56 reasons why I love blue and white jars!

Happy Monday! Never made it to Target...I figured it was going to be a madhouse and I try to stay away from shopping in general over the weekend, so just as well. The only two people I know that saw the Calypso Collection seemed a bit underwhelmed so doesn't seemed like I missed much. Anyone else check it out? Moving along......who has a thing for blue and white china? Surely I know there are lots of you out there that like me, love the look of blue and white and what it does to a room. Just add a blue and white jar here, a plate or garden seat or vase there to a room  and voila instant glamour, pizazz and sophistication are added! No doubt about it......they work just about anywhere, in any room of any color of any style. They are considered by most designers to be staples, items that never ever seem to go out of style. Classic, timeless, stylish. That's how I sum up the use of blue and white pottery, and china. They come in the form of vases, jars, with tops, open faced, with lids and without, garden seats, big bowls, huge planters,plates I could go on, they can be found very inexpensively so you get a lot of look for the money. Today I salute the almighty blue and white jar, plate, bowl and such.....what do you think? Used alone as a single standout piece or grouped together as a collection...blue and white makes an impact on a room, there is no denying. So, I have put together what I think is a fairly impressive little collection of beautiful spaces that make a pretty beautiful argument for blue and white! Would love to know! Do you have a secret or tip on how you like to use blue and white? Do tell!

There is perhaps no more gracious way to welcome guests to an entry hall than with blue and white, love it against the rich warm woods, Joseph Minton 

John Bossard used blue and white brilliantly in this stunning entrance hall..love it!

Kristin Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford show there is never such a thing as too much blue and white!

Love lots of blue and white displayed in a pine hutch as shown here, Photo by John Umberger

Love the blue and white here against the dark contrast of the floors, Ashley Whittaker

How amazing is THIS? It took my breath away.... Lake Forest pool house, designed by Marshall Morgan Erb Design

Blue and white in an all white kitchen is a winning combination, Country Living

Who said blue and white china is only for indoors! Gorgeous setting......Peggy Sewell

Love how this blue and white collection is arranged atop this magnificent antique chest

David Netto chose to put ginger jars in different shapes and heights for interest on this sideboard, Veranda

Larger ginger jars were used behind the sofa and as lamps next to the sofas

Ralph Lauren bedroom using ginger jar lamps, Seasidestyle 

Blue and white holds its own even in very bold rooms just as this one, Anne Miller

And when you cannot satisfy your ginger jar cravings enough...indulge in this fabulous wallpaper! By Ralph Lauren of course!

Elegant blue and white ginger jar lamps on this dining room console, such striking colors

Candler Smith chose to use blue and white plates in this sumptuous back entry foyer

Carolyn Roehm's room is dotted with blue and white jars everywhere

J Tribble chose large scale blue and white jars for extra punch

Cathy Kincaid used blue and white accessories for this elegant kitchen

A collection of blue and white ginger jars always looks great above a fireplace, House Beautiful

Rinfret chose a cluster of ginger jars for this center hall table in this foyer

I like one big blue and white filled with a spray of hydrangeas as shown here...Veranda

Stunning over sized blue and white ginger jars grace two windows at the home of Dick Ridge and  Rod Denault

Juan Pablo Molyneaux chose to display a pretty collection of blue and white jars atop this peaked rooms wall of painted and upholstered closet wall

Gorgeous table of blue and whites, Carolyn Roehm

On a fabulous rustic table....could this be any more spectacular? Cadeau Registry

How gorgeous does the blue and white look here?(Jeffrey Delvy) Mixandchic blog

Blue and white jars on this center hall console table in this foyer is picture perfect, Shannon Bowers

Love how blue and whites porcelain looks next to rich woods, Candler Lloyd

Love the collection of blue and white plates, Country Living

Bunny Williams chose a collection of ginger jars to stand guard on this elegant mantle

One of my all time favorite arrangements, from good ol Southern Accents (of course!)

There is no such thing as too much blue and white in my humble opinion! Kellogg

 

Love the earth tones with blue and white as shown here, Rinfret

Cathy Kincaid hung a collection of blue and white plates and displayed them throughout this elegant living room as well

Gorgeous ginger jars flank a console in a dining room, William Eubanks

Blue and white looks gorgeous in this persimmon colored room.....

Timothy Corrigan used blue and white to delicately accessorize with flowers and greenery

Even the simplest touch of blue and white can add such a special little something, Windham

A huge collection of blues and whites stand behind this important looking china cabinet, Veranda

Blue and white is exquisite in this formal dining room, William Eubanks

Blue and white looks amazing in a crisp white kitchen, Downsview

Blue and white looks amazing in this CT. home, Jonathan Wallen photography

Blue and white always looks stunning against yellow or gold....Atticmag

A pair of ginger jars does the trick every time! Arch Digest

Love how this pair of blue and whites is the crowning touch! Veranda

The blue and white china plate collection gives this room such warmth and character

Under a table? Why not! David Hicks

Gorgeous tall blue and whites flank a grand fireplace in the home of Carolyn Roehm

Love how William Eubanks uses it liberally and does it so well!

Cathy Kincaid hung rows of blue and white plates and places jars on brackets....gorgeous!

Even in a simpler less formal setting, there is always a place for blue and white, Sherill Canet

Ashley Whittaker chose two pretty blue and white garden seats for beneath a small console

Over the top, decadent and gorgeous! William Eubanks

Wow......this is blue and white overload, but I love it especially against that pale apricot colored wall, so dreamy! Bunny Williams

A great ginger jar with a huge spray of delphiniums is always a way to create a showstopper of a room!!

Well there you have it! Blue and white jars and there many many uses. What do you think? Is it a love? Do you already have them or would you use them? Let me know! I always enjoy knowing what you think....and do hope you have a wonderful day!

Salvia 'Caradonna' is Grape, But Not Seedless

I was a Grape Nehi addict at an early age. I'd hunt for grape popsicles in my grandmother's big freezer. I'd run out to buy a grape snow cone from the "ice cream man" driving around the neighborhood. Purple treats tasted so good!

The color purple represents happiness to me, so when a variety of purple flowers blooms in sweet synchronization, I'm in gardening heaven.

Grape spires of salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'

For springtime purple, the spires of s. nemorosa 'Caradonna' mix and mingle with a number of other purple companions.

Although not as popular as salvia 'May Night', 'Caradonna' is a more economical selection as she naturalizes wherever her seeds land, stretching gardening dollars for years and years. It is quite common for the little starts to bloom the first year with the true color and form of the mother plant. This salvia is also easy to transplant (or pull and discard, if you must) as the seedlings are shallow-rooted.

Caradonna is so tough! She's perfect for resisting drought, deer, rabbits and other pests. Suitable for zones 4-8, she can be grown in a variety of garden soils including clay, sandy and the good stuff.

As with other nemorosa varieties, cut this salvia back to the basal foliage after blooming for the hope of repeat blooms and to keep the foliage looking tidy. Of course, if you want free plants, leave a few spires to go to seed. When the seeds dry, you can let them fly with the wind, or strip them off the stem and toss them around the garden. I don't collect and store the seeds for planting, I just disperse them as I go around the garden.

For grape companions, I love to use the spheres of allium 'Purple Sensation'. Salvia 'Caradonna' and allium 'Purple Sensation' bloom at the same time, starting in mid-April here in zone 7b. Allium bulbs should be planted in the autumn to be ready for the spring bloom. Zones 4-7 can grow the allium, and like the salvia, it is deer and rabbit resistant.

But wait, there's more!

'Caradonna' and 'Purple Sensation' grow knee-high—and let's just say that the allium needs something to cover the gangly knees! The ground-covering, glandularia canadensis (verbena) 'Homestead Purple' fills that void.

'Homestead Purple' loves the same growing conditions in zones 6-9 and is sun-loving, drought-tolerant as well as being deer and rabbit resistant. A perfect purple partner.

Top purple: Allium 'Purple Sensation'
Middle purple spires: Salvia 'Caradonna'
Bottom purple: Verbena 'Homestead Purple'

If you're not so fond of all this purple—yellow, white and even orange look great with all three of the purple players. As for my personal taste, I'll savor a bunch of grapes!

Yellow yarrow, orange blanketflower and lavender nepeta
will soon break up the monochromatic purple color scheme.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Like reclaimed wood furniture? Than you'll love this...

HauteLook, one of my fav. designer discount sites, sometimes has really great sales on home stuff. Today they opened a sale for some really lovely reclaimed wood pieces. The sales never last long so get it while you can...

To shop the HauteLook sales you have to be a member. Click on my link for a free and fast membership.






LOVE this cart
and this console...




To shop the HauteLook sales you have to be a member. Click on my link for a free and fast membership.

Sunday showhouse.......and you're invited!

How wonderful are Sundays? For me, they are a highly anticipated day as its a "free pass" to do as we please, no pressure except to get my son to a 9am practice and going to a friends Stella and Dot party...and checking out the new Calypso line at Target (OK not as relaxing as I was thinking- but fun!) Today as you know is my showhouse Sunday and today I have some real showstoppers. First we go to one of my favorite parts of the country, Virginia's horse country, then onto the beautiful countryside of Litchfield, CT  and finally end up in exotic Mykonos, Greece!! So, sit back....don't be too quick to get up, pour yourself another cup of coffee and enjoy!
VIRGINA. If you have never had the chance to visit horse country deep in the heart of Virginia you are truly missing something.....it is just breathtaking! Miles and miles of rolling green hills with perfect freshly painted fencing that seems to go on forever signaling you have entered the famous "hunt country" famed for the many thoroughbred horse farms and breeding farms that dot the landscape. "Salamander farm" is amongst one of the many jewels that graces this heavenly area and it's like no other. From the topography of the land to the interiors this is pure fantasy......Thomas Pheasant is responsible for the sumptuous interiors. The outside spaces are an entertainers delight...I swear I would have a hard time leaving home if I lived here...the added bonus? Hundred of acres and did I mention the gorgeous horses!!!!!!! How magnificent is this.............

This almost looks to beautiful to be real!

I like the calm neutral colors chosen for the interiors

Love the cozy wine cellar!

I would literally want to have a dinner party every night!

You would catch me here every sunny day poolside with a book!

LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. The owners here spent much time in Tuscany and wanted to recreate their own vision of Tuscany for their new home on a property they had  owned in CT. They wanted a modern twist for the home itself. They chose architect Steven Haas to realize their dream. Set on 14 acres, they purposely designed the landscape to mimic that in Tuscany and kept the colors and feel of the interiors very "Tuscan inspired". It is an open, happy and cohesive feeling home with the modern twist they desired. What do you think?

This has a real Napa Valley vibe to it

Vistas are breathtaking

This is their guest house

GREEK ISLAND OF MYKONOS. Moving onto to something a bit more exotic and the far away and gorgeous island of Mykonos. This incredible oceanfront home designed by architect, Javier Barba takes full advantage of the magnificent sea that beckons and the blue skies that filter through the large open spaces. A understated but elegant decor that is monochromatic doesn't take away from the natural beauty that is just outside the door...this is a house to entertain in given the large patios that spill out to the sea. Do come on inside! 

Does a setting get any better than this? I don't think so!

I can see having large gatherings at this exotic setting (love how the candles are inset into the wall..how neat)

You just sit here and watch the boats  yachts go by.

Figures there would be a huge yacht outside yonder

With a view like that I would stay planted on that chaise all day long!

So there you have it! Another three gorgeous homes.....each so different but each so beautifully done. Do you have a favorite? Would love to know which? Hope whatever you are doing is wonderful and relaxing! Enjoy your Sunday!