With its emerald green lawns, manicured gardens, and a newly built barn clad with crisp white board and batten siding, a lovingly restored 1830s Greek Revival farm house in New York's Hudson Valley is a beautiful setting for a wedding.
Just over a week ago, I attended a very special wedding at Clove Brook Farm in Millbrook - the home of my friends and the grooms of honor, Christopher Spitzmiller and Anthony Bellomo. They were married outdoors on a gorgeous late summer day in front of their dearest family and friends.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Christopher, Anthony, and their team worked tirelessly for weeks to get the barn ready for their big day. Here is the front of the newly renovated barn just before the ceremony. It was a lovely day and the barn was the perfect venue for their sit down dinner.
Here I am with good friend, decorator Stephen Sills.
There were gorgeous plants and flowers everywhere. This is the kitchen porch at Clove Brook Farm.
The barn interior was all set for dinner.
Here is another long table set up in the barn.
A side table is decorated with a topiary from Anthony’s shop, Orangerie, in Millbrook, and a flower filled cachepot made by Christopher.
The bar set up in the barn included a table purchased from my Great American Tag Sale last spring – I recognized it right away. The stone basket of fruit was a wedding gift from Anthony to Christopher.
Here is the arrival table laid out with baskets of moss displaying all the escort cards. Do you know the difference between escort cards and place cards? A place card not only directs guests to the table where each will sit during the reception, but it also points each guest to his or her particular seat at the table. Escort cards direct guests to a table, but once there, they are free to choose their own seat.
The handsome grooms – Anthony Bellomo and Christopher Spitzmiller – emerging from the house wearing boutonnieres of Dahlia ‘Verrone’s Obsidian.’
This is the gate to the Pool Garden where the cocktail hour was held prior to dinner.
Bars are set up on either side of the pool house with the bluest of skies overhead.
On this table is one of Christopher’s gold lustre gourds. The garden border is filled with Russian sage, Salvia yangii, and dahlias.
Christopher and Anthony hold hands during the ceremony.
The table candles are lit just before dinner. Some of the beautiful floral arrangements are done by Cathy B. Graham.
Here is one of the table settings showing dahlia dinner plates by Christopher.
Here is another pretty table setting with custom menu cards by The Printery.
And an overhead photo showing the details of the table, flowers and vegetable tables decorations. Both Christopher and Anthony are avid gardeners.
Here’s a closer look at the stone basket of fruit surrounded by votives. It’s become one of Christopher’s favorite stone pieces at Clove Brook Farm.
Here I am seated next to interior designer Richard Keith Langham.
Here are the grooms cutting their “faux bois” wedding cake with meringue mushrooms. The couple made the cake themselves. An outer layer of whipped cream concealed a rich black forest cake of chocolate layers filled with more whipped cream and sour cherries.
The celebration lasted into the night. Here is the barn lit up with luminarias placed along the stone driveway.
All the guests received decorated cookies by Nikki Berry depicting the buildings and animals of Clove Brook Farm.
And hung from the mantle in the upstairs bedroom of the house was this joyful banner – put up as a surprise by a close friend of the grooms. Congratulations Christopher and Anthony – what a wonderful wedding.
I really love the world of fashion and I always try to attend the city's Fashion Week events. New York Fashion Week, NYFW, held in February and September of every year, is a semi-annual series of shows in Manhattan usually spanning seven to nine days. It's when fashion designers, brands or "houses" display their latest collections to buyers, the press, and to the public. These events influence the upcoming fashion trends for the current and approaching seasons. Last week, I attended Carolina Herrera's show at The Plaza Hotel and in the afternoon, I went to Dennis Basso's presentation at The Pierre Hotel. Both featured stunning collections for spring and summer 2023.
Enjoy these photos.
It is always exciting to attend New York Fashion Week. I love seeing all the new trends and styles for the next year. Here I am arriving at The Plaza Hotel in my new Mercedes-Benz EQS 580, a battery electric full-size luxury lift-back sedan.
I stopped to take a few photos in the front hall of The Plaza. Since its debut in 1907, The Plaza Hotel has remained a New York icon hosting world leaders, dignitaries, captains of industry, Broadway legends, Hollywood royalty, and the most beautiful fashion runway shows.
Here I am with Carolina Herrera, one of the world’s most distinguished designers. It was so good to catch up with her before the show.
Carolina Herrera creative director and my friend, Wes Gordon, showed a collection of lush florals inspired by one of his favorite novels, “The Secret Garden.” Here, a model wears an off-the-shoulder long dress with a blue and white color print.
This airy spring ensemble shows big flower prints on a white background.
It wasn’t all colorful blossoms, however. There were also hints of black to add sophistication to the collection. Here, the model is wearing pants and a cool summer top, all in classic black.
There was also this strapless bold red dress with a sculptural red rose detail over one shoulder.
Here is another bright floral-themed dress. Models walked down the runway to fun uplifting songs by Barbra Streisand.
This dress with wide belt shows off a bare shoulder on one side and a long sleeve on the other.
And here is a floral jumpsuit with a dramatic flower on one side.
This dress shows off a flowing cape and deep v-neckline. The model accessorizes with large salmon colored matching earrings.
Karlie Kloss was among the models at the Carolina Herrera spring/summer 2023 Collection Show. Her height accentuates this long sleeve, yellow peony trench gown.
The closing look of the Carolina Herrera Collection was this gorgeous black gown – a strapless black silk chiffon dress trimmed with tulle.
In the afternoon, I went to The Pierre Hotel for my friend Dennis Basso’s spring/summer 2023 Show. This model wore a blue and white laced dress accented with a fur jacket.
Light shades of blue, white, and lavender were the predominant colors of this collection.
Many of the free-flowing styles were designed to be flattering for all shapes and sizes.
This model is dressed in comfortable and loose-fitting white pants with an oversized light cardigan in pastel pink and blue.
And look at this beautiful pink formal off-the-shoulder gown. Every outfit was stunning.
Dennis Basso, known for his glamorous evening wear collections, celebrated 40-years on the runway with this show. He walked out to a standing ovation and lots of applause.
I was sitting in the front row and gave my friend Dennis a bouquet of flowers as he walked by. In turn, he grabbed me by the hand and we walked down the catwalk arm-in-arm. And of course, I’m dressed in one of his fashions – a v-neck flowing top covered by a white floral lace cardigan. What a fun time at New York Fashion Week!
The garden maze at my Bedford, New York farm is becoming more and more intriguing with each planted row of greenery.
As many of you know, I decided to take on this fun project earlier this year. I wanted to create a maze of interesting hedges, espaliers and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, and a variety of espaliered apple trees. I designed the maze with different plantings to add texture and interest. All of these specimens will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. And each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends - with only one correct route to the center. Most recently, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew planted a row of Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
For my maze, I chose this paddock located just outside my Winter House, where I could see it from my terrace parterre. I knew it was the perfect space for this garden of trees and shrubs.
Earlier this summer, we planted the first rows. They included European beech, European hornbeam, boxwood, and a variety of espaliered apple trees.
Most recently, we cleared the next row earmarked for Parrotia trees. The row was measured and then the sod was removed. I never like to waste anything around the farm. I always try to repurpose and reuse as much as possible, so the sections of sod are replanted in grassy areas that have gotten bare over time.
Next, we tilled the soil with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. Rototilling is one method of turning up the soil before planting. All the plants and trees do very well here at the farm, in part because of the excellent soil. I have worked very hard to ensure my soil is constantly amended and rich with nutrients. If you are unsure of your soil’s quality, have it tested. Kits are available at garden shops, online, and through your area’s cooperative extensions.
Then, each hole is dug. Remember the rule of thumb for planting trees – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
Here is one of the holes – it is almost a foot deep and the sides are slightly sloped with the widest part at the top.
In assembly line process, each tree is placed into a designated hole, still in its pot. This way, we can make sure there are enough holes for each tree and all of them are lined up perfectly.
The next day was all for planting. Each Parrotia was removed from its pot and positioned into its new hole with the best side facing the path.
I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” For all of these, we’re using Roots fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
The fertilizer is made of insoluble granules that release nutrients as it biodegrades.
Each Parrotia is carefully backfilled. Another rule is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
Here is the row all planted – every tree lined up straight. Parrotia persica is in the family Hamamelidaceae, closely related to the witch-hazel genus Hamamelis. It is native to northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan and it is endemic in the Alborz mountains. It grows best in USDA Zones 5 to 8.
All the pots are saved for planting other young trees – never throw away these containers, they come in very handy.
Some of the leaves are already changing colors. Parrotias have a long-lasting, elaborate autumn color display of ever-changing leaves that show off yellow, orange, burgundy and red hues.
The bed is then covered with mulch, made right here at the farm. We love using these Scenic Road wheelbarrows – they’re big and very sturdy.
Brian spreads an even layer of mulch – about two to three inches – under the trees. And then gives the entire bed a good drink of water.
Here is a row of growing boxwood. I think it is looking so beautiful already. Five rows in all to start, but many, many to go, and each path leading to an opening — or a dead end.
Here are the espalier trees. Espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. Many kinds of trees respond beautifully to the espalier treatment, but fruit trees, like apple and pear, were some of the earliest examples. Espaliered trees can grow between four and eight feet apart – enough to allow them room as they grow, but still be close enough for a proper espalier. Among the apples are Liberty apples, Gala apples, Braeburn apples, and Yellow Delicious apples.
For a maze, it’s best to use relatively fast-growing trees that will be at least six feet tall and two feet wide at maturity.
In time, this area will be a spectacular field of puzzling pathways. I am having such a good time designing this living maze. Follow this blog and watch the transformation with me.
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