by Kristina Gabalski
Sandra Foote inside her beautifully decorated home. Her gardens are featured in a book coming out in March. The interior will be featured in the Christmas edition of the book that comes out in October.“It’s what I love, love, love to do,” Sandra Foote says about gardening … and interior decorating … and antiquing … and crafting … and she does them all very well.
The multi-talented mom of two young children has worked for 15 years to make her 150-plus-year-old home in Parma a showplace both inside and out.
So much so, in fact, that her gardens are featured in a book that will be released in March. Through the Garden Gate is the 25th book in the popular “simply country” book series by Judy Condon.
Books in the series come out four times each year and are filled with over 500 inspiring color photographs of country homes and gardens.
The series has created a forum for country collectors and gardeners.
Sandra says she has always enjoyed Condon’s books that reflect the New England/colonial style in which she decorates her home.
“People who have my style know her books – they include a lot of the things I love,” she says.
Sandra corresponded with Condon via email and was asked to provide photographs of her garden for the Through the Garden Gate book. The interior of the Foote home will also be featured in the 2013 Christmas edition of the series – an all holiday house tour – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, which will be released in October. Sandra says those photos will show the interior of her home decorated with multiple Christmas trees and trimmings for the holiday season.
“I’m just ecstatic,” Sandra says about being featured in the books which are sold world-wide.
“You put all this work and time and energy into your home and garden and it’s exciting to know people will appreciate it.”
Sandra finds gardening very rewarding and works to have something blooming at all times during the growing season.
“Even now, I have a fresh hyacinth blooming in the kitchen,” she notes. “I always have fresh flowers in the house. They put people in a good mood, they’re soothing.”
As we head into late winter, Sandra says she can’t wait to get back outside and start the annual rituals of clearing and raking out beds, dividing perennials and designing new plantings.
“I’m an outside person, I try to be out there as much as humanly possible. Every spring I have a new plan. I’m always moving things around and changing things.”
Old-fashioned heirloom flowers like foxgloves, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers and hostas are some of her favorites.
Sandra also grows culinary herbs which she dries and adds to her meals all year long.
“It’s not just pretty to look at,” Sandra explains, “I use what is grown. Rosemary tastes great with potatoes and sage goes well with pork.”
Sandra uses natural fieldstone in her gardens. “I love natural elements,” she says, “I don’t like formal things.
“A lot of people think gardening is so expensive,” she continues, “but after the first couple of gardens you can just take what you have and divide.”
She does purchase some annuals each spring, “But I haven’t bought perennials in years. I love lilacs and dig up the shoots and plant them around the yard.
“I never sit down,” she adds, “I’m out there working in the summer and when I’m not digging outside, I’m doing work inside.”
This mural is one Sandra painted on the wall of her front parlor.Her beautiful home includes many antiques as well as her own artwork. The walls of the parlor feature a primitive-style landscape mural she painted herself.
Judy Condon’s “simply country” books are sold at country shops around the United States and Canada and Condon says she hopes to broaden the availability of her three garden books through wholesale sales to garden centers and nurseries.
Her books can be purchased through her website – www.marshhomesteadantiques.com or by calling 877-381-6682.
