Citrus as Garden Art

By Haskell Harris | March 3, 2010 | Design

Nine years ago, during a semester abroad, I found myself alone in the open courtyard of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, Italy, surrounded by an ornamental grove of potted citrus trees.

I'd been wandering around the place all morning trying to find the elusive garden, and by the time I got there I was grateful to find it void of tourists and clicking cameras.  

It's hard to imagine that a simple plant held so much history in its leaves, but these trees, heavy with fruit, certainly did. 

To the Medici, oranges represented wealth and fertility. If you look closely at Medici commissioned paintings, like Botticelli's La Primavera, look for the citrus trees.  They are present in many of the art forms that the family had a hand in.

The single specimen garden was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen. 

And one day I want my own grove. 

Not only do the citrus trees retain their shiny, evergreen leaves all year, but citrus blossoms produce the most intoxicating scent. A few months ago I got my collection started with two Meyer lemon trees that were covered in blossoms and put them just outside the front door. The fragrance wafted into the house every morning when I left for work and every time I crossed the threshold in the evenings. Heavenly! 

I've also been looking to the ornamental citrus gardens in Charleston for ideas. I've spotted several examples, some potted, some espaliered (which just means that they are trained to grow completely flat against a wall or other structure).

I love how espalier looks, so I thought I'd post a few images of other fruit trees trained in a similar fashion. Turns out that the practice goes back even farther than the Medici, all the way to ancient Egypt. For centuries, people have used it to take advantage of space in small gardens, to create hedges in open areas, and more. 

If you're thinking of adding citrus or fruit trees to your garden, one of the best mail-order sources is the Tasteful Garden in Alabama. And if you'd like to take the whole idea one step further with professionally trained espalier specimens, River Road Farms is your best bet. 

All you'll need after that is a pitcher of sweet tea to put those fresh lemons in...

Image credits: olga-martinez.blogspot.com; sandrobotticelli.net; agrowingtradition.com; frenchgardening.com; orange2.bp.blogspot.com; dovegreyreader.typepad.com; americangardenhistory.com; eastanglia.wordpress.com

The Bike Life

By Haskell Harris | June 12, 2009 | Design

So it's Friday afternoon and this is a Friday afternoon kind of post.

It's about bikes. Beach cruisers by fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to be exact.

The Charleston influence is easy to see in all four styles, including the tandems. 

Here's why: she came here last Fall and opened a charming store on King Street, and that trip was her first to Charleston, a city where you can count at least five leggy blonde girls on beach cruisers for every block you walk—rain or shine, winter or summer. They are, as they say, part of the culture. Just a few months later, she had her models at New York's Spring 2009 Fashion Week ride down the catwalk at the end of the show on her whimsical line of beach cruisers.

Every last one of them flew off the runway (not literally). One even ended up on an episode of Gossip Girl.

Photo courtesy of coolspotters.com

Now the shop in Charleston has two, propped cheerfully in the plate glass windows between the mannequins wearing adorable things like this:

Photo courtesy of cynthiarowley.com

So what does Rowley have to say about it all?

"I think everyone wants to customize the things they use and love a lot, make them their own. I wanted to do something that is just as stylish as people are in other areas of their lives. And bikes are the best way to get around town, whether in New York or Charleston. They're good for you and for the environment."

Without further adieu, here they are: 

Design Flash: Ross Kenan Interiors

By Haskell Harris | March 25, 2009 | Design

I have a little bit of a crush on Charleston right now as far as design goes.

And for good reason.

We have a fantastic (and growing) creative community here, from artists to fashion designers.

Which brings me to the point of my post.

The other day, I came across photos from a young interior design firm here in the city, Ross Kenan Interiors, and loved them.

Like the founding partners, Sterling Kenan and Caroline Ross (pictured below), the firm's projects are sophisticated and cheerful.

I loved their office in particular (image follows below):

So much so that I asked Sterling to dish on design a little bit. Our Q & A follows:

BD: Who are your favorite style icons of the past?

SK: Definitely Dorothy Draper—her style is so translatable today. Also Francis Elkins, and we LOVE David Hicks—especially his textiles.

The book about Dorothy Draper, above, was all the rage about a year ago, and it's a a fabulous tribute to her. To flip through it, click on amazon.com

BD: And the Present?

SK: We love Kelly Wearstler. Also Celerie Kemble, Vincente Wolfe, and Ruthie Sommers.

I just bought this book by Celerie Kemble, above, and love it. To flip through it, visit amazon.com

BD: If you had to sum up the aesthetic of Ross Kenan, what would you say?

SK: An eclectic mix of vintage treasures and modern pieces that create a unique, comfortable, functional, and fun environment for our clients (like the projects pictured below):

BD: Do you have a current fabric or accessory or great looking piece of furniture that you're dying to use in a project?

SK: We found this amazing wood chandelier that is in our office right now that we would love to see in a residential setting.

BD: Where are your favorite places to shop for great design in Charleston, from vintage stores to pedigree antiques?

SK: Estella Vitae—such eclectic treasures from all over the world! Hungry Neck Antique Mall—you never know what you will find but the hunt is always fun! Palmetto Moon, and we love scouting all of the antique stores on Johns Island.

BD: Why did you decide to base your business in Charleston?

SK: We both have a love for Charleston and had previously lived here after college. After moving away for a bit, both of us went to graduate school—Caroline returning to Charleston and myself to New York. We always knew that when we were ready to go into business, we wanted to do so in Charleston. After finishing school in New York, I returned to Charleston to open RKI with Caroline.

For more information on the firm, visit: rosskenaninteriors.com

Design Flash: Marysia Swim

By Haskell Harris | March 3, 2009 | Design

Charleston, South Carolina, is a bathing suit town.

Blame it on the palm trees, the sailboats, and the surfing.

And this bathing suit town, in turn, is also home to one of the best—and newest—bathing suit designers in the country.

A former ballet dancer, Marysia Dobrzanska Reeves (pictured below) grew up in Poland, studied design in Los Angeles, worked for Milly in New York, and has now made Charleston home base for her budding business, Marysia Swim, and her young family.
                                           
Her work (for women and children) is both playful and chic, as evidenced by these pieces from her collection:

If you're craving summer, perusing her Web site (wherever you live) will kick the winter blues for sure.

And look for her at Charleston Fashion Week if you're in town. An artist on the cusp is a beautiful thing to watch!