Isn’t Mother Nature The Best??

Pretty Excited to Nuture Leaf Mold This Year

So many folks in my neighborhood (Zone 8b) spend quite a lot of electricity and/or gasoline getting their fallen leaves in bags and onto the street curb these days. Not a lot of analog rake noises abound. And, here in my native deep South, the Live Oaks are the cause of so much local activity.

This candid culprit makes no apologies as it delivers a raucous leaf explosion this time of year. We love them so much whilst they herald the first day of Spring for us by shedding almost every dang brown leaf they have on board. With this kind of flotsam in an Oak lined drive….well, I get excited about the fallen leaves. They are so full of Nitrogen. Click here and here for all the great news!

World’s Most Coveted Walks (or Drives).

Thank you so much to a good friend, Nicky Stolker, of Amsterdam that alerted me to this visual column. What else can you say, but, “WOW, WOW.”

Hedura Ivy at it’s Finest!

The architectural firm of ZAA has done a brilliant job marrying nature on the outside with nuture on the inside. This Italian country villa is my idol. And, I am so delighted to find out that here in Zone 8b, my Hedura Ivy grows all winter, too! I will be covered in no time and be saving on my heating and cooling bills by this time next year. LUCKY ME! the Hedura was planted at the base of my brick veneer home so long ago that it has been dying to do exactly this for 60 years.

Piet Oudolf Documentary Trailer!!

My Ongoing Affair With Piet Oudolf

Sometimes I declare out loud that my first Dutch love was Oudolf. And, of course, he SHOULD be everyone’s secret sharer as he plants his way into the hearts of all those who adore good design and their hometown, Planet Earth. The Dutch never cease to amaze me and I miss them very much but this man is one of their most important national treasures. Here is an article on his latest projects….Alstublieft!

Joining The Ivy League, One Way Or Another

These photographs above are of my home’s brick veneer and I am happy to watch both Hedera Ivy and Fig Ivy (which is NOT an ivy at all!)  in a foot race around the property to cover the facade.  I adore all things English, and, turning an ordinary suburban home into something ecologically interesting is appealling to me.  So, after much research online, I can happily denounce the old adage that Hedera Ivy will ruin your structure.  We are living in a major climate shifting time, and, it is appropriate to begin exploring new ways to heat and cool our homes.  And, tah dah!!  In sashays Ivy.  Check out this article from the UK, for instance.  Okay, okay…if you don’t trust that propaganda, I won’t lead you astray.  Here, here and here are the best sources to read about my favorite new Horticultural discovery.  And, even though the UK seems waaaay more interested in these findings than the US, I live in an architecturally historically relevant town and the information might be all the BUZZ here soon enough.

Hedging The Bet-ter Part of Your Privacy

I fully intend to wall in my urban/suburban house this year! These are GREAT ideas because while adding privacy to life inside, they add public beauty and sculpture to the landscape.

Cactus Love

Tree Houses!

This is just the cover of the Philip Jodidio authored Patrick Hruby illustrated Taschen published awesomeness…