Elegant city houses - with a country twist

Hi all! Sorry I've been MIA - I was packing to spend this next month visiting my parents - and then there was the whole moving and unpacking process - which I"d rather not think about. Well, now that I'm here in the country - listening to the crickets and birds - mixed in with the clickity clack of my keyboard - I thought a little reminder of civilization was in order.




The above is a one bedroom, one bath loft in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood - "NoHo" meaning "North of Houston" - a name created by the real estate industry to give an area a trendy age and thus - up the edge on the prices.


The two images here are from the luxuriously renovated D.C. townhouse.


I adore this wide expanse of floor - a renovated Savannah townhouse.

via Metropolitan Home Sep. 2009

Monarch Cats to Butterflies

Metamorphosis is a fascinating process. From an egg to a caterpillar to a chrysalis to a butterfly, the life cycle happens quickly.

If you live in the migration path of the Monarch butterflies, you have an opportunity to provide a habitat so that you can observe this amazing miracle of nature.

Each day, I check the different patches of milkweed in my garden to see if more eggs have hatched. So far this August, there are seven Monarch caterpillars (aka "cats") in my garden. All are on the pink swamp milkweed, asclepias incarnata. I also have white swamp milkweed as well as the orange milkweed, asclepias tuberosa, to serve as host plants.

After the caterpillars eat the foliage on the milkweed plants, they move to another plant nearby as the chrysalis formation begins. The top photo shows a cat that has moved from the milkweed to a purple fountain grass. The grass is growing in a container about ten feet away from the group of milkweed.

Because the milkweed is poisonous, this serves to protect the cats (and butterflies) from being eaten by birds. If a bird takes a bite of a Monarch, it will make them sick and they learn to recognize the Monarch butterfly. The bright orange and black coloring of the Monarch butterfly serves as a warning to the predators. This coloring is a symbol for poison!


Photos and words by Freda Cameron; Location: home garden; August 2009

Growing from Seeds: Asclepias Incarnata

The seeds of asclepias incarnata, as well as asclepias tuberosa, will self-sow in the garden if the pods are left on the plants. In other words, you can let Mother Nature sow more milkweed plants. However, because the milkweeds are late to emerge in the spring, it is easy to disturb or destroy the new plants while working in the garden. Even mature milkweed plant locations need to be marked. Here in my zone 7 garden, the milkweeds emerge in June.

Asclepias incarnata, or swamp milkweed is best sited in moist, even boggy, soil locations.

Any plant that self-sows in your garden is a good candidate for fall sowing. For example, I collected the seeds of echinacea 'Prairie Splendor' and purchased seeds of echinacea 'Ruby Star'. I sowed the seeds in October last year while sowing larkspur, poppies and planting allium bulbs. By late spring, the seedlings were showing in the garden. In the last week, a few of the plants started blooming.

There are some disadvantages to sowing seeds in the fall. If you mulch or add compost to your garden, then the seeds will be covered over with a layer of organic matter, making it difficult to germinate. Areas of bare garden soil are needed for direct sowing. Birds may also forage and pick seeds sown in the garden, especially the seeds of flowers that they love, such as echinacea. Some weed suppressors, such as corn gluten, will not only suppress weed seed germination, but also the good seed germination!

Asclepias incarnata (like other milkweeds) is poisonous, so always handle the plants and seeds with care. The flat seeds barely need to be covered with soil, whether sowing in the garden, winter sowing or starting indoors. Asclepias incarnata seeds require refrigeration if started indoors.

Great directions for starting milkweed seeds are available from Monarch Watch. If you purchase any seeds, the packets should always come with directions for proper sowing.

Since asclepias incarnata seeds need cold stratification, some gardeners refrigerate the sown seeds in the cell packs in a refrigerator. I don't have an extra refrigerator for starting seeds after sown in the soil, so I will fall sow my seeds.

Those who like to winter sow, can start their seeds in containers outside in late winter. Seeds can also be placed between moist paper towels inside a ziplock bag to be refrigerated before sowing out in the spring after danger of frost has passed.

Perennials sown from seeds may take longer, sometimes 2 years, to bloom compared to large size plants that are purchased in pots from a nursery. Sow your seeds, mark the spot and be patient! Pink swamp milkweed is a beautiful perennial that is beneficial to bees and Monarch butterflies.


Photos and words by Freda Cameron

Collecting Seeds: Asclepias Incarnata

Asclepias incarnata or swamp milkweed, is a great perennial wildflower for full sun gardens in zones 3-9.

While swamp milkweed can handle boggy soils, it can grow in regular garden soil with occasional watering. Growing to around three feet tall, it is a good plant for middle of a border.

The soft pink to mauve blooms are bee and butterfly magnets. Don't be alarmed if you see caterpillars munching the leaves as this is a host plant for the amazing Monarch butterflies!

Here are the steps for collecting the seeds from asclepias incarnata. The same seed collection method will work with asclepias tuberosa.







Words and photos by Freda Cameron

The "take your breath away" work of photographer Morten Holtum

I have no words.




I would love one of those chairs - I'd toss a chunky knit cream throw over it



oh...my dream bedroom - I love white and blue striped rugs.






All images property of Morten Holtum

Inspiring Home Offices

Since I'm now working from home full time, I'm experiencing first hand the importance of a home office with function and style. To achieve this, I've decided, I must peruse as many sites and magazines I can get my hands on! I suspect this post will be continued in future installments --

Color is so important but such a hard thing for me to get right. I wish I could though, because the right colors can be just what one needs - serene, invigorating, relaxing, etc.


So peaceful - I think I'd be able to concentrate with a workspace like this...

I love having my books and magazines at hand - and for that shelving is a must. I'm just going to have to learn to live without when I'm working while I travel


So cheery!
via House to Home

This office looks very efficient - I would also love to have ample - and multiple - work surfaces


via House Beautiful

A real office from an Apartment Therapy reader.

A big (personal) announcement from me

Hi guys,
So, I've been a little quiet about this because I wanted to announce it to everyone all at once. I have several things going on in my life - which means several big changes.

a. I quit my job and am now working for myself full time as a freelance web designer. It was a hard and scary decision, but it's what I've always wanted to do. I don't know how appropriate this is, but I'd like to introduce you to my work incase you or anyone you know ever needs a website designed. My website portfolio is ashleywhitedesign.com. Potential clients can go there to read a bit about me and see some samples of my work.

b. I am leaving NYC for one year. This was mainly inspired by my boyfriend. He left on Sunday for Segovia, Spain, where he will be an assistant teacher in a high school, teaching English. I plan on spending quite a bit of time over there - so I will be writing to you part-time from Spain! In between my visits to Spain I will be working from MD, where I'll be staying with my parents, and from Tampa, where I'll be staying with my sister. Chris (my boyfriend) and I also plan to spend the following summer traveling around Europe - and I hope to share all of my stories and photos with you - if I still have the pleasure of your company.



Segovia, which is approximately 1hr north of madrid.

I'm excited for all of these big changes and for all the new stories that will be shared on Decorology! If you have any traveling words of wisdom or ideas, please do share! I really hope you will stick around - you guys have been immensely suportive during my marathon training and the death of Cody. I love you all! Here's hoping for a great upcoming year!

Free to See in Washington, DC

Museums, monuments, gardens and government buildings. As a tourist destination, Washington, DC opens the treasures of our country for all to see - for free!

No matter where you're from, you will pay no admission to visit the Smithsonian Museums, the United States Capitol building, the Library of Congress, the US Botanic Garden and other wonderful places.

The Capitol Building is a "must-see" for anyone visiting Washington. The guided free tour takes you into the halls and corridors that you cannot visit on your own. Outside of the tour, the exhibit that describes the Legislative Branch is well done and interesting. A cafe on the ground floor provides a variety of choices from grilled burgers and hotdogs to a large salad bar, sandwiches, and entrees with side dishes.

When you've finished your visit in the Capitol Building, you can take the tunnel connecting the building to the Library of Congress. When it comes to architecture, I love the inside of the Library of Congress. Marble, mosaics, art and artifacts give this building a palatial feel while touring the exhibits or using the library (with a pre-arranged visitor card). The interior is dramatic! I could spend hours studying the intricate details of the interior architecture. But, there are so many more places to visit.

The Smithsonian Museums line the National Mall on both sides. Admission to the museums is free, but special exhibits, such as IMAX theatre experiences, do charge a fee.

Children will love the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum. The Natural History Museum has a live butterfly exhibit (admission fee), as well as exhibits on mammals and ocean life. Gems, such as The Hope Diamond, are also on display. A cafe on the ground floor has many healthy and tasty choices for lunch. The sandwiches, such as turkey on a whole grain baguette, is large enough for two people to share.

The Air and Space Museum is filled with aviation and space fun! Lindberg's Spirt of St. Louis airplane is there as well as space capsules, early airplanes and loads of information. The IMAX and planetarium shows and the flight simulators may be enjoyed for a fee.

The United States Botanic Garden and Conservatory are also along the National Mall, near the Capitol. For gardeners especially, hours can be spent wandering through the paths of the native gardens, the butterfly habitat, the rose garden and the many sections of the conservatory. The Conservatory houses rare and exotic plants, orchids and jungle plants.

White House Tours require a six month reservation that must be arranged through a member of Congress. However, you can walk outside the fence at the White House that includes a view of the vegetable garden and bee hive on the lawn. President Obama and family were supposed to be leaving for a vacation to Martha's Vineyard. However, I snapped a zoomed photo (not shown here) of a dog crate being carried into the White House! Could it be that Bo, the First Dog, was inside that crate?

There is so much to see and so much to do. I could easily spend a week in Washington, but I was in DC for only two days as I was also taking in the Old Town of Alexandria, Virginia and George Washington's Mount Vernon.


Words and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: Washington, DC; August 2009

A stunning modern makeover for a victorian home

LivingEtc. is one of my favorite decorating magazines - most of their homes have a clean, modern-retro look, while still looking homey and lived in. This actresses home is no exception. Her renovation story is interesting and can be read here.


stunning, no?




*hint* she keeps her cream carpets spotless by having them professionally cleaned once every four months.

love this bed
via LivingEtc.