Alexa has me convinced: there's a place at the table for cut glass vessels. 

But a cut glass vase needs an arrangement that's equal parts modern and trailing to counteract all of those faceted edges. In my case, it also needs the help of a floral expert.

I called on an up-and-coming floral designer on the Brooklyn flower scene, Lisa Przystup of James's Daughter Flowers, to help me with my challenging vessel.

Photographs by Erin Boyle.

A little background: When I sat down to brunch three years ago with my cousin Mildred—lifelong New Yorker and the epitome of style and grace—to celebrate my recent engagement, she handed me this beautiful and intricate cut glass bride's basket. The piece had belonged to our Aunt Ruth (if we're getting technical, Aunt Ruth was Mildred's aunt, and my great great aunt) and I cherish anything that comes from these venerable women in my mom's family. But the honest truth is that I've had trouble finding the perfect occassion to pull out the diminutive vessel. Even with a simple arrangment of tulips, the piece felt too fussy and too old-fashioned for my apartment (and this coming from someone with a penchant for all things vintage).

Above: Lisa came to my new apartment with bundles of pale yellow poppies, white jasmine, and other statement flowers to make a sculptural arrangement.

Above: She began her process by creating a framework of Scotch tape. A floral frog is also a handy tool for creating a modern arrangement with plenty of breathing room between stems, but the frog was too large to fit into the base of this small basket.

Above: Like any floral designer worth her salt, Lisa started the arrangement with a base of greenery: her choices for this small vase were eucalyptus and jasmine.

Above: Lisa prepares tall stalks of Fritillaria persica. A journalist by training, Lisa got bitten by the flower bug while researching a story on Brooklyn florists for New York Magazine last spring. After spending the summer testing her own floral skills on weekend trips upstate, Lisa decided to try her hand running a business and launched James's Daughter Flowers. Currently, she's responsible for a weekly floral display at Clare Vivier's Soho Store and on certain weekends can be found selling bouquets at Steven Alan's Home Shop in Tribeca. 

Above: To the base of green, Lisa added dainty checkerboard Fritillaria meleagris. (Have a hankering to plant your own? See How to Make a Meadow of Snake's Head Fritillary.)

Above: Trailing white jasmine was a treat for Lisa to find after an early winter that offered only pink varieties.

Above: Pro-tip for preparing poppies: burn the plant stems to seal the stem and prevent the milky white substance from leaching into your arrangement  and causing the poppy to wilt and the other flowers to suffer as well. 

Above: The work in progress. 

Above: To one side, pink parrot tulips droop over the edge of the vase.

Above: The finished arrangement on my newly painted dresser. I can't decide if the arrangement makes a modern statement, or if it's just perfectly old-fashioned enough to suit the cut glass. In either case, I think it's pretty near perfect.

Not convinced about the power of cut glass? See Alexa's post on Remodelista: Trend Alert: Your Grandmother's Cut Crystal Makes a Comeback.

For more floral designing adventures, see all of our posts on Floral Arrangements.

Garden designer Paul Hendershot takes issue with the word "formal" to describe refined gardens. "That's so American," he says. "They see one clipped bush and call it formal." He has a point. (And he's American.)

Here, we chose 10 sophisticated favorites from the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory. Whatever you want to call these gardens—elegant, elaborate, swoon-worthy—they're likely far fancier than yours or mine. Are they formal? Who cares. We're going for grand.

Above: Connecticut-based Doyle Herman Design Associates won a best landscape award from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art for the grounds of this historic Greenwich estate.

Above: The landscape of this Bellport, New York, home by NYC-based Gunn Landscape Architecture includes an outdoor lap pool, several rose gardens, and hedges galore.

Above: Boston area-based Stephen Stimson Associates designed the gardens of this Osterville, Massachusetts, home by Catalano Architects. To create a feeling of breadth, Stimson divided the two-acre property into smaller spaces connected by an extensive system of paths, a terraced lawn, and Cape Cod-style clipped hedges. Photograph by Charles Mayer.

Above: Neatly trimmed low hedges in this Ojai, California, garden by Paul Hendershot provide an organizational frame for small trees and groupings of lavender. Photograph by Alicia Cattoni.

Above: San Anselmo, California-based Blasen Landscape Architecture designed this refined terraced garden overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, California. Photograph by Marion Brenner. 

Above: When Deborah Nevins' clients wanted to add a pool and pool house to their long, narrow property, the designer made an existing 40-foot-wide butternut tree the anchor of the landscape—with the rest of the grounds divided into surrounding outdoor rooms.

Above: London-based Richard Miers designed the formal gardens of Stanhoe Hall in Norfolk, UK. The gardens of the circa 1702 residence are occasionally made open to the public. 

Above: Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture designed this garden in Atherton, California, south of San Francisco. The meandering property features terraced flower gardens, a solitary courtyard of ginko trees, and an allée of linden trees with a stone fountain at the front entry. Photograph by Marion Brenner.

Above: This Greenwich landscape by Susan Wisniewski features a circular driveway and topiary-and-ivy-filled courtyard. Trimmed hedges and stone-lined walkways complete the look.

Above: Wirtz International Landscape Architects in Belgium designed this sprawling nine-acre private garden near Antwerp. The main garden at left features a canal with walking path and interconnected hedges, and the modern garden at right has raised triangular beds of long grasses contrasting with tightly cropped lawn. 

For more refined gardens, see Brit Style: The Garden With (Almost) No Flowers, Louis Benech: Twelve French Gardens, and Contemporary Designers' Own Gardens.   

Add instant grandeur to your garden with an urn planter. Here are ten to consider:

(NB: Some urns come with drainage holes that enable direct planting. With those that don't, it is recommended that you use an internal pot.)

Above: The Athens Cement Urn is hand cast in the USA of cement that is resistant to frost and UV rays. The planter is 29 inches high and 26 inches wide and is appropriate for indoor and outdoor use and features a drainage hole; $648 at Terrain. 

Above: The heavyweight Terrazzino Garden Urns are handmade in the USA using durable cement, original molds, and careful smoothing and finishing. Made with drainage ports on the bottom, the small urn is 24 inches tall with a 19-inch diameter, and the large urn is 27 inches tall with a 24-inch diameter. The urns are available in three finishes and priced at $229 and $329 respectively.

Above: Carved of weathered natural stone, the Alpine Stone Urn lends an understated elegance to the garden. The planter is 27 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall and does not have a drainage hole (so it can calso be used as a bird bath); $299.95 at Terrain.

Above: The simple but stately Hampton Garden Urn is made in the USA of cast stone with a Ferro Rustico finish. Twelve choices of finishes are available. The weighty urn measures 26.5 inches tall and 27 inches wide; $589.99 at Garden Fountains.

Above: Inspired by garden urns in the South of France, the Rivoli Urn is made of a concrete and fiberglass mix that will develop a weathered patina over time. Available in three sizes, ranging from 17.75 to 28 inches in diameter; $159 to $389 depending on size at Restoration Hardware. 

Above: For the minimalist, the unadorned Exeter Planter is made in the USA of cast stone. Available in a choice of 12 patinas, including gray stone as shown, it is a compact 11 inches tall with a 15-inch diameter; $84.99 at Garden Fountains.

Above: The Lead Adler Urn is made of hand-cast European lead. It features a square base and and a 21-inch-square top and is 35 inches tall. Contact Trellis & Trugs for pricing and ordering information.

Above: The Tuscan Glazed Garden Urns are made of terra cotta partially coated with a white glaze. Made with a drainage hole, the planter is available in three sizes ranging from 18 inches in diameter and 12 inches tall to 19.5 inches in diameter and 24 inches tall; $149 to $299 depending on size at Pottery Barn.   

Above: The Solid Sandstone Garden Urn is 28 inches high with a diameter of 20 inches. Custom made and priced accordingly; $950 at Stone Forest.

Above: Reminiscent of iron planters found in stately European gardens, the Glastonbury Urn is made of cast iron with a classical egg-and-dart molded rim. The finish will oxidize over time. It measures 25 inches in diameter and stands 22 inches tall; $295 at Restoration Hardware.

Above: The French Anduza Garden Urns are made in the USA of Fiberstone, a cast sand and stone composite reinforced with a fiberglass backing. The planters have a 20 inch diameter and stand 18 inches tall; $199 at Forever Green Art.

Above: Here's a petite urn planter that can fit into even the tiniest urban garden, including those limited to the indoors. The Weathered Stone Urn is made of sturdy cement with an aged patina. It measures 6 inches in diameter and is 6 inches high; $16 at Terrain. 

Interested in a one-of-a-kind vintage garden urn? There are many sources including Detroit Garden Works and Kimball & Bean Garden Antiques. Also, see Michelle's manifesto on The Allure of the One of A Kind on Remodelista. 

Dressing up your garden? See our earlier feature: A Planter with Pedigree. 

Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire was the epicenter of elegance and fun in the 1930s. Saved from terminal decline by the fabulously wealthy Trees (Ronald and his wife Nancy, before she was known as Nancy Lancaster), it was restored with a historic sensibility combined with American ideas of comfort. Heating and plumbing were quite a draw in themselves: No wonder Winston Churchill chose it as his WWII weekend hideaway.

Photographs courtesy of The Ditchley Foundation except where noted.

Above: Ditchley in March. The Trees' country place was considered safer for Churchill and his entourage when the moon was high, as the drive was hidden by trees. It was noted in their circle that Ditchley was preferable to Churchill's house Chartwell and the official PM residence, Chequers, not only for security reasons.

Like a Fred Astaire movie from the '30s, life at Ditchley was a fantasy world of opulence: the Great Depression took place elsewhere. Thinkers, talkers and performers were a regular fixture. Churchill must have been feeling overwhelmed when, on being introduced to philosopher Isaiah Berlin, he asked: "Which one of your musical comedies is your favorite?"

Above: Ditchley Park may have been built in 1722 but its glory days began from the day the Trees moved in. Remarkably, their taste was as impressive as their funding. Her many admirers said that Nancy had the best taste in the world: she liked to rough things up whereas Ronald was more of a "pure palladian." Photograph by Peter L Edwards via Flickr.

"I can mix things," Nancy Lancaster told Robert Becker when he was writing Nancy Lancaster: Her Life, Her World, Her Art. "If Ronnie and I had gone into business together I'm sure that we would have made a big success."

Above: Nancy always extended her flair from the interior to the exterior. The editor of Country Life introduced her to Geoffrey Jellicoe, one of the most influential landscape designers of the 20th century and he brought with him Russell Page, author of one of its most influential books, The Education of a Gardener.

Above: Italianate formality. The terrace was laid using slabs excavated from the cellar. Double rows of pollarded limes, a Jellicoe speciality, were planted to frame the view from Nancy's bedroom.

Like the decoration indoors, the arrangement of the garden was not a period piece: it was an idealization of what the 18th century could have been, with 20th century hindsight. Where Capability Brown had swept away formal landscapes, Nancy was very happy to put one in because it looked right. The house had looked disconnected with the park so the Trees and their talented designers created terraces and steps, adding a sunken parterre (now grassed over) with a half-moon swimming pool at the end.

Above: When the Trees arrived in the 1930s the garden was on its knees. They only discovered later that there was not only one temple but two, hidden in the undergrowth.

Above: The Great Temple or Rotunda, seen across the hundred acres of pleasure grounds. Ditchley house and village were just a part of the 3,000-acre estate. Photograph by John Hackston via Flickr.

Above: The house from the lake created by Capability Brown.

Anglo-American Ronald Tree was a Tory MP, along with the Anglo-American Winston Churchill (who grew up on the estate next door, Blenheim Palace). Nancy Tree's aunt, Nancy Astor was the American-born first woman MP. It is no surprise then that the Ditchley Foundation today is a place of learning and political thought, with a slant on extending Anglo-American relations.

The Gardens of Ditchley Park are occasionally opened to groups by prior arrangement. See The Ditchley Foundation for information.

For more Nancy Lancaster see The Walled Garden at Kelmarsh Hall.

Landscape designer Judy Kameon is often asked the question, "How do you start?" Her Los Angeles firm Elysian Landscapes, is known for their liveable gardens, full of color, texture, and of equal importance to Kameon, spaces to entertain, eat, play, and relax. Homeowners are curious to know her secrets for how to transform a tired garden into a welcoming outdoor room.

In Kameon's first book, Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces, out this month from Rizzoli with a foreword by design maestro Jonathan Adler, the answers are all there. The book is a densely packed, playful, and easy-to-penetrate read. Kameon's generously shared with the world what she's been sharing with her friends and clients for years: how she does it, what her process is, and where she gets her inspiration.

Photographs courtesy of Rizzoli.

Above: The Elysian Landscapes headquarters is a must stop on the Kameon garden tour. A space that was once derelict has been transformed into a lush oasis. It's loaded with Kameon's favorite plants, color combos and furnishings and always the host offers multiple terraced areas and seating for guests and employees. Her clever use of a concrete retaining wall, doubles as the back of a U-shaped sofa.

Kameon is the star of the indoor/outdoor merge. A California girl, her gardens are perfect for that lifestyle, but there's lots in this book that can be applied to other climates. In 2000, with her husband, Erik Otsea, a photographer and designer, she launched Plain Air, a collection of outdoor furniture inspired by mid-century design and stemming from Kameon's frustration with finding the right pieces for her gardens.

Above: Kameon uses low-voltage lighting in her gardens to enhance the experience both from inside and out. A chandelier outdoors, adds a hit of glamour to poolside dining. When Kameon first met her clients they barely used their garden, now they hardly entertain indoors.

When I visit Kameon at her very personal, much photographed oasis-cum-laboratory-cum-home, I'm always impressed with her gracious hospitality and ability to whip up a gourmet meal no matter what fires she's been putting out all day. She's a natural host with energy to burn, which comes through in her designs. I always learn something new when I'm with her. Whether its a Julius Shulman photo she wants to share of an outdoor space, a much loved Sunset book from her childhood, or a historic garden from a recent trip that has given her ideas for new plant combinations.

Above: An underutilized front courtyard was transformed by Kameon into the first "room" of a 1930s home. Outdoor encaustic tiles act as a "rug", an extra wide Plain Air daybed and coffee table give the owners a place to read the morning paper, and a water feature muffles the sounds from the street, creating a magical spot that relates to the architecture of the house. 

There's nothing one dimensional about the way Kameon thinks, lives her life or plans her gardens, which are layered and carefully constructed to make the most out of a space. Consideration is given to comfortable seating, lighting—whether it be from fire pits or Morcoccan lanterns hanging from the trees to extend the time in the garden—, and hardscaping materials that add interest and define spaces. She thinks the same way an interior designer does, adding accessories that make a "room" feel inviting: a colorful Bauer pot to ignite a table, striped throw cushions, even vintage finds like playful ceramic parrots or Foo Dogs to give the garden character. 

Above: On the cover of Kameon's book is a photo of the upper terrace at of the Elysian Landscapes office garden. The decomposed granite surface is permeable and easy to walk on, upholstered Plain Air benches are upholstered in an inviting striped fabric, a Plain Air fire pit creates a focal point, and side chairs, red lanterns and red Bauer pots add the punch of color that Kameon is known for. She's created a place that's easy to be in and hard to leave.

Her hopes with this book is that it will get the same kind of abuse a favorite cookbook does, with post-its, well-thumbed pages and notes in the margin. As Kameon says, "I didn't want to do a monograph of just pretty pictures. I wanted to offer solutions for people. Whether you create a garden yourself or hire a professional, the better informed you are about the process, the better chances are that you will end up with a finished garden that's right for you." 

Above: Kameon's colorful style can be seen in her approach to entertaining. Here she finishes off a table setting with vintage Mexican textiles and colorful dishes, while Moroccan lanterns hanging from the ancient pepper tree subtly illuminate her garden. Gardens Are For Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces is available on Amazon for $34.12.

While I was in the midst of a major home construction project and feeling pretty good about some of my recent design decisions, the stonemason arrived and asked how I’d like the bluestone deck to look. “There are choices?” I asked.

Until that moment I hadn’t realized there were a number of details to consider, such as color, pattern, texture, and edging. Somewhat panicked and hoping to buy time, I took a crash course in Pennsylvania Bluestone so I could make informed decisions. Is bluestone the right material for your hardscaping project? Here's what I learned:

Above: A pool surround, laid in an ashlar pattern, in Marin County, CA; designed by Ken Linsteadt Architects.

What is Pennsylvania Bluestone?

Pennsylvania Bluestone is a dense, strong, fine-grained sandstone quarried in the Northeastern United States, mostly in Pennsylvania and upstate New York.  It is an excellent material for decks and patios as it resists cracking and won’t discolor.  It easily can be separated into slabs of varying sizes, making it suitable for other architectural details such as steps, walls, building facades, interior floors, and fireplaces.

Bluestone has a distinctive hard-yet-soft quality that makes it very appealing. Its texture is rough enough to provide traction in the rain, yet it’s smooth and soft enough to lie upon and bask in the sun.

What colors and textures are available?

Due to different clays and mineral deposits carried by groundwater during the stone’s formation, Pennsylvania Bluestone can vary from its predominantly silvery blue color to any combination of brown, tan, rust, green, and lilac. “Full Range” color encompasses all shades. For a more even effect, “Select Blue” or “Blue-Blue” includes variations of the silvery blue color only.    

There are two choices of texture: “natural cleft” or “sawn thermal.”  A natural cleft surface is created when blocks of bluestone are sawn out of the ground and split on visible seams. The surface has a natural texture and is non-gauged, which means the thickness is approximate. “Curly rippled” texture is a variation on natural cleft.

Above: In this urban garden by Foras Studio, designer Susan Welti uses bluestone with a sawn thermal surface. This surface is achieved when blocks of bluestone are gauged to a specific thickness, wet down, and burned. The heat agitates the moisture, causing the stone to bubble. When the loose flakes are removed, a textured but smooth surface is revealed.

Above: A closeup view of gauged pavers with a thermaled surface. Photograph by Ellen Jenkins.

What patterns are available?

There are two general categories of patterns used for bluestone patios: an ashlar pattern combines squares, rectangles, and variations and a fieldstone pattern joins irregular shapes together in a random pattern.

Above: Examples of fieldstone set in mortar (top) and sand (bottom). Photographs by Ellen Jenkins.

Above: A herringbone pattern in natural cleft, full color.  Photograph by Ellen Jenkins.

 Above: Natural cleft fieldstone set in gravel at the Shelter Island home of designers Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan; photograph via Vickie Cardaro.

 
Above: A sleek bluestone courtyard designed by Coen + Partners uses gauged, rectangular pavers.

What are some design considerations when planning a deck or patio?

The first thing to consider is location: is it raised or at ground level, attached to the house or set farther away in a more natural setting? If the patio is at ground level, you have the option of having it set in sand rather than mortar. Sand-set stone has the advantage of being permeable, but can also allow shifting which may cause it to become uneven over the years, especially if your area has gophers that can burrow beneath (though measures can be taken during installation to prevent this).
 
If you’re planning a raised deck and the edges will be visible, you may want to put some thought into the texture and thickness of the edge. A chiseled or tumbled edge will achieve a softer look. If your style is more tailored, you may opt for a thermaled edge. I chose an edge that was thicker than the field pavers (2 inches rather than 1 inch) to make the deck appear more substantial. This was achieved by creating a 12-by-18-inch-wide border (2 inches thick) set 1 inch below the level of the field pavers.
 
This extra inch of thickness, as well as a slope for surface water drainage (figure a quarter of an inch per foot), needs to be planned for at the earliest design stages while setting the level of the deck.

How do you clean and maintain bluestone?

One of the great things about Pennsylvania Bluestone is that it does not need to be sealed, and it can be cleaned easily with a soft scrub brush and water. Vinegar or lemon diluted in water can be used for tougher stains. Every few years, you may wish to power wash your bluestone deck. If you do, please don’t repeat the mistake we made when we power washed the deck on the strongest setting, using a concentrated spray that left swirling lines visible on the stone (though at least it was clean). No amount of scrubbing could fix the issue and it stayed this way for a year until a helpful handyman suggested power washing it again, this time on the correct setting. Problem fixed.
 
Efflorescence is a powdery white substance that can appear on the surface a few years after your bluestone is installed.  This cosmetic problem is not unique to bluestone. It can occur in many masonry products and can be prevented by using certain additives in the mortar (it's a good issue to discuss with your contractor).

How much does Pennsylvania Bluestone cost? 

Pennsylvania bluestone costs from $16 to $26 per square foot installed. Factors affecting price include the area where you live, the pattern, thickness, and any special fabrication.

Pennsylvania Bluestone Recap 

Pros:

• Flexible applications—can be used both indoors and out on a wide variety of surfaces
• Hard surface yet soft feel.
• Versatile style—can be used in both modern or traditional spaces.
• Requires little maintenance.

Cons:

• Limited color options—blue/gray predominate.
• More expensive than other deck materials such as wood.
• Is thicker than many other deck/patio materials (which can be an issue with clearance below doors).
• Does not adhere well to mortar alone—requires a thinset.

Above:  A serene bluestone patio and home designed by Ken Linsteadt Architects; full color bluestone in an ashlar pattern.

Experiencing late winter cabin fever? Put all of the time you've been spending pining for warmer weather to better use. Pin your favorite signs of spring using inspiration from our joint board with Terrain and enter to win a specially selected collection of spring garden essentials from Terrain along with a $1000 gift card to spend on whatever else your garden desires.

Read on for prizes and entry details:

Above: As one of our favorite seed starting tools, the Paper Pot Press was first on our list of gardening essentials to add to the prize package; $18.

Above: And because we think every gardener needs a shiny copper trowel to get dirty, we included the Castor Trowel; $58.

Above: A bag of hand-blended Potting Soil will help start the job; $10.

Above: Plant your spring garden with Terrain's Kitchen Herbs Seed Collection; $24.

Above: And remember what you planted where with the Copper Garden Labels; $18.

Above: Keep your soil weed-free with the help of the Lyra Claw Cultivator; $70.

Above: And refresh your seedlings with the Polished Copper Watering Can; $88. 

How to Enter:

1. Complete Entry Form on the Terrain website.

2. Follow @shopterrain and @RMGardenista on Pinterest

3. Repin your favorite Sign of Spring (or as many as you like!) using inspiration from our Signs of Spring Board by 11:59 PM EST on March 20, 2014. 

No puchase necessary. Ends March 20th, 2014. USA only.

Gardening comes naturally to John Tebbs. During his youth he spent countless hours in his father's vegetable garden which paved the way for Tebbs' gardening devotion, career, and most recently an on-line garden stop he name The Garden Edit.

Fascinated with design and cultural vision, Tebbs pursued a degree in Art and Design History, and shortly thereafter ended up taking a course in garden design with a goal to make gardening a career. Tebbs, who works under the title Finch Gardening, has for the last fifteen years built a client base in London offering gardening services with emphasis on personal gardening, planting, and design work.

As we all know, gardening comes to a standstill during the cold British winter-months, and during this down-time Tebbs started toying with the idea of building a virtual garden shop, eventually leading to the launch of The Garden Edit. It took Tebbs nine months to curate the collection, featuring a selection of hand-forged Dutch tools, American-made ceramic planters, elegant watering cans, and Swedish-made boot-scrapers. Tebbs likes the idea of a practical gardening shop and uses the garden itself as inspiration, including items like artwork drawn by local painters, and hand-picked gardening magazines. 

The store offerings are a result of Tebb's first-hand experience. The hand-picked pieces are timeless, functional, astetically pleasing and have all been well researched (and tested). "With things like the tools, I sell the secateurs that I use as I know they are good products and can stand up to the job. Other things like the Carl Auböck watering cans are chosen because they elevate a functional thing like a watering can into a work of art", says Tebbs. 

To learn more visit The Garden Edit and don't miss Tebbs' upcoming journal and updated selection of unique products sources world-wide. 

Photography by  Jessica Maccormick

Above: A glimpse of objects from The Garden Edit collection.

Above: Ceramic planters (on offer from The Garden Edit) sitting on an outdoor table in Tebbs' garden.

Above: The Large Meteor Planter in Natural I is handcrafted by American ceramicist Pilar Wiley. The planters (several different sizes and color-variations are available via the site) are wheel-thrown and made from altered stoneware with irregular indentations;£120 from The Garden Edit. 

Above: The Hourglass Vase was designed in 1948 by Bauhaus trained designer Carl Auböck. His vases are crafted from brass and left with a black patina. The Auböck collection is still in production by a Vienna-based family-run company; £250 from The Garden Edit. Several Carl Auböck vases are available in different shapes. 

Above: Perhaps the prettiest watering can we've seen in a while: the Brass and Cane Watering Can is handmade from polished and patinated brass and features a cane-wrapped handle. This high-end indoor watering can costs £895 and was designed by Austrian designer Carl Auböck.

Above: The Faceted Platinum Wall Vase is made by Austrian potter Matthias Kaiser and costs £245. The three-times fired vase is glazed using a mixture of feldspar, reed and wood ash, and finished in platinum. The vase comes with hardware for mounting purposes. We'd love some of those berried branches as well.

Above: The Hand-bulb Planter by Sneeboer & Zn (a Dutch company that makes hand-forged garden tools) is made from stainless steel and features extra sharp edges making it the ultimate planting tool (and one to pass down for generations to come). Tebbs offers several high-quality Sneeboer & Zn pieces through his webshop. The Hand-bulb Planter is £49.50.

Above: The Vogeli Bird Bath by American designer Vasse Vaught is handcrafted from bronze using vintage machines and tools in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia; £90. Tebbs also sells a couple of Vaught's Bird Feeders (a favorite of ours).

Above: Several pieces of artwork by Alicia Galer, an English artist and textile designer based in London, are available from The Garden Edit. This drawing, the Kew Cacti House is drawn on paper using oil pastels, acrylic paints and watercolour pencils; £150.

Above: The sturdy Boot Scraper by Iris Hantverk is made in Sweden by visually impaired craftsmen; £28. 

Above: John Tebbs in his London garden.

Check out one of Remodelista's latest garden posts featuring A Bohemian Grove in the Napa Valley and how about ten handy Potting Shed Brushes, although they work in more places than the shed. 

Wanting to experiment with metallic paints, we asked members of the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory for their recommendations. They pointed us to Modern Masters, a widely available, latex-based line that comes in a huge range of shades. 

Since most metallic paints contain real metal, they can be pricey. Modern Masters is no different—its prices are comparable with other metallic paint lines. But Modern Masters is the only brand we came across that offers affordable testers: its six-ounce sample pots are $10 each. Before blinging out your walls, we recommending doing some testing.

Not ready to go fully metallic? Here's a tip we plan to try: architect Jonathan Teng of Heliotrope Architects in Seattle mixes Modern Masters metallics with regular latex paints to add just a little glow to walls. And when using metallics, several painters told us to stretch our dollars by first priming with a comparably colored latex paint and then adding the metallic on top.

We tried Modern Masters in six colors and varying degrees of opacity; here are our results: 

Photography by Meredith Swinehart. 

Above: Top row, left to right: Modern Masters Warm Silver; English Brown; and Ivy. Bottom row: Silver; Black Pearl; and Flash Copper. 

Above: Modern Masters sells six-ounce Sample Pots for about $16 each on their website. (We bought ours for about $10 each at local paint stores.)

Above: Though the name is a bit misleading, we think opaque Warm Silver is the perfect gold. It's not too bright or too yellow, and has a subdued shiny hue. 

Above: English Brown is an opaque, grown-up color that would make a nice addition to another dark latex paint.

Above: Semi-opaque Ivy is my personal favorite. It's too green to replicate any natural metallic color, so it looks like a very intentional pick. 

Above: Silver is an opaque, metallic silver that would work just as well on architectural details (or objects, such as terra-cotta pots) as on a whole wall. 

Above: Semi-opaque Black Pearl means business. This was the only shade that had so much metal it looked sparkly, so I'd recommend mixing iy with another latex paint if you don't want a glittery look.

Above: Sheer Flash Copper, one of several colors in Modern Masters sheer line, is meant to be applied over a wall of regular latex paint or over another metallic hue. It adds just a touch of pearlescence to a wall finish. Viewed at an angle, all of the shades except Flash Copper were very obviously metallic. 

Above: Another view of English Brown.

Above: I painted a single swipe of Ivy on a garden pot I'd previously painted in Farrow & Ball's Mole's Breath. I love the subtle two-tone effect.

Find the perfect color to mix with metallics in our Palette & Paints series, which includes expert advice on Pink, Jade Green, Copenhagen Blue, Moody Hues, and Happiness-Inducing Colors. And on Gardenista, have a look at Architects' White Exterior Paint Picks.

This might not be the most delicate of topics, but consider this: you're out for a refreshing spring hike when you find yourself in the middle of the woods with nary an outhouse in sight. Wouldn't you be comforted by the prospect of a beautiful little space to "freshen up" before carrying along? 

A traditional Swedish utedass—or privy—is a detached building often sited next to cabins in rural areas. So-called wilderness toilets are an important cultural reminder of the outdoorsy, old-fashioned mode of life embraced by occupants (and house guests) of traditional Swedish summer houses. Austere in design, these privies often have walls built of scrap wood and, inside, a simple wooden bench.

Photographs courtesy of General Architecture.

Above: Swedish firm General Architecture built this outhouse on a simple concrete foundation in the forest of Bergslagen.

Above: Inside, bare wood and a simple bronze bucket. Outside, charred wood siding that manages to look simultaneously chic and rustic. 

To learn more about charred siding head to Remodelista's post Remodeling 101: Shou Sugi Ban Wood as Siding and Flooring. 

Drawn to the black facade? See Trend Alert: Black Fences for more ways to add a touch of black to your yard.

We generally prefer plants for garden ornamentation, but a rusted iron sphere from Los Angeles-based Potted has us reconsidering.

Made from bent steel, Rusted Iron Spheres make for striking sculptural elements in the garden. Potted co-founder Mary Gray suggests using a sphere as a trellis: just place atop a large pot and let fast-growing vines start their climb.

Above: The Rusted Iron Spheres are available in three sizes: 18, 24, and 36-inches in diameter, starting at $145 at Potted.

Above: The spheres are designed and fabricated in Los Angeles. The color of the weathered steel complements greenery.

Above: Left out in the elements, the steel will develop a patina.

N.B. This is an update of a piece that originally ran on December 6, 2012 as part of our Haute Holiday issue.

See another Potted original design in our earlier feature: Urban Gardener: The City Planter.

This week we made a dated cut glass vase look good, fantasized about strolling through stately gardens, and learned the nitty-gritty about Pennsylvania bluestone. Next week we're working in the kitchen garden, but until then here are a few things we've loved lately: 

• Above: We introduced a new Monday column: a Table of Contents to give you a brief outline of what's to come each week on Gardenista.
• Get your vegetable seeds started now. And in case you're looking for a spot to sprout them, see Erin's tutorial on how to make newspaper pots.
• We're compiling a Gardenista Field Guide. First entry? The "Early Riser."
  
• Our friends at Heath in Los Angeles are hosting a launch party for Judy Kameon's new book, Gardens Are For Living, on March 15 from 6-8 pm. For more info on the book see Lindsey Taylor's post Required Reading: Gardens Are For Living. 

• Above: We're looking forward to signs of spring and giving away $1,000 shopping spree to Terrain as well as a Gardenista-curated gift package to one lucky reader (shiny copper gardening accessories included). Details on how to enter are right here. 
• You decide: Is cut glass making a comeback?
• If you were Winston Churchill during WWII, this is where you'd spend your weekends. 

• Above: A little something luxe for potted plants.
• We're fawning over Kaufmann Mercantile's Spring Gardening Refresher.
• It's plain to see why this spot is a favorite of Sofia Coppola's. 
  

• Above: We fell for these zero-gravity vases by Tangent & Glow spotted on Design Milk. What's the trick? Magnets.
• Going for a more refined look? Consider a garden urn.

• Above: We don't believe that there's such a thing as too much marble. But if you're not ready to make the commitment, a marble trivet is ideal for marmoreal accents. If a small marble trivet doesn't cut it, see Remodelista's roundup of 10 exotic marble bathrooms and Michelle's hunt for a one-of-a-kind marble table. 

For more from this week on Gardenista, see the entire Grand Gardens issue. And if you haven't seen them already, don't miss the stories in Remodelista's Velvet Underground. (We're especially fond of these dip-dyed walls and this kitchen from a designer with "shit loads of talent.")

Buttermilk biscuits with chive butter, egg salad with ribbons of tarragon, iced tea with fresh mint. There are a lot of reasons to love warm weather, and the addition of fresh herbs to some of my favorite foods is just one of them. Sadly, as a city dweller living in an apartment that doesn't get bright sun, I always figured that I wouldn't be able to grow my own. Turns out, I was just hoping to grow the wrong herbs. While it's true that many herbs—such as lavender, thyme, rosemary, and sage—need a lot of sunshine to thrive, a slew of culinary herbs can thrive in a shadier spot.

Photographs by Erin Boyle.

Soft, leafy herbs like chives, parsley, mint, cilantro, tarragon, oregano, and lemon balm can do quite well in slightly shadier spots (though tread lightly with basil and dill, which are soft-leaved, but require full sun). If you have a tiny window ledge (or, dare we suggest, the tiniest edge of a fire escape), consider potting up a few of these herbs to enjoy all summer long. If you don't have outdoor space, but you get plenty of sunshine inside, many of these guys will even do just fine in a sunny windowsills or on a bright kitchen countertop. 

I stopped into my local garden shop and chose four different organic herbs to place in my planter: parsley, oregano, chives, and tarragon. 

If you prefer, you can order garden-ready herb seedlings from Burpee; three-plant packs of Single Italian Parsley, Greek Oregano, and Common Chives are $14.95 apiece. 

I also bought a skinny 3-inch-wide teak planter with good drainage. If you like wooden window boxes, here are a few others to consider.

You might decide to use small rocks in the bottom of your planter to prevent the soil from compacting and clogging up drainage holes. A lot of the more sun-loving herbs are particularly sensitive to overly damp roots, but if you're sticking to herbs that don't require as much sunlight, you won't have to worry as much about keeping your soil sandy. (If you're keeping your planter inside, consider investing in a small tray to place beneath it to catch water drainage).

Since I'm fairly certain that I'm going to spend the summer sipping mint juleps, I bought a mint plant, too. Mint is an herb that really thrives in shadier gardens. In fact, it sometimes thrives too well. I didn't want my mint to take over my tiny window box, so I picked up a Ben Wolff pot in white and potted it there instead.

A three-pack of Orange Mint, available seasonally, is $14.95 from Burpee.

When it came to potting the rest of my herbs, I left about 2 inches between each plant to ensure that they'll have room to stretch out a bit.

My apartment windowsill only gets about three hours of direct sunlight daily, but that's more than enough to keep these plants happy. (Full disclosure: I stuck a basil start out there a few weeks ago, and to my surprise that's doing a-okay, too. If you can't get through summer without a daily caprese salad, I say give it a go—just don't get too sad if it doesn't survive).

Herbs are meant to be eaten, so harvest often. In case you need a little help with your clipping, here are some beautiful scissors to help with the task.

If you'd prefer a zinc or galvanized window box, see some of our favorites at 10 Easy Pieces: Metal Window Boxes.

N.B.: This is an update of a post originally published on May 15, 2013 during our Gold Coast week.

In many parts of the world today, we set our clocks forward an hour—bringing us closer to summer while robbing us of valuable sleep. But we do it for the twilight: starting today, our evenings will linger longer—and an hour lost is a summer gained. 

Here, 10 twilit gardens from members of the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: In this romantic Long Island landscape, NYC-based artist and landscape designer Paula Hayes directed a stone walkway toward the sea. Photograph by Béatrice de Géa.

Above: Mature fir trees lie between the beachfront and a meadow on the site of a San Juan Islands summer house by Seattle-based Heliotrope Architects.

Above: On this four-acre Martha's Vineyard property, Boston-area landscape architects Stephen Stimson Associates weaved existing mature trees and erratic terrain into their design. Photograph by Roger Foley.

Above: 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.

Above: This modern Napa house by architect Charlie Barnett is framed by two mature oak trees while walls of glass direct occupants' eyes toward the view. Photograph by Charlie Barnett.

Above: After their beloved 100-year-old Bethesda, MD house was destroyed in a hurricane, a couple hired McInturff Architects to replace it with a modern version that prominently features the outdoors.

Above: Built-landscape features of this East Hampton project by Billinkoff Architecture—including a pool, an ivy-covered pool house, and tennis courts—adjoin the main house.

Above: Several species of grasses and a few palm trees suggest a California landscape; this one is by LA-based Walker Workshop. Photograph by Nicholas Alan Cope.

Above: Nashville architect Marcus DiPietro intended for this Tennessee lakeside house to appear to emerge from the lawn at water's edge.

Above: The low-lying grasses outside this modern design in Austin by Alterstudio Architecture only hint at the indoor courtyard and backyard views beyond. Photograph by Paul Finkel.

Browse elaborate gardens in The Grandes Dames: 10 Stately Gardens from the Gardenista Gallery and see houses at twilight in The Evening Hour: Houses from New Members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. 

We try our best not to be as ornery as Mr. McGregor, but we do appreciate his reverence for the patch of carefully cultivated land known as the kitchen garden. What better place to expend your precious energy stores than in a productive garden that's just outside your door?

This week we're exploring kitchen garden design, divulging tips for getting an edible garden to look beautiful, as well as getting down and dirty with a no-dig gardener who says the key to a productive kitchen garden is to leave well enough alone. Read on for a taste of what's to come:

Monday

Above: Is there anything more satisfying than a perfectly symmetrical kitchen garden? Erin talks us through Richard Miers' elegant kitchen garden design in Surrey, England in this week's Landscape Architect Visit.

Tuesday

Above: Kendra digs in with no-dig British gardener Charles Dowding during a Garden Visit to his abundant vegetable plot.

Wednesday

Above: Meredith rounds up a collection of outdoor utility sinks from the Gardenista Photo Gallery—good for inspiration seekers and for those plotting the next place to rinse the dirt from their carrots.

Thursday 

Above: Ellen Jenkins returns and yanks us up out of the dirt as she explores the pros and cons of asphalt shingles in our latest Hardscaping 101 post.

Friday

Above: Leave it to Meredith to spot yet another well-appointed garden shed. Explore the full project in Friday's Outbuilding of the Week.

I tend toward a fondness for kitchen gardens because they delight both sides of my brain. On one hand they can be wild and unruly and just a little bit scraggly, but they also tend be places where otherwise rambling plants become wrangled and orderly.

When RADD member Richard Miers designed this kitchen garden outside a large classical residence in Surrey, England, he captured just this blend of order and abundance. The lines of the house demanded a certain application of structure with "clean classical contemporary lines," while the lush plantings lend a softer side to the space.

Photographs courtesy of Richard Miers.

Above: With a directive to build a garden with year-round interest, Miers planted four raised beds of evergreen herbs—rosemary, lavender, and thyme—for use in the kitchen. The owners of the house live in Sardinia for the majority of the year (Miers is currently designing a garden there), but return to England in the winter.

The stone of the paths and terrace is English sandstone from Yorkshire, called Yorkstone. Miers interlaid the terrace and path with Belgium Bluestone details to contrast with the buff color of the sandstone.

Above: The raised beds in the garden were built with marine ply wrapped in a zinc covering that complements the blue elements of the terrace.

Above: Pleached Carpinus betulus—or Hornbeam—trees help shade a large dining terrace and, Miers explains, "give a sense of seclusion whilst allowing views out to the wider garden." The stone terrace was built around the trees after they were planted. Miers surrounded each tree with a small bed of gravel to allow the trunks room to grow and set a light by each tree for dramatic nightime effect. The trees get pruned twice a year: once in June and again in September so they maintain their clean straight lines.

Above: The oversized dining table on the sandstone terrace was a special commission from a furniture and cabin designer friend of Miers, Jeremy Pitts. It was made from teak harvested in the 1960's. The chairs are classic Luxembourg Chairs by Fermob; $347 from Ambiete Direct. In the background, wisteria and Trachelospermum jasminoides, or Star Jasmine, wind their way up the downspout.

Above: The dark earth-colored pots placed around the terrace are made of stone resin, which Miers explains is "good for roof terraces as well as they aren't too heavy to move before they are planted up." A similar Stone Resin Planter is available from the same company, Bright Green, for £85.

Curious about sandstone used indoors? See it put to work in A Midcentury Cabin in Amagansett on Remodelista.

For more from Richard Miers, see Bloom Time with UK Garden Designer Richard Miers

Suffering Fermob-induced sticker shock? You're not alone. See: High/Low: Fermob for Less?

Carrots: "The Honey Underground"

Carrots began, like so many vegetables, in the wild. Earlier cultures used the leaves and seeds as medicine. Through cultivation and selection, carrots evolved into the valuable source of nutrition, livestock fodder, and beloved icon of a cartoon rabbit that they are today. We've credited carrots with extra-special powers throughout the ages—early Arab cultures believed they had aphrodisiac effects, Greeks thought they cured venereal disease, and WWII pilots in Britain ate them for spectacular night vision.

Above: Laura Boyle with bunches of freshly washed beets and carrots from her Wilderness Garden. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

CHEAT SHEET:

• Biennial
• Zones 4-10
• Companions: Herbs, tomatoes, peas, and lettuce enhance growth. Dill can inhibit growth. Plant fast-growing veggies, like radishes, between rows of carrots to save space.
• Varieties: Many varieties, shapes, sizes, and colors. For a Bugs Bunny-type carrot, try 'Danvers.' 'Paris Market' produces adorable, globe-shaped roots.
• Reasons to Grow: Carrots can deliver a multitude of benefits to your home garden. Few pests attack them and the green wispy foliage looks beautiful among summer flowers. Purple, red, white, and yellow roots can make a simple plate of raw carrots shine on the dinner table.

KEEP IT ALIVE:

• Full sun
• Keep evenly irrigated.
• Outdoors is best; small varieties can thrive in containers. If you have a tiny space, try a tiny carrot. The "Thumbelina" variety, or another of the small cultivar, will do well even in a container.
• Plant in early spring and mid-summer to enjoy both an early summer and fall harvest.

Above: Biodynamic carrots grown at Fern Verrow farm. Photograph by Howard Sooley.

To grow your own carrots, you'll need deep, loamy soil, free of rocks or dirt clods that cause crooked roots. Before seeding, spread and incorporate an inch or two of well-aged compost to give your plants an extra boost. Direct seed 2 inches apart and thin to 4-6 inches apart by snipping the tops. (Pulling can disturb the roots you leave behind). Carrots store well in the ground, so you can leave them in the soil even when they have matured. Be patient—it takes about two and a half months for carrots to size up.

Above: A pile of fresh-from-the-earth carrots from Seattle Urban Farm Company. Photograph by Hilary Dahl.

Farmers and their fans often cite the sweet, spicy taste of homegrown carrots as a convincing reason to make the culinary switch to local produce. There's something special about pulling a root so perfectly edible out of the dirt—the Celts called carrots, "the honey underground." 

Above: Carrots and string beans at the Portland Farmer's Market. Photography by Michael Muller.

Growing your own jewel-toned roots means you can safely scrub, not peel, your carrots. The outermost layers of the carrot contain most of the famous beta-carotene benefits, as well as other antioxidants and phytonutrients, so enjoy this homegrown benefit! Try your carrots pickled, grated, steamed, roasted, or raw.

Vegetables as décor? See Alexa's tabletop display on Remodelista.

Planning a spring vegetable garden? Browse the rest of our Vegetable posts.

De Kas restaurant, the Dutch rendition of Chez Panisse-meets-the-French Laundry, occupies a top spot on our must-visit list.

De Kas (the name is Dutch for greenhouse) is located on the outskirts of Amsterdam, in the heart of Frankendael Park, which at one time housed the city's municipal nurseries. In 2001, when the greenhouse was slated for demolition, noted chef Gert Jan Hageman bought and renovated the property, turning it into a restaurant featuring produce grown in the nearby fields (at the time, the concept of sourcing food locally was still a new idea). Diners can tour the on-site nurseries and gardens, and during the summer, tables are set up in the herb garden. For more information, visit De Kas.

Photography by Hotze Eisma for De Kas (except where noted).

Above: The restaurant is located in a former greenhouse; photograph by Jet van Fastenhout for De Kas.

Above: Dutch designer Piet Boon oversaw the interior design. Photograph by Ronald Hoeben for De Kas.

Above: Produce from De Kas' fields in nearby Ilpendam.

Above: Presentation is as important as the ingredients.

Above: The restaurant overlooks a verdant park.

Above: On-site greenhouses and an herb garden are a ready source for herbs and edible flowers.

Above: The produce is picked fresh daily. Hageman no longer is the daily chef, preferring to spend his time in the fields overseeing the crops.

Above: A communal table in the center of the restaurant (the industrial black tubes are air ducts). Photograph by Ronald Hoeben for De Kas.

Above: Several mature trees are housed in the restaurant's interior.

Browse more of our favorite Restaurant Visits or search for restaurants near you in our Destinations Guide.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on April 2, 2012 in Remodelista's issue on Dutch Design. 

Why do people dig? I'm not at all sure after reading Charles Dowding's book Veg Journal. His ideas—mounds of beds with no edging, paths of soil instead of trimmed grass—involve less heavy toil and less expense. However, his manifesto is not for idlers. As you hoe the weed seedlings out of your beds, it may be useful to keep repeating to yourself: "Little and often."

Photographs by Heather Edwards.

Above: Charles Dowding's acre or so in Somerset has more in common with a large garden than a small farm. By maximizing space in each growing area Charles reliably produces salad and other vegetables for local shops and restaurants while having plenty left over for himself. And all without using machinery. Charles's No-Dig courses are always booked up because the concept sounds too good to be true. Is it?

Above: "My advice is simple," says Charles. "Disturb your soil as little as possible." And mind the cooperative goods inside: "Soil is alive with helpful bacteria, fungi, worms, and beetles," he says. "They appreciate being fed with composted organic matter on a regular basis."

Above: One to two inches of mulch are spread over all the beds in late autumn (though it can be applied at any time of year). Plants get a head start in undug soil in spring because it has been fed and left alone. Dug soil does not quickly recover from the disturbance of winter digging. "Fertility is enhanced by an increase in undisturbed soil life," says Charles.

Still inclined to dig? Consider this: disturbing the soil encourages weed seeds to germinate. To deal with weeds, Charles says to clear the ground and then just pick weeds when you see them, either by hand or with a hoe. The garden shouldn't get to the point where the soil needs more than a light skimming with a hoe. 

Charles is justly proud of his clean soil: weeds can be such a waste of human time and plant energy. "Having fewer weeds," says Charles, "means I can manage a larger garden and look after the soil more carefully."

Above: A blanket of healthy, nutritious soil means less watering is needed. In late summer, Charles's salad leaves need watering but not more than every three days or so. This less frequent but more thorough drenching discourages slugs and fungal diseases. New plants need watering only once or twice a week to encourage their roots to grow downward.

Charles waters before sowing seeds, not after. For young plants, he uses a dibber to create a shallow well around the stem to allow watering in just the right place: "Precise watering of sowings and plantings saves much water and means fewer weeds grow."

Above: Sowing seeds at the right time also gives plants a better chance of survival. They need to be the right size when planted, so they're strong enough to shrug off predators. Beans sown outdoors too early will struggle, while beans direct-seeded in warm weather will develop larger, less slug-attractive leaves more quickly.

Charles sows vulnerable seeds undercover, such as vegetables with tasty young shoots. For instance, the small leaves of beetroot are a treat for birds and wood lice so they're best kept under wraps.

Charles Dowding's Veg Journal is £14.99 from Frances Lincoln Publishers.

For more soil growing advice see 12 Tips for Growing Cutting Flowers from Barberry Hill Farm.

Looking for an attractive compost solution? See Steal This Look: Elegant French Country Compost Bins.

If you ask us, a room just isn't complete without a little something green to pull it together. West Elm agrees.

Embracing the idea of greenery in the home is the first step toward reaching home décor nirvana, but keeping a new charge alive is the ongoing challenge. To help readers in their pursuit of houseplant perfection, Gardenista editor-in-chief, Michelle Slatalla, has been offering houseplant growing tips on West Elm's blog Front + Main. 

Above: Nurturing a newly fostered Red-Tipped Kalanchoe? Michelle will let you know whether to drench it or drain it. 

Above: Considering Bamboo? Check in to see if you've got the optimal light conditions (hint: you probably do).

Above: Just trying to keep a standard Succulent looking perky? There's no question too small. Michelle covers that, too.

Above: See the growing collection of posts in the Gardenista Houseplant Guide on Front + Main.