Archives for posts with tag: the secret garden blog

Into the Desert

November 21, 2013 //

This is the last of the summer travel posts. I can’t wait until next years adventures.

In September I did a roadtrip with some friends from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. We stayed in the Majave Desert before heading to Death Valley. Even though it was the end of summer Death Valley was still incredibly hot – mid 40s almost all day and not dropping much at night. It was interesting to see what nature survived and thrived in this brutal climate.

Driving through the Joshua tree plains was like being on another planet. Going off road we stumbled upon abandoned mines and cattle yards, eery when we felt so alone.

Desert California The Badwater Basin is a salt pan 86 metres below sea level. It was so very, very hot.

We slept in some curious places and met a lot of weird and wonderful people. It was a good crew to road trip with.

California All photographs by Sophia Kaplan, Emily Morrison, Max Rapley & Sam Reid.

Tags abandoned mine, american road trip, badwater basin, cactus, death valley, desert plants, jeep, joshua tree, las vagas to los angeles, mojave desert, road trip, salt flat, the secret garden blog

Categories Nature, Photography, Photos by Sophia, Travel

Paris Courtyard

November 13, 2013 //

My courtyard at home is super sweet. Being greeted by a chicken as you enter is a rarity in Paris.

All photographs by Sophia Kaplan.

Tags cour, courtyard, france, french courtyard, paris, secret garden, secret garden paris, the secret garden blog

Categories Garden, Photos by Sophia, Plants

Le Jardin des Plantes

November 10, 2013 //

The Jardin des Plantes is one of my favourite gardens in Paris. We visited on the weekend and caught the end of the dahlias and some beautiful autumn scenes. In the grounds is the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. The main hall with huge whale skeletons and taxidermy is reminiscent of the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Very Night at the Museum. We also checked out Alchimies by Sarah Moon – a photographic exploration of the museum and surrounding garden. Well worth a look. Afterwards we headed across the road to la Grande Mosquée de Paris for pastries and mint tea. All in all a pretty excellent day.

Final photograph by Sarah Moon, the rest by Sophia Kaplan.

Jardin des Plants: 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris

Alchimies runs until 24th November in the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution.

Tags dahlia, france, gardens, Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, greenhouse, jardin des plantes, le Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, National Museum of Natural History (France), natural history museum, paris, parisien gardens, photographic exhibition, sarah moon, the secret garden blog

Categories Flowers, Garden, Nature, Photography, Photos by Sophia, Plants

Corse & Monaco

November 5, 2013 //

Following on from my last travel post… after our week in Tuscany we headed across to Corse with a few new friends. Initially we followed the same route my sister and I took when we were on the island last year, Bastia – Calvi – Ajaccio, but this time we continued on to Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio. This is really one of my favourite places. The landscape is so stunning and the water constantly inviting, and my lord the sunsets.

Here the crew parted ways with some heading to Spain while we got the ferry across to Monaco to visit (the much featured on this blog) Tiffany. On our ferry we passed a pod of whales. It couldn’t have been more beautiful.

In Monaco we spent a very chilled day at Plage Mala before climbing the giant mountain behind to have dinner in the ancient Èze village.

All photographs by Sophia Kaplan.

Tags ajaccio, Èze village, bastia, bonifacio, calvi, corse, corsica, corsican roadtrip, monaco, plage mala, porto-vecchio, roadtrip, the secret garden blog

Categories Nature, Photography, Photos by Sophia, Plants, Travel

Italy

October 30, 2013 //

These pics are not super heavy on the gardens and flowers but I wanted to share them nonetheless as Italy was another highlight of our summer adventure. From Mont Blanc to San Vincenzo, Portofino to Pisa we drove we ate and we drank a lot of spritz.

Italy We also spent a week at a friends place in Tuscany for the Palio horserace of Sienna. Grazie mille to Lodo and his family for taking such good care of us.

Italy Italy Next stop Corse and Monaco!

Photographs by Sophia & Olivia Kaplan and Pierre Voirin.

Tags florence, Flowers, garden, italian roadtrip, italy, mont blanc, nursery, paleo, pisa, portofino, san vincenzo, sienna, spritz, the secret garden blog

Categories Garden, Photography, Photos by Sophia, Travel

Couronne de Fleurs

October 26, 2013 //

My friend Ama asked me to demonstrate how to make a flower crown for her blog L’Effrontée. We had a fun evening putting this together for you.

You will need:

1. Floral tape

2. Thin wire

3. Flowers (consider colour combinations and flowers that will happily last without water for a day)

4. Foliage (ivy is great, or whatever you can forage)

STEP 1.

Measure the wire around your head. Keep some length to create a hook to secure as below

STEP 2.

Wrap the floral tape around the wire

STEP 3.

Prepare flowers and foliage – cut to size and work out what you want to go where

STEP 4.

Begin to place flowers and foliage two at a time, securing with more floral tape

Then it’s as easy as continuing to place two pieces at a time and keep securing with floral tape. Try to place flowers thickly so the wire isn’t seen. Once finished you can store the flower crown in the fridge to keep it fresh.

And here they are!

couronne de fleurs Check out Ama’s blogpost here.

All photographs by Amandine Maugy and Sophia Kaplan.

Tags Amandine Maugy, couronne de fleurs, diy flower crown, do it yourself, flower crown, Flowers, L’Effrontée, rose, sophia kaplan, the secret garden blog

Categories Design, Fashion, Flowers, Photos by Sophia

Musée Carnavalet

September 30, 2013 //

The always gorgeous Tiff visited me in Paris last weekend. We spent one afternoon wandering through le marais where I introduced her to one of my favourite little gardens in the entrance to the Musée Carnavalet.

Swirling hedge designs are bordered by seasonal bright flowers and even some rainbow spinach. I used to live just around the corner and it was a always peaceful spot for me to escape the bustle of the street.

All photographs by Olivia and Sophia Kaplan.

Tags dahlia, echinacea, garden, hedge, le marais, musee carnavalet, paris, rainbow spinach, swirling hedge, the secret garden blog, yellow flowers

Categories Architecture, Flowers, Garden, Nature, Photos by Sophia, Plants

Dolce & Gabbana

September 26, 2013 //

As always, their latest show was ultra feminine and evocative of that great Italian era à la La Dolce Vita. Spring was on full show with the gorgeous floral prints, embellishments and flower crowns. A girl can dream.

All images via Dolce & Gabbana.

Tags dolce & gabbana, dolce & gabbana spring summer 2014, fashion, floral embellishments, floral prints, flower crown, gold, italian, la dolce vita, red, runway, the secret garden blog

Categories Design, Fashion, Flowers

Turkey

September 22, 2013 //

In June this year my mother and sister visited Turkey. Here are some of their photographs from Istanbul and Ürgüp.

Turkey Turkey All photographs by Olivia Kaplan.

Tags Ürgüp, Flowers, flowers in turkey, istanbul, sophia kaplan, the secret garden blog, turkey, wildflowers

Categories Flowers, Nature, Photography, Plants, Travel

The High Line

September 19, 2013 //

I visited the High Line in New York for the first time in summer last year and it was top of my list of things to do when I was back in town earlier this month. This rambling walkway park is made from a disused rail line and runs from Chelsea to Meatpacking.

High Line Its historical past is beautifully evident in the old tracks and planting design which mimics the self-seeded landscape which once covered the unused tracks.