs that can stand up to the elements. Here's a roundup of our top ten café-style chairs. Above: An Ada Chair is made from...
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The Mystery of the Missing Irises: Have You Seen Any of These Varieties?
In calmer days, advances in plant breeding came from people who had time on their hands and plenty of space. Vicars, for instance. Plant breeders and hunters were often people who worked hard, but not...
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Parisian Gilded House Numbers by See.Painting
Glass gilding, or verre églomisé, was the most popular form of signage in the 19th and early 20th centuries; we can see why. Elegant and surprisingly durable, gilding continues to be a top choice,...
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In the Garden and Atelier with Cécile Daladier in Paris
After you've visited Cécile's garden in Paris, you'll leave with an absolute desire to reinvent your own life and slow down its pace. Splitting their time between a house in the Drôme and this one in...
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Design Sleuth: Parisian Balcony Mise-en-Scene
Photographer Henry Parsons' capture of this balcony on Rue du Four in Paris has pushed me just about over the edge of envy. I'm not sure if it's the view, or the ferronnerie, or that carafe of wine...
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5 Favorites: Ceramic Berry Baskets
It's finally fruit season in New York. Whether you're going to a U-Pick farm to gather berries or taking advantage of the bounty at your local farmers' market, the chances that you'll be carting your...
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A Romantic Garden at the Edge of the Sea in France
Located in Normandy near the seaside city of Cabourg, famous both for its mild winters and for being the real-life inspiration for Marcel Proust's fictional Balbec resort, is a romantic garden created...
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