winter gardens

While the Duchess is truly thrilled to have a Batcave cubicular of her own with ample space for stashing tea, tomes, and tunes,the brutalism of the 1950s-built workplace is not nearly so swank as sundry locales in the old country.

This one at the Ursuline Institute in Belgium is only open one day a year, and is one of the places I want to see before I die. I don't do the bucket list thing, because this is highly unlikely, but thankfully others have shared the sights.

We have nothing quite so epic here in Clevelandia, but the Rockefeller Greenhouse, being free and open all year, is a convenient substitute with the sweet mingling of jasmine and citrus, the profusion of orchids, palms, and cacti.I love winter, but the greenness, the way the air feels so fresh, and the respite from the grey and rust works wonders.