Marvin Gardens has settled into a new home at 759 Danbury Road, Wilton as of April 1, 2013. The new location is just several hundred feet north of the old home of 10 years. With the move comes a fresh look, with lots of bright interior space and an expansive exterior. Renovations and improvements continue as the warm weather progresses and planting out becomes part of the daily routine. Stop in to take a peek at the new and improved Marvin Gardens!
This is the month for Marvin Gardens to visit private homes and plant out containers. Amabel uses perennials and long lasting annuals to create a luxurious effect in cast iron urns and other containers. The arrangements require only water and admiration – no deadheading or changing out of plant material until the first frost or Thanksgiving, when Holiday decorating begins. Please contact Amabel directly at (203) 856-0309 to make an appointment. Click on the FACEBOOK icon on the home page to take a peek at completed site plantings.
Did you know that you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to view “Public” pages? Marvin Gardens has a Public Facebook page where viewers can simply click on the famous blue icon and go directly to the page. Here, you will find current photographs of new arrivals, interesting plantings, inspirational plant and architectural combinations as well as installations at client homes, art structures and containers used in home and garden settings and much, much more.
Marvin Gardens posts mobile picture updates to Facebook on a frequent basis (many of these photos never make it to the website) – check it out soon to see what is up to the moment!
While enduring this extremely hot summer and longing for an escape to the French countryside, we came across a beautiful home inspired by Paris in Veranda Magazine. When the owner of the home wanted to add a Parisian feel to her beach side home, she went to interior designer Betty Burgess, who is known on the West Coast for her classic European style. The California residence features a soft palette of blues, greys and creams with black and chocolate accents gives the home the rustic charm of an old French château while still complementing the home’s West Coast location. We loved that Burgess used many of the homeowner’s antiques and art work to complete the look with a personal touch.
Take a look at some more images from Veranda that we also found inspiring.
We’d love to hear from you, what did you think about the Paris-inspired home?
If you want your garden to look amazing, why not incorporate the Mountain Laurel? Not only is it a good addition to the garden, but they are also abundant in Connecticut. Here are 3 reasons why Marvin Gardens recommends planting Mountain Laurels in your garden this summer.
Adding pink and white blossoms can be a great addition to any summer garden.
1. Its beauty- The Mountain Laurel is the most beautiful of Native American shrubs. It has white and pink blossoms. This can create a great contrast if you have planted darker plants. This shrub will catch the attention of anyone who walks past your garden.
2. Its fragrance- Not only is this plant pleasant to look at, but it is also pleasant to smell. These plants give off an amazing fragrance that help your garden appeal to the senses. Most gardens are only appreciated for their beauty. However, with a few of these in your garden, it will be appreciated for its warm and welcoming fragrance.
3. Its the state flower- There’s a reason that the Mountain Laurel is the state flower. They are amazing shrubs that bring life to your garden. Also, it shows that you take pride in your state and appreciate the beauty that grows there.
Why not plant some of these wonderful shrubs today?
When it comes to sophisticated traditional design, Marvin Gardens just can’t get enough. We recently took a look at some photos from an installment in the latest edition of Architectural Digest of a townhouse renovation and we absolutely fell in love. According to AD, the residence is Thomas Jayne’s 19th-century home in Philadelphia. Take a look of a few of our favorites below form the spread!
The drawing room is furnished with a custom-made sofa and chairs upholstered in silk and a camelback sofa covered in a Clarence House damask. Rembrandt Peale’s portrait The Odalisque hangs over the mantel. The curtains are made of a silk faille from Claremont.A custom-made runner stripes the staircase.An Italian rococo secretary from Foster-Gwin stands in the drawing room.Fluted columns separate the drawing and dining rooms; the chandelier is Italian Empire.
If you’re n the Wilton, CT area and interested in creating a cozy transformation like this in your own home, contact Marvin Gardens today!
Photo Credit: Pieter Estersohn via Architectural Digest
It’s officially summertime which means many folks all over the continental U.S. are hustling and bustling with sunny holiday plans. But if you’re like the growing number of Americans who will choose to stay close to the home front for the summer this year, you’ll have to enjoy the globe’s offerings vicariously through photos and illustrations. Marvin Gardens would like to spoil you with a few of our favorite pretty pictures from a quint and cozy 18th-century farmhouse in Province, France known as Le Mas de Baraquet. Recently featured over at Habitually Chic, these pictures are originally from UK House & Garden Magazine and depict tranquil gardens designed by Dominque Lafourcade and her husband Bruno Lafourcade. Aaah, the site of these lush gardens just screams, “Won’t you visit us in France, please?!” What are your summer vacation plans?
Warmer days are approaching (finally) and we are closer to the last potential frost date. On-site container gardening begins in late April. Marvin Gardens’ containers are always low maintenance and tolerant of high neglect. Please call Amabel at (203) 544-2020 or email MarvinGardensUSA@gmail.com to schedule your appointment and make your color/plant selection. On-site fees are $25 per container (includes composted dirt) plus retail cost of plants. Minor fuel surcharge applies.
For landscape designers, April showers usually bring much more than just May flowers. They also invite us to think about best-practice gardening ideas, some of which can be universally applied pretty much any type of exterior design scheme.
Just came across a great article in The Epoch Times in which writer Mark Cullen outlines some great, and timeless, gardening trends to keep in mind.
Here are four of my favorite…
Native plants: Use of native plants in the landscape to reduce maintenance (fewer bugs and diseases), increase natural biodiversity cycles
Gardening in containers: Canadians are ‘pushing the envelope’ by mixing annuals and perennials together in containers, often adding vegetables and herbs for both a practical and decorative touch.
Color: Demand for annuals and perennials that produce a reliable abundance of colour for the longest possible length of time is on a steep rise.
Invest in your own outdoor ‘retreat’: Spend hard earned cash to improve your yard and garden rather than booking costly travel vacations or purchasing a vacation property.
Well, what do you think about these tips/trends? Do you have any of your own?
The Philadelphia International Flower Show is strongly considered one of the premier gardening events in the world, in part because so many outstanding talents make their way to the Show each year the showcase their finest plants and design work.
So when it was announced this past Sunday that Marvin Gardens won the Blue Ribbon for Best Retail Exhibit, we were absolutely thrilled!
Since 1829, the Philadelphia has maintained a tradition of showing some of the most exceptional and unique plants and displays from around the world, so to be now listed in the Shows history as one of the best in class, well, that’s truly an honor.
The Philadelphia Flower Show continues throughout Sunday, March 13, and we plan to be around and take in as much of the scenery as possible. Be sure to stop back to the blot later in the week, as I’m sure there will be plenty more great photos to post!