1600s English Cottage Frontier Culture Museum Staunton VA

A 1600’s English home is just as much in style today as it was during colonial times. A Tudor style was adapted from these exposed beams and plaster construction. New home construction incorporates these elements so that new and old will form an appealing neighborhood. It is a much sought after home design and I can see why. It connects us with our past when our ancestors came over from England.

Jamestown was founded in 1607 as the first colony but this sort of home above is typical of the homes in England built during the 1600’s. It was purchased and moved to this spot so that we can better understand the English influence on our culture today and how it has evolved.

The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia has this exhibit as part of their old world education program. Settlers lived in these homes before coming across the Atlantic to settle the New World. They brought with them rich customs and cultures that developed who we are today.

This home represents a prosperous yeoman household from 1600’s England. A yeoman was one who farmed a land on which he claimed a freehhold. These yeomen farmers came to the new land and planted crops that would supply England with much needed grains and goods like wool and linen. The farmers made a profitable living off of the exports.

They grew grain crops like wheat,barley, and rye. Fruits were also harvested along with vegetables such as carrots, cabbages, and beans. The New World was a relief to an England who needed these goods. Crops were rotated on a 3 to 4 year cycle and clover was grown for the nitrogen.

Some farmers experimented with new crops for feeding the animals and rape seed for lamp oil.

When these yeomen were living in their homeland, their homes would have been well furnished like the one being showcased here. It would have been well furnished with the quality and quantity reflecting the prosperity of the owner. Their pewter and silver announced their wealth.

The farmer and his wife slept in a tester bedstead , equipped with a flock and feather mattress. It looks very comfortable don’t you think? Huge pillows and bolsters made the beds look elaborately dressed. Fine wool curtains would adorn the post adding to the status of the yeoman.

The housewife was in charge of the meals, medicines, housecleaning, general herb and vegetable garden maintenance. The English families ate more meat than German and Irish descendants. The English has stews, meat pies, and soups that were flavorful and meaty.

Many of those who immigrated to Virginia were not lucky enough to be yeoman but came instead as indentured servants. They came to work off their passage fair in the service of another landowner. Often these were people who did not inherit land in their homeland and had no where else to turn. The early 1600’s voyages were crowded and the journey took a very long time.

Kitties make walkways more friendly

This street has it all. It has a brick sidewalk, attractive plantings, beautiful homes, and mature trees. You know this took several generations of people planning and caring about how it will/would be for them and those who pass on the street. I wish this sort of thing was mandatory. I don’t mean to make a person go beyond their money and means—but everyone can keep a welcome yard. I think a pathway is one of the most important features. Don’t you?

Straight or winding? The above brick paved walkway is winding—- which I think leads your eye from one side of the garden to the other. The owners made the walkway stand out by planting liriope down the sides. It makes a subtle contrast.

That walkway above is slightly off center. That’s clever cause the door is off center to the left. Nice balance.

With a curved path, you look to the end first and then work your way back.

This home is so confident that it can split the sidewalk and dare you to look beyond.

Mossy green paths with a bit of the basketweave showing is perfectly attractive.

Maybe we’d all be in shape if this was our choice of pathways.

Before modern plumbing, the well was a treasured functional part of the landscaping. It was important to show it off properly. Some folks didn’t have a well and would have to go to the town’s approved public well.

I love the curves, the interrupted mixed brick, and the size. Some would call this a patio but what gives it away as a wide path would be that it draws you around the center planting and invites you continue walking beyond the inner circle. See the walkways that come off the main square? I would imagine that those 4 little bushes were probably vegetables or herbs back in the 1800’s when this home was built.

There are lots of ways to build a path or walkway and you’ll have to decide what suits your personality, lifestyle, home architecture, and needs.

Now this straight path needs no other explanation.

Pink almost won me over

I’m a pink kinda girl. I’m drawn to it. At least 1/4 the clothes in my closet are pink.

I did a whole post on Haint Blue porch ceilings but here is one painted pink.

Light Pink and Dark Pink. I have a lot of pictures of old homes. They inspire me. I seem to collect quite a few pictures of pink but have very little of it in my beige golden green craftsman home. I did come very close to building a colorful little cottage home with pink everywhere. Sometimes I feel like I have two personalities. Are you pulled in different directions when it comes to decorating?

Valle Crucis North Carolina and The Mast Farm Inn

I love North Carolina more than there are apple trees in one seed. Which means, it’s endless. As far back as my memory will take me, I’ve come to these mountains to celebrate the beauty in every season. You can see from the picture above that The Smoky Mountains are named appropriately. I’ve rarely seen my mountains on a clear day but rather it is the norm to see them cloaked in this magical misty presence. The picture was taken today about about 3pm. MrD and I drove up to Valle Crucis, Vale of the Cross, for the day. My destination was

The Mast General Store and The Mast Farm Inn.

Haint Blue Color Formula

The blue above is what I refer to as Haint Blue, a color that is traditionally used on porch celilings throughout the south and starting to catch on up North. I have finally tracked down an expert on this color. I hope this will help many of you who are trying to achieve the historical color.

Funcolors, a expert in her field of color consulting, has written an article on Haint Blue. You can read it HERE

She also has an article HERE

Sherwin Williams site has an article HERE on blue porch ceilings.

She has those color samples available and will help you figure out the right shade based on historical homes that have this Haint Blue. Haint Blue is more of a term that originated in the South when folks thought it drove away evil spirits called haints. There isn’t an official color called Haint Blue and Funcolors explains the reason. So don’t be fooled in to accepting a substitution—go over and visit Funcolor’s article so you can be as historically correct as possible.

The article by Funcolors gives an in depth look at the color and history behind it. She has provided examples and studied the color from their original sources. So if you are looking for a color consultant or just curious about the color Haint Blue, take a look at her article.

I also wrote a post about it and here is the LINK. I show Haint Blue on several porch ceilings. But here are a few for you to look at and notice the different shades of blue that have been used—anywhere from a true blue to an aqua.

Interesting what you get in to when choosing Haint Blue so be careful and be correct. All of these are beautiful but not all are the traditional Haint Blue. Your paint store will have a 100 different formulas for Haint Blue. It’s best you read Funcolor’s article.

You can find these houses on my sidebar under Impressive Entryways and Wilmington. Thanks for stopping by and please leave me a reply if this was helpful. I have so many people come by searching for Haint Blue since I did my first article. I wish you the best as I know it’s important to get it just the right color. You can also see my big porch on my sidebar under—A Craftsman Home.

In to the garden of Elizabeth Lawrence

Elizabeth Lawrence is my hero. She was a pioneer in her field. She was the first woman to graduate from North Carolina State University with a degree in landscape design. Please go with me and tour her gardens through the eyes and thoughts of Flowergardengirl.

Elizabeth Clarkson Gardens

Recently I went on a tour of Wing Haven Gardens and Bird Sanctuary in Charlotte, North Carolina. It seemed a bit odd at first that Elizabeth Clarkson allowed birds to fly freely in her home. She put out worms in a dish on an inside table for those that preferred a good protein meal.  She named one of her birds Tommy. Tommy never slept outside a day in his life even though he fathered many a nest.

Elizabeth Clarkson always knew she wanted to garden but it wasn’t until a lengthy illness that she became an avid bird friend. She was required to lay in bed for extended periods of time. The birds became her entertainment and she would often be asked to lay a spell in the garden to be near them.

Tommy sat upon her shoulder as she played the piano and he would grab a hanky from her hand and fly about the room with it. Elizabeth understood Tommy’s chirpings. She knew if he saw a snake or if a hawk was in the garden.

I hope you enjoyed the podcast. Coming soon—The gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence

In The Neighborhood of Clarkson and Lawrence

No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence written by Emily Herring Wilson is my recent purchase. I could not resist it as I toured the gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence in Charlotte, North Carolina. I visited a childhood friend this weekend. She ask what I would like to do and was delighted when she agreed to tour the gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence and Elizabeth Clarkson. Two avid gardeners who lived on the same street in Myers Park in the beautiful town of Charotte, North Carolina.

Please join me for a trip down Ridgewood Avenue and see some of the homes both new and old that belong to the neighbors of these two pioneering women. Over the next three days, I’ll be writing about the gardens of Miss. Lawrence and Mrs. Clarkson. Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson set up a foundation called Wing Haven which owns and maintains both the homes. You can not imagine how much I enjoyed my visit to both gardens with only a few houses of separation. My goodness what their neighbors must have thought. And a surprise–they weren’t the only famous gardeners on Ridgewood Avenue in Charlotte, North Carolina.