Last year (when we could still travel without concern), my husband and I took a road trip to Savannah, Georgia. We visited in December to catch the city in her holiday finery. With her charming public squares, moody oak trees and beautiful historic district, Savannah is a delight to visit any time of the year. But add in special holiday events and cheerful decorations, and the city is captivating!
Take her iconic fountain in Forsyth Park for instance. In August 1858, The Daily Morning News reported “The fountain in the park was in operation on Saturday to the delight of large crowds.” Here’s a photo taken around that time by photographer J.N. Wilson.
Over 150 years later, the fountain still operates to the delight of residents and visitors. Here’s the elaborate Victorian fountain dressed up for the holidays…
… captured in glorious sunshine.
Strolling around Savannah’s Historic District is a great way to spend a day. The district is arranged in a grid pattern making it easy to navigate. There are 22 park-like squares waiting to be discovered. Here’s another delightful fountain. This one, in LaFayette Square, is more recent having been placed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the colony of Georgia.
Stately live oaks (Quercus virginiana) picturesquely draped with Spanish moss are quintessentially Savannah.
Beautiful cast iron fences, lamp posts and benches are found throughout the district. Ironwork was introduced in Savannah after a devastating city-wide fire in 1796 and gained popularity during the mid-nineteenth century.
Many of the cast iron grilles and railings on the historic homes are adorned for the holidays. Here a trio of simple evergreen wreathes decorate a balcony railing.
A lush garland of magnolia leaves, accented with a cluster of brass bells, makes a more elaborate display.
Vibrant red poinsettia plants flank the front steps of historic homes.
Intriguing art galleries, boutiques and cafes are sprinkled throughout the district.
Unexpected little details, such as the below carved angel, greet the sharp-eyed visitor.
One might even come across a pair of penguins enjoying a sip of bourbon!
Museums and historic sites, such as the Massie Heritage Center, also get in the holiday spirit. The Center is an excellent place to learn about the history of Savannah, its beautiful city plan and architecture, and its past citizens. One of the Center’s exhibits is a Heritage Classroom—an authentic 1900s classroom complete with slate boards, reading charts, …
… a globe, a giant abacus, …
… a Dunce cap, …
… and carefully-written lists of the Naughty and Nice!
More Info
You may also like the post, Charleston’s Glorious Window Boxes, which explores the charming southern city of Charleston, South Carolina.
You can learn more on the Visit Savannah and Massie Heritage Center websites.
The historic photo of Forsyth Park Fountain (shown above) is from the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1850 – 1930). Park Fountain by photographer: Wilson, J. N. (Jerome Nelson) (1827-1897). Retrieved from here in the Digital Collections of the New York Public Library.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Savannah, Georgia is a great place to visit during the holidays.
2. Get to know a destination by exploring on foot.
3. Take time to appreciate the details.
In today’s post, I’d like to share step-by-step instructions so you can make your own Starry Stitched Sphere. This project requires only a few supplies—basically wood and thread. The sphere is designed to be made from ¼” x 3½” wood and measures just over 6″ in diameter. Basic woodworking and hand stitching is involved.
. LED Lights (optional): Battery-operated LED lights can easily be inserted into the Starry Stitched Sphere. If you decide to add lights, you’ll want to maximize the amount of light that can shine through the drilled holes. You may want to drill bigger holes and/or minimize the amount of stitching on the stars.
Step 3. Saw Wood Pentagons Clamp wood to sturdy surface. Use the jigsaw to cut out 11 pentagon-shaped pieces.
Step 4. Drill Wood Pentagons Clamp a pentagon on top of scrap wood to prevent tear out at back. Drill all outer edge holes with a 5/64” drill bit. Drill center hole and inside ring with 7/64” drill bit. Drill all other holes with 3/32” drill bit. Repeat for remaining 10 pentagons.
Step 5. Sand Wood Pentagons Sand edges and drilled holes. This is an important step since any roughness, especially along the edges of the holes, will snag the thread during stitching. A round tapered file is critical for this step.
Step 6. Finish Pentagons Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for applying the wax. I used Watco Satin Wax for Finishing in Natural. Apply a generous coating to the front and edges of the pentagons. Let it soak in for about 15 minutes and reapply to any areas that dry out. Then wipe off the excess with lint-free rags. Buff and let dry.
Step 7. Embroider Stars As noted in the Supplies Needed section above, there are a number of options for the star embellishments. You may wish to try stitching a few different configurations after your wooden pentagons are dried.
Step 8. Assemble Ring of Pentagons Start by connecting a row of 5 pentagons.
Step 8b. Thread the needle with a 20” length of pearl cotton thread. This step is sewn with a single thread. Hold the 2 pentagons at an angle. Bring the needle up from the back through the first hole in the first pentagon. Pull the thread out through to the front leaving about a 1 ½-2 ½“ tail at the back.
Step 8c. Push the needle down, from the front, through the matching first hole in the second pentagon. Pull the thread out through to the back. Pull the needle back through the first hole, from the back to the front, in the first pentagon. Push the needle down, from the front to the back, in the first hole of the second pentagon. This will result in 2 visible stitches on the front face (as shown below). Holding the 2 pentagons at an angle, pull the thread snuggly.
Step 8d. Follow the process described in Step 8c in the remaining 4 holes. The front should look like this.
Step 8e. At the end, pull the thread to the back and tie the thread ends in a double knot. The back should look like this.
Step 8f. Continue to connect pentagons in this same way until a row of 5 is completed.
Step 8g. Pull the first and last pentagon of the row together to form a ring. If it’s too difficult to form a ring, one or more of the connections may be too tight. Adjust accordingly. Align the edges of the first and last pentagon. Connect in the same way as above in Steps 8b-8e.
Step 9. Finish Bottom Edge The bottom edge is finished with a blanket stitch. Thread the needle with a 60” length of pearl cotton. This step is sewn with a single thread. Select a hole to the right of a connection as the starting point. Begin at back leaving a 3” tail. Pull tail up to top edge and tack down with painter’s tape.
Step 9b. Continue around the entire bottom edge in the same way. Bring the needle through the hole from the back to the front. Wrap the thread neatly around the bottom edge. Bring the needle through the same hole from the back to the front again. Wrap the second line of thread neatly around the bottom edge beside the first line. Keeping the needle at the back, pass it under the previous horizontal stitch (stitching from left to right) and into the back of the next hole. Do not be concerned if the thread “cuts the corner” at the connections since this will not be visible.
Step 10. Assemble Sphere Build up the sphere by connecting the remaining pentagons one at a time. The top will be the most visible so you may want to set aside your best pentagon for this position. The top will be added last. Work around the sphere building a second ring. Use the process described in Steps 8b-8e, to connect the pentagons. Stitch all connecting sides of a pentagon before attaching another one.
Step 11. Connect Top Place the final pentagon on the top of the sphere aligning all edges. Thread the needle with an 84” length of pearl cotton thread. This step is sewn with a single thread. Select a hole to the right of a connection as the starting point. Begin at the back leaving a 4-6” tail. Pull the thread tail down to the bottom edge and tack it down with painter’s tape. Stitch around all 5 sides of the pentagon before tying off. Follow a process similar to that described in Steps 8b-8e. It is a little tricky to sew this last section since you have to insert your hand inside the sphere. Take your time. Pull out and smooth the full length of the thread as you stitch to prevent knotting. Don’t worry about tightening the knotted tails—a loose knot is fine.
Step 12. Insert Lights (Optional) If desired, slip a set of battery-operated LED lights inside the sphere.
This was also peak season for the spectacular bearded irises.
A couple more weeks and several of the hydrangeas bloomed for the first time. Pictured are a Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifola ‘Snowflake’) and a Big Leaf Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’).
The floral show was outstanding but flowers don’t last long. The trick is to stretch it out by selecting plants with different blooming times. Another option is to include a variety of foliage with different plant forms, leaf shapes, patterns and colors.
Another way to add interest and variety is to strategically place large, potted plants in the flower beds. I first noticed this technique during a Garden Tour (see the post 
It’s fun to incorporate interesting elements into the garden. In the below section, for instance, I created a focal point with 3 rustic, turned-wood posts. The idea is to draw the eye across the garden to the far left side. I love to include salvaged, paint-chipped porch posts, balusters and newel posts in the garden. Admittedly, I’ve gathered quite a collection over the years and more than one mover has questioned why I would bother to move old wooden posts from one home to another!
Strolling around the garden, especially in the early morning, is something I look forward to every day.
Here’s a beautiful male Eastern Bluebird sharing a perch with the metal bird on our bird bath.
Meanwhile, a charming Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) built a nest in this rustic, condo-style birdhouse.
Later in the summer, butterflies became frequent visitors (see post 
It’s now the beginning of November and the garden has slowed down. But there are still a few highlights to enjoy while I continue to tweak and refine. The Beautyberry (Callicarpa rubella), for instance, adds a jolt of unexpected color.
There’s nothing like before and after photos to illustrate progress. Our front garden has undergone quite a transformation in the first 2 years. I’m eager to see it leap into Year 3—something tells me I’d better get my pruning shears sharpened!