This summer, I quietly decamped to Italy for three weeks. It was every bit the Mediterranean idyll I'd wanted, but I still insisted on keeping a work-worthy camera in tow. I'm glad I did, for occasions like this—when I found myself sipping Aperol and eating cured olives in a friend's terrace garden while dinner was on the grilled. It was a vacationer-cum-garden-writer's delight.

Photography by Meredith Swinehart.

Above: A plant-filled adobe courtyard at a friend's vacation home in Bonassola, Italy, on the Mediterranean coast. The house was built in 1964 and has been in the family since, so the same eyes have watched the gardens change and grow. 

Above: These potted lemon trees are fairly new additions to the garden, but still have thrived for their five years there. The yellow fruit has all been plucked—the ones shown here are still green—but the trees produce fruit year-round.

Above: There is officially a front door to the house, but I never used it—because the back door leads straight to the sea.

Above: A glimpse into a neighboring courtyard. 

Above: This modern yellow plant stand was designed by the owner of the house, who is a kitchen designer; it was a mock-up for an unrelated project.

Above: An aged but resilient slate slab on a clean-lined stainless steel base was also designed by the homeowner.

Above: Why hide extra terra cotta pots in the hallway closet? They're prettier and easier to access tucked under an outdoor table. 

Above: Antique pink hydrangeas play the perfect foil to boisterously orange clay flower pots. 

Above: This rosemary plant has a good gig, perched over the Mediterranean.

Above: This patch of Parthenocissus quinquefolia, identifiable by its five-fingered leaves andknown in the US as Virginia creeper, has grown on the trellis for as long as anyone can remember. Its leaves turn color and drop in the fall and winter, and are at their peak of fullness in summertime.

Above: Another instance of terra cotta styling I want to recreate: these aging pots are nearly as pretty as the plants.

Above: When the roots of a giant maritime pine began to dislodge the outdoor floor tiles and work their way into the foundation of the house, the family had it cut down. On the plus side: a giant pile of firewood now sits at the ready.

Above: A creeping fig found its own way onto the back wall of the garden. 

Above: Gamberoni rossi, or Mediterranean jumbo prawns, on a slate-topped outdoor stove.

Above: My host, Michael, at the stove. 

Above: A turkey leg with lemon. (Because the lemons on the terrace were still green, these were plucked from a neighbor's tree.)

Above: Within easy reach: a red enameled baking pan to hold utensils and a glass of Schneider-Weisse (non-Italian) beer.

Above: Dinner was served in low metal baking pans I'm still trying to source in the US. (There—a reason to go back.) 

Above: Garden aside, the terrace wasn't wanting for Mediterranean allure. Here, the view of the sea as the summer sun fades.

Visit more of Italy in Outbuilding of the Week: A Tuscan Cliffside Aerie, Steal This Look: Romantic Outdoor Kitchen in Puglia, and From Italy With Love: The World's Best View from a Terrace. 

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• Required Reading: The English Country House Garden
• Garden Visit: An Oregon Garden Where Deer Are Welcome
• Outbuilding of the Week: An Instant Backyard Room For Summer Guests

Glamour in the garden—definitely not an oxymoron. This week we'll show you the proof as we launch two new series: Before-and-After gardens and AirBnB Visits. We'll also visit a glassy greenhouse, parse a few parterres, and show you a few of our favorite ways to create elegance outdoors (minimal effort required).

Above: Photograph by Sophia Moreno-Bunge from our post Garden Visit: A Hanging Orchid Garden in San Isidro, Buenos Aires.

Monday

Above: Sophia falls for smoke bush, in a big way, and explains how to create a floral arrangement that takes advantage of its purply opalescence in this week's Bouquet of the Week.

Above: We launch our new series of Before-and-After gardens today by featuring a Hancock Park grande dame. LA-based garden designer Naomi Sanders remade its formal garden for a new century without sacrificing its boxwood parterres in this week's Garden Designer Visit. 

Tuesday

Above: Michelle discovers an indoor succulent garden she can't resist and tracks down everything you need to recreate the look in this week's Steal This Look.

Wednesday

Above: Meredith stumbles on an AirBnB with a view—and an outdoor terrace—on an island near Capri in week's AirBnB Visit.

Above: Erin weaves an elegant, lacy hanging vase from simple black wire in this week's Small Space DIY.

Thursday

Above: Kendra discovers the unexpected elegance of gingko trees in this week's Trend Alert.

Friday

Above: What seasonal crop is Laura harvesting and cooking from her upstate New York garden? Find out in this week's Garden-to-Table Recipe.

And see what the Remodelista editors are up to this week; they're also reveling in Minimalist Glamour (Interior Edition).

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• Trending on Remodelista: Everything in Its Place
• Tech Roundup: Best Apps for Garden Design and to ID Plants
• Table of Contents: The Organized Life

Usually smoke bush speaks of early summer to me: those hazy puffs, clouds of smoke that bloom (at least on the East Coast) in June. But smoke bush in September is another story: an end of summer ode, embracing the dark and saturated colors that fall will bring.  

Smoke bush branches are available from florists and flower markets this month. Last week I got some and made a moody, purple floral arrangement with smoke bush, figs, and Queen Anne's Lace. For a list of materials and step-by-step instructions, see below:

Photography by Sophia Moreno-Bunge for Gardenista.

Above: Smoke bush leaf colors range from purple to maroon to green (though the green often has notes of maroon). In late spring, the tips of the branches start to bloom textured puffs that look like smoke. Hence the name.

Materials:

• Queen Anne's Lace, one bunch
• Figs on the branch
• Smoke bush branches
• Clippers
• Tapered vase

Above: I love the back of the smoke bush leaf; it almost has an opalescent quality.

Above: A dark and moody Queen Anne's Lace.

Because I don't want summer to end, ever, I included another of my favorites, Queen Anne's Lace, which makes me think of high summer: road trips, beach days, and lounging in the park. You can find these beauties growing everywhere—at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, or in a street crack in Brooklyn.

Above: I love the shape of these; they're wild and have that find-them-on-the-side-of-the-road beauty, but if you look closely, they're so geometric and orderly (like all plants, really).

Above: Base of figs on the branch.

First, I filled a vase with water and made a base using the fig branches. I tried to use the natural shape of the branches, and created a structure that reminds me of a fan. I cut each stem at a diagonal and made sure each one sat on the bottom of the vase.

Above: The branches are heavy, so make sure to space them evenly on either side of the vase to prevent it from tipping.

Above: The smokebush colors, separated.

Next, I concentrated the green smoke bush on one side and the darker maroon on the other. Smoke bush can be finicky, so I cut the stems at a diagonal, and then cut and split the tip in two (to give it more surface to take in water). 

Above: I kept the smoke bush a bit lower than the fig to create air and so that the figs still would be visible. I like to see negative space between the different stems and branches.

Above: As a finishing touch, I added a cluster of the Queen Anne's Lace to the left side and let it trail down the arrangement to the right side.

Above: Done! Less is more, here.

If you're as enamored of smoke bush as we are, see another of our favorite ways to use it indoors at Unexpected Autumnal Arrangements.

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Hollywood's version of the 1920s managed to be both giddy (the talkies are coming!) and gratified, because how else could you feel about life in a palm-tree paradise? Nowhere was the contrast more apparent than in Hancock Park, built as an architecturally fanciful experiment where Tudor turrets sit next door to Connecticut clapboard. Developed as a city neighborhood in central Los Angeles, Hancock Park's Craftsman cottages and Moorish manses managed to exude an exquisite suburban leafiness.

Fast forward a few decades. When writer Whitney Friedlander and True Blood producer Alex Woo bought a 1920s house in Hancock Park a few years ago, the boxy stucco facade had simple lines, some Art Deco details—and a very fussy garden.

Soon after, LA-based landscape designer Naomi Sanders arrived to find an ornate backyard fountain that was hemmed in by roses, and a grid of formal parterres with "a million different plants." Her challenge: to streamline without starting from scratch, to make the garden feel both elegant and warm. 

Sanders had a two-part plan. She designed new hardscape elements (including a concrete front path) and reduced the plant palette to three colors (green, white, and red). "I was really interested in looking at the work of Mark Rothko for inspiration, for that limited use of color for effect," Sanders said.

The Before and After photos tell the story:

Photography by Jennifer Roper, except where noted.

Above: Sanders kept the existing formal parterres of dwarf English boxwood in the front courtyard but simplified the planting scheme inside the hedges. "The house is two stories, and when you look down from a window, you can really see the geometry," Sanders said.

Before

Above: Photograph via Naomi Sanders.

The street view. A stucco wall separates the front courtyard from the sidewalk. The first time Sanders saw the house, the street-side garden bed had a mix of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants including: two olive trees, rosemary, and agaves. 

After

Above: Sanders kept the Mediterranean plants as well as a mature Japanese privet hedge, which serves as a backdrop, and simplified the plant palette at the base of the olive trees.

Above: A variegated agave. The green-and-white-stripe pattern repeats elsewhere in the garden; clumps of variegated Dianella flank the front door. 

Before (Front courtyard)

Above: Photograph via Naomi Sanders.

Inside the fence, a path of broken flagstone pavers led to a concrete front stoop.

After:

Above: To match the existing concrete stoop, "we took out the flagstone pavers and replaced them with cast concrete pavers, matching the color to the stoop, which has yellowed over time and looks like limestone," Sanders said. "It makes the hardscape feel more connected to the house." 

The elongated rectangular pavers complement the geometric lines of the house's facade.

Above: Sanders replaced ficus trees on either side of the entryway with star magnolia trees. "It gave them a lot more light through the windows," she said.

Above: The white, green, and red palette is accented by black planters that flank the front door.

The garden's front courtyard is a shady, meditational space. "I wanted them to really be able to use the space and not for it to be just a walkway," said Sanders.

Above: A pair of Sol y Luna armless armchairs designed by Dan Johnson sit in the corner of the courtyard. Outdoor furniture and architectural lighting were selected by interior designer Sarah Shetter.

Above: Red accents in the courtyard include Japanese maple tree leaves, pomegranate fruit, and fuchsia flowers.

Above: A pomegranate.

Before (Backyard)

Above: Photograph via Naomi Sanders.

An ornate fountain was surrounded by a rose garden surrounded, in turn, by English dwarf boxwood. "We opened up the space," Sanders said. "It didn't make sense to have a blockade."

After

Above: The fountain is connected by new concrete pavers to both the back patio and the rest of the backyard; the mature red bougainvillea on the pergola was an existing feature.

Above: The pergola's solid roof was opened up to let in sunlight. Beams were replaced with Plexiglass.

Above: Echeveria succulents in the planters have a tinge of purplish red.

To see more of Naomi Sanders' work, see LA Confidential: A Private Courtyard Goes Luxe on a Budget.

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• Garden Visit: Beautiful Bones at Cape Town's Vergelegen Winery
• Garden Visit: An Italian Terrace
• Required Reading: The English Country House Garden

Queen Anne's Lace; Daucus carota: "The Delicate Dictator"

Named after Queen Anne of England—whether it was the Tudor Anne or the Stuart Anne is still up for debate—Queen Anne’s Lace was scrappy from the beginning, with a bit of a thirst for bloodshed. The story goes that Queen Anne pricked her finger while she was tatting lace, causing tiny flecks of blood to sprinkle her handiwork. At the center of each miniature Queen Anne’s Lace blossom is a speck of dark purple or red. Let it be a reminder to you that though delicate, this wildflower is also fierce.

Above: Photograph by Erin Boyle for Gardenista.

Sometimes the most beautiful flowers can be spotted alongside highways in summer, blooming outside of graceless truck stops in bright shades of pink and yellow, or covering immense stretches of open fields that speeding drivers pass without stopping to look.

Above: Be warned: Queen Anne's lace is often considered an invasive species, and no matter where you intend to plant the seeds, they will spread all over your garden. To achieve the "Wildflower Meadow" look with Queen Anne's lace is an act of surrender. Photograph by Erin Boyle for Gardenista.

Above: Cutting the stems of Queen Anne's Lace at Landet Järna in Sweden.

Cheat Sheet

• Plants will grow as tall as 5 feet
• No matter where you plant Queen Anne's Lace, it will spread around the garden
• If your look is "field of wildflowers," Queen Anne's Lace looks natural interplanted with daisies and violets
• Queen Anne's Lace has been known to boost the growth of tomato plants

Keep It Alive

• A biennial in growing zones 3-9; plant in spring or fall
• Thrives in sun or partial shad
• Does not need to be watered unless there is a drought

Above: A tabletop arrangement of Queen Anne's Lace and crabapple branches. For step-by-step instructions, see DIY: Foraging for a Botanical Tabletop.

Queen Anne’s Lace, tempting us from across the highway barrier, grows wild in fields and is often found occupying empty lots in the countryside. It looks like a massive lace doily with a flat rosette of tiny white flowers, supported by a 3-to-5-foot stem.  As small and delicate as her white flowers are, Queen Anne’s Lace is a “my way or the highway” kind of gal. She is tall and feisty, and tends to bully her way around the garden. 

Above: For more ways to make simple bouquets using Queen Anne's Lace, see Seriously Wild in Sweden.

Because the seeds are light and easily blown by the wind, once you invite the Queen to tea, she is unlikely to leave your garden without a tussle.

Read More:

Above: Planting wildflowers? See our Field Guide for tips on Cosmos, Foxgloves, and Nettles.

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There is a good thing about Cape Town in winter. You can still visit gardens. One of those gardens is at Vergelegen. Dutch for “situated far away,” the famous wine estate at the foot of the Helderberg, east of Cape Town, used to be a long wagon ride from that port city. Now, it’s a half hour drive on a multiple lane freeway. 

Photography by Marie Viljoen for Gardenista.

Above: The Cape’s cold season has two kinds of days: wet, and perfect.  While wind and rain tear the southern tip of Africa apart from June through August, they also turn it deeply green. And when the skies clear, immaculate blue spells reveals the folds and spines of the mountains on every horizon, and the structure of the best gardens, with a clarity never seen in summer.

Above: Established by Dutch governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel in 1700, Vergelegen’s gardening pedigree is long. Five massive camphor trees and an oak which were planted at that time still preside over the oldest gardens. Now owned by the Anglo American mining company, Vergelegen produces some of South Africa’s best wines, and it is also home to an arresting series of 18 self-contained and evolving gardens set amid stunning scenery. I visited recently.

Above: The two newest additions to the estate’s garden scheme were designed and implemented in 2011. The first is beside the airy wine tasting center—a formal herb and vegetable garden, laid out with neatly pruned small-leafed privet surrounding kitchen garden plantings.

Above: Vergelegen’s head horticulturist and garden manager Richard Arm, who has worked at the estate since 2010, helped lay out this garden. Mr. Arm explained: "All transplanting from the old herb garden had to be done during winter. We started with the new layout in August, almost too late… The privet hedges transplanted beautifully—straight lines and levels. The octagonal shape is an integral part of the history of Vergelegen.”

Above: The herb garden is centered by a sundial in the middle of the crunching gravel walkways and flanked by the handsomely thatched wine tasting center and the Stables Bistro. The low, angular hedges create a sense of intimacy beyond which the wild landscape of the towering Hottentots Holland mountain range fills the horizon.

Above: Within the strict confines of the hedges is a tangled collection of herbs. In one segment of the octagon are traditional southern African medicinal plants, including deeply aromatic buchu, aloes in bright bloom, bulbine, wild ginger, wild garlic, cancer bush, wild dagga, and wild geranium. 

Above: Aromatics feature strongly, with lavender providing gray and feathery relief from the dark, rigid privet. Elsewhere are exotic medicinal plants as well as culinary herbs for the estate’s chefs. Lemon grass and hot red chiles hug each other in a bed that speaks of Southeast Asia. The central quadrants are devoted to edible flowers, a strong feature in spring and summer. Mr. Arm explained that only organic compost and fertilizers are used in the kitchen garden. 

Above: I wondered about garden pests. Patrols of voracious Egyptian geese march across the grounds, and what about slugs? The answer was unexpected: “…it’s the peacocks eating my heirloom vegetables and herbs that cause me more grief,” said Mr. Arm, whose staff of 11 gardeners is also on peacock patrol. “Earlier this season we planted beautiful little violas in half wine barrels at our Stables restaurant—the peacocks had a field day eating these edible flowers up. We now use bird netting to protect our young seedlings.”

Above: On the mountain-side of the Stables is the second new garden: the extensive East Garden was designed by Cape Town-based landscape architects OvP Associates.  The symmetrical beds in summer provide a showstopping display of 14,000 agapanthus (21 cultivars) in full bloom. When I visited, the bones of this formal garden were beautifully laid bare in the backdrop of blue mountains, bare oak trees, espaliered fruit hedges, and pretty blue indigenous Felicia in bloom beside the straight paths and their central watercourse.

Above: Wandering away from these modern gardens down a tree-lined avenue, one passes wintery parkland plantings before turning towards the old manor house, its first glimpse framed by the old garden wall, and reached by a long path flanked by perennial beds.

Above: Beyond the grand old home’s cool interior preside the enormous 300-year-old camphors and a wide lawn, dotted now with pink oxalis, indigenous volunteers which speak inadvertently to the estate’s commitment  to biodiversity (2,000 hectares of former plantation monoculture have been restored to endemic fynbos). Here is a famous camellia collection, 1,000 specimens strong, and a wild, wetland garden, which skirts the Lourensford River, rushing with winter rains. 

Above: Flanking the manor house are the formal and older gardens where cypress planted by Lady Florence Phillips in the 1920’ still tower above the Cape Dutch gables of the outlying buildings. The wife of the mining magnate Sir Lionel Philips, who presented the estate to his wife as a gift, Lady Phillips is credited, from 1917 to her death in 1941, with restoring and reviving—with her husband’s fortune—much of the then derelict garden. The octagon garden layout upon which the modern gardens are modeled, is her instigation.

Above: And this is the winter garden, the off season, apart from those camellias in bloom.  I look forward to returning in summer to see the sea of agapanthus, the blue hydrangea garden, and the 18-bed rose garden. I’d like to picnic in the camphor forest (“fancy picnics,” clarifies Mr Arm, “with neat tables and white linen, waiters and ice buckets...”). I would not mind buying another case of that killer Vergelegen Shiraz. 

And perhaps I could pull a peacock’s tail.

(With special thanks to Richard Arm.)

For more from Cape Town, see My Mother's Garden in South Africa and, on Remodelista: Stripped Down in Cape Town: Clarke's Bar and Dining Room.

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• Garden Visit: An Italian Terrace
• Required Reading: The English Country House Garden

A few weeks ago we visited Veddw Cottage deep in South Wales and discovered an elegant indoor succulent garden tucked away inside a glass greenhouse. We immediately set out to deconstruct the palette—mostly silver and black, with a touch of blue-green—to figure out how to create the same look at home. By the way, owning a conservatory is not a necessary component:

Photography by Fiona Gilsenan for Gardenista.

Above: You can recreate the look without a greenhouse by painting a wall black. But sometimes it's fun to play make-believe. If you're in the mood: this is a three-sided lean-to greenhouse attached to the side of a building for support. Designs can range from simple to elaborate. A small 4-by-8-foot lean-to Vitavia Ida Greenhouse with double doors and a black powder coated frame is $1,060 from Charley's Greenhouse.

At the other end of the price spectrum is Serres d'Antan, a French manufacturer of bespoke ironwork greenhouses and conservatories. For one of Serres d'Antan's most fanciful creations, see Babylonstoren Greenhouse: An Idyllic Garden.

Above: Or skip the greenhouse. Create a glamorous backdrop by painting a wall black. See Black Magic: Architects' Top Black Paint Picks for our favorite shades.

Above: Can it be possible to add glamor with a garden hose? We think so, if it's a black Heritage Garden Hose—actually, the color is described as "onyx"—available in either a 50- or 100-foot length; from $59 to $98 at Terrain. 

Above: Is it any wonder the common name for this trailing succulent is Burro's Tail? Sedum morganianum bluish green leaves and, when it blooms, tiny red flowers. A bare-root Burro's Tail from a 4-inch pot is $7.25 from Succulent Babies via Etsy.

Above: Repetition imposes order. A collection of one variety of succulent makes the indoor display look intentional rather than haphazard.

Above: Two options for solid steel shelving. A 6.5-foot-high stainless steel Professional Kitchen Shelving System (L) is available in several widths and has adjustable height shelving; for more information, see Zanussi Professional. A 2-Shelf Steel Work Bench measures 31 inches high by 45 inches long and 20 inches deep and is $89 from Home Depot.

Above: Shiny galvanized plant pails complement the steel shelving.

Above: A 4-inch-high Socker Plant Pot is $.79 from Ikea.

Above: Succulents thrive in cactus potting soil. An 8-quart bag of organic Cactus Mix By Black Gold is $3.95 from Planet Natural.

Above: Pink-tinged kalanchoe leaves always look to me as if they're wearing lipstick. Also known as a paddle plant, a Kalanchoe Luciae rooted cutting is $9.95 from Bkyard Paradise via Etsy.

Above: My favorite succulents are shaped like tiny individual roses. An assortment of 84 Sempervivum Succulents in a plug tray if $149 from Rainforestrosecom via Etsy.

Are your indoor succulents giving you trouble? For tips, see How Not to Kill Your Indoor Succulents. And on Remodelista, see A Minimalist Greenhouse in Belgium.

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A touch of black goes a long way. As nights get longer, we're switching to a darker, moodier palette on the patio. Here are 10 of our favorite accessories to add instant outdoor glamor:

Above: A 20-bulb string of Cafe String Lights with a bronze finish is $89 from Pottery Barn. 

Above: A Candlestick Cloche has a glass dome and a wooden base with an antiqued black finish. It measures a dramatic 20 inches high and is $138 from Terrain.

Above: As nights get cooler, drape a sheepskin over a deck chair. A single pelt Auskin Sheepskin Longwool Rug is available in seven colors (including Black and Ivory); $89.95 from Sierra Trading Post. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.

Above: West Elm's 8-inch Chalkboard Planters are made from terra cotta and coated with a blackboard finish; $18 apiece.

Above: A Dash & Albert Diamond Rug in black and ivory is available in eight sizes; a 6-by-9-foot rug is $319. Also from Dash & Albert, a striped 4-by-6-foot Lighthouse Rug is $138 from Sesame & Lilies. Photograph via Decor Pad.

Above: A handmade black rattan Storsele Chair has a clear lacquer finish and is suitable for indoor or covered outdoor spaces is $119 from Ikea.

Above: With a heavy duty steel frame, a 98.5 inch Square Market Umbrella has a breathable vent and is $89 from All Modern.

Above: Making a bold statement, a 100-percent cotton black and white Awning Stripe Pillow Cover fits a 24-inch pillow insert and is $68 from Serena & Lily.

Above: Another of our favorite black and white stripes is Sunbrella's outdoor awning stripe fabric. For more information and prices, see Sunbrella Awning Fabric. 

Considering awnings? See our favorite styles in 10 Easy Pieces: Window Awnings.

Above: A Wire Guard Sconce is $180 from Barn Light Electric. For more of our favorite elegant black sconces, see 10 Easy Pieces: Black Wharf Lights.

Above: A lightweight powder coated aluminum and resin wicker Kruger Bar Cart on rolling casters has a removable tray; scaled for patios, porches, and small sunrooms, it is $349 from Crate & Barrel.  For more, see 10 Easy Pieces: Outdoor Bar Carts.

For more black and white palettes outdoors, see Steal This Look: Black and White Indoor/Outdoor Terrace and Outbuilding of the Week: Black and White Orangery, Scandi Style.

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Above: Out-Standing's 21.5-inch-square Ortelius Straight Planter is about $1,800 and can be ordered through Trelliage in NY, March in SF, and Emily Joubert in Woodside, CA; call for exact pricing.

Above: Did the Vasari Planter from Out-Standing inspire Restoration Hardware's Reclaimed Oak Staccato Planter line?

Above: The 22-inch-square Reclaimed French Oak Staccato Planter is $420 (down from $495) at Restoration Hardware.

For more stately planters, see 10 Easy Pieces: X Box Planters and 10 Easy Pieces: Bronze Garden Planters.

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• Design Sleuth: Terra Cotta Window Boxes
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I feel conflicted about recommending the island of Ischia, Italy, as a travel destination. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but because there's nothing wrong with it—and I'd like it to stay that way. 

Ischia is one of several islands off the Gulf of Naples; larger in land mass, but lighter in tourists than neighboring Capri. But it has a cult following; a surprising number of people to whom I've mentioned it have responded, "Iv'e been there—and love it."

I stayed at the small B&B Celestina, booked via Airbnb. In truth, the place was nothing fancy—but I'm convinced that its small shared courtyard facing the sea rivaled that of any five-star resort on the island. To book, visit Airbnb.

Photography by Meredith Swinehart.

Above: Our shared terrace was perched behind the town church in Lacco Ameno, and its bright white stucco amplified the evening light.

Above: Potted plants lined the perimeter of the terrace.

Above: This was no secluded resort—we weren't the only ones with a view of the water—but we certainly felt like the only tourists.

Above: A Mediterranean color scheme: bright orange kumquats with turquoise blue shutters in the background.

Above: A pale yellow shade sail blocked the Mediterranean sun while lending a warm glow to anyone sitting under it.

Above: I don't know how well-planned the shade sail installation was—there were hints that it might have been haphazard—but the results were beautiful and covered the terrace completely. 

Above: Is anything better than twilight in summer? 

Above: I'm convinced that the view from our shared deck was as good as at any pricier stay on the island.

Above: An echeveria in bloom. 

Above: The terrace was surrounded by pale yellows: shade sails above, a painted building, and a stained-glass window to the side.

Above: I noticed the church was outlined in white lights—and hoped there would be an occasion for them to go aflame. 

Above: An occasion soon came—sunset. The church bells rang madly for nearly an hour, signaling to me some kind of a feast day. But it wasn't—by breakfast, rumor had reached us that the bell-ringer had simply lost control of his rope. 

Above: Much to my delight, the church glowed every night.

Explore more of the Mediterranean in The Best Secret Garden in Barcelona, Landscape Architect Visit: Thomas Doxiadis on Antiparos, and A Greek Seaside Garden That Barely Needs Water. Plus, browse through photos of Mediterranean Inspiration in our Photo Gallery.

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Earlier today, I wrote about the courtyard terrace of an Airbnb stay on the island of Ischia, Italy. (See Airbnb Visit: Under the Radar Near Capri.) From that perch, I could peek into the tiny urban gardens of surrounding apartments, and this one caught my eye. I liked the simple color combination of terra cotta with perky green succulents, and began to wonder where I might source a terra cotta window box for myself.

Photography by Meredith Swinehart. 

Above: Terra cotta window boxes filled with bright green aeoniums.

Above: The yellow-washed wall reminded me of a Colonial Yellow stain we featured in Palette & Paints: 8 Colorful Exterior Stains. 

Above: A 19-by-9-inch Italian Terra Cotta Window Box by premier importers Seibert & Rice is $165 from Florida Plants. Each is handmade in Impruneta, Italy. 

Above: The budget-friendlier Italian Windowbox is also imported from Italy and is available in three sizes, starting at 15 inches long, and ranging in price from $33 to $62 at Arizona Pottery.

Above: For UK readers, Cassetta Finestra boxes are available in four sizes, starting at 50 centimeters long, and ranging from £95 to £325 at Italian Terrace. Each box is handmade in Italy with a pale-colored Tuscan clay and weathered finish.

Read Gardenista features on Pots & Planters and shop our Pots, Planters & Plant Stands. Explore more in Design Sleuth: Vertical Garden of Terra Cotta Pots and DIY: Transform Terra Cotta Pots Into Instant Antiques.

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• Steal This Look: An Indoor Succulent Garden, Shiny Shelving Included

After hunting in vain for a simple hanging bottle vase that was as affordable as it was delicate, I took things into my own hands.

Armed with dark annealed wire and a multipurpose tool with wire snips and needle nose pliers, I designed a simple hanger that can be adjusted to fit just about any bottle you have lying around (I used a bottle I already own).

Follow the step-by-step instructions below for making your own hanging vase for a fraction of the cost of store-bought versions.

Photography by Erin Boyle for Gardenista.

Above: The finished hanging glass bottle vase.

Materials:

• Dark Annealed Wire; 20 gauge; $20 for 50 feet from Brenda Aschweder Jewelry on Etsy.
• Needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters (I used a multipurpose Leatherman that had both tools. The Leatherman Wave is $89.86 at Home Depot.)
• Cloth napkin
• Glass bottle or vase of your choice

Above: The secret to the understated look of the wire hangers I've admired is dark annealed steel wire. I used thin, 20-gauge wire for a delicate look. (N.B. When you shop, remember that the larger the gauge, the thinner the wire.)

Above: To begin, I bent the wire into two circles—one to serve as the base and the other to support the mid-section of the vase. To make the circle that would support the vase in the middle, I wrapped my glass bottle in a cloth napkin to make sure the main circle would be slightly larger than the diameter of the vase. 

Above: I used the neck of my bottle to form a second circle. This circle supports the bottom of the vase, so I made sure it was a smaller than the base of my bottle. 

Above: I used the needle nose pliers to twist the two ends of the wire to form a circle and then slipped them off the bottle. 

Above: Next, I cut four strips of wire and used the pliers to bend smell crooks at the base of each wire. (N.B. When handling the wire, try your best not to bend it in places where you'd like for it to remain straight. It can be tricky to unbend neatly.)

Above: I attached each straight piece to the smallest (base) circle and clamped each crook closed with the pliers.

Above: Next, I placed the vase on top of the smaller base circle and spaced the four straight wires at equal distances apart from one another.

Above: Holding the bottle in place over the base circle, I pulled each straight piece up around the bottle and slipped the larger circle over the top of the bottle and over each upright wire as shown. Because I had used a napkin to size this larger circle, there was enough room for the four upright wires to fit snugly.

Above: Taking care to keep the top circle level, I gently bent each upright wire down over the middle circle as shown. 

Above: I used my pliers to twist a second crook around the middle circle and snipped off any remaining wire. I found it easiest to do this step with the bottle flipped upside down.

Above: Next, I attached a simple handle using the same bent crook method. 

Above: Hung from my bedroom door with a Wrought Iron Wall Hook ($6 from Brook Farm General Store), the finished hanger has just the simple, elegant look that I was hoping for. 

Not up for a DIY version? See 10 Easy Pieces: Wall Vases. For a larger take on the wire frame DIY, see Alexa's DIY: Kousi Lamp by Mark Eden Shooley on Remodelista.

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I confess: as I saved photos for this story over the last several weeks, I stored them in a folder called "Not-Ugly Water Features." Because, well, many garden water features are overly ornate. Or are fake-y replicas of nature scenes. Or involve water peeing from a faux-stone boy.

But who doesn't love the sound of babbling water in the garden, and who isn't transfixed by a pool or fountain? A water feature is an indicator of a garden that's "made it"—and when done right, feels like the ultimate outdoor luxury. Here are ten we like, from members of the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory: 

Above: Water pours from a curved bronze wall in a San Francisco landscape designed by Lutsko Associates. See more of the modern landscape, divided into distinct "rooms," in Pacific Heights Mystery: A Hidden City Garden Reveals Its Secrets. 

Above: San Francisco-based Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture designed this barely-moving pool for a modern home in Hillsborough, California. See more from Cochran in Garden Visit: Andrea Cochran's Courtyard Vignettes and Architects' Roundup: 10 Landscapes Designed Around a Single Tree. Photograph by Marion Brenner. 

Above: Coen + Partners redesigned this courtyard garden surrounding the 110-year-old Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. For more from Coen + Partners, see A Copper-Clad Modernist Gem in the Big Woods. 

Above: Famed French garden designers Arnaud Maurières and Eric Ossart now live in Morocco, and they've applied their newfound Eastern aesthetic to their recent redesign of the gardens at La Noria in the south of France. Here, they've updated an ancient irrigation system that runs throughout the grounds. For more of the project, see Landscape Architect Visit: La Noria in the South of France. Photograph by Clive Nichols.

Above: Water flows over the edges of a bowl in a Los Altos Hills, Calfornia garden designed by Monterey-based Bernard Trainor + Associates. Next to the fountain is a concrete seating wall. For more, see Landscape Architect Visit: Bernard Trainor's Most Beautiful Swimming Pool.

Above: This Cor-ten steel water feature sits in a rooftop garden in Manhattan's East Village. Designed by Pulltab Design and fabricated by Stephen Iino, the fountain is intended to develop a patina over time. See the whole project and more of the water feature in A Manhattan Roof Garden with a Panoramic View. Photograph by Bilyana Dimitrova.

Above: This residential garden by Stephen Stimson Associates occupies a steep wooded hillside with a number of pools, fountains, and aqueducts running through it. See another view of the residence in Architects' Roundup: 10 Emerald Green Gardens. Photograph by Rob Cardillo. 

Above: Another water feature in the same garden by Stephen Stimson. For more of Stimson's work, see Architects' Roundup: 10 Contemporary Farmhouse Gardens and Landscape Architect Visit: A Very American Garden on Cape Cod. Photograph by Rob Cardillo.

Above: SF-based Hart Wright Architects designed a custom water feature in the backyard of this midcentury remodel outside of San Francisco. For the "before," see Architect Visit: Lafayette Remodel by Hart Wright Architects.

Above: The landscape of this historic Greenwich, Connecticut estate was designed by Doyle Herman Design Associates, for which the firm won a best landscape award from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. See this project and more in The Grandes Dames: 10 Stately Gardens from the Gardenista Gallery.

Keep exploring our garden roundups: 10 Garden Stairways, 10 Outdoor Pools, 10 Early Evening Gardens, 10 Stately Gardens, and 10 Contemporary Farmhouse Gardens. 

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The ginkgo is a surprising tree, eulogized in art while busy inhaling fumes in American cities. Its elegance becomes truly apparent when the leaves drop. Another thing: it's literally bombproof.

Above: Photograph by Lynn Marie Gray.

Two ginkgo leaves against a white background, one yellow leaf carefully laid over green: this was the cover of Passage, Irving Penn's collection of photographs from 1991. I thought the leaves on the cover were the most elegant things I'd ever seen, though Irving Penn could make a pile of cigarette butts look beautiful.

Never having noticed a ginkgo, its soft pie chart leaves suddenly became more visible. I was living in New York City where ginkgo trees were street trees: not so rarefied after all. Wrong again. 

Above: The only place in the world that the ginkgo (sometimes known as the Maidenhair tree) grows wild is in two small areas of central China. It is a living fossil, a survivor of the early Jurassic age. In a class all its own, ginkgo has no known relations. Photograph by Kendra Wilson.

Above: With multiple leaves clustering from single spurs, the ginkgo is complemented by the tree fern and is often planted with its ancient friend. Ginkgo and fern both evolved before the dawn of flowering plants. Photograph by Tölgyesi Kata.

Above: The ginkgo nut, at the heart of the seed pod, is eaten as a delicacy in China. The fleshy exterior, however, makes a malodorous mess when the seeds hit the ground. It is advised therefore to choose a male specimen. The reason the yellow leaves are just as often associated with the tree pits of Brooklyn is that the ginkgo is pollution-tolerant and is able to grow in cramped conditions. In an ideal world, it would appreciate good hydration and drainage. Photograph by Hideo.

Above: Photograph by Raino Lampinen.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the ginkgo is very long-lived, clocking up a thousand or even two thousand years in a lifetime. The sap that seeps from its bark is said to have fire-retarding properties and these trees have survived many an earthquake-related fire. Not forgetting—at the other extreme—the Ice Age.

Perhaps one reason the overall looks of the ginkgo are perhaps forgettable (before the leaves turn bright yellow) is that as a tree it is rather lumpy, not putting on significant side growth until it is at least 33 feet tall. Ginkgo happily grows to 100 feet and more, which is why it has thrived over the years in arboretums and large gardens, collected from the wild by plant hunters. And yes, it also makes a good bonsai. 

Above: Photograph by Winschoter via Flickr.

This tall-tiny, eastern-western, rural-urban tree is listed as endangered even though it is grown all over the world. This is because of its very rare occurance in the wild. Can we share one more fact? the only vegetation to survive the atom bomb at Hiroshima was the ginkgo, found within a couple of miles of the explosion and still thriving today. 

Want to know more about ancient trees? See Saving the World's Oldest Trees and browse more images of Autumn Colors in our Gardenista Gallery.

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Make your garden an evening event. Landscape lighting not only extends the hours you can use outdoor living space, it also improves safety (you can see where you are going), security (so say the experts), and your viewing pleasure. A good plan will include a variety of lighting types for different purposes. Here we focus on uplights, perfect for illuminating trees, garden walls, and other landscape elements that deserve attention. 

Above: Soft uplights draw the eye to tree trunks on the deck of a rooftop garden in Soho, New York by Robin Key Landscape Architecture, a member of our architects and designers directory. Photograph by Francine Fleischer. 

What is uplighting?

Uplighting simply refers to the directional focus of the light. Landscape uplights are typically mounted below or at ground level, shining the light upward.

Above: Uplights highlight drifts of perennial grasses and balance the lighting on the front porch in a project in Hollywood, by LA-based Walker Workshop, a member of our architects and designers directory. 

Why use uplighting in my landscape?

As part of an overall landscape lighting plan, uplighting is particularly good at spotlighting focal points of your garden and home. Specifically, uplights will: 

• Highlight garden features, including your prized plants or architectural features.
• Create nighttime drama in your landscape with shadows.
• Add depth to outdoor walls, fences, or other flat surfaces.
• Contribute ambient light for safety and security.
• Establish or emphasize outdoor space boundaries. 

Above: Uplit at night, young olive trees look statuesque against the modern fence in a backyard garden in San Francisco designed by Creo Landscape Architecture. Photograph by Kayo Shibano.

Above: Uplights highlight the ribbed concrete architectural detail while providing ambient lighting and a visual path to the entry of the Karaka Bay House in Auckland by Stevens Lawson Architects. Photograph via Stevens Lawson Architects.

Are there different types of uplights?

Many varieties of lights can illuminate in an upward direction. The most common types used in gardens include:

Bullet/Spot

Above: A daytime view of bullet lights installed at the base of a manicured installment of trees in a project by Coen + Partners. Photograph by Paul Crosby.

Named for its resemblance to a bullet, this directional light usually has a narrow spot beam, perfect for shining light on prized plants or trees. They can be surface mounted or pole mounted and are most often adjustable.

Wash

Above: Uplights with a low diffuse wash add visual interest to the artful walls and provide practical pathway illumination in a Los Altos Hills, California project by Arterra Landscape Architects. Wash light is a good choice for subtle illumination of lower plants, shrubs, and wall surfaces. Photograph by Michele Lee Willson Photography. 

Well

Above: Well lights are installed slightly below grade to offer uplight without becoming a visible fixture in the landscape. Used for lighting the underside of plants, benches, or the lower part of walls. Photograph via Blasen Landscape Architecture. (Don't miss Blasen's Amazing Seaside Garden.)

Flood: Another variety of spotlight that has a wider beam than bullet lights. Used primarily for illuminating house facades or extremely large trees.

How do I turn on my uplights?

Unless they are solar-powered, outdoor lights need to be connected to an electric power source. That can be achieved by plugging into an outdoor power socket, hard wiring to a full 120V electric source, or installing a low-voltage transformer. From a safety, cost, and ease-of-installation standpoint, low-voltage is the way to go. Low-voltage transformers change the electric current from 120V to 12V which is ideal for outdoor garden use because of the wet conditions. Electricity and water are typically a bad combination.

Using regular electrical power requires the wiring to be buried at least 18 inches deep or to be encased in a conduit, while low-voltage systems can plug into an outdoor socket and then the wires can be easily buried under soil or gravel. We recommend consulting with an electrician or outdoor lighting professional for guidance or installation.  

Above: Uplights aren't just for large landscapes. New York City-based landscape architect Robin Key designed this Chelsea co-op rooftop garden, complementing panoramic city views with decorative uplighting. Photograph by Francine Fleischer.

Any tips for uplighting in my garden?

• Position uplights so they don't shine in windows, blind your guests in your outdoor entertaining locations, or annoy your neighbors.
• Consider low wattage bulbs for more subtle lighting (it is easy to overdo it).
• If lighting a wall or other flat surface, position lights with enough space between to prevent a continuous bath of light. The idea is to add depth with intermittent light washes. 
• Position lights close to the base of the plants you want to highlight.
• Direct the light straight up on a tree if you want to highlight the shape of the tree; angle the light if you want to create shadows.

Above: Strategically placed uplights set in the path and at the base of the trees illuminate a row of white-bark tree to create a lovely urban garden view in a Chicago project by Coen + Partners. Photograph via Coen + Partners.

Where can I buy uplights for my garden?

See our earlier features:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Landscape UpLights
• 10 Easy Pieces: Pathway Lighting
• 10 Easy Pieces: Black Wharf Lights
• 10 Easy Pieces: Outdoor Nautical Bulkhead Lights

For more views of gardens after the sun has gone down, see Let Twilight Linger. Meanwhile, Remodelista offers up 10 Easy Pieces: Barnhouse-Style Outdoor Lighting.

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The act of potting houseplants is like designing a large interior. You can't just pick out the plant and be done with it. You have to consider its full context: where it will look best indoors and the right growing conditions. Then there's the question of its container. I believe that with a little consideration in your selection, your houseplant will thank you with years of growth.

A container to inspire is Monica Förster's brass flower pot. Designed for Skultuna, a 400-year-old Swedish manufacturer of brass and sterling silver, the brass pot was designed to resemble the classic terra cotta pot. It's made in a traditional method of metal spinning, a process that can fabricate large, three-dimensional objects from sheet metal. The pots are available through Skultana and Artilleriet in Sweden, and at Royal Design and Scandinavian Design Center, who both ship to the US.

Above: The Brass Flower Pot comes in three sizes  at Artilleriet. The x-small measures about 4.5 inches in diameter and 6 inches high for 598 SEK ($84); the small is 5.5 by 7.5 inches for 798 SEK ($112), and the medium is about 8 by 10.5 inches for 1598 SEK ($245).

Above: Förster's planters are available in brushed or polished brass.

Above: The Skultuna emblem is imprinted on the underside of the brass pot.

Above: To polish the pots, Skultuna recommends usin a water-soluble cleanser like Bistro Copper & Brass Polish

For more gardening goods rendered in bras,s see our posts Brass Ikebana Vases from Bavaria and Alchemy in the Garden: Metallic Watering Cans.

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When I moved to London 10 years ago, I met someone who’d grown up in a city neighborhood where, he claimed, the law required every garden to have a fruit tree. Though fruit trees aren’t specifically mentioned in the lengthy design guidelines of Hampstead Garden Suburb, my friend’s neighborhood in North London, it is true that when the area was built in the early 1900s, two fruit trees were planted in every garden.  

The modern-day dictates of the Suburb—as it’s referred to by its residents—are pretty clear, however, on many other points: house walls that were not painted when a house was built shouldn’t be painted now; garage doors must be wood, not metal or plastic; new bricks require repointing with a soft brushed joint, and, as in the early days, green hedges are to be used to mark boundaries. Green means green and appropriate: don’t even think about using a red Pieris or even a large-leaved laurel. Hedge-lined roads and towering mature trees which can’t be touched except by a committee’s approval create an atmosphere that is as green and leafy as you could imagine in any city in the world. 

How do you create a garden in an environment where gardens are almost written into law? A visit to the home of Judy Green, owner of Judy Green's Garden Store in neighboring Hampstead village, is a chance to see a masterful hand at work. 

Photography by Daphne Walker for Gardenista.

Above: A glimpse through the hedges into Judy’s garden. 

From the Suburb's conception, green hedges have been the boundary marker of choice. But you don’t even need access to a private garden to feel surrounded by the countryside; the sidewalks burst with life, and the lack of gates—those pesky guidelines again—make it possible to peek into front gardens full of color, scent, and texture, pretty much year round. 

Above: Judy's pots, in a shady spot near her Elizabethan style house (which like many Suburb houses has a recessed front door for cover from the elements). 

When Henrietta Barnet founded the Suburb in 1907 her goal was to create a city neighborhood where people of different classes would live, and live well. Well-designed houses, gardens bound by hedges not fences, access to conservation land and to allotments for growing fruit and vegetables—all this, minutes away from an Underground station, is still intact today, except that today’s property prices mean it’s no longer the economically diverse area it once was.  

Above: Between beds of healthy lush hydrangea bushes, a geometric box parterre leads toward the back garden.

Above: Alchemilla mollis obscures the hard edge to a step linking the terrace to the rest of the back garden, and pots overflowing with annuals frame the pathway.  In the background a tree fern provides architectural structure.

Above: Lush borders frame a wide lawn that is so well kept it could be a bowling green. Individual back gardens seem to continue far past their own boundaries into neighboring gardens that are equally green, achieving Henrietta Barnett’s aim that “from every part there shall be good views or glimpses of distant country.” 

Suburb houses and gardens complement each other perfectly. Back in the early days when the Suburb was being created, many of Britain’s great architects were asked to design individual houses, and, sometimes, larger areas. Architect Edwin Lutyens, famed in the garden world for his collaborative work with Gertrude Jekyll, designed the Suburb’s central church and the neighborhood around it. 

Above: Here, the planting frames a mullioned window and draws attention to the wood molding and handmade bricks of the Arts & Crafts era house. 

Above: The garden shed is tucked into a corner of the garden. Originally structures of any sort were discouraged in Suburb gardens, which were supposed to be oases of green. Nowadays residents can apply for permission to build one shed, in most gardens.

Above: Crazy paving is a traditional material for garden paths, and Judy’s is especially appropriate because of the way she has planted in the joints between stones. 

Above: Judy’s cloud pruned laurel tree gets lots of attention every year when she opens her garden to the public for a day in support of the National Gardens Scheme charity. 

Above: Though Judy’s garden is a study in elegant restraint, there are moments of playfulness, evident in this juxtaposition of fuzzy yellow Thalictrum and strappy leafed Phormium. 

You don’t have to be a gardener to move into the Suburb, but I imagine it would be pretty hard to avoid becoming one. After an afternoon in Judy Green’s garden, even a day tripper like me wants to go home and help something big, leafy, and green spring to life. 

For more English gardens, see A London Terrace Gets a Grownup Update and A Living Wall in London. And on Remodelista, visit Hampstead Heath in Architect Visit: Stiff + Trevillion in Hampstead.

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For us, the epitome of a minimal outbuilding with just the right hint of glamour is a greenhouse. As a structure, a greenhouse acts as a pared down shell for temperamental plants, but the sheen of the glass lends a factor of sophistication. 

The greenhouse, spotted on Swedish site Expressen, is used as a potting shed, nursery, and living space. Take a look around: 

Photography by Marie Delice Karlsson. 

Above: A weathered door is held open by a classic watering can. Two rustic cafe chairs beckon a gardener who's spent the better part of the day on his or her feet. 

Above: In the foreground, pots of rhubarb sit in a metal crate while a citrus tree gets its start in the background. 

Above: Terra cotta pots and a couple of tin watering cans are accessible on open shelves. We love the look of unrestrained grapevines climbing into view. 

Above: After the potting and planting is done, we imagine the gardener sitting among printed pillows to enjoy a good book. 

For more gorgeous greenhouses, take a look at our Pinterest board. For another Swedish outbuilding, see Outbuilding of the Week: Black and White Orangery, Scandi Style and take a look at A Swedish Summerhouse Made from Humble Materials on Remodelista. 

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Do you have tomatoes coming out of your ears? The time to gorge on them is now, when they are perfectly ripe, their voluptuous contours packed with sweetly fragrant juices and powerful antioxidants. If your summer is coming to an abrupt end—as ours is in the Northeast—a bounty of green tomatoes can help soften the blow. 

For my recipe for fried green tomatoes, read on:

Photography by Laura Silverman for Gardenista.

Above: Tomatoes, a seedy fruit, were known as love apples when they were introduced to Europe from the new world, most likely because of their alleged aphrodisiac qualities. Our word derives from the Aztec xitomatl, meaning “plump thing with a navel.”

Above: We grew about 18 tomato plants this year in our raised beds, most of them heirloom varieties. Some flourished, a few developed the dreaded blight, and many suffered from the unseasonably cool temperatures.

Above: Our cherry tomato plants seemed a bit hardier and have been vigorous producers. They do well even when grown in containers. Among my favorites is the Sun Gold variety, which has an almost tropical sweetness. 

Above: Cherry tomatoes are perfect in salads, tossed raw with hot pasta, combined with cucumbers in a vinegary dressing, or simply eaten as a snack with a sprinkling of salt. I also love them sliced and baked with herbs on a bed of puff pastry.

Above: As summer winds down, I am always thinking about ways to preserve these treasured fruits of the season. We all know there isn’t a fresh tomato worth biting into between October and July. Drying them is an easy method for stockpiling their delicious flavor.

Above: To dry them, slice the tomatoes and lay them cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt and add a few herb sprigs, then dry in the oven on the very lowest setting (or in a dehydrator). Wrinkled and wizened, they lose none of their charm and continue to hold summer in their hearts.

Above: After they’re nice and dry—but still pliable, not crisp—pack them into jars and pour olive oil to cover. They keep beautifully like this (always covered with oil), and are delicious tucked into a grilled cheese, added to soups, or pureed and mixed into salad dressing. 

Above: Have you discovered Green Zebra tomatoes? Not strictly an heirloom, this variety has a wonderfully clean flavor with a zingy tartness. And its chartreuse hue with stripes a shade darker is so very chic. These can occasionally be mealy, so choose firm ones and hope for the best. 

Above: I make a delectable salad full of all things green: wedges of Green Zebra tomato, slices of buttery avocado, and tons of slivered basil and mint. Add a few blobs of creamy blue cheese—gorgonzola piccante is perfect—and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime, plenty of good olive oil, and flaky sea salt.

Above: Truly green tomatoes—those that are still not ripe—have their own charms. Combined with thinly sliced lemons and sugar, they make a terrific marmalade; cook them with Indian spices for chutney, or stew them with a chunk of ham. 

Above: And there’s always the classic Southern dish of fried green tomatoes, an inspired way to enjoy your unripe specimens. They hold up well to a light cornmeal batter and high heat cooking, ideally in your perfectly seasoned cast-iron skillet. Nothing makes a better bridge between summer and fall.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Serves 4-6

• 4 large, firm green (unripe) tomatoes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• Lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil

Core tomatoes and cut into ½”-thick slices. Set aside.

Spread the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk in a medium bowl. Spread the cornmeal on another plate.

Heat about ½ inch of lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet until almost smoking. Meanwhile, dredge the tomato slices in the flour, shaking off any excess. Next, dip them in the egg mixture, letting excess run off, then dredge them in the cornmeal.

Slip slices into the hot pan in batches, so as not to crowd them. Cook about 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. If desired, keep warm in a 225-degree oven as you fry the remaining slices. 

Season with salt. Serve warm with mayonnaise, chutney or the condiment of your choice.

For more recipes from the garden, visit my blog Glutton for Life. And see my recipes for Nasturtium Butter and Summer Pickles in Gardenista's Garden-to-Table Recipe archives.

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You say glamor, I say glamour, but we have more in common than we realize. The editors at Remodelista spent the week exploring the essence of minimal glamor, and after seeing their finds—hanging gardens in Ghent, marble shelves in the bathroom—we're ready to put on high heels and sip champagne with them. Here are a few of the week's top posts:

Above: Margot discovered that pale pink is the perfect backdrop for a fiddle leaf fig tree in Copenhagen Cool: Yvonne Koné at Work and Home.

Above: Gold-rimmed ceramic mugs (inspired by classic enamelware) are finding a place on Julie's desk. For more, see Ceramic Tableware Made in Chile.

Above: Designer Ilse Crawford recently moved to Copenhagen (with Christine in hot pursuit). For more, see Mastering Warm Minimalism: Ilse Crawford in Copenhagen.

Above: 5 Glamorous Marble Bath Shelves. Need we say more?

Above: Kokedama alert—DIY, Justine?

For more, see Remodelista's week of Minimalist Glamour.

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