Last week I was able to enjoy an afternoon visit with my friend Kim Smith at her Gloucester home. After meeting at last year’s North Shore Design Show at the Wenham Museum, we quickly discovered that we both shared a love of gardening, along with a passion for old homes (she has been creating beauty inside and out at Willowdale Estate, while I have been involved with decorating projects at the Stevens Estate). Parking my car, I knew I was at the right place as I was greeted with a fluttering of butterflies around a rose-covered front porch. Bird song filled the air and a profusion of colors and scents beckoned. I know this sounds very “Disney-like” but it really felt like walking into a secret oasis! Kim takes great care to design landscapes that attract winged creatures – birds, butterflies, bees –
all are welcome and enjoyed.
Here is just a glimpse of what I saw ...
Bee Balm 
Honeysuckle ... pretty and fragrant
Easy to grow ... Annabelle Hydrangea
Tomato plants and Liberty of London watering can 
A container-garden-filled courtyard
Can anyone identify this flower? The name escapes me ...
Bougainvillea ... holding up well despite summer heat 
Lettuce, narsturtiums (a favorite of mine)and Swiss chard (a favorite of my dad’s)
I believe this is a version of Lantana? 
Shasta Daisy
A sure thing ... Butterfly Bush 
Potted poppies
Pink foxglove, large leaf hosta, and white edged Solomon’s Seal
My favorite photo of the dayThe inside of Kim’s home was extremely charming. I did not take interior photos during our visit as I was there simply to enjoy her company. We talked a lot about raising our children (she has two, a girl and a boy, that while still under her wing are much more independent than my four littles), the need to create (she is writing and illustrating a new book, this time for children), and a variety of other topics including why the bowl of fruit I brought was still slightly frozen (when you are undergoing kitchen renovations, one must improvise!) Stop by and visit her blog,
Kim Smith Designs, when you need a bit of nature’s beauty to lift your spirits, or have questions
about gardening. She is an expert on many topics, along with being a gracious host!
This week I will be participating in the Alphabet Walk blog hop at
a fun blog I recently discovered: One Sydney Road. Check it out!
(My letter is “Y” and I will be posting on Friday, July 16th)
Bunting Flag Banner by Puglypixel.com
Alphabet Walk blog hop badge by 74 Lime Lane
Visit my space at the Danvers Historical Society
designer showcase now through August 1st!
Beautiful pictures! Sounds like a delightful day!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a stunning garden! I wish I had an area for a garden, but I guess thats part of the trade when you live in the city.
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful, I cannot wait to own my own home and have a flourishing garden just like hers.
ReplyDeletelovely images... the bee balm is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you are all enjoying these photos of Kim's garden! She emailed me today with some of the information I was missing:
ReplyDelete"The orange flowers are not lantana, but a type of butterflyweed callled Asclepias tuberosa. The pink flowering plant is in the mandevilla family and is commonly called dipladenia. The more typically seen mandevilla is called Mandevilla' Alice duPont,' and is a vigorous vine with much larger and leathery leaves. The dipladenia in the photo has smaller leaves and it is great for hanging baskets because it has a trailing habit."
Thanks, Kim!
I look forward to our next visit and seeing how your garden changes with the seasons : )
Here is a link that shows a glimpse of the vintage chandeliers that hang in Kim's home.
ReplyDeletePosted by her daughter Liv:
http://dessertordisaster.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/chandeliers/