“In Ghent, Belgium, the historical garden of an 18th century building under monument protection has been embellished with contemporary elements. Although the city villa “Hôtel Verhaegen” also serves as a luxury bed-and-breakfast, the garden is accessible only to the owners, who wanted to have greater privacy and be screened from the neighboring apartments. In addition, the existing, somewhat neglected “Jardin de Broderie” required subtle changes, as its stark box hedges and classical fountain lent it a severe, almost military appearance.”

The solution to the design challenge….

“Six trimmed linden trees now screen the garden from view along the wall’s length of 15 meters. Three new, organic wood sculptures stand in front of the linden hedge, in deliberate contrast to the historical garden. The abstract structures are made of chestnut wood, supported by steel pillar foundations. They were built on site. At night, yellow and red lights create a magical mood in the garden. Two climbing roses wind around each of the freestanding wood sculptures. The flowerbed at the edge of the plot was planted in such a way as to create a “wild and prairie” feeling. White iris serves to emphasize the historical fountain. The landscape architect deliberately used neither herbs nor perennials, as the garden had originally been designed as a pleasure garden.”

Designed by Albèric Moreels of Belgium. Images from Private plots and Public Spots.

What do you think?  A good solution to the design brief?  I kind of think so, even though I am quite sure I wouldn’t have thought of  doing the same.

Image from Gardening Gone Wild.

1) Big Patches of plants.

2) A cohesive color scheme (blues and purple are so calming and moody)

3) Splashes of Yellow – repeated – takes it all up a notch.

These are the lessons and inspirations I take from this garden.  What are yours?

From the Top Left – clockwise: Bird Bottle from Monticello Collection.  Bird house for city windows by Emilie Cazin. Garden of Eden furniture and bird cage chair from ontwerpduo.

While I like the look of gravel driveways, and think that there is a certain charm to the original driveway, and I also tend to dislike concrete pavers, I do think that this is a great makeover.  Rather than paving the whole thing and creating an uninteresting eyesore, the little planters are a great design detail.  I might have chosen something more like a white picket fence rather than the back iron gate, but otherwise I think this is pretty impressive.  What do you think?

images by The Landscaper

I am off to New England Grows again today, but before I head out, I have a few really inspiring Before and After gardens for you.   This little cottage in Moss Beach California is quite a stunning transformation.

The design is by Doyle McCullar interior designers.  My favorite elements…the copper pipe railings on the front porch, the warm red colored stone combined with the shingles and purple awning over the door that really punch things up and that orange blooming plant.  Do you know what it is?  I am sure it doesn’t grow in Massachusetts, but I would like to know what it is called nonetheless.   What are you favorite things?

I hope to capture some interesting shots like these (if I am lucky).  These were taken by Sol Lang in Canada where the lumber industry is thriving.   While I am all emotionally mixed up about the trees, I know it is ultimately the right thing….(re-read my post with my tree downing explanation here) — but I can’t help that my eyes bug out of my head as these things fall – the sight is shocking, and the quick end is brutal.  But it is my optimistic hope that I won’t have to wait too long before something beautiful can come of the destruction.  So I am going to start with trying for some beautiful pictures today. I’m off – back tomorrow.

But what I am enjoying even more is her utterly honest testament on her blog called yes, please :

“I’m kelly, a one-time brand strategist who’s currently spending my time as a succulent designer, designer, artist, cupcake baker, and cultivator of all things creative, inspiring, and delicious. coming down from the creative high of wedding planning, i’m searching for my next inspired venture. this blog is my personal collection of ideas + inspirations, curious things + crafty people, beauty + design + interestingness.”

It’s a success and I am looking forward to seeing what kelly comes up with next.  I wish she had a garden to play in, I would love to see what she comes up with.

From the Designers: “This very special farm garden, located on a five-acre site, takes its design sensibility from the architectural vernacular of the farm buildings that surround it. Designed as a series of outdoor rooms connected by rambling paths, the garden is connected yet secluded from the main house. Arbors shade the space while a bubbling fountain made from a found millstone provides a cool sensation and recycled wood from an aged barn lends comfort and authenticity. The Summer Kitchen houses all the necessities for outdoor living including a grill, sink, ice maker and ample storage space. A paved ramp leads up to an extensive vegetable garden, replete with hot houses, potting shed, compost bins, and seat-height garden beds.”  – Wow. I am impressed.

I am really enjoying how the design of the outbuildings doesn’t attempt to be some sort of true building…this isn’t water tight, and the walls aren’t solid -but it seems particularly fitting.  I think it is easy to be tempted to over build in the garden and this seems to strike a nice note, would you agree?

It is designed by Clinton & Associates in Maryland.

by Carolannie

This small tree is on my list for planting early this spring.  I intend to use it as a back drop in beds and to help blur the edges.   I have edges in my garden — it seems like I go from flat and clear to stick straight 50 ft pines and their isn’t any natural forest edge.  The abruptness is jarring and I think I need to soften it all up by blending.

by James’s GW Blog

Salix exigua is native to much of the western united states and I am quite familiar with it as a plant that colonizes and anchors stream banks.  But in the garden I’m going to use it to add texture and a lightweight (but hopefully quickly effective) backdrop . Salix exigua is an upright tree with slender greyish green branches clothed with long, narrow, finely toothed, silky silver leaves and small pale yellow catkins.

image from wsu.edu

Willows are among my favorite trees, and this small variety will add not only the nice texture, but also the pretty bluish tinged leaves. Have you grown this tree?  I am curious, are the suckers a pain to manage?

The garden’s of artists always seem to have a little something special and this one is no exception.  This garden belongs to  Amy Rice.  The tapestry painted shed is not only a fun backdrop to her dahlias, zinnias and marigolds, but it also serves as a photo shoot backdrop for her beautiful art work.  You can check out her website to buy some of her work.

I am curious to know what you think of this gallery feature…can you see all 7 images of this great garden? I am playing around with it and possibly upgrading to other better gallery widgets ( do you have one you like?).  Is it a pain to click through? make sure you take a look at the image that says July……when you click through you get a panorama of the inspiring progression of her dahlia and zinnia garden as it grows through the summer.

Do you remember when you were a kid and you did sand art?  Taking a more sophisticated approach, Japanese designers at Mindscape have inspired my Monday DIY.   Their approach uses pretty shades of brown dirt and varied natural textures to plant Sansevieria (a good choice for this type of low water garden).

Plant in color….you can get colored sand in large quantities here. My thoughts for this project include mixing silver and blue succulents planted up top with layers of different shades of  brown mulch and gravel, but with a beautiful layer of gold sand cutting through it all.  (adding a little glam factor)

Also, I am thinking that it might be interesting to try out growing carrots in clear containers…they like sandy soil and if you can grow them close enough to the glass it could be interesting to see what happens to the sand art as the orange arms reach deeper into the picture.

From the top left clockwise:  Clear boxes from the Container Store. Tall Cylindrical floor vases from Secret Garden Flowers.  Colored wedding sand from Sandsational and glass vase with crushed seashells from Crate and Barrel.

It’s an experiment…. but I am inspired and will let you know how it turns out….

image from strainguide

iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iGrow?   The latest fashion in gardening can be found at a newly opened superstore in Oakland California.  It’s called iGrow and it is 15,000 sq ft of retail space dedicated to all things related to growing marijuana.  Just marijuana; they haven’t ventured into helping customers grow other things, but the ‘Grow Squad’ (this place seems bent on ripping off other companies branding) will spend up to 3 hours with you -  helping you set up your system of fans, lights, and hydroponics….maybe traditional garden centers should think about this level of customer service?

I imagine that this courtyard garden was perhaps an underused grubby corner.  But painted bricks , layered outdoor rugs, a few plants and a pretty collection of wall vases makes this the perfect area to sip a cup of tea.

images by ATLITW

Have you heard of the the documentary film called The Garden?

By all accounts it is a remarkable story about a 14 acre community garden in south central LA (the largest int he country).  It started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, but the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. “Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.”

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers who are mostly immigrants from Latin America where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out.  But now they organize, fight back, and demand answers:  “Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?”

In an era where gardens are part of the silent movement of the masses and particularly the poor toward a greener and more sustainable economy,  this film tells the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord.  It was nominated for an academy award and won many other notable accolades, and now, I see, as I sit here waiting for the Dr. ….it is available on pay per view….I think I will be watching it later tonight ….

Have you seen it? What did you think?

I have gone into high planning mode.  I hope to find out this weekend if my sister is definitively going to take me up on my offer to host her wedding later this summer in my garden.  If so, I have to quickly make some lists and calculations for materials ready as soon as the land is workable.   I am using the Landscape calculator – it’s a very handy tool for figuring out how much mulch, plants, stone, or whatever you might need for your project.  So far 10 yards of compost and lots of plants….

images by jose villa.

I think this garden is so interesting…primarily because I can’t decide what I think about it.  I really like the path, the design is really striking and the obvious detail is interesting.

But I think I would need to be in this garden to determine if I actually like the garden as a whole.  I am looking at these pictures and thinking about a common experience I have with photography.   I find most of the time when I am taking pictures in the garden, the photo rarely captures what I am really seeing or experiencing.   It’s not because I am an entirely bad photographer, but actually just as often it is because the picture is too good (usually macro shots), even portraying things to be prettier than they seem in real life.  I feel like goldilocks;  garden photography is either too bad or too good, but rarely just right.  I think the photographer of this garden might have the same problem.

I am not sure which way this one goes; is this garden more interesting than it seems in the shots?  Or, are the individual features are all really nice, but I am loosing a sense of the thread that strings them together in the place? So I can’t tell.   I think it is important when shooting a garden to think about how a garden is experienced so that you can lead people through with a set of pictures.  There are a couple more images at Artecho, the designers website but it’s not quite enough for me.

What do you think?  Do you like it?  Do you photograph gardens?  What are some of your tips for that just right image? My tip:  try and capture context, which is hard, but I think it makes a huge difference.  This garden is on a bluff over looking the ocean.  Does that change your original thoughts about this garden?   It does for me. It makes me wonder where that path is going to, or coming from.  And the round sitting area – what do you see when you are there?  Is it gray because of mist?  Maybe it is moodier than it looks?  Hmmm…

I’m simply blown away by this front garden makeover in Seattle.  I am not sure what property values are doing in Washington, but I have to think that this garden and curb appeal makeover added way more than the average 10% value increase.

This might be my favorite part.  I love neighborhoods that have landscaped areas between the sidewalk ad the street.  They really are just much more friendly.  Given that this areas is particularly wide, this path from the street to the sidewalk has the opportunity to become a really lovely feature.

Images by leahsteen

The clematis growing over the front door is so sweet.  I am forever irritated that many of my clients have a complete phobia of climbers on their homes.   Sure, they can always get out of control, but so can the “foundation”  trees that are frequently requested.  I am a fan of the vines on the house…I say go for it.

It’s not an entirely lawn free makeover, but given the  grass is in minute quantities, I think this would even satisfy the lawn-less cheerleaders among us.  Are you loving it as much as I am or would you do something different?

Apologies for the less that clear ‘after’ shot, but I couldn’t help myself….it is obviously still a beautiful transformation made by the Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco.

Isabel is a fan of the inspiration board too and I am really enjoying this potager (Kitchen) garden and the “raffish” garden below.

Image credits, from left to right: Martine at http://www.banlieusardises.com/; Oscar de la Renta’s vegetable garden, by Richard Felber at Domino Magazine; cat among nasturtiums by Microsoft; artichoke by Karen; Dorset Cereals Edible Playground Garden at Chelsea 2008, courtesy of the RHS; Oscar de la Renta’s garden, as above; potager design by Michelle; forcing pots in West Dean kitchen garden by Andrew; potager design courtesy of Country Living; Oscar de la Renta’s garden as above; designs for Oscar de la Renta’s garden, as above; Gardens of Plenty by Marylyn Abbott; Potager design by Sylvie Guillem; Marigolds and dahlias in potager at Growing appetite; Rural garden by Moser’s Maroon; potager by Noisy Sound.

Coincidentally, when I found Fennel and Fern I noticed the terracotta rhubarb forcers in the above board….I have been researching rhubarb since last year; my own installation of three plants is, I think, probably not going to make it through the winter.  I love the stuff and dream of having it grow wildly out of control as my mother did when I was a kid, so I need to sort out what went wrong…my research introduced me to rhubarb forcers – though not probably the answer to my problem, I am wondering why I cant find a US based outlet for these lovely garden implements?hmmm…. And – any rhubarb tips would happily be appreciated.

Design by Sydney Australia based Metropolis Landscapes.   I like the grid planting detail in the paving but I am not sure I love the furniture and the styling, maybe something more substantial would look better and some cushions would make the awesome bench more inviting.  What do you think?