Mountain Marvels

The front door or the porch are the very first elements of a home that come into play for welcoming one and all, and that’s why they must be appealing and of course, beautiful to look at. But over the years, things seem to lose their curb appeal and get all worn out and old. However, just a few steps of creative makeover can add new life to the same. Here are 25 Marvelous Curb Appeal Ideas That Can Rejuvenate Your Home With Gorgeousness.

Post and Beam homes are known for their exposed wooden beams, vaulted ceilings, and spacious, open rooms. With those features, the style already speaks for itself, design-wise, so when you’re decorating the home, it can be a balancing act—showcasing the beautiful ceilings and wood, while also giving the space personality through furniture and accessories. That’s what celebrity interior designer and home stager Francesca Grace was tasked with for this home staging project in the Topanga mountains of Los Angeles.

When we were in Aberdeen the orange forms of the Crown imperials grew very well, I never could find success with the yellow forms.

The last couple of days of warm weather has everything bursting into bloom – yesterday I was admiring a trio of irises and today I looked up and saw that the mimosa is starting to open its little yellow pompoms.

Not so long ago my leaf heap was a neat and orderly affair, but as I’ve tidied beds and paths it has got a bit out of hand and every time I add more leaves a mini-avalanche ensues. I’m not too worried though, there isn’t much to add now and as it settles I can gradually get it back behind the barricades. By the time next autumn com

Jo Malone London, the new garden is Blooming Marvellous Instead of spending a large fortune on a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, Jo Malone Ltd has funded the restoration of the now beautiful Old English Garden in Battersea Park. The garden is a social project done in conjunction Thrive’s Growing 4 Life project that helps people with physical or mental health challenges gain recognised horticultural qualifications.

I’m as Happy as Heidi when I’m up a Mountain I don’t know whether it’s because I’m high on the altitude, invigorated by the exercise, or because I love to spend time in a landscape where Nature is in charge, but for me summer mountains beat a beach any day. As a gardener, the opportunity to see flowers in their natural habitat is invaluable.

Trulli Marvellous Nigel Dunnett’s Blue Water Garden is an interesting working of an old idea – the harvesting and use of water to create a green oasis in the driest of places.  The building is based on the trulli of the Puglia region of southern Italy, the water rills echo the paradise gardens of ancient Persia and the planting was inspired by the dry meadows of south eastern Europe.  It felt very different to many of the other gardens – fresher, crisper and with more vibrant colour contrasts.  With the warm weather I’m sure the orange martagon lilies will be looking better and better as the week progresses.  The roof of the trulli has been made without any mortar – a real work of art.

The intoxicating fragrance of Texas mountain laurel is enough to cause drivers to slam on the brakes or dog walkers to abruptly stop short, giving poor Fido whiplash.Famed TV chef Emeril Lagasse used to lament the non-inventi

It’s Looking Marvellous at Merriments I’ve just returned from Merriments Nursery (Hurst Green, East Sussex) where I was preparing for a guided walk I’m giving with Helen Yemm (from the Telegraph) this Saturday May 3rd as part of National Nurseries Week. Helen will be talking about plant combinations and I will be encouraging those attending (and everyone else) to plant pollinator friendly plants.

George’s Marvellous Garden This garden based on the Roald Dahl story involved the children learning traditional skills as well as gardening and incorporated many recycled objects. The spoon water feature was really inspired and very eye catching.

I’ve temporarily moved my hurdles that keep critters off my raised beds and used them to corral my ever-growing pile of leaves. Over the years I’ve found that if I don’t do this, the heap sprawls into the surrounding area and I don’t get a decent depth of leafmould to excavate. Wire nettin