Wow – what a hot, sunny summer day! While I am keeping cool in the air conditioning, I just spoke with my mom who is outside on the grounds of Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, VA. Today, I am so excited to have the chance to introduce you all to my her, Amy Lewis, the Head Gardener of Keswick. She has the most amazing eye for design and has made the grounds of Keswick look so beautiful for all of their Spring and Summer 2009 weddings. It is so fun to hear about all that she and the Keswick team does to make the details of each wedding truly spectacular – so I decided it is time to share this all with you —
With your new “kitchen garden” (noted that you planted yours before Michelle Obama at the White House), how do you and the chef work together to use fresh, homegrown vegetables and herbs in the catering?
We have tried to provide that chef with some more unusual specialty items that are not readily available from a commercial grower so that he can experiment with them. We currently have white cucumbers and green zebra heirloom tomatoe sin the garden, which he is using tonight to prepare a white gazpacho. It is so fun creating menus for couples with unique and seasonal ingredients.
What should a couple keep in mind when picking their decor in order to complement the on site gardens? Do you ever do special plantings for couples to match their colors?
Although we do not do special plantings to match a couple’s colors, we do give counsel them as to what will be blooming when their wedding takes place. The front parterre gardens are mostly white, which is where many brides have a portrait done. We use a lot of white as it shows up at night. Couples should think of the gardens as simply a complement to their decor – we design plantings so as not to draw away from the main event.
Keswick often uses a tent on the back patio. How do you use floral decor to complement this space?
The back perennial gardens are intended to be a background with a fairly large color palette. We do this to accommodate a lot of different choices. The floral arrangements under the tent really make the bride’s statement and we try to keep the gardens somewhat subtle as not to compete with what is going on under the tent.
These words alone do not do justice to what a beautiful place Keswick Hall is to get married! If you are thinking of a destination wedding that is just a “stone’s throw” away from DC, do consider this venue! I cannot wait to post some eye candy for you to prove what a garden goddess my mom truly is – stay tuned!
