The World's Most Incredible Edible Gardens (Slideshow)

by Blythe Copeland

from http://www.treehugger.com/

Photo: Jose Fuste Raga/Corbis

Maybe you've only been looking at your vegetable garden as a means to an end: An easy way to get organic herbs, produce, and edible flowers without a grocery-store spending spree or a lineup of tasteless, non-local goods.

But as these photos show, your garden can be so much more than that: An eye-catching geometric layout of herbs, a home for sculptural shrubs, a masterpiece of shockingly colorful foods, and a peaceful place for getting in touch with your inner gardener.

Read on for more inspiration and ways to turn your plain plot into the centerpiece of your yard.

Catle & mansion Hotels

Get away for a weekend, and live like a King

From: http://www.yellowpages.com/

Castle Hill Resort and Spa

Cavendish, VT - More Details

Royal Treatment

Magic in the Green Mountains, near Okemo ski trails. Each room is a unique escape of period pieces, hardwood floors, carved ceilings and Tiffany lamps. Rejuvenate with the heated outdoor pool, yoga and pilates classes and tennis courts in this quaint, antique-happy land.

Price Tag

$225+ per night

Glen Cove Mansion

Glen Cove, NY - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Once called "The Manor," the 1910 estate is part of Long Island's illustrious Gold Coast, lined with the English country houses and gothic Tudors of the wealthy. "North by Northwest" and "Sabrina" were filmed at the inn, now endowed with bourgeois pools and multitudinous sports courts.

Price Tag

$159-$399 per night

Mansion on Forsyth Park

Savannah, GA - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Play Savannah socialite in this restored Victorian in the heart of the Historic District. Gush over 400 pieces of original artwork, luxuriate at Poseidon Spa, stroll lush, legendary streets. Perfect your mise en place with chef-led classes at the Mansion's glowy-gorgeous 700 Drayton (left).

Price Tag

$199-$389 per night

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Dallas, TX - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Originally built by a cotton magnate in 1925, this 16th-century Italian Renaissance mansion-turned-hotel oozes ritzy with hand-painted Chinese silk wallpaper, hand-carved fireplaces and stained glass windows. Luminaries the likes of FDR and Tennessee Williams have basked here.

Price Tag:

$300-$1,000 per night

Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate

Huntington, NY - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Financier/philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn built this French chateau in the '20s for $11 million ($110 million today!) Once Kahn's summer pad, it became a retreat for sanitation workers, then a military academy. Now it's a hotel resplendent with library and gardens. Day tours available.

Price Tag

$395-$1,095 per night

The Cloister at Sea Island

Simons Island, GA - More Details

The Royal Treatment

You can imagine Rockefeller himself pulling up to this secluded retreat along the Georgia coast. "Basic" accommodations here start with 700-sq. ft. rooms with river views all the way up to suites and villas with fireplaces and their own libraries.

Price Tag

$349+ per night

Manor on Golden Pond

Holderness, NH - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Indeed, it is that "On Golden Pond." The manor, originally the dream home of a debutante and a wealthy Englishman, looks over Squam Lake, where the Oscar-winning "On Golden Pond" was filmed. Most rooms have wood-burning fireplaces and sweeping vista views.

Price Tag

$220-$540 per night

Castle on the Hudson

Tarrytown, NY - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Carrollcliffe was its first name, built from 1897-1910 just outside of Manhattan. Much of the castle's original woodwork and furnishings remain, and a cave-like bar is made of stone quarried on site. Fireplaces, shadowy alcoves, and bocce by the waterfall make this a place out of time.

Price Tag

$220-$650 per night

Wentworth Mansion

Charleston, SC - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Not much has changed since Wentworth house debuted in the 1800s in Second Empire style. The mansard roof tops crystal chandeliers, marble mantels and Tiffany stained glass windows. Pore over tomes in the library, swirl cordials in the parlor ... if you can abandon the Grand Suite (left).

Price Tag

$279-$750 per night

Blantyre

Lenox, MA - More Details

The Royal Treatment

Dare we say the Queen Mum herself would approve. Built as a family getaway in 1901, the English manor exudes regal posh, with leaded glass windows and in-room fireplaces. Idle like aristocracy playing bocce, snow-shoeing across the 117 acres, or delighting in a jolly sleigh ride.

Price Tag

$675-$2,000 per night

The Villa By Barton G

Miami Beach, FL - More Details

Fab Factor

Live like a lavish mogul at late designer Gianni Versace's 19,000-square-foot estate. Ornate floors of Italian marble, the outrageously opulent Thousand Mosaic Pool, a rooftop lounge where you can thank your lucky stars ... They've even got Kindle e-readers for you.

Price Tag

$795-$1,950 per night

Swallow's Nest Castle, Ukraine

Some additional info: This is in Crimea, which doesn't consider itself Ukraine, but Russia. This specific building was only erected in 1912 by Baron von Steingel, a magnate of German descent as a summerhouse, according to rumors for his mistress. Check out how the place looked beforehand - http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0 ...

Google image search : http://images.google.com/images?q=swallow%27s%20nest&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Farmer loses High Court fight to save hidden castle

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/surrey/8495412.stm

Mr Fidler hoped to take advantage of a legal loophole

A farmer who built a castle hidden behind a stack of straw bales has lost a High Court bid to save it from being demolished.

Robert Fidler, of Salfords, Surrey, built the home - complete with turrets - without planning permission.

He kept it hidden until August 2006 but was ordered to tear it down by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in 2008.

Mr Fidler appealed on the basis that his house had stood for four years without anyone objecting to it.

After the hearing, Mr Fidler pledged to take his fight to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

He said: "This house will never be knocked down. This is a beautiful house that has been lovingly created. I will do whatever it takes to keep it."

Immunity rule

When Mr Fidler removed the bales he believed the structure would no longer be subject to planning enforcement because of a legal loophole.

But in March 2007 the borough council issued an enforcement notice, which was upheld by a Government planning inspector in May 2008.

The inspector ruled that the removal of the straw bales constituted part of the building works and the four-year immunity rule would not apply.

The High Court was asked to decide whether the removal of the straw bales and tarpaulin was, in the eyes of the law, part of the building operation.

Robert Fidler still claims the castle is not illegal despite the ruling

Deputy High Court judge Sir Thayne Forbes said: "In my view, the inspector's findings of fact make it abundantly clear that the erection/removal of the straw bales was an integral - indeed an essential - fundamentally related part of the building operations that were intended to deceive the local planning authority and to achieve by deception lawful status for a dwelling built in breach of planning control."

The judge said Mr Fidler had used two grain silos to form two turrets at the corners of his house. There was also "a stain-glass lantern feature" over a central hall, or gallery.

The property includes a kitchen, living room, study, shower room and toilet and separate WC.

On the first floor, there are four bedrooms and another room still being fitted as a bathroom.

Appeal planned

On the south side of the house there is a gravelled forecourt, and to the north and north-western corner a new patio and conservatory.

The judge said: "Mr Fidler made it quite clear that the construction of his house was undertaken in a clandestine fashion, using a shield of straw bales around it and tarpaulins or plastic sheeting over the top in order to hide its presence during construction.

The castle has ramparts and a replica cannon

"He stated that he knew he had to deceive the council of its existence until a period of four years from substantial completion and occupation had occurred as they would not grant planning permission for its construction.

"I accept that the act of concealment does not in itself provide a legitimate basis for the council to succeed, as hiding something does not take away lawful rights that may accrue due to the passage of time."

He added: "From his own evidence and submissions it was always his intention to remove the bales once he thought that lawfulness had been secured."

After the hearing Mr Fidler's solicitor, Pritpal Singh Swarn, said an appeal was being considered.

He said: "Mr Fidler is obviously disappointed and will almost certainly want to appeal bearing in mind what he stands to lose, which is the house that he has built.

"The judge appears to have left open the big question - when is a building substantially complete?

"It is necessary for the courts to draw the line as to what constitutes a completed development."

13 Extreme Kids' Playhouses

Browse brilliant personal mini-homes built specifically for child's play

By Brynn Mannino

From WomansDay.com

Long gone are the days of sheet-and-pillow forts. Today’s kids have much more modern hideaways. Here, check out the most awe-inspiring models—some that cost thousands of dollars and boast fancy features like leatherette-finished bunks and built-in TV/DVD players. These pint-sized dwellings put a whole new spin on what it means to "play house."

Connecticut Castle

Designer Barbara Butler built this 32' x 44' x 16' wooden castle in 1999 for two boys to complement their parents’ 1910 English-style country home in Litchfield, Connecticut. Photo courtesy of Barbara Butler.

Malibu Lighthouse

Also built by Butler in 2001, this Pacific Ocean overlook and play fort in Malibu was inspired by images of lighthouse, sea waves and driftwood. Photo courtesy of Barbara Butler.

Fort Mediterranean

This 51'-long Butler-built playhouse—assembled in 2007 in Silicon Valley—summons a Mediterranean-inspired charm with its color palette and many bridges and hideaways. Photo courtesy of Barbara Butler.

Canyon Perch

Perched atop a 9'-tall stump, this tree fort—built in 2003, also by Butler—sits in a deep ravine, and offers kids a Swinging Bridge, a Look-Out Deck, a Trap Door, a Catwalk, a Rock Climbing Tower and more. Photo courtesy of Barbara Butler.

Americana Del Mar

Built in 2008 by Bill Mitchell and his University of California team, Irvine Facilities Management (who also did the interior design), this 10' x 8' playhouse mimics coastal cottages in Corona del Mar, California, and has a kitchen, a loft, and a flatscreen DVD player. Photo courtesy of David Heath of Western Exposure and Project Playhouse.

Train Play Station

Built in 2001 in Heber City, Utah, by Devrle Wells, who’s the former owner of WoodManor Playhouses, this little red residence is the perfect escape for any young kid who loves locomotives. Photo courtesy of WoodManor Playhouses.

Thoroughly Modern Manor

Designed by Bloomfield Hills, Michigan–based AZD Associates Architects, this 10' x 10' castle—featuring a curved metal roof, electric heat, built-in TV/DVD and creativity station—is a far cry from the sheet-shantied shacks of yesteryear; it was auctioned off for $30,000. Photo courtesy of AZD Associates Architects.

Pirate’s Playhouse

This Pirate-themed playhouse—from which protrudes an 8' x 6' galleon-style pirate bow—was available at Costco in 2006 for $18,499.99. Also included: An oversize log (of which no two were the same), swing, fireman’s pole and ship’s wheel. Photo courtesy of DisneyFrontier.com.

Redneck Retreat

This truck-crossed tree house—featuring a Victorian-style clubhouse and truck-bed balcony—allows kids a place to relax and, better yet, experience stationary adventures in the driver’s seat of the playhouse’s orange truck. Photo courtesy of Daniels Wood Land, Inc.

St. James Castle

This pretty-in-pink princess castle, whose morphed features conjure up thoughts of a carnival funhouse, is made of redwood log and includes a drawbridge, a turbo spiral slide, faux rock accents, a redwood dragon carving and more—all perfect for summoning any prince for a playdate. Photo courtesy of Daniels Wood Land, Inc.

Red Beard’s Revenge Pirate Ship House

Constructed of mahogany and steam-curved poplar planks, this 12' x 18' playhouse—which boasts leatherette-cushioned sleeping bunks, a waterproof roof, cannonball-riddled mast and rigging, and upper and lower decks constructed from Douglas fir—goes for a whopping $52,000 (to the luckiest kid in the room). Photo courtesy of PoshTots.com.

Habitable Polyhedron

Designed by Manuel Villa, this nature-surrounded dwelling—built in a family’s garden in Bogota, Colombia—is meant to embrace both children and adults alike while acting as an independent space from day-to-day activities. Photo courtesy of Inhabitots.com.

qb Playhouse

qb playhouses—currently only sold in Europe—are fully customizable. Kids can pick the color and print which will decorate the front of the sustainable wood-harvested frame and/or upload a print of their choice to the qb website,. Though expensive (€619–€749), proceeds are donated to Right to Play—a humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children. Photo courtesy of quubi.nl/.

14 Majestic Castles and Palaces Around the World

In medieval times, castles are built as homes and fortress of a noble and monarch. Did you know that the earliest castles were built from wood. By the 12th century, the majority of castles were built from stone. On this time, these structures serve as fortified and defensible homes of a member of the feudal nobility. Castles could supervise the surrounding territory and make sure it sees advances of any invasion attempts. Here now some incredible castles I compile. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Mont Saint-Michel
Mont-Saint-Michel is is a rocky tidal island located on the border between Normandy and Brittany. This majestic castle is one of the first sites to obtain UNESCO World Heritage listing.

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Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Bavarian palace on a rocky hill near Hohenschwangau in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The design of this castle is well in its decorated; from the the round arched portals, the arcade windows and towers to the the placement of columns and its bay windows and pinnacles.

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Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle is one of the 4 castles in Japan to be listed as national treasures. Next to Himeji-jo, Matsumoto-jo, this was the next best existing castle donjon in Japan. Built by Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga in 1590.

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Castle of Coca
Castle of Coca was built in the 15th century for Archbishop Alonso de Fonseca I. It was onsidered as one of the best castles in Spain. The castle is a turreted structure of plaster and red brick, surrounded by a deep moat. Castle of Coca has been more of a palace than a castle.

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Isola di Loreto
Isola di Loreto with neogothic castle arround year 900 This castle was built on island L’isola di Loreto, the smallest island of the lake. This was located on the north side of Montisola, Italy.

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The Potala Palace
The Potala Palace is located on the Red Hill of Lhasa, Tibet. It was riginally built by King Songtsen Gampo in the 17th century. The Potala Palace was the main residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama escaped to Dharamsala, India.

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Predjamski Castle
Predjamski Castle Renaissance castle built within a cave mouth in southwestern Slovenia. It is located approximately 11 kilometres from Postojna.

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Hunyad Castle
Hunyad Castle was originally built as a fortress in 1212. Many believed that this castle is exactly the place where Dracula was held as a prisoner for 7 years after he was overthrown in 1462. The castle is situated in Hunedoara , Romania.

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Malbork Castle
The Malbork Castle’s construction began in 1275, along the river Nogat. This castle was made from red brick and became the world’s largest brick gothic castle. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997. Today, it is well-preserved medieval gothic castle and a museum.

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Prague Castle
Prague Castle is Prague’s premier tourist attraction. It was largest medieval castle complex in Europe and the ancient seat of Czech kings throughout the ages.

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Eltz Castle
Eltz Castle is a medieval castle stands in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. This castle was still owned by a branch of the same family(33 generations) that lived there in the 12th century.

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Palacio da Pena
Palacio da Pena is one of Europe’s most magnificent palace. The palace was built on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, Portugal.

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Löwenburg Castle
Löwenburg Castle was built around 1800 as a country residence for Count Wilhelm IX. This castle was intentionally designed to look like a medieval castle.

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Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle is a quadrangular castle located in East Sussex, England This castle was built in the late 14th century by a veteran of King Edward III’s wars with France.

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