20 Wendy Houses for the Peter Pan in You

Some of you may find this article choice a little too “twee”, but I can’t even help myself. I want a Wendy House. Better yet, I want someone to build me a Wendy House. Before we get started, let’s just be clear on what exactly a Wendy House is. Made for Wendy Darling in J. M. Barrie’s play, Peter…

Down the Rabbit Hole into a Parisian Wonderland

Paris might already have its own Euro Disneyland, but I know a little place, away from the crowds that’s more like the real thing. If Alice had just chosen a bright yellow door at the end of the rabbit hole and if the Mad Hatter had in fact been a legendary clown from Soviet Russia (I’ll…

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The Ruins of King Zog’s New York Mansion

Long Island, New York is home to a legion of stately mansions that in the early 20th century, would provide the inspiration and backdrop for The Great Gatsby. The so-called ‘Gold Coast’ became the playground for Manhattan’s wealthy elite, who built themselves English-styled grand houses, with plush, landscaped gardens, and the most luxurious interiors money…

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Botany and the Forgotten Sexual Revolution

Sex and botany– two words rarely found in the same sentence, but there was a time when the study of botany was considered so obscene that books on the subject were censored for women; branded dangerous and unsuitable for her delicate sensibilities. Gardens and greenhouses became an enlightened woman’s secret haven of discovery, expression and temptation. While today’s scientific…

The Diva Who Grew Her Own Exotic Kingdom

“Don’t touch. And don’t eat what you touch unless you want to die” are the first words you’ll hear upon entering Lotusland, the exotic, 37-acre kingdom of plants tucked away in the quiet town of Montecito, California. Its roots run three owners and 135 years deep, but it’s the touch of its final, failed opera…

Finding Peace in a Secret London Oasis, a Symbol of the City’s Struggle and Resilience

A short walk from Monument tube station, in a side street of the City of London, lies St-Dunstan-in-the-East. This abandoned church has been converted into a garden open to the public, which remains largely undiscovered despite its location. Tucked away from skyscrapers like the Shard and Walkie Talkie, this unexpected gem is a surprisingly peaceful…

5 Places to Fake an Endless Summer in Paris

Summer is over. The angry clouds over Nôtre Dame make it look too sinister, Sunday strolls in Montmartre are more melancholy in dreary weather and the rain-soaked gravel in the Tuileries does no favours for your shoes. It’s not exactly the makings of a picture perfect Paris. But if like me, you’re a little stubborn (a little in denial) and…

My Secret Champs Elysées Garden

At some point or another every Parisian has an errand to run on the Champs Élysées, as much as they despise its hellish high street hum and tawdry tourist tat. And like every Parisian that likes to claim his or her “coins“, or corners of solace around the city, this Parisienne is claiming a little…

Lost Gardens of New York City

There are some places in our cities that we’ll never get to see and the secret garden is one of the most endangered species in a modern metropolis. Lost in time, replaced to make room for new development or kept hidden from public view, these rare green sanctuaries can almost hold a mythical status in our urban lives. Demonstration garden, Bryant Park,…

The Curious Career of Living as a Real-Life Garden Gnome

If you were out of a job in 19th century England and seeking new employment, there was a chance you might find a peculiar advertisement in the newspaper that read something like: “WANTED! Ornamental garden hermit“. The profession would essentially require you to become a human ornamental folly on the grounds of a wealthy family…