Atlanta Symphony Showcase

Tuesday was the first day for open house at Atlanta Symphony designer showcase house. It is an enormous 20,000 sq ft house on Tuxedo Lane in Buckhead that is still under construction. The new chairs for the program are Leslie Haas and Pat King. On Tuesday the kitchen designers showed up, took a tour the house, and visited with the various chairs who will be handling the upcoming showcase house. It was really alot of fun standing around in the under construction kitchen, drinking coffee, shivering with our coats on and talking. Wednesday more designers showed up. There were new aspiring designers and designers who had done many of the previous showcase homes plus the owners of the house and the architect were always floating in and out of the various rooms.

The second day Leslie brought champagne for everyone but most of the people were too serious about business to drink and preferred coffee to keep them warm.

A busy day.

Today was very busy and productive. Spent the morning talking with Paula Refi, Editor for the Georgia Perennial Plant Association regarding contributing an article for the next issue of the newsletter. I will write about the influence of Italy on current gardens.
Also met with Julie Haas, with the Atlanta Symphony and I will be the new Program Chair for the 2008 Decorator's Show House of the Atlanta Symphony.

Buckhead Men's Garden Club - Italy Vacations - Italy Gardens

This week I was a speaker at a meeting of the Buckhead Men's Garden Club, speaking on Italian Gardens. I learned so much from them. All the talk these days is about the drought and how it is affecting plants and nurseries. Everyone knows how damp a basement can get. Well, one gentleman had a dehumidfier located in his basement that would pull the humidity out of the air and the result was that he was able to collect several gallons of water daily. He kept the door to his basement shut so the humidity did not escape and then he used the collected water to irrigate his plants. I bet everyone in Atlanta now wishes they had a damp basement.

On a further note, my favorite nursery has gone backrupt. Pikes declared bankruptcy this week. It seems no one is buying plants. And each month when I attend the Georgia Perrenial Plant Association, I hear stories about how small nurseries had to close their doors because of a lack of customers due to the drought.

Lucca Vacation Rentals, Chianti Vacation Rentals, Florence Vacation Rentals

Returning Home

My last visit in Southern France was Montpellier. I stopped at several of the Follies and Grammont Park. It was a wonderful afternoon strolling around. The gardens at Château de Flaugergues are truly magnificent. The waterpond has a beautiful reflection of the tall cypress trees. As I was leaving, I was searching for someone to give me directions to Chateau Mogere, a handsome young man peered out of a door and demanded if I needed help. I was looking for someone to help me with directions to Chateau Mogere which I had thought was nearby. The gentleman, spoke english and drew a makeshift map on a piece of paper. I mentioned that I was researching wine and garden tours to Languedoc and he gave me all sorts of information regarding chateaus that make their own wine. They had formed an association to promote their association http://www.clubdeschateaux.com/ The man's name was Pierre de Colbert, the winemaker, and it wasn't till much later that I found out he was the proprietor of Chateau de Flaugergues.

The return trip was absolutely horrendous. I left Montpellier for Paris. The connection between the flights was only 45 minutes or so and you have to pass through security which is so tedious these days... as you are rushing to make the plane. So when I reached the gate in Paris, the flight had already left. Air France made other reservations for me; which took them about an hour. So I have to walk through the airport to another gate. As I am walking along searching for the various gate, I ask some young 20 year old french guy who works at the airport for directions. As he is walking in the same direction as I am supposed to go to reach the gate, he offers to carry one of my carryones. Who says the French are rude.

However, the flight took me to Houston where I was supposed to change planes to get a plane to Atlanta. Did we get to Houston in time? No. We got to Houston late, and I barely found an Airfrance counter open. I will say that no one in the Houston Terminal offered me any help. No one offered to call Air France to tell them I would be coming so I could get a hotel coupon for the night. So when booking flights, either book a straight connection to your destination or allow at least two hours between connections. The security is horrible and no one is in a hurry to let you through.