The Aesthete's Alphabet - I is for Ivy

 



I know many gardeners who are not that keen on ivy, finding it too invasive. Not being possessed of the greenest of fingers, I find ivy a very useful plant to have in my garden. Quick growing, evergreen and hardy, it can hide unsightly walls or fences in no time at all. It also works fantastically as a ground cover, requires very little maintenance and can be pruned and trained into whatever shape or form is required. Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and interior designer is attributed with saying "Doctors bury their mistakes, architects cover them with ivy". The picture below is of an area in my garden where I battled to get anything to grow very well because of the shade and bad soil. The ivy hides a horrible vibracrete wall and works as a ground cover between the pots.

 

 

Ivy can also be grown indoors as long as it is exposed to sufficient light. Planted in a beautiful urn or decorative pot with the stems trailing down, ivy makes a wonderful table decoration. Have a look at these images and see what a versatile plant ivy can be and maybe you too will be converted.

 









 



 

Stay tuned for J is for..............

 

Till next time.

 

Sharon x

 

All images via Tumblr and Pinterest

The Aesthete's Alphabet - H is for Hearth

 

 We have been in the grip of a heatwave here in Cape Town so a roaring fire hasn't been top of mind, but a combination of landing up with a bootload of firewood, a very welcome rainy day and reading about all the ice and snow in the northern hemisphere, somehow made it an appropriate choice.

 

 For centuries, the hearth was such an integral part of a home, usually its central and most important feature, so even though hearth is quite an old-fashioned word, the feelings it conjures up of cosiness, family, togetherness and comfort are all things we still strive for today.  Here are my favourite "hearth" images for you to enjoy....



So .....friends.....keep those home fires burning....

 

Till next time

 

Sharon x

 

Image Source: 1. Euro Antiques Market 2. Saladino 3. Via Splenderosa 4. via vanapers.be 5. via From Purdue to Provence 6. Charming Spaces 7.  Via Cote de Texas 8. via House to Home 9. via Latte Lisa (Photo Morton Germund) 10. Charming Spaces 11. via Splenderosa 12, 13 Tumblr 14. Casa Decorada 15. Via Doesn't Cost the Earth 16. Belgian Pearls 17. Cote de Sud via Linen and Lavender 18. Roses and Rust 19. Unknown 20 via Interior Designipedia

 

The Aesthete's Alphabet - G is for Glass



Glorious glass....whether it's a vase, a jar, a bottle or a cloche, possibly the household item that best combines both beauty and practicality.

 Glass bottles make a beautiful display, whether they are old or new, empty or filled with something decorative. They look especially beautiful when displayed with light behind them to maximise their translucence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cloches or bell jars are one of my favourite items to use, whether for decorative or practical purposes. They work really well when used to display something precious without the item being exposed to dust. They are also great for protecting tender plants and are very useful in the kitchen for covering a stack of delicious homemade goodies.

 

 



Glass containers of any sort work really well as vases and a group of matched or mismatched glass vessels make a wonderful display.

And finally, another favourite glass container is a glass jar.... for storing cookies, spaghetti, cotton wool, nail polish, almost anything or nothing at all!

 



 

Well, that's 7 letters down, 19 to go.....am I up to the challenge I wonder?

 

Till next time and H is for....

 

Sharon x

 

Image source: 1, Desire to Inspire, 2,3,4,5 Tumblr, 6 Simple Everyday Glamour, 7,8,9, 10 Pinterest, 11. It's About time Blog, 12 Xenovia Files 13. Dear Designer.co.uk, 14. Roses and Rust, 15. Left on Spring Blog, 16. Adventino.co.uk, 17. Olive Lane Interior, 18 Art and artefact, 19,20 Unknown, 21,22 Pinterest 23,24,25 Tumblr, 26 Estilio Rustico, 27, Pinterest 28, The little Corner, 29. Casa Decorada 30 Camille Styles, 31 Nest Egg, 32 Souffle Bombay, 33,34 Tumblr 35 Dear Designer.co.uk, 36 Casa Decorada