May 8, 2011

Great Day at the Garden Fest

The Garden Festival at Ladew Topiary Gardens was a huge success, with the largest crowd ever! It could not have been a more gorgeous day, with temps in the low 70’s and a clear bright blue sky overhead!

One of the main attractions at the Garden Festival is the availability of things that you don’t usually find, especially plants and antiques. Both were in great evidence at the Festival.ladew garden days 015When Mum and I got to the Gardens, we headed for the barn where I spotted this great Chinese Chippendale-style bench.  I didn’t check the price of the bench, but the polo mallets were about $250 each. Shouldn’t have thrown the ones we had in our garage away!ladew garden days 003

In a lot of places, columbines grow wild, but they’re not native to this area. They are such interesting flowers, and when the seed-heads come in, they look like a tall pointy crown.ladew garden days 010  I am always drawn to the minute details of flowers, and ones I saw were no exception.

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The plant in the bottom right image is a double file Viburnum, and it was just the most spectacular bush! ladew garden days 021 It probably covered about 200 square feet and was about 15+ feet tall. The branches were covered in a double row of florets, and they were a bright white.   ladew garden days 026 The flowers almost look like lace-cap hydrangeas, but they stand out on the branches like arms held straight to the sides.  It was really a stunning plant.

The antiques tent held a lot of treasures, as always!  Here, the men of Halcyon House are completing a sale, one of many many during the day!ladew garden days 034I loved this little bird-house with some of their great salt-and-pepper shakers standing in for real birds.ladew garden days 036  And what’s not to love about a great John Robshaw pillow?ladew garden days 039 Here are some other things in the antiques tent that caught my eye.

ladew garden days 045 Beautiful antique Philadelphia-made chrysanthemum platesladew garden days 046 Roll of old linen fabric. Gawd only knows how I managed to resist this!ladew garden days 049 Two of my favourite things: Old iron urns and peonies!ladew garden days 051 I loved this little set of Lloyd Loom chairs and ottoman with the great blue and white toile!ladew garden days 055 These contemporary garden pieces from Pennoyer-Newman, are actually very light-weight, as you can see here.ladew garden days 033 She looks like Atlas carrying the world!

Thanks so much to everyone who came up and spoke to me, and thank you so much for reading the blog! It means the world to me. 

Tomorrow: Pictures from the Ladew Gardens which are in spectacular form this year!

7 comments:

  1. What a lovely day you had! I have never visited Ladew Gardens, and long to do so. I am attending a similar fete in Connecticut this weekend, Trade Secrets, organized by Bunny Williams. It is a great treat. I plan on buying more topiaries there, even though I know they will slowly wither away and die as they always do in my care, despite my best intentions. I am a glutton for punishment when it comes to such things.

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  2. What a beautiful day! Thanks for sharing the Pennoyer Newman tip. I've been gardening for quite some time and don't know how I managed to miss them.

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  3. I was in Balti this weekend and on Friday we toured LaDew and they were busily setting up for the show. It truly is a beautiful place. A treasure....thanks for mentioning it on your blog, as it prompted me to suggest that my Balti brother take me there for a tour. We loved the house and history, as well!
    Wonderful blog.

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  4. first, love the header. Beautiful image.
    second, There was a lot going on down in Maryland this week! I start my trek back and forth next month and have already decided that I have some shopping to do in Baltimore! ( Annapolis too.)

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  5. I love the picture of the statue dumping a bowl of something on that guy's head!

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  6. Saw a double virburnum in bloom here in North Carolina this afternoon. It is wonderfully dramatic in the garden. Thanks for your wonderful blog.

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  7. I agree, the Festival was wonderful, it was my first time there. If it wasn't for my tiny patio and even tinier budget I would have brought that bench home!

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