Call it the ultimate dinner party centerpiece: a chandelier of fresh flowers hanging above the table. And it's easier than it looks.

We spotted the project via Paper and Stitch, where blogger Brittni Mehlhoff armed herself with a large wire basket (the frame for the chandelier), a pendant and cord kit, and a selection of fresh flowers to make a dramatic hanging pendant. And by the way? It does light up.

For a list of supplies and step-by-step instructions, see Paper and Stitch.

Photographs by Brittni Mehlhoff.

Above: Mehlhoff used dahlias, dusty miller, privet, lilies, and waxflowers and.... for a full plant list, see Paper and Stitch.

Above: Mehlhoff wove the flowers and greenery through a wire basket and secured the stems with wire. For a step-by-step tutorial, see Paper and Stitch.

Above: Cut the flower stems to a length of about 6 inches (long enough to weave through the wire basket).

Above: "It does light up. I had it on for about an hour and a half and it was completely fine," says Mehlhoff. "But to be on the safe side, I wouldn't leave this on unattended."

For more greenery-decked lighting, see A Garden in the Sky: Test Tube Chandeliers and Design Sleuth: A Very Sophisticated Growlight.

This week, we let Remodelista's editors loose in London for some design sleuthing. The results: 

Above: Photograph by Simon Bevan.

Christine plus Julie plus popup restaurant: What was on the lunch menu in Hoxton Square?

High style vinyl, courtesy of Neisha Crosland: would you put it in your kitchen? (Julie says yes.)

Handprinted in England: Francesca, admiring Lindsay Alker's new fabrics (debuting at this year's Decorex show in London), is thinking about slipcovers.

Alexa checked in to the new Ace Hotel in Shoreditch.

London architect William Smalley invited Christine over to see his flat in Bloomsbury.

Get your garden tools in order. With little more than a new coat of paint and many, many Shaker pegs, you can create a dream garden shed.

Above: We were recently inspired by this easy DIY project, spotted in Country Living.

Above: Store your soil, fertilizer, and seeds in simple 11-gallon Knodd Bins from Ikea; $24.99.

Above: Easy-to-read labels achieved with Japanese Masking Tape in apple green: $3. 

Above: It is easy to make custom-length peg boards using trim boards from your local hardware store and Shaker Pegs; $3.99 for a pack of 12 pegs.

Above: A Classic Trowel like the one above is currently on sale at West Elm Market; $7.99.

For more of our favorite storage ideas, see DIY: Toolbox for a City Gardener.

Above: The watering can in the picture is no longer made, but we found a similar Watering Can In Stainless Steel; $49.95.

Above: A Moroccan Woven Beach Tote from Savoir Faire Kitchens is also perfect for gathering vegetables and flowers; $25.

Above: We love the clean lines and retro look of Junkyard Lighting's Cage Light; $75. But perhaps Motor Trend's heavy-duty version is better for the garden; $18.

Above: The crème de la crème of garden tools, Joseph Bentley's Spade, forks, and trowels have been expertly crafted in England since 1895; $50.

Above: Always a classic, Hunter Boots In Chartreuse. A pair of these garden boots is $104.99 at Zappos.

Above: Protect your face from harmful rays with a generous, Straw Garden Hat from Az-Tex hats; $39.99.

Looking for other inspired ideas to get your garden shed in order? Take a tour of 54 more of our Favorite Garden Sheds in our Photo Gallery.

N.B.: This is an update of a post originally published April 23, 2013.

There is another world in the top of trees, a watery green place where light is filtered through leaves and branches fan out like mysterious roadways. Stand on the ground and crane your neck to imagine what's happening in the sky. Or go up there and see for yourself:

At the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, a network of suspension bridges and catwalks and observation platforms built among the trees enable you to see for yourself what's going on 50 feet above the ground. Last week we sent photographer Jeffrey Stockbridge to take a look for us:

Photographs by Jeffrey Stockbridge.

Above: The Tree Adventure entrance leads to a 450-foot-long canopy walk suspended more than 50 feet above ground level; from here you can see what the world looks like to a bird.

Above: You can lie on the net hammocks and look down at the ground far below.

Above: A telescope on an observation deck for a closer look. The Morris Arboretum is known for its collection of trees, which include a 74-foot-tall Chinese elm (a variety resistant to the Dutch elm disease that decimated the American elm in recent decades) and a gigantic, century-old weeping European beech trees whose branches form new roots where they touch the ground.

Above: From below, you can see the branches stretch outward to connect trees' canopies.

Above: From the observation platform, you can view the arboretum's 92 acres below.

Above: Many of the arboretum's trees and plants date from the 1800s, when the property was the private estate of Lydia and John Thompson Morris, an enthusiastic plant collector.

Above:  Designed by Metcalfe Architecture and Design, the arboretum's tree walk has a suspension bridge that leads to a giant bird's nest (which you can go into).

Above: For treetop canopy walks in other cities, see A View From the Top.

Picture this: You on the side of the highway just outside Cannes, trunk of your deux chevaux propped open, a smart suitcase inside that you've just unclipped in order to retrieve your trusty silk scarf. It gets so windy with the top rolled down, and you wouldn't want to arrive to the lavender fields of Grasse with your hair mussed.

Even if my French fantasy is not in the cards for the moment, I like the idea of having a designated suitcase for weekend road trips. Made from sturdy painted cardboard with metal-reinforced corners and edges, these suitcases look more expensive than they are.

Above: Cardboard Suitcases come in five colors and are £26 apiece at Manufactum.

Above: For myself, I can't decide between the apple green or navy suitcases.

Above: For Gardenistas who prefer more understated luggage, black and brown options are also in stock. Which one would you choose?

 Got a Travel Bug? Browse our archive by Destination.

Seems like everybody we know is journaling (when did this word become a verb? Discuss) these days.

And with back-to-school season underway, we've been looking for an excuse to go shopping for supplies (colored pencils!) of our own. Following the lead of the folks at GRDN shop here in Brooklyn who made a modern version of an old-fashioned garden journal, we made one too. So can you:

See below for a list of supplies and step-by-step instructions.

Do you keep a garden journal? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Supplies:

• Journal
• Glue
• Tape
• Scissors
• Plant Stakes
• Colored Pencils
• Pen
• Photos or Seed Catalog Clippings
• A technical drawing stencil or two for making perfect circles and squares

Step 1: Sketch your garden layout. In my case, that means two window boxes and two small pots. Over at GRDN, they sketched their fire escape. Anything goes.

Step 2: If you have photos of your garden or plants, include those on the pages to remind you of what things looks like (I printed Instagrams using the Printic app and cut out photos from seed catalogs).

Step 3: Tape or glue any plant stakes or seed packets you've saved; they often include good information about preferred light and soil conditions. Jot your own notes too; track what did well, what needed improvement and whether you think you might grow a particular again.

Step 4: Keep adding to your journal throughout the season. Since we're nearing the end of our most abundant growing season, I decided to cut out photos of bulbs I plan to buy for fall planting.

Above: My 2013 garden plan.

 Above: I included a photograph of the plants that I grew; next spring I'll remember what they looked like.

Above: I devoted a separate page to each plant I grew. Since I still had a few seeds left over from my Adventures in Tiny Apartment Gardening, I saved them in a labeled seed envelope. Here's a whole collection of Seed Saving Envelopes to choose among.

Above: It can be hard to remember what you planted in October come springtime; I cut out clippings of bulbs I plan to plant this fall and included those in the journal, too.

Is your garden starting to wane? If you've grown open-pollinators, consider saving your seeds to plant next year.

"There is no better pleasure than to be out-talented by your own family," says Julian Temperley, the renowned cider brandy maker from Somerset, whose daughter Alice Temperley has added layers of talent to the family name. Her recent collaboration with British department store John Lewis is called Somerset and one could argue that it works both ways.

Temperley pours me out a cider brandy aperitif named after the legendary local apple, Kingston Black. "It leaves you with a clean, dry feel in your mouth, instead of a grungy taste of sugar," he explains. It is 11 am on a Thursday. What time does sampling start?

"Sampling? All day, every day," he laughs.

Photographs by Kendra Wilson.

Above: The Temperley orchards, home of the "very special" Kingston Black, and in this particular orchard Tremlets, Taylor's, and Bulmer's Norman. "We are distillers as well as cider makers," says Julian Temperley. "Our distillery gives us the crown jewels of the cider world."

Above: Full pressing will be taking place by the end of October. Apples are harvested from the ground and not directly from the 40-year-old trees. On the ground the fermenting begins as starch is converted to sugar, and cider is already on its way.

Above: Mounds and mounds of apples. And yet, the yields are down this year by about 50 percent. "It's been an appalling year," says Julian, "partly because last year was so good." The degree of sunlight after pollination is crucial. If there is none, like this year, the apple is programmed to be small. "If apples are only pollinated by the skin of their teeth," continues Temperley, "they will be poxy and poor."

Above: Newly harvested apples are given their first wash. Temperley's Apple Day is October 20 and selling locally is very important at Burrow Hill, home of the distillary. "We see customers as very much a part of the cider tradition of South Somerset and its love of craft cider," says Julian. "People come in every day to buy. Except Sunday," he adds. "We are a God-fearing village."

Above: A sign explains the differences and similarities between Somerset cider brandy and Calvados. "We are not Calvados," says Julian Temperley. "Unfortunately the English are fearful in their tastes and prefer to be led by the French. We are a cousin of Calvados... We have a different maturing technique: more Scottish than French."

Above: Vast vats."We press apples and blend the different varieties," says Temperley. "The art and the craft is in the blending of apples."

Above: Distilling equipment with the very scenic farm buildings beyond. "We are the only people who can take cider spirit and turn it into something we can call cider brandy," says Temperley. Last year the brand was awarded the European Union's Protected Geographic Indication designation, conferring the right to use the label "appellation controlée," usually reserved for better wines.

Above: Oak barrels inside the storage area where aging cider brandy is kept under lock and key (and lit from above by a chandelier). The 20-year-old cider brandy is very, very special though a wider range of Temperley's products is sold nationlally in the UK at shops like Waitrose, and served at top restaurants such as those overseen by Mark Hix. The eponymous Hix Fix is a glass of Champagne with an eau-de-vie infused cherry added, courtesy of Temperley's. His friend grows the cherries; he does the eau-de-vie.

Above: Some of the crown jewels. The Somerset Pomona, right, is wonderful as an after dinner drink. "If you've got Montgomery cheddar in one hand, this will hold its own in the other," says Julian Temperley.

Above: "We are compatible with cheddar," Mr Temperley continues. "We both come from the meadows of Somerset." The cows at Montgomery's are moved out of the orchard there in September and the harvested apples are sent to Temperley's.

N.B.: This is an update of a post that originally published on October 17, 2012.

Between my husband and me, we own one perfect weekend bag. When we travel, it turns into a tug of war (it's too small to accommodate both of us). It's time to get a second perfect weekend bag. Here are ten I'm coveting. Which one would you pick?

Above: The Weekend Bag by The Good Flock is made from navy and white canvas, and the handles are made from vegetable tanned leather; $200 from the Frye Museum Store in Seattle. 

Above: The XL Boat Tote by Joshu and Vela is large enough to fit all your weekend needs. The bag comes in white or black canvas with tanned leather; $220.

Above: The Handmade Canvas and Leather Carry All Bag in dark green canvas is $165 from Kaufmann Mercantile. 

Above: The Olive Drab Duffle from San Francicso-based Joshu and Vela is made from thick waxed or natural canvas and tanned leather; $160. The Duffle is available in four different colors.

Above: The Canvas and Leather Fold Weekender in tobacco canvas is $165 and made by Makr. The bag comes in several color and leather combinations and features pockets and a top portion that folds to make the tote larger or smaller.

Above: The Cuyana Canvas and Leather Weekend Bag in black is $120 from Cuyana. It is also available in brown.  

Above: Apolis Mason Courier Bag (versatile enough to use as a weekend bag). It's available in several colors and costs $228.

Above: The 166 Large Carryall Bag in brush brown canvas is $375 from Billy Kirk.  

Above: The Weekender in solid ash blue is $95 by LA-based Everlane. It's available in several color options. 

Above: For the lighter packer, consider the Wax Canvas Drawstring Back Pack by AW Andrea Wong; $140. It is available in several canvas colors and leather combinations. 

We've also found a canvas bag versatile enough to use as a garden and weekend bag. Check out this post featuring Artifact Bags. 

Who knew that for decades San Francisco's famous Alcatraz prison harbored not only notorious criminals, but also a collection of lush gardens? 

The Gardens of Alcatraz were planted more than 150 years ago for the benefit of those serving duty, those serving time, and the San Francisco residents who didn't want to look at the stark island eyesore in the middle of the bay. Over several decades, officers and inmates carved terraces, built greenhouses, and cultivated gardens on the rocky windswept island.

Abandoned after the prison closed in the early 1960s, the Gardens of Alcatraz are a study in survival. Many of the hardy and humble Mediterranean plants chosen by the prison warden (with advice from the California Horticulture Society) in the 1930s proved to be good choices for the harsh environment as they not only survived, but thrived in the four decades of neglect. In 2003, the Garden Conservancy, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service joined forces to restore and maintain the historic gardens. Set in the crumbling foundations of old prison building and walls, these enchanting gardens are worth a visit. 

Photographs courtesy of the Garden Conservancy.

Above: A view of the Golden Gate Bridge gives no hint of Alcatraz's harsh environment not only for people, but also for plants. Photograph by Shelagh Fritz, Garden Conservancy's project manager for the Gardens of Alcatraz.

Above: With a new greenhouse and composting center, the rose terrace serves as the center of gardening activities on Alcatraz. Photograph by Elizabeth Byers.

Above: In the 1920s the military undertook an island beautification project and prisoners planted hundreds of trees, shrubs and seeds. The gardens along Alcatraz's main road were part of this effort. Surviving plants include yellow bush lupines, pink Centranthus ruber, and pelargoniums. Photograph by Elizabeth Byers.

Above: Free docent-led garden tours are offered on Fridays and Sundays at 9:30 am from the Alcatraz dock. Tours are free, but please note that there is a charge for ferry service to the island. And, especially in summer months, ferry tickets sell out in advance. Photograph by Elizabeth Byers.

Above: Hardy succulents, including these aeoniums, survived the harsh island environment and years of neglect. Photograph by Shelagh Fritz.

Above: Gardens along Officers' Row were cultivated to provide cut flowers, including bearded iris, purple limonium, and yellow daylilies for the officers' quarters. Photograph by Elizabeth Byers.

Above: Abundant Chasmanthe florbunda stands in contrast to the stark prison wall behind. Photograph by Shelagh Fritz.

Above: Officers' Row cutting gardens, in a photograph by Shelagh Fritz.

Above: The Gardens of Alcatraz at dusk. Photograph by Marion Brenner via Pacific Horticulture.

The Garden Conservancy offers the key to many of America's Secret Gardens. Not able to be in the San Francisco area soon? Visit the Gardens of Alcatraz Blog to see what's blooming.

Alcatraz isn't the only island prison growing something, see Orange is the New Green: A Prison Island on Rikers Island.

London's "it" florist Hattie Fox recently moved her Shoreditch studio, That Flower Shop, from a nearby former blacksmith's digs to a street-front shop at the new Ace Hotel. We can see why:

Above: Photograph by Mark Leary via Flickr.

To see more of the interiors' signature Pacific Northwest grunge-industrial vibe, see our recent post Design News: Ace Hotel Opens in Shoreditch.

Above: Florist Hattie Fox, known as "That Flower Girl" in London, has an eclectic client list. Fox has designed headpieces for a Wall Street Journal fashion spread (no, that's not an oxymoron), has planted the VIP area at Wimbledon, and does the regular maintenance work necessary keep container gardens alive on clients' Shoreditch rooftops. Photograph via Stamp.

Above: Photograph via Flowerona.

Fox got her start working for her dad's landscape design business; now she arranges flowers for weddings, delivery, and passersby.

Above: Photograph via Stamp.

Above: Photograph via That Flower Shop.

Grown on a rooftop in Shoreditch.

Above: Photograph via That Flower Shop.

In case you needed directions:

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Headed to London? Visit more of our favorite UK Florists, Restaurants, and Gardens.

You love black houses; we love black houses. Easy to admire but a bold move to make, not just any shade will do. We've asked architect and designer members of our Professional Directory for their favorite black exterior paints. Here, they've shed some light for when you're ready to go dark.

What's your favorite shade of black paint?

Photographs of paint swatches by Katie Newburn for Gardenista.

Above: Top row, left to right: Farrow & Ball Railings; Benjamin Moore Midnight Oil; Benjamin Moore Carbon Copy; Farrow & Ball Off-Black. Bottom row: Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green; Benjamin Moore Black Panther; Farrow & Ball Pitch Black; and Benjamin Moore French Beret. 

Above: SF-based Butler Armsden Architects renovated a William Wurster home and had it painted in Benjamin Moore Carbon Copy, a rich black shade with a hint of purple. The architects used a flat finish for the body of the home and a soft gloss sheen for the trim.

Above: This home by architect Roberto De Leon is painted in Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green. The shade is discontinued, but can still be mixed on request. Black Forest Green was also a favorite pick of LA-based DISC Interiors (and, after seeing it in person, I myself am obsessed). Photo via Dwell.

Above: Another example of Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green. Williamstown, Mass.-based Burr & McCallum Architects painted this farmhouse with trim in Essex Green.

Above: Stylist Arren Williams chose Farrow & Ball Railings for his own home (pictured here). Railings is not a true black, but functions beautifully in place of one. TheJenTurner Studio also used Railings on the exterior trim and front door of her home in Brooklyn. For details, see The Architect Is In: Tips from Jen Turner's Grand DIY. The shade was also recommended by Charles Mellersh Design Studio in London. Photograph via House & Home. 

Above: Farrow & Ball's Off-Black is a favorite of designer/fabricators MADE LLC in New York. Photograph via Farrow & Ball. 

Above: Owner Margaret Grade of Sir and Star restaurant in Marin chose Benjamin Moore Black Panther for a dark overhaul of her formerly white building. This shade is in a tie with Pitch Black for the blackest of the shades recommended here. For more, see A Restaurant That Channels "The Birds," West Marin Style. Photograph by Alexa Hotz.

Above: Portland, OR-based Bright Design Lab used Benjamin Moore Midnight Oil on this home still under construction. The shade is a very dark gray with just a hint of brown.

Above: NYC-based Steven Harris Architects used Farrow & Ball Pitch Black for a long exterior storage wall on this beach home in Montauk. Photograph by Scott Frances. 

Above: SF-based Boor Bridges Architecture used Benjamin Moore French Beret on this home in Sonoma (still under construction). Architect Bonnie Bridges describes the shade as "the blackest black with an ever-so-subtle hint of blue." Though black may be an unlikely pick for a home nestled among the trees, "It’s rich enough to be the backdrop to the vast site and amazing views," she says. 

Can't decide which color to paint your exterior? See the 10 Easy Pieces posts in our exterior color series: Architects' Top 10 Grays, and White Exterior Paint Picks.

What paint color should we profile next? Green? Yellow?

I've never really mastered the art of tying a simple silk scarf. Do I tie it in a knot? A bow? The perfect twist and tie eludes me, but I have a friend who manages to pull off the look with incredible panache, and I'm convinced that one of these days I'll be able to wrap my locks into the perfect chignon, tie a silky little scarf around my neck, and dash off to a garden—er, gallery—opening looking very chic.

Until then, these silk scarves from the Barcelona-based photography studio Las Coleccionistas are pretty enough to hang on a wall.

Above: The Sierra 1 ($48), one of a collection of four silk scarves featuring original photographs by Las Coleccionistas.

Above: A water view sets apart the Sierra 2. 

Above: The Sierra 3 is less about the vista and more about a closeup view of Catalonian mountainside vegetation. 

Above: The Sierra 4, features a sunset view of Montserrat, Spain.

The perfect thing to pair with The World's Most Stylish $40 Suitcase, don't you think?

A rustic shepherd's hut, once used to make cheese, has been restored into a simple, bucolic mountain retreat.

In 2004, Austrian Frederick Pfeffer purchased this 300-year-old stone hut in Cantal's volcanic Central Massif region, an area noted for its fromage. The mountain sides were once scattered with such huts (known as buron); until the 1950s, shepherds would spend their summers here with a herd of cows and their milking hands making cheese. Since then, many have fallen into disrepair, but Pfeffer restored this hut with the help of local craftsmen, using simple, natural materials such as beech wood from the local forest, stone, felt, and linen. Should you yearn for such bucolic bliss, the buron is available for rent. For details, visit Niercombe.

Above: The Buron de Niercombe sits perched on a mountain bluff overlooking the Cère Valley, which is part of the Parc des Volcans, a National Park in Auvergne.

Above: With the absence of electricity, a wood fired stove keeps the place warm and candles are used for lighting at night.

Above: Benches made by local craftsmen feature felt coverings strapped on with leather ties.

Above: Simple handmade wood furnishings and horsehair cushions that double as beds at night.

Above: Wooden stairs leading down to the basement where the cheeses were once stored. The kitchen and shower are located downstairs. Water is sourced from a nearby spring.

Above: A bench made from local stone with felt cushion covering.

Above: A weathered wood stable door at the entry.

N.B. This post is an update; the original story ran on December 19th, 2008.

A well made walking stick is a great trail companion. It can improve your reach, your balance, and stamina. The hunt for the perfect walking stick used to be the driving force to get our children to move in a forward direction on our weekend hikes. Here are some favorites that look as if you could have found them alongside the trail. 

Above: Made by Commune Design for the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, the Ace Walking Stick is made of natural wood still covered in bark and stands 58 inches tall; $78 through the Commune Design Shop. 

Above: Wupen Sticks Diamond Willow Walking Sticks are hand carved, sanded, and finished with verathane. Prices range from $65 to $110 depending on the particular stick. 

Above: For our UK readers, the Rustic Blackthorn Walking Stick is handmade in Ireland from blackthorn wood with a high gloss finish and a copper tip; £30 at Walking Sticks Online. 

Above: Bear Paw Rustics crafts walking sticks in Maine from a variety of woods, including ash and maple. This Ash Wood Walking Stick has a braided hemp strap and a bark-grip handle area. It is sanded smooth and finished with natural linseed oil; $60 through Bear Paw Rustics Esty Shop.

 Above: The Natural Free Form Sassafras Walking Stick with a clear lacquer finish is $23 at Fashionable Canes.

Above: Diamond willow is favored for being strong but lightweight. The Unfinished Diamond Willow Hiking Staff is $95 at Fashionable Canes and Walking Sticks.

Put your walking stick to use: peruse some of Gardenista's Favorite Hikes.

Kitted out by a professional yacht interior designer, a 1952 Airstream at the Hotel Daniel in Vienna offers luxe minimalism for the urban camper.

For more information, go to Hotel Daniel.

Above: The polished exterior of the Airstream reflects the surrounding park-like setting.

Above: Everything you need for a short-term land stay.

Above: A slice of mirrored wall adds a feeling of expansiveness to the interior.

Above: A tiny washing-up basin sits atop a sleek custom sink base.

Above: The built-in bed is reminiscent of boat bunks.

Above: The designers managed to fit a full-size bathtub into the bathroom area.

For more luxe camping, see Camping, Serengeti Style.

Identified: A sturdy houseplant that manages to look delicate. The Hardy Blue Fern (Phlebodium pseudoaureum) got my attention last spring, and I've finally found a specimen to bring into my apartment. 

Above: I first spotted the glaucous plant (that's bluish-gray-green in botany speak) in the collection that Lindsey Taylor curated at Mrs. Robertson this spring. Can you ID it in this photo?

Above: The soft green color of the foliage appealed to me immediately—it's a lighter shade than the deep green of many hardy houseplants—but I opted for the Coral Nymph Salvia (R) instead and spent the next few months regretting my decision to not scoop them both.

Above: I eventually found this Hardy Blue Fern—known alternately as the Blue Rabbit Foot Fern and the Virginia Blue Fern—for $5 at the Union Square Greenmarket, and I'm proud to say that not only have I not killed it, it's thriving. A similar Hardy Blue Fern in a 2.5-inch pot is available for $3.99 from Josh's Frogs.

Above: While we've still had warm weather, I've been keeping my new plant on a not-often-sunny windowsill outside and watering it daily. When the temperatures drop, I'll move it to the other side of the glass. Without the benefit of humid New York summer air, I'll need to mist it weekly. But as ferns go, the Hardy Blue Fern lives up to its name and is decidedly less persnickety than some other plants in the family. This is a fern that likes to be kept moist, but that can handle a fair bit of indirect sunlight (unlike the delicate Maidenhair Fern).

Above: For now, I've been using a white Ben Wolff pot with a patina as a cachepot. When the plant grows a bit more, I'll repot it in larger vessel. 

Above: The mitt shaped fronds of the Hardy Blue Fern can grow to 12 inches long. I can't wait for my plant to develop longer, looser fronds. 

What about you? Any new houseplant acquistitions you've been pleased with lately?

Looking to build a houseplant collection? Here are 47 posts to help you get started.

Rainy days can be the best time to visit a garden, as photographer Laure Joliet reminded us when she and her mother recently visited the collection of more than 3,000 succulents inside the Huntington Botanical Gardens greenhouse in Pasadena. Luckily she took her camera along.

We spotted these photos on Joliet's blog At Home at Home, where she wrote, "I love (am obsessed with?) greenhouses and plants and I've made a career (at least partially) of taking soft, quiet images and still I had to flex something in me to settle in and just quickly want to move on to the next thing." Let's settle in with her for a look:

 Photographs by Laure Joliet.

Above: The Desert Garden Conservatory at the Huntington Botanical Gardens protects a collection of more than 3,000 succulents from cold temperatures and rain (yes, both conditions actually exist in southern California).

Above: Says Joliet, "I was reminded how fleeting all this is. All these minutes that can so easily blur into the next. And so I looked."

Above: In addition to the greenhouse, the Huntington Botanical Gardens occupy 207 acres.

Above: The cacti include a melon thistle, which was the first cactus to arrive in Europe.

Above: The greenhouse has a large collection of pincushion cacti.

Above: The oldest plant in the greenhouse has been there for 85 years; the Pachypodium horombense was collected in the wild in Madagascar in 1928.

Above: Many of the plants in the collection are rare or endangered species; the collections encompasses plants from deserts worldwide.

Above: See more of the Huntington's gardens at Escape to a Desert Garden, Pasadena Edition.

Need directions?

In case your fall travel plans inspire the painter in you, we've collected five travel watercolor sets that are just the right size for toting.

Do you have a favorite watercolor set? Let us know in the comments. 

Above: Original Design DIY Pocket Sized Watercolor Paint and Art Journal Travel Set is $24.50 from The Nature Walk on Etsy. The set includes a handmade journal, three high-quality brushes, and four watercolor paint strips.

Above: The Watercolor Paints Travel Case is $42 from Gypsya on Etsy. The handmade watercolor paints are made from natural flowers. The container is handmade from thin metal.

Above: The Holbein Artists' Watercolor Travel Kit includes 12 watercolor tubes, two brushes, brush holders, a sponge, and a drawstring carrying bag; $94.60 from Jerry's Artarama. 

Above: The Lucas Aquarell 1862 Artists' Watercolor Set of 12 colors is $65.90 from Jerry's Artaram. The set is made in Germany and features high quality pigment.

Above: The Guerrilla Painter 6 by 8 Inch Thumbox (volume II) is $87.61 on Amazon. The traveling box holds two watercolor panels and features a slide-out palette and storage space. Several accessory parts can be added to the box. 

Need an excuse to buy more art supplies? We suggest starting a Garden Journal.

When Henry David Thoreau wrote, "...if it were proposed to me to dwell in the neighborhood of the most beautiful garden that ever human art contrived, or else of a dismal swamp, I should certainly decide for the swamp," we can only imagine that he'd been accustomed primarily to the murky swamps of the American Northeast. Had he traveled south, he might have realized that it's possible for the most beautiful garden and swamp to be one and the same.

Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, South Carolina hosts a swamp where cypress and tupelo trees rise from glassy black water, branches are festooned in spanish moss, and fragrant white water lilies look like so many pearls bobbing in the still water. Okay, yes, there's also the occasional alligator. But if you ask us, the element of danger is half the fun of a swampy adventure.

Over the weekend, we sent Charleston, South Carolina photographer Melissa Toms to nearby Cypress Gardens. Melissa shares her photos below, and her advice: Arrive early in the morning, hop in a rowboat, and stay for a minimum of three hours. 

Above: Bald cypress and tupelo trees rise from the black swamp water.

 Above: Fragrant water lilies (Nymphaea odorata).

Above: Rowboats are free to take for a tool through the swamp.

Above: If you're afraid of alligators, consider calming your nerves and opt for a $5 guided tour.

Above: If you do go it alone, painted white arrows direct boaters on a path through the swamp.

Above: Bring along a friend to lighten your paddling load.

Above: Spanish moss drip from the towering cypress trees.

Above: In the fall, the deciduous needles of the bald cypress turn a rich rust-brown before falling off the trees. 

Above: In addition to the swamp, the gardens offer 3.5 miles of nature trails. Melissa recommends a visit to the garden's Butterfly House, where butterflies fly freely.

Above: This time of year bright red spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) steal the show among the garden's flowers. For a complete list of the flowers currently in bloom, see the garden's What's Blooming? list.

Above: A butterfly flies among branches of Lobelia puberula "Downy." Correction: The butterfly is enjoying Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)!

Above: The gardens are open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm, year-round. The last admission is at 4 pm—which Melissa explains is a good thing. She suggests setting aside plenty of time for a visit: "Once you get there, you don't want to leave."

For more information about admission and tickets, see Cypress Gardens.

Need directions? Here's a map:

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See 40 other Garden Travel Posts to inspire a garden-themed itinerary.

You might think of flower farmers as folk who tend to stay put—people who are, for lack of a better phrase, rooted to a particular plot of land. Not so for everyone. British flower farmers often follow a southwest trajectory for more sun, more rain, a better life. Benjamin Ranyard of Higgledy Garden made that journey in a trailer and he has parked it in a glorious spot, indefinitely. From there, he's happy to mail you his flower seeds.

We follow Ben down to Cornwall and consider moving into his trailer:

Photographs by Benjamin Ranyard.

Above: Any dawn risers who tweet will know that gardening people are unnaturally cheerful in the morning. People have a habit of tweeting pictures of flowers they have grown or seed packets they are about to sow, and Higgledy Garden features heavily in these communiqués. It's part of being in a friendly, informal group: "I think people really like the idea of dealing with a micro company," says Ben. "They can contact me through Twitter whenever they have questions. Which they do all the time." Ben can be found @higgledygarden.

For Ben's tips on how to sow cutting flowers, see below.

Above: The Higgledy cutting garden in July.

Ben hooked up his trailer in January of this year and  started from scratch in England's southwest tip, near St Agnes in Cornwall. But the first field he rented, arranged by phone, was wind-scorched "and so acid it almost melted my boots." Twitter to the rescue.

"A Twitter chum and his wife suggested I grow on one of their fields. It has worked well for us both, and they get as many flowers as they want. They are both into wildlife conservation and my flowers bring in lots of bees and other pollinators to their farm. So everyone's happy."

Higgledy Garden ships seeds to the EU, the US, and Canada. The Complete Cut Flower Collection is available for £19.50 for 20 packets of seeds. Free postage for this in the UK.

Above: In the beginning. One of Ben's skills is in making everything look easy, and fun. The regularly updated blog on his website is full of instructions, but they avoid making you feel guilty for all the things you haven't done, as some garden writing can. His observations make you want to try growing everything. On a white carnation he has been trialing, called 'Sensation':

"The flowers themselves have a very Higgledy vibe about them: scruffy in a cool way. The undone bow-tie look, as you leave the casino with Audrey Hepburn... and her mate. You know the sort of thing."

Above: Yellow craspadia. Ben takes quite a relaxed attitude towards flower arranging. If the petals drop, then go out and pick some more: "If you want flowers to last two weeks then you’ll have to go to a supermarket and buy ones that have been sprayed to hell and back and look like a floral version of an Egyptian mummy."

Above: How was the transition of the business from Cambridgeshire to Cornwall, I wonder: "It couldn't have been easier," says Ben. "I run the whole business through mobile Internet from the caravan. The only thing that has changed is the view from the window."

Above: A little farther along the coast—the beach at St Agnes, Cornwall—is the real reason for Ben's relocation.

Above: Calendula 'Indian Prince,' car bonnet.

Benjamin Ranyard's Incredibly Simple Sowing Calendar for Hardy Annual Cut Flowers:

• Make an autumn sowing of hardy annual seeds for good, strong, and early plants next spring. Sow these on the Autumn Equinox (September 22).
• Make another sowing in spring, to extend the flowering season. Sow them on the Spring Equinox (March 22).
• Sow biennials on the Summer Solstice (June 21).
• This marks the seasons but is not intended to be any more meaningful, insists Ben. They are just easy dates to remember. Notable exception: Sweet peas, sown in October.

Love British flowers as well as British seeds? See Let's Get #britishflowers Trending.