2009 Gardeners’ Party
Thursday, September 24
UNIQUE ITEMS
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FRANCES PALMER FOUR-HANDLED OPEN-WORK VASE
This dramatic, spectacular, hand-thrown cache pot with cut-outs is made of white earthenware with transparent, crackle glaze. Connecticut-based Palmer looks to the garden for inspiration, creating deliberately asymmetrical pots with specific flowers in mind. Her deceptively simple pieces are anything but. Influenced by the Bloomsbury Group’s Omega Workshop, Isamu Noguchi’s 1950’s pottery and classic Greek vases, they are the embodiment of Palmer’s trained art historian’s eye and her superb artisanal handiwork. Palmer’s work has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Bon Apetit, Vogue, “O” The Oprah Magazine and many other publications; it is available at upscale shops like Barneys.
Courtesy of Frances Palmer Pottery |
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GEM OF A TERRARIUM
Urbanites rejoice! Terrariums are making a comeback. This little green world under glass is custom-made by 'The Undercover Gardener.' It offers an ocean theme, featuring a faux-driftwood, resin container under a bell jar planted with a dwarf carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes argentii) and rare, carnivorous butterwort (Pinguicula moctezumae), along with Peperomia caperata, Pilea depressa, Selaginella kraussiana spikemoss and even Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). This miniature garden would look at home in the Hamptons, or just right in Riverdale. Practically self-sustaining, you can fuss with it as much or as little as you like.
Courtesy of Ken Druse |
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TWO ANTIQUE TURKISH LANTERNS
Best known for hip, decoupage designs handmade in his New York studio, stylemaker John Derian also scours the globe for curiosities like these impossible-to-find, antique, Turkish lanterns for the garden. Filigreed with silver metal, top and bottom sandwich an accordion splash of bright, yellow fabric. Meant to be suspended, perhaps from an arbor, they hold a small candle and will add panache to that special spot. When open, they measure 12 inches high with a 10-inch diameter; they collapse for easy storage. Derian’s decoupage and furniture collection are sold by upscale home stores, catalogs and gift shops worldwide, and at The John Derian Company in the East Village, which carries antiques, imports, quilts, table linens and a line of stationery. Derian’s shop, his work and his home have been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Vogue, Vogue Living, The New York Times Home Magazine, The World of Interiors, Elle Décor, Lucky, Country Living, House Beautiful, Gourmet, Bon Apetit, Victoria, Garden Design, The New York Observer, Time Out, New York Magazine, GQ, Details and W.
Courtesy of John Derian and Deborah Needleman
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TWO FABRIC SWAN LOUNGE CHAIRS WITH TWO FABRIC TOTE BAGS
Comfortably chic with a classic design, this pair of outdoor lounge chairs is from Munder-Skiles, the company that specializes in garden furniture and production by John Danzer, America’s first Exterior Decorator™. Many of John’s iconic pieces are inspired by vintage furniture that he discovers here and abroad; one might see this curving shape at a French antique sale. Taking an old-style, metal, sling frame and applying the modern technology of this fantastic new fabric is Munder-Skiles at its best, giving a fresh and modern rendering to a classic. This high-tech gingham is so durable and fabulous, John had stylish yet functional Tangleknot tote bags made from it, too.
Courtesy of Munder-Skiles
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THE PRESENCE OF TREES:
COPPER BEECH, BLUE SKY
Wave Hill’s beloved copper beeches are a signature of the landscape. Take home this framed, watercolor-like rendering of the wonderful specimen situated on our south lawn, then imagine a sunny, early fall day stretched out under its branches. Larry Lederman’s photographs are a fresh take on trees—sharing each one’s expressive presence—evoking the diversity and wonder of life. Lederman reveals a tree’s majesty in the landscape during all seasons, spotlighting both its individuality and its larger place in the natural world. His poetic images will be on view October 17–April 11 at the New York Botanical Garden’s Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery, in a show aptly entitled, The Presence of Trees.
Courtesy of Larry Lederman
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ARTS & CRAFTS-STYLE RIMMED VASE
From Treillage, our favorite garden shop in the city, comes this impressive Arts & Crafts-style vase. A glorious container with copper-fired underglaze it is highlighted with a turquoise, crackle, parti-glaze on its upper body and measures 25 inches high with a 13.5-inch diameter. It’s large enough to bring your garden indoors all year long: fill it with your tallest summer blooms, architectural treasures in autumn, and then flowering boughs in spring. Inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show in London and motivated by New York’s need for a go-to garden accoutrements source, Bunny Williams and John Rosselli created Treillage, Ltd., in 1991.
Courtesy of Treillage, Ltd.
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PRAYING MANTIS PIN
This totally funky, fun and wonderful pin is made of sterling silver and bronze. Touch it – it wiggles!
It springs from the zany mind (and talented hands) of Ricky Boscarino, who counts Antoni Gaudi, Beatrice Wood and Jean Cocteau among his strongest creative influences. Ricky derives his greatest and most artistic inspiration from his own atelier and home, Luna Parc, a name he appropriated from an amusement park in Rome. He is artist-in-residence at this fabulous, fanciful and phantasmagoric house, cozily nestled in a forest glade amidst the wilds of woodland New Jersey. Surrounded by an elaborate profusion of flora and populated by an exotic menagerie of fauna that ranges from pigs to peacocks, Luna Parc provides a constant source of inspiration for its creator. Visitors welcome!
Courtesy of Ricky Boscarino/Luna Parc
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SELECTION OF OUTSTANDING WINES FROM TURLEY • TWO BOTTLES OF EACH
In 1993, Larry Turley started Turley Wine Cellars, north of St. Helena, California, along Highway 29. Known for their Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, Turley's wines leave no room for ambivalence. Many consumers consider the rich, concentrated reds iconic, while others find the "big boys," as Turley calls some bottlings, stylistically over-the-top. There is a two-year waiting list to buy the wines, and fiercely loyal customers have been known to compose poems and name pets in their honor. Here is an incredible selection for you!
Anonymous Donor
2005 Dragon Vineyard Howell Mountain Zinfandel
Dark all the way to the edge. Aromas of jammy dark fruits and white pepper that jump out of the glass. The mystical Dragon can only be from one place given its distinctive flavor and textural profile. This Howell Mountain beauty has the tannin and the structure you’d expect and want; the finish is suave and elegant.
2005 Grist Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
High atop Bradford Mountain sit ten rows of head-trained, old-vine Zinfandel. From the get-go, the ’05 Grist screamed of red berries. There’s plenty of spice to go around, but the core is red fruit. It feels good in the mouth; the tannins provide structure but also allow it to flow easily across the palate. The finish tastes of cranberries and raspberries, with a touch of oak.
2005 Rattlesnake Ridge Howell Mountain Zinfandel
Waffling between dark fruit and cracked-pepper aromas, the vineyard character in this wine cannot be denied. Blue/black fruit flavors and an earthy mid-palate keep time with the bold tannin. The finish beckons back to the vineyard, where the iron-rich, volcanic soils influence the wine’s structure.
2005 Vineyard 101 Alexander Valley Zinfandel
The ’05 Vineyard 101 is a great example of the terroir of the vineyard−right red fruits, pepper, cherries and raspberries. The mouth-feel is a wonderful combination of oiliness and acidity, resulting in a finish that tastes of sour cherries, chocolate and a touch of oak. It is the acidity that lifts all of the aromatics to new heights.
2005 Rattlesnake Ridge Howell Mountain Petite Syrah
In keeping with its Zinfandel siblings Rattlesnake and Dragon, this Petite Syrah also shows a distinct sense of place and time. Reduced violet and raspberry aromatics grace the nose with hints of fresh-cracked black pepper. There are fine but prominent tannins. It’s not unlike a full-throttled Hermitage.
2005 Turley Estate Napa Valley Petite Syrah
The Estate Petite is a great combination of old-world and new-world aromatics. There is Rhone-like character in the nose, surrounded by an abundance of dark-red fruit; meaty, earthy and fruity all at the same time. Purple fruits and violets in the mouth. The mid-palate is focused and the finish has great persistence.
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GREENWAY BIRDBATH
This birdbath is so spectacular we almost kept it for Wave Hill! Imagine it in your garden, placed artfully as a focal point. Or nestle it in among the trees and shrubs to create an old English scene. Adapted from a 1920s British stone original, this beauty is from the antique garden ornament expert Barbara Israel’s new line “Garden Traditions,” that meticulously casts pieces from her own collection. Domestically produced by skilled craftsmen, in authentic period color composition stone and finished by hand, these reproductions offer an important alternative to antique garden ornaments. The shallow bowl with stiff leaf motif is supported by a wrythen baluster decorated with gadrooning and acanthus leaves. Where ever you place it, make sure you can see it from a window—you’ll want to watch the birds enjoy its lovely basin.
Courtesy of Barbara Israel Garden Traditions
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SELECTION OF ADORABLE POTS
From Seibert and Rice, importers of fine Impruneta pots from Italy, comes this sweet assortment of small pots just waiting to be planted by you. Use them individually or cluster them for impact. Either way, these are among the highest quality terracotta pots you will find today. Introduced to the American market in 1994 by Seibert & Rice, Impruneta terracotta is both frost-proof and handsome.
Courtesy of Seibert and Rice |
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Printable Version
