Thursday, September 24, 2020

Amanda Lindroth and Old Florida

Tommy Bahama/Kayu


I had a lovely day in the garden yesterday and got lots done. I did take an hour to come inside for a great Zoom presentation by Amanda Lindroth. I find many of these interior design zooms I get invitations to are a waste of my time and I either leave it or multi-task, but this one was wonderful. She spent much of it talking about growing up in Florida in the sixties and seventies and Florida style and of course the Bahamas where she is based now. She talked about....

*Jack Rogers sandals that I live in - 

Jack Rogers - Southern Living

*Slim Aarons photography and vintage Lilly Pulitzer. Amanda mentioned the smell of the Lilly Pulitzer store because of the unique smell of the fabric and how when you shopped at Lilly in Palm Beach they would wrap your purchase in a cellophane bag with ribbons matching the fabric you chose. 

Slim Arrons - Vintage Lilly Pulitzer

*The John Deering estate in Miami that I would love to visit -

Vizcaya

*I was fascinated to learn that she grew up in a stark Danish modern house as did I as our styles now are very similar and not at all like the homes we grew up in. She said she had to learn about pattern and color because her mother slipcovered everything in white cotton duck. The house I lived in during law school was very grand and in the summers the owners pulled up all the antique oriental rugs and covered all the furniture in white cotton duck. It's a great look. Bunny Williams does this in light blue in her Punta Cana home.

Bunny Williams

*Since moving to Florida, I rarely buy cut flowers and Amanda mentioned how in the Bahamas they are very hard to come by and very expensive, so she cuts palm fronds and bougainvillea and gardenias from the garden. I have lots of palms and bougainvillea, and would love a gardenia bush, but have read they are difficult. I would love to plant one near the lanai to enjoy the smell while sitting out there.

Gardenia


 *That every room needs books even if you don't read them  - I'm not sure she meant the kitchen and bathrooms - LOL - but I agree.

Bunny Williams


There are so many more gems to share I think I will do a Part 2 of this post. Hope you enjoyed it. And that cute little raffia pouch pictured at the top arrives today in the mail.

29 comments:

  1. Re Gardenias My grandmother grew them in her yard outside Atlanta and I remember there was one underneath the bedroom window where I slept. The fragrance was heavenly. I don't think they are too difficult to grow. I don't recall my grandmother ever doing anything special.

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    1. They are extremely prone to insects here and require frequent spraying.

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    2. That's too bad. Insects and spraying would be a nuisance.

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  2. I have not had any issues with my gardenias, but you could plant stephanotis to climb for the scent. There are also a number of roses that should do very well for you.

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    1. Thanks - I have grown so many roses in NOVA, I'd like to try tropicals here. Stephanotis would be nice.

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  3. I live in Miami and have an English garden done in only green and white. I have many gardenia bushes which are frequent bloomers, do not require any extra care and are always lovely. I also have heavy plantings of night blooming jasmine which bloom constantly and fill the air with a heavenly scent.

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    1. HOW BEAUTIFUL! That just sounds heavenly. I have an old house with a good sized back yard that really needs a makeover. I just adore flowers and think constantly about what I would like to plant, but I always come back to green and white. It's so calming.

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    2. I had a huge bank of jasmine behind the lanai at the last house and loved it.

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  4. Interesting story, thanks for sharing! I prefer Palm Beach sandals to Jack Rogers as they are better made and more comfortable. They are actually the ones that Jackie Kennedy made popular.

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  5. You should try to get down to Miami to visit both Vizcaya and the Deering Estate. Both are fabulous.

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  6. Confederate jasmine is very hardy and has a lovely scent. And if you have a place for a tree, a tea olive smells divine when it flowers in the fall. Plus, you can keep it pruned to be more of a bush, or let it grow into a tree.

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  7. I love gardenias. Their scent is intoxicating. I have a cousin who lives in the south, and she says they really flourish in her garden. They were my mother's favorite flower. After she passed away, I planted two in my garden, but sadly, they didn't make it. Aside from finding the right location, I think you have to really prep the soil and give them some TLC until they establish themselves. I believe they love the heat, but don't like direct sunlight.

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    1. Yes, I have perfect spot but was concerned about their being insect prone.

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  8. Is there a link you can share where we can watch the Amanda Lindroth talk?

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  9. I absolutely agree about books in every room...and I have them. I do require,however, they are there to be read! They are a deep and abiding comfort to me. Totems of my life...or as I say, my friends with spines. Glad you had a zooming experience with Amanda Lindroth. How wonderful it is to find a simpatico spirit. Love gardenias! I grew up about 35 northof the Texas border and even there gardenias were iffy. My neighbor next door planted them under her bedroom window knowing about every 3 to 5 years they'd face a cold snap and would have to be replaced. I hope you find a way to make them work in your setting. The fragrance is just the best. Can you grow tuberoses? Great smell there. Mohawk viburnums are lovely as well.

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    1. Great ideas - cold here is not the issue but insects.

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  10. I have also had really good luck with camellias if you’d like a rose- form and greenery vase cutter.

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  11. I know several friends in the Sarasota area who grow gardenia bushes successfully. You should try it. One of my favorite fragrances. Divine.

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  12. The thing with gardenias is that you need to find the right spot. They are quite hardy. I grow them in rural Victoria, Australia, where they cope with blistering summer heat (110 degrees for many weeks) and cod and frost. I planted mine two years ago in a new garden of packed clay from the build site topped with some fresh soil, so not the best conditions, but provided you keep the water up and feed them Epsom salts when they get yellow in their leaves, they do fine. A spray in late winter to kill those nasty caterpillars that blight the buds is useful too.
    Other great scents to plant include Jasmin, tropical Ginger, Osmanthus fragrans, tuberose.

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  13. Do you subscribe to any podcasts? Paloma Contreras has a great one: The Style Files. Awhile back AL was a featured guest as well as Bunny Williams, Charlotte Moss, Caroline Gidiere and many others you may enjoy listening to.

    You would enjoy wondering around Vizcaya...gorgeous gardens, coral rock construction and a fabulous grotto! If you head there soon, drive around Coral Gables as well. Stop off at the Biltmore Hotel and Venetian Pool. Very "old Florida"!

    I never tire of looking at BW's Punta Cana Great Room. Love the contrast of the dark woods and the pastel fabrics on a background of neutrals.

    I have added three Gardenia bushes (small) to my landscaping, two have survived. Fingers crossed they thrive as I love the aroma of the leathery blooms.

    I treat all my plants with EpsomSalts; makes the foliage very green.

    Enjoy your weekend in sunny Florida.

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  14. All wonderful ideas - thank you. A glorious weekend here in paradise.

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  15. Thanks so much for summarizing Amanda Lindroth’s talk for us. I love her style and would’ve enjoyed getting to virtually attend a presentation like that. It interesting to hear she grew up in a home so different from her own taste—I did too, and now I’m moving into one that’s much more like my childhood home than the Palm Beach style I love, so decorating will be an interesting challenge. I always get such great inspiration from your blog, though!

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    1. Thanks so much - I am posting part 2 of it this week.

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