Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Mauve Evening Dress
Marjorie Van Wickle Lyon’s Evening Dress, 1932 In the thirty years since Marjorie’s pink party dress (shown in the first exhibit case) was fabricated, styles and construction changed considerably. Trains disappeared, and punishing boned … Read more.
Pink Party Dress
Marjorie Van Wickle’s Party Dress, 1903 Marjorie Van Wickle had this party dress made in Vienna when she visited in 1903 as part of her Grand Tour. It was designed and constructed by Drecoll’s, the … Read more.
Container Mixology
What’s in your potting mix? That’s the question of the day here at Blithewold as we re-examine the important components of a good potting soil. Technically speaking, most bagged soils you can find at your … Read more.
BRISTOL NEWS, MARCH 1, 1897
BRISTOL NEWS, MARCH 1, 1897 by Margaret Whitehead One hundred and twenty years ago, on March 1, 1897, Marjorie Van Wickle was at the Jekyll Island Club in Brunswick, Georgia, with her parents Augustus and … Read more.
Seeds!
Winter is time for seeds (yes, it’s still winter, although recent temperatures seem to tell a different story). We look over catalogs, order, and eventually sow these beautiful tiny cases full of life. Watching the … Read more.
Some flowers for you
In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are some flowers blooming in the Blithewold greenhouses. No long-stem red roses for us. We take great joy in our unusual winter-blooming plants. I hope they bring a smile … Read more.
A Year in Review: Faves of 2016
February is a wonderful month for planning. It’s chilly outside, but warm in the Potting Shed and greenhouse where we hunker down for the winter. The greenhouses are stuffed full with plants and our brains are … Read more.
February 1917 – Preparation for War
February 3, 1917, had dawned cold and miserable in Boston. The thermometer hovered around zero and there was a biting wind. It was a day to stay home. Bessie McKee and her companion Estelle Clements … Read more.
Downtime at Blithewold?
The decorations have all been taken down, the Christmas trees are back in the basement, and the rooms at Blithewold look bare and forlorn, with only odd bits of leaves and glitter on the floor … Read more.
Wreath Season
I love the festive decorations that appear in December. A pretty evergreen wreath on the front door is a classic welcome during the holiday season. In preparation for our wreath classes last week, Gail and … Read more.