The
Garden State day broke with seasonal misty grey following a night of needed
rain that showered part of last night’s cocktail party launch (no worries,
there is an abundance of indoor garden room space to elegantly host the better
part of the Queen’s jubilee!) marking the start of this year’s Earthly Delights
weekend event.
The
sun smiled upon the garden tribute by mid day and it was an eager legion of
garden enthusiasts that parked in the hay-filled field and,like kids waiting
for the start of summer camp, were blissfully in the moment, eyeing the rows of
garden vendors, and the magnificent, glamorous garden rooms beyond.
A
celebration of gardens, garden design, garden art, plants and horticulture, Earthly
Delights and their partnership with the Land Conservancy of New Jersey is
dedicated to the mission “to create awareness of New Jersey’s beautiful public
parks and garden.” The event is a
benefit for the “campaign and stewardship of New Jersey’s parks, natural areas,
clean water, farmland, and historic treasures.”
You can feel good, doing good. Ten percent of all purchases and ticket
sales goes to the the campaign. www.njkeepitgreen.org
Earthly Delights may be celebrating its
terrible twos but it presents itself really more as a classic, sophisticated, superior
showcase for all things garden art.
I
was thrilled to see my Gotham garden friends including Anne Raver, New York
Times – who’s piercing blue eyes are not unlike the emerging amsonia blosssoms or
blue hydrangea … Her lecture, “Milestones in the Organic Garden” spoke with keen insight about the organic
movement.
My
first contact walking the gauntlet of vendor tents at Earthly Delights venue
was master potter, Virginia Newman Yocum, Pennoyer Newman www.pennoyernewman.com from whom I
have done business with for my garden design clients. Her pots are top quality, and their customer
service is the best in the world. Bar
none. Proud of their work and their
iproduct, the relationship is a dedicated, enduring one. I can’t recommend them enough.
When
I told her about my soon to be released at retail book, The Hamptons & Long
Island Homegrown Cookbook,” Virginia bought one! I was thrilled. I brought her an autographed one I retrieved
from the car on our way out. Nice.
I
picked up the beribboned note cards, bewitched by the cover art, thinking to
myself, “Where have I seen this?” saying out loud to my husband, “This is the
artist who works with Ken Druse on his new book,” to which a voice replied.
“Yes, I am!” And I turned around to find
Ellen sitting like a rose among her easled art! I spent some time talking to
Ellen Hoverkamp who did the stunning plant art scans for Ken Druse’s latest
book, Natural Companions. (her signature
bears an uncanny likeness to Flowerkamp…)
On
the way to the display gardens and lectures we reviewed the bespoke, artisanal
and antique dealers under tents, flanking the main artery leading up to the
first of several architectural structures.
Outstanding among the vendors and artisans, was the incomparable John
Danzer, Munder-Skiles and his garden art furniture.
We
bought some plants, but not as many as Donna Dorian and Pat Jonas, my garden
friends from Garden Design magazine and the botanical gardens.
We
also bought some almonds in honey from Back to Nature – they also build
beehives and chicken coops that they will maintain for you! www.backtonature.net.
We
enjoyed some delicious roast beef sandwiches and pink lemonade, dining at the
café tables set up on the terrace area.
I was lucky enough to run into Andrea, the hostess and garden goddess.
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| Me (L) & Andrea Filippone |
Pictures
are worth a thousand words and I think I took about that many! The estate is eye candy for anyone interested
in beauty.
Enjoy
the glamorous garden tour!
Earthly
Delights is held on the estate of Andrea Filippone and her husband William
Welch, garden guardians and design
sylvan space for the 2-day affair
held on their 35-acre idyll. A
fusion that is equal parts display garden, movie-set magic and inspiration.
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| What an axis! |
 |
| Foreground is front-of-the-border apple espalier! |
 |
| refurbished Rutgers greenhouse houses plants galore & object de art including an arbor |
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| Potager: box-lined beds surround a fountain |
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| Box-lined gazing pool |
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| Tool caddy is vertical plant stand! |
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| espaliered apple tree in potager |
LECTURE SERIES - Click here for details on Lectures Dick Lighty - Caring for the Garden: Is it a Delight … or a Chore?, June 2, 11-12pm Anne Raver - Milestones in the Organic Garden, June 2, 1-2pm Rick Darke - Emerging Ecologies: Gardening Sync'd to the Nature of Our Time, June 2, 2:30-3:30pm Pete Johnson - Pete's Greens, Vermont's Four Season Organic Vegetable Farm, June 3, 9:30-10:30am Eric T Fleisher & Paul Wagner -Creating a Healthier Landscape Through Organic Practice, June 3, 11-12:30
Event Catering by Ross & Owren
WHERE
The home and garden of Andrea
Filippone
129 Pickle Road, Pottersville, NJ 07979
*If using GPS enter the town
as Califon, NJ
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