In the Arboretum
by Gibbons Ruark We walked the balmy path decades ago That now we walk again this afternoon. Too soon to say the spring is gone, too soon. The Carolina Wren says this is so.
Category: Home & Garden
The Sun King
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson I’ve long been fascinated with the genus Aralia, beginning with my love of house plants as a young child. A few years later, I met the native “devil’s walking stick,” Aralia spinosa, in…
Wabi-sabi
by Liza Roberts photographs by Nick Pironio Donna and Jim Belt believe in wabi-sabi, a Japanese concept of beauty that celebrates imperfection. When the former Tokyo residents moved into a downtown Raleigh condo, they combined earthiness with refinement, symmetry with…
Lake living
by Jessie Ammons photographs by Lissa Gotwals Summertime childhood memories for me are all about the lake. Growing up just north of Raleigh, as soon as the weekend rolled around, we were off to Lake Gaston, an hour away but a…
Nothoscordum sellowianum
by Tony Avent I’ve grown many bulbs in my gardening life, but rarely has any plant enchanted me like the miniature Nothoscordum sellowianum. My love affair started in 1995 as I perused one of the obscure botanical journals (which qualify…
Attention getter
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Who doesn’t know scheffleras? Whether you’ve abused them as houseplants or strolled underneath them at your favorite Florida theme park, most of us have had a personal experience with scheffleras. Scheffleras are members of the…
Evita!
by Tony Avent Gesneriads have long been a personal favorite of mine, starting from my days growing and selling African violets (a member of that family) as a young teenager. Like any addiction, African violets led me too other gesneriads:…
A Lush North Raleigh Estate Reclaims the Past
A house on four lush North Raleigh acres has the presence of one built ages ago, when master builders and craftsmen devoted years of their lives to a singular project.by Jesma Reynolds |photographs by Nick Pironio The homeowners,…
Making dreams come true
The Kowalczyks open up their home to help make a difference in the lives of children in Wake County by Jesma Reynolds interior photographs by Catherine Nguyen event photographs by Jillian Clark When Gretchen and Phil Kowalczyk moved in to their new raleigh…
Style: Spring tablescapes
by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Catherine Nguyen Spring has sprung. It’s a fine time to pull out china, silver, linens, and accessories from the cupboard to create a spring tablescape for entertaining at home. We pulled together three looks to inspire….
Bird’s-Foot Violet
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson At some time in most gardeners’ lives, they become enchanted with violets. Some with well-behaving violets, and others with the less-stellar members of the clan. I, for one, have always had a tenuous…
Foetid Toadshade
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson I don’t remember exactly when or why I became enamored with trilliums, but it was certainly at an early stage of my planthood…I mean, childhood. There always seemed to be something magical about…
Bringing in the outdoors
by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Catherine Nguyen Anyone who’s gone through purchasing a home knows what a big and sometimes agonizing decision it can be. But when the current owners of this gracious property caught wind of its upcoming sale, the wife’s…
A Collector’s Haven: Sterling Boyd’s home reflects a lifetime in the arts
by P. Gaye Tapp photographs by Catherine Nguyen An afternoon spent in Sterling Boyd’s company is a return to days of great elegance. The erudite octogenarian is ever gracious, schooled in the day when a gentleman took a lady’s wrap and…