Washington DC–July 12, 2017

Today I went with my brother to Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens. The mansion was home to Marjorie Merriweather Post, owner of General Foods. (Factoid: Her daughter was the late Dina Merrill.)

Here are some photos from the greenhouse and grounds.

Mansion entrance w. foliage on either side. Purple flowers in greenhouse Large red leafy plants White orchid Purple flowers and buds Pink flower Red flower pinkish-purple flower Purple flower with yellow spots Pink roses Globe light supported by cherubs

These plants are quite unusual. I emailed someone at the museum, and they told me that the purple plant is setcreasea - often called purple heart, and the plant with the black leaves is Colocasia (‘Black Magic’).

purple plant black leaves

Ms. Post also collected jewelry, some of which was on display:

Ruby brooch in shape of flower Diamond necklace Emeralds Emerald ring Emerald jewelry Ruby/diamond brooch in shape of bird

More pictures from the grounds:

Exterior garden with flowers and bushes Lily pad pond in Japanese garden Pink water lily Light blue flowers Stone sculpture of a rabbit

The Mansion

I would feel so uncomfortable living in a place this fancy. The last two pictures are of Russian Orthodox icons and religious items, which Ms. Post collected.

Russian-themed plates Salon w. large portrait in center above fireplace Blue glass container small pnk glass sculpture Blue desk clock Sitting room with large portrait and bookcases Dining room with candelabras on table and fine place settings Blue-edged diamond-shaped plate bedroom Bed with flower design bedspread Bedroom with two separate smaller beds Jade desk clock jeweled chalice Russian Orthodox religious paraphenalia

Of course, the staff didn’t have it so great. Here is the kitchen and the staff dining room.

Kitchen Staff dining room with plain table and metal frame chairs

Fun factoid #2: Ms. Post’s winter home was Mar-a-Lago, which she willed to the U.S. federal government in 1973 (per Wikipedia).