Marie Viljoen

1 week ago | gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen

If it begins to rain in the Hantam in March, and if the rain measures more than 10mm, you can almost set your timer: After a long, dry, and very hot summer, the Brunsvigias will bloom, three weeks later. You have those weeks to plan a visit to see the sight of a lifetime. In the baked red earth of this high escarpment region of South Africa’s Northern Cape Province, the Brunsvigia bulbs sense the moisture and begin to develop buds.

2 weeks ago | gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen

Trees with white flowers have a way of lifting and lightening a garden’s mood—as well as soothing the mood of the gardener. In the evenings, their glimmering nocturnal presence is a comfort, and by day their pale petals, augmented by bare branches or the textural contrast of foliage, are an elegantly calming balm. For the final chapter of our series, here are some of our favorite trees with white flowers for you to consider as sentinels among your perennials and shrubs.

3 weeks ago | gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen

Have you ever eaten a durian? If you have, or if you have met one and hurried on by, you might be conjuring up the huge, spiky fruit’s famous smell—or perfume—right now. I can only say, hand on heart, that durian ice cream is one of the best I have ever eaten or made (the other is pawpaw, Asimina triloba). One of the perks of living in a culturally rich megalopolis like New York City is that you have access to the world’s appetites and to the foods that feed them.

4 weeks ago | marthastewart.com | Marie Viljoen

Photo: Getty / Elena Danileiko Artichokes are an irresistibly photogenic vegetable, resembling a giant green acorn encased in a scaly armor of green bracts. Therein lies the challenge: How do you breach that spiked barrier to reach the best part of an artichoke—its guarded, hidden heart? If you have hesitated because you are not sure how to eat an artichoke, know that fresh artichokes are in a flavor class of their own, and delicious adventure awaits.

4 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Marie Viljoen

Artichokes are an irresistibly photogenic vegetable, resembling a giant green acorn encased in a scaly armor of green bracts. Therein lies the challenge: How do you breach that spiked barrier to reach the best part of an artichoke—its guarded, hidden heart? If you have hesitated because you are not sure how to eat an artichoke, know that fresh artichokes are in a flavor class of their own, and delicious adventure awaits.