Editor’s Memo
Ah, the delights of summer! I’ve spent summers on the French Riviera, in Spain, in the Greek Islands, in the Hamptons. Less glamorous were the summers of my youth in England, where the weather must surely have been as unpredictable as everyone says it is. Fortunately, I’m blessed with a selective memory, so my recollection is an idyllic medley of long, sunny days spent wandering about in the fields and woods with my friends, or going to garden parties, village fairs and fetes. Doesn’t it sound quaint?
(Looking back, I sometimes feel as if I grew up in a Masterpiece Theater production.)
The 18 summers I’ve spent in the Hudson Valley have been the happiest of all. This is partly because I’m addicted to my garden. It’s already too extensive for me to manage properly, yet the “work” delights me. Even as I vow to simplify things by turning over some of the perennial flower beds to shrubs, I find myself creating new places to plant.
(This spring, a small bed for roses seemed just the thing for the sunny side of the arbor and was dug before I could come to my senses.)
This obsession is something I have in common with Arthur Ross, whose woodland garden (featured on page h22) is an inspiration for anyone who thinks nothing will grow in the shade. He’s been a one-man landscaping team for over 30 years now, and a visit to his property had me thinking I really should tackle that woodsy area behind my barn….
Another particularly American summer pleasure is lazing on the porch. The two new homes we feature in this issue are very different from each other, but both harken back to traditional architectural styles — and both have large, inviting porches. Adding a porch may sound like a major undertaking, but there’s probably little you could do as a home improvement that would cost less and give as much in return.
Enjoy the issue — and enjoy this lovely outdoorsy season!
Lynn Hazlewood