Instead of gathering with friends around our pools, grills and patios, many of us have spent the past few months quarantining within the confines of our homes. Now more than ever, our homes have become everything: living space, workspace and school, all in one. It’s easy to go stir-crazy, no matter how much sourdough bread we’ve baked.
Every home has a sense of place: the ground beneath, the history of the structure, the neighborhood, the surrounding natural environment, the way the light floods in.
In Douglas W. Tallamy’s new book, “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard,” he writes, “Nature has proven to be more resilient, more malleable, and more forgiving than I ever thought.” That’s good news for anyone who wants to do something productive, proactive and positive, he adds, “at the local scale – the scale that counts ecologically.”
Of all the roses I planted in my backyard, the Poseidon is one of the most disease-resistant. No matter the amount of rain, when other roses start to gain white, powdery mildew, this beautiful rose always stays strong and healthy. It has no issues with black spots or any other diseases either, and I do not spray it with anything.
Over my 30-plus years as an interior designer, there are many questions I’m consistently asked. For readers with a burning design question or two, or those frustrated with sorting through the myriad online information available without finding an applicable solution, perhaps a direct question-and-answer column on the subject matter will be helpful.
It’s day 4,125 of staying home, or at least it feels like it. At the start of the coronavirus outbreak, I happened upon a blog post written by a young woman in Wuhan sharing her tips for surviving in the new world of isolation. The tip that stood out to me was to create a daily schedule and stick to it.
