GARDENWRIGHTtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-17587032009-11-18T21:16:10-08:00ORANGE COUNTY GARDEN DESIGN & CONSULTATIONTypePadHOLIDAY DECOR FROM YOUR GARDENtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535b05631970c012875b68d75970c2009-11-18T21:16:10-08:002009-11-18T21:16:10-08:00I was asked to give a talk to a women's club about 'Holiday Arranging." Sounded fun, but I'm not a decorator... so I stuck to what I know best... plants and garden stuff. First, I suggested things you can forage...AnneNEW FEATURE: A Question and Answer Blogtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535b05631970c0120a6a054d5970c2009-11-02T08:02:22-08:002009-11-02T08:02:22-08:00I've started a companion blog to answer garden questions... its called, "Talk To The Thumb" and you can find it here.... http://talkthumb.blogspot.com Come by and try it out!AnneBRINGING GARDEN DESIGNS TO LIFE WITH PHOTO PROGRAMStag:typepad.com,2003:post-622241282009-08-09T09:32:00-07:002009-02-01T18:42:33-08:00"Seeing is believing." I will adapt that adage to say, when it comes to garden design, "seeing is understanding." I like to give my design clients a choice between different styles for their garden. Its fun to engage them in...AnneGARDEN DESIGN RECIPE OF THE WEEK: ALL SEASON COLOR BORDERtag:typepad.com,2003:post-588843482009-08-07T21:04:00-07:002009-08-09T09:26:37-07:00Shrubs, to me, are like See's candy boxes to a chocaholic. The reason, in three words: Lushness, variation, dependability. Using shrubs with varied colors and shapes of foliage, and with different flowering seasons, gives a mature, full garden border all...AnneTOTAL GARDEN TRANSFORMATION FOR UNDER THIRTY DOLLARStag:typepad.com,2003:post-610559402009-08-06T10:36:00-07:002009-08-09T09:25:01-07:00One word: PAINT. For under $30 (roughly the cost of a gallon of paint) you can make a hugely dramatic change in your garden. Adding color to a drab background (whether it be a house wall, or a garden fence)...AnneHELPING YOUR GARDEN SURVIVE WATER CUTBACKStag:typepad.com,2003:post-674094352009-08-06T09:42:00-07:002009-08-09T09:26:55-07:00Its finally happened: here in Orange County, we're on mandatory water reduction. In my little town, we are required to reduce our water use by 20%! That's a fairly significant percentage, especially when you are being water frugal to start...AnneDESIGN RECIPE: RAISED BEDS, GARDEN PATHS, DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTStag:typepad.com,2003:post-683004212009-06-19T18:16:16-07:002009-06-20T09:13:06-07:00INGREDIENTS: One large blank slate of a yard. 8 x 10 foot raised beds of keystone, pavers, or wood. Sandy loam planting mix, three feet deep in the beds. Decomposed granite for paths between the raised beds. To fill the...AnneDREAM GARDEN: STEP ONEtag:typepad.com,2003:post-679005492009-06-09T09:31:46-07:002009-06-09T09:36:11-07:00We're thinking of moving to a place where we can have a bit of land. Of course, this means my brain is starting to work overtime, daydreaming about the huge new garden I'll create... I've never tackled a large piece...AnnePATIO TREES tag:typepad.com,2003:post-672512032009-05-25T10:23:25-07:002009-05-25T10:33:06-07:00Patio trees, also commonly called "standards," are a wonderful garden design element. They are especially useful to add height or a vertical element to a small garden space. Another use they serve is to provide a visual screen while still...AnneUPDATE ON 'DITCHING THE LAWN'tag:typepad.com,2003:post-670544232009-05-20T08:57:15-07:002009-06-23T11:41:49-07:00Remember that post about removing the front lawn and planting drought tolerant flowers and shrubs instead? Here's how it looked earlier this year, and how it looks now. The coreopsis have re-emerged, the mallow and iceberg roses are blooming, and...Anne