Isn’t Mother Nature The Best??

My Garden Underway

BeforeUnderway

Well, it’s getting there. Suddenly, I can’t wait for Spring.

Groundcover to Walk Upon

Just in case you were trying to remember what that little, pretty plant is that doesn’t mind getting stepped upon…Baby’s Tears. Awww. It’s botanical name is Soleirolia soleirolii and it loves outdoors in the Southern states. Indoors, it is a well behaved baby, too. Loves terrariums (and, so do I.) Loves windowsills. Loves shade. Just give it some moisture….

The Garden Bench

Going shopping for a garden bench for a client over the next few days. They are a graceful focal point and quite lovely for romantic whisperings…

The Tool I Used The Most Today

Any cut is a good cut…though, the Fall is not the best time to prune since you want your plants to begin hardening-off. Though I am in zone 8b and our frost is still quite down the road a bit. I gave myself blisters today by not wearing my gloves dome heading hedges of Ligustrum or privet (and, oh what happiness it gives me, anyway, see them shape so nicely). The job is done and I created the negative space below that I was seeking while simultaneously giving new height perspective to an old and rather hapless hedge. Now I will spend the evening dreaming of the Hellebore foetidus “Miss Jekyll” that I want to plant below.

To Hell With Leaf Blowers Redux!

The Earth’s leaves are an exceedingly vital part of our ecosystem. A carpet of fallen leaves, and it’s decompostion, creates the essential nitrogen Earth needs to survive and function properly. And, nitrogen can spend its life in 3 ways: release as a greenhouse gas into the Earth’s atmosphere; dissolve into the water systems as the form nitrate or be fed to plants. By leaving the leaf right where it falls, you can aid in the process of feeding the soil underneath it. Allowing your leaves to decompose on your landscape is good for the landscape. And, if you must rake them, feeding them into your compost heap is a fantastic way to provide the brown layer that is necessary for your pile’s good health. (Brown layers are leaves and yard trimmings – Green layers generally come from your kitchen….even coffee grounds are Green) So, let’s all hold hands and get rid of the leaf blowers. Gasoline doesn’t belong in Nature. Come on! You want the exercise, anyway. And, speaking of Brown, these photographs are by the Nature/Garden Photographer Kenneth Brown. He lives in Vermont and these pretty selects are from his book called The Soul Of Vermont.

Fall Equinox and the Garden

Good Morning, Fall. It’s magical how the weather can just tack directions and become an entirely different course seemingly overnight. And, that’s just what happened in my neck of the woods. Nature is the best part about living our existential lives and Nature designs the best gardens. This photograph, by Russell Kaye, for Saveur magazine woos me into that Fall mood. And, Fall is an incredibly busy time in the Garden. There are pumpkins to plant and plots to till and feed and position the collard greens. It is also the time to transplant the roses, order the bulbs, prune some overgrowth, find the rake (or not), build the potting shed and make plans for a small greenhouse somewhere.

This photograph is of Chaddsford Winery in Pennsylvania. Of all the states in the union for a Fall montage, Pennsylvania is one of the best I have experienced. A friend of mine has a farmhouse there and it looks much like this one, too. Except that Marion, my friend, has an apple orchard planted in an allee running where most have a sidewalk to the front door. It just couldn’t be any sweeter. Especially in the Fall when the apples are ripe. I have asked her to photograph her allee for me this Fall so I can post it here for you.

(and, if you have visited my website, then you might see that I had the privilege of working with the Saveur folks and they are super cool.)

Lots and Lots and Lots of Hydrangeas

Since I was talking about the color purple and all it’s many shades I have to mention these guys. And, I can’t say goodbye to summer without focusing on Hydrangeas. They are quintessentially summertime goodness for me (and my grandmother, too.) This shot is a perfect example of planting en masse. Don’t just plant a hydrangea, plant a hydrangea garden. And, this is how they will turn out. Magnificent. These photographs are taken by a man I met named Peter Frank Edwards. He takes lots of pretty photos.

Cozy Little Gardens

These are great for inspiration…small porches and terraces abound and I just love the bamboo garden. Bamboo creates spaces and walls on it’s own and can make you feel protected and private, quickly, given it’s growth habits. If you are worried about bamboo growing too much, then make sure you choose a clumping variety rather than a runner. Simple as that.

Hosta Fields, Forever

Hosta is a fantastic “under planting” herbacious perennial given their love of shade. (Here you see it blending beautifully with Astilbe in Maiden Hair white.) Hostas in large numbers are beautiful, especially since they come in such varieties of colors; shades of chartreuse and variegation. And, they bloom airy spires that dance with the breeze. One of my favorite things to design into a garden…pruning woody ornamentals that have been there a long while, cleaning the brush from underneath and then planting Hostas in all varieties beneath them. You can create this forest in any back yard this way.

Grasses, Reeds and Rushes: Chic

If you have a thing for cleanliness in your environment, then, a non-shedding breed of dog (they exist!) and a super-duper chic collection of grasses is a fabulous idea for your surroundings. Is this not the neatest terrace? Works like crazy in narrow spaces where a savvy plank path dominates the way. The grasses soften the hard edges you build creating such a t-square environment. Add English pea gravel and make a layer of pale, minimal texture that reflects the sun in a sumptuous way (bright white in the afternoon to pale pink at sunset and light indigo at twilght.) And, just wait for the effect of the breeze. It is awesome. Did you notice I used the adjective minimal, again? I’ll return to the perfect cottage garden later, I promise.Grasses have quite a lot of motion in nature, whether on your portico or in a field, and they are dynamic in their change of colors with the seasons. These are not your average, invasive pampas grasses, either.

Water Lillies

More is more in landscaping. Not more varieties. More of one variety. Keep it simple. That is my mantra. And, if you don’t have the space or budget for this extravagance of water features designed by Fernando Caruncho for a seaside resort in Spain…then, try a much smaller one, placed in just a key spot. Even if it is a 4′ x 4′ pond, as long as it is packed with water lillies, and only water lillies, the effect will be the same. (I just love a lot of a good thing and the pale, pale stone gives this site the clean modern lines that strikes minimalistic chords.)

The Broken Kilometer as a Minimalist Fence

This fence, by Douglas Reed, is simply brilliant for the modern minimalist. I cannot help but think of Walter de Maria’s 1979 piece installed for Dia in New York, and that is a positive thing. The unbroken landscape thrills. And, your roaming Labrador won’t get too far, either. (Reed’s are made of stainless steel and de Maria’s are made of brass…)

Last Holiday of the Summer and the Watermelon are Ripe

Have a happy, sun drenched Labor Day. Tomorrow I will get back to garden design. Watermelons are IT today.

One More View of The Best Dock, Ever

I just can’t stop thinking about this dock…maybe because today is the last day of Summer (at least the calendar year summer, and, we are not too far from the equinox, either). But, as Labor Day Weekend and the month of August comes to a close, this photo of this dock seems appropriate to revisit. Makes me want to go swimming and dry off in the sun in that chair. But, it also makes me want to plant a garden on every dock in my town…which would keep me busy for the rest of my life, probably. At any rate, this is just to say farewell to Summer 2008.

Visiting Botanical Gardens

Every chance I get, I go to visit the nearest Botanical Garden in my travels. This photo of Agave is from the Tuscon Botanical Gardens. I have been, not once, but twice (which is a lot considering it is 2000 miles away from home). Twice, because, the succulents are something worth studying as we move into a sustainable future. And, Tuscon’s Garden is quite a lesson in all types and shapes and blooms and colors. It is quite a beautiful place. The roses in this post are from the New York Botanical. All I can say about the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is WOW! Sure smells good. New York’s Garden is on an amazing 250 acres in the Bronx. Probably our country’s crowning jewel.

Brackpool Bench

You can purchase this beauty from Inner Gardens. (I think the craftsman is in Scotland…)

Urban Walls and the Edible Landscape

The area that I live in is an historical one…one of the original 13 colonies, even. We have a lot of old and impressive masonry walls dating from the 19th century that are in gardens, churchyards, graveyards and grocery store parking lots. And, quite a number of our backyards are 20′ x 30′, if you are lucky. Add an 8′ wall to the scene and it gives most home owners the impression of no space for a vegetable garden. I love these photos because they highlight the use of space for planting a garden. The masonry wall makes a great backdrop for chard, and collard greens, and chives. Plant delicates that need afternoon shade on the east side. The edible landscape is a beautiful one. Notice the “squash box?”

Boxwood is Bewitching III

And, who could ever tire of this?

The Best Dock, Ever

I grew up in a house that was on the water and all of my collections and adventures happened on and around the dock. How do you combine your love of gardens and your love of the water? This is how. Wow.

The Garden Wall

In garden design I believe that a lot of one thing can be a great thing. Monochromatic straight lines in the landscape appeal to me, rather than the hodge podge that can be created by planting too many plants of different species in one area…say, along the masonry garden wall, for example. I just love the ultra-simplicity of this shot…only a sublime vine is creeping stage back, otherwise, just an impressive planting with a lot of impact. No need for a border of Impatiens or Hosta…not that I have anything against Hosta…I just don’t want a pedestrian usage of Hosta and have it relegated to a “border”. Who needs a border??? Not this.

Best Books

The New Garden Paradise • I keep returning to this one over and over again for good ideas. From Penelope Hobhouse cottage to Mia Leher modern, the gardens are fresh on each page. Take the time to read the book and you will be rewarded with the thought processes and goals on reaching an end design that is flawless from the editor’s interviews. The recreation of Vietnam in Los Angeles is a wonderful piece. Put together by Dominique Browning, former editor of House and Garden mag.

Even If You Don’t Read French…

The Maison magazine publishers have been my number one source of inspiration since 1998. I can’t get on without spending the enormous ticket price (about 8 to 10 dollars each depending on whether the kiosk is in Malibu or not) for the mag (since it has to come from France) It has most certainly paid off as an indulgence for me over the last decade. Just order it delivered to your door and use BabelFish to understand the gorgeous recipes. I like the Cote Ouest edition best, myself. I like it sooooo much that i went and stayed and toured all the hotels and their gardens of Brittany and Normandy right off their pages for a while.

Sprout’s New Arrivals

I just loves, loves this super clean shape. I want to plant it with something that doesn’t trail, but has a fluffy side…not to detract from the object d’art…..like young dutch lavender and hang it over the farm table…either in the kitchen or on the patio.

Can’t Live Without Perennials…

find these beauties in the green section of the color wheel.