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Tag: autumn

  • The Beauty of Decay: 10 Perennials to Add Structure to a Winter Garden – Gardenista

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    As gardens fade and the days darken, it’s tempting to forget about what’s going on outdoors until early spring when everything jolts back into life. But this is a missed opportunity. Careful plant choices can reap major benefits in the winter.

    It’s well known that certain trees and shrubs can play a leading role in the coldest season, but the right perennials and grasses also can look mesmerizing. By focusing on a plant’s structure and its ability to retain its shape, you can create schemes that look incredible in the fourth season. Read on to discover which plants will maximize this effect and learn to embrace the beauty of winter decay:

    Thistles

    Thistles in February. Photograph by Feathering the Nest via Flickr.
    Above: Thistles in February. Photograph by Feathering the Nest via Flickr.

    Spiky plants and thistles including teasel, echinops, and eryngiums tend to hold their structure brilliantly in the winter.

    Echinops

    Globe echinops. Photograph by Tobias Myrstrand Leander via Flickr.
    Above: Globe echinops. Photograph by Tobias Myrstrand Leander via Flickr.

    In winter, the stiff purple-blue heads of echinops turn brown and maintain their posture.

    Grasses

    Grasses and perennials in December at Torrey Pines Nature Reserve in La Jolla, California. Photograph by Anne Reeves via Flickr.
    Above: Grasses and perennials in December at Torrey Pines Nature Reserve in La Jolla, California. Photograph by Anne Reeves via Flickr.

    Play off these strong forms with billowing clumps of airy grasses such as Deschampsia cespitosa or Molinia caerulea which will fade to blond and buff colors over late autumn and early winter.

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  • Winter Is Coming: How to Care for Houseplants When They Go Dormant – Gardenista

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    Just like us, houseplants want to hunker down for the colder and shorter days ahead. While your foliage friends might not appreciate a warm cup of cocoa or cozy scarfs, they do appreciate a little pampering and a lot of rest during the fall and winter months, when temperatures dip, light conditions dwindle, and moisture diminishes. Most plants will naturally slow down or stop growing at this point to conserve and store energy for growing season come spring. Basically, most houseplants go winter dormant.

    If you’re an indoor plant parent, keep reading to learn some helpful tips to keep your potted friends healthy and happy during this time of rest.

    1. Alter your watering schedule.

    Above: Plants need to drink less when they go dormant. Photograph by Mimi Giboin, from Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light.

    While you might think you should maintain your watering schedule, most houseplants actually prefer less water during this slow period. Always check the level of moisture in your plant’s soil before watering by pushing your finger into the soil about 2 inches, and if it’s dry then you can give it a thorough drink. Be aware that excess water leads to soggy soil which can lead to root rot. Of course each type of plant has different moisture needs, so it pays to do your homework.

    2. Dust those leaves.

    Above: Photograph by Michael J. Spear via Urban Outfitters, from Still Life with Houseplants: Macramé Artist Emily Katz in Portland, Oregon.

    Plants take in oxygen through their tiny pores, so it’s smart to dust your houseplants on a regular basis to make sure that these breathing leaves remain open and not clogged. Bonus: clean leaves also are better at absorbing light during these dim times. How to do this? Wipe your plant’s leaves with a damp, clean cloth, and while you’re at it, remove any yellowing or dead leaves.

    3. Make sure they stay warm.

    Fiddle leaf figs like the light but not the draft. Photograph by Kelly Marshall, from Expert Advice: How to Throw a Dinner Party with Minimal Effort, from an SF Creative Director.
    Above: Fiddle leaf figs like the light but not the draft. Photograph by Kelly Marshall, from Expert Advice: How to Throw a Dinner Party with Minimal Effort, from an SF Creative Director.

    Okay, I said no warm scarves for your plants, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn up the heat in the house. Most indoor plants like temps to hover above 50 degrees F. If they get too cold, some houseplants will actually start shedding their leaves. If they’re currently living next to a drafty window, you may want to consider moving them to a toastier spot.

    4. Turn up the humidity.

    African violets need humidity in order to thrive. Photograph by Mimi Giboin, from African Violets: Rethinking �216;America�217;s Favorite House Plant�217; for Modern Times.
    Above: African violets need humidity in order to thrive. Photograph by Mimi Giboin, from African Violets: Rethinking ‘America’s Favorite House Plant’ for Modern Times.

    With added dry heat, however, comes a lack of humidity. To thrive, plants like 50-60% humidity. To ensure they stay foliage-fit, consider placing your plants on trays filled with pebbles and water to increase the moisture in the air. Humidifiers also do the job. Another idea is to huddle your plants together to create a symbiotic micro climate, meaning plants close together will transpire by releasing water from their leaves and then share it with neighboring plants.

    5. Change the light exposure.

    Above: A plant leaning into the light. Photograph by Emily Johnston, from The Accidental Jungle: Shabd Simon-Alexander’s Houseplants in a New York Apartment.

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  • How to wear culottes in winter, according to a fashion writer

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    We’ll show you how to wear culottes in winter, but first: a history lesson.

    Did you know the history of culottes is linked to class struggle and female liberation? What we know today as a swishy, skirt-like, cropped trouser actually has quite a nebulous definition, as it’s been used to describe different garments over time. From the late Middle Ages until the early 1800s, culottes were the knee breeches worn by men from the European aristocracy and upper classes. They were so associated with money that, at the time of the French Revolution, revolutionaries of the lower classes were known as “sans-culottes” due to their long trousers. But, if you’re reading this, you’re probably more interested in the feminist history of the garment.

    During the Victorian era, split skirts came into use for women for the purpose of horseback riding. (Since trousers for women up until this point were quite scandalous, and in some instances, illegal!) Quite literally skirts split in half, their legs were made up of flowing fabric, a precursor to today’s culottes. The point was that it looked like a skirt, but allowed women more flexibility of movement, particularly when sitting on horseback. The garment was adapted for other activities like cycling, gardening and cleaning, but was not yet mainstream.

    In the 1910s, the jupe-culotte (literally meaning skirt-pant in French) was associated with women’s suffrage. In 1911, the doctor and feminist Madeleine Pelletier was quoted in a Vogue article titled The Distracting Jupe-Culotte saying: “Liberty of movement is conducive to liberty of thought.” We also can’t leave out the contribution of Paul Poiret: while his harem pants are slightly different to the culottes we know today, it was one of the first times women in Europe wore trousers as a fashionable garment. Trousers for women also became a bit of a necessity due to the First World War, when women filled the gap in the workforce left by conscripted men.

    Then, in the ’20s, the hedonistic flapper mood brought with it a relatively more free attitude to fashion and gender, so it only made sense that culottes grew in popularity as a fashionable garment. Fashion designer Coco Chanel was particularly fond of them, often wearing flowy trousers known as “beach pyjamas” from the late 1910s. Elsa Schiaparelli, another seminal fashion designer of the era, dressed tennis player Lilí Álvarez in culottes in 1931 for Wimbledon, which caused some pearl-clutching at the time.

    As the decades progressed, trousers for women became less of a shock and more a normal part of the female wardrobe – due to factors like wartime pragmatism in the 40s and the cultural revolution of the 60s. Fast forward to today, where culottes on women would not raise an eyebrow in the slightest. (Perhaps they’re even something your mum or grandma might wear!)

    Culottes are a great way to add movement to your outfit, while being just as practical as traditional trousers – makes sense, considering their history. So, how to wear culottes in winter? As Chanel showed us 100 years ago, they look great in the summer on the French Riviera – but rest assured that they can be styled for the colder months, too.

    SKIP TO:

    Ahead, how to wear culottes in winter.

    With patterned or colourful tights

    Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images

    Image may contain Tomoko Kawase Pedestrian Person Clothing Coat Adult Accessories Bag and Handbag

    Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

    If you’re someone who doesn’t want even a sliver of flesh exposed to the elements in winter (and we don’t blame you) we’d recommend a pair of tights underneath the trousers to offer you some extra protection. Black, opaque, high denier tights are a classic, but you can do better than that. One of the stand-out trends of this year and expected to get even more popular: colourful tights.

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    Anastasia Vartanian

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  • Crustless Pumpkin Pie

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    Crustless Pumpkin Pie  |  Kitchen Nostalgia
















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