Friday, May 13, 2016

Porch Furniture

Met with a client yesterday, we did their backyard 2 years ago, and she needed a quick hour.  Several topics.
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Last topic, her small front porch.  Garden catalog in hand, tape measure pulled to dimension, blue tape marking chairs/sofa feet.  Where exactly should the sofa/2 chairs be placed?  About to answer, she quickly said where her 11 year old daughter told her, "Mom, they have to go like this."  Great moment, exactly what I was about to answer.  Not the 1st time this child has said intuitive things about the garden.  We've got our eyes on her !
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Perhaps the most surprising & delightful outdoor seating, below.  Those scallop topped barrels, the folding screen, the hard-packed dirt flooring.  Is it a private home?  A small hotel?  What kind of trees are in the barrels?  Why is the screen there?  Is there anything behind the screen?
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Woman, front left, seems to be texting.

Portrait of a family on a terrace, 1901, Library of Toulouse:flickr:

Pic, above, here.
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When I worked at a garden center in the 80's we would get an order of 1/2 whiskey barrels 1/year, sold for $11.99 ea.  Unloading them from the truck, fumes so strong, we felt like we could get drunk by osmosis.
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I was a total snob about those whiskey 1/2 barrels until I saw George Washington had used them at Mt. Vernon, and a pic of Rudyard Kipling in India standing on a gorgeous porch, several 1/2 whiskey barrels planted.  Now, these full whiskey barrels.  Yep, suitable for our ca. 1900 farmhouse.
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Garden & Be Well,  XOT

4 comments:

Dewena said...

We used to sell the Jack Daniels barrels in our garden center. One still had the bung spout still in it!

The old photograph is intriguing. What are those trees?

Penelope Bianchi said...

Bunny Mellon's garden too! Love the half-barrels and the whole ones with scalloped tops!!!

It really is so charming!

Anonymous said...

Had a big laugh about your texting lady. When I was in England last year with very proper and somewhat religious aunt and uncle…I waited very, very patiently to start my lunch sitting across from my aunt. She had her head bowed and I thought her prayer was extra long…"so blessed to have lovely Canadians visiting…" she took an inordinately long time but I waited. I finally realized she had her phone under the table out of the sun so she could text. I told her my story the next day and we laughed uncontrollably, the tears streaming type of laughter….

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Tara, the screen was my first thought...why? The woman appears to be doing handwork but that might be my take on it due to photo age. I'd love to have whiskey barrels but they are outrageously expensive now.