Serenity in the Garden

Jacques Majorelle and his Blue Garden

2012-01-23T08:56:00.005-05:00

Blue features are the most mysterious elements in a landscape.

Nowhere is this more true than in the magnificent ‘Majorelle Garden’ located in the heart of Marrakesh, Morocco. Originally created in the 1920’s by the French artist and gardener, Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), this remarkable 12 acre haven has revolutionized the way we think of color in the garden.

Majorelle was an avid plant collector and filled his botanical park, now open to the public, with exotic plant species from all over the world. But the overriding feature in this hot and dry environment is Majorelle’s favorite color: a rich shade of cobalt blue. It embellishes buildings, pergolas, fountains and more.

Photo from Talking Dog UK

This alluring color comes out of the traditional Moroccan aesthetic but Majorelle used 'his blue' with great abandon. It serves as a spectacular backdrop for multi-colored bougainvillea, bright orange nasturtiums and planters filled with pinks, yellows and apple greens that are scattered about the grounds. In fact, he used it so extensively in the gardens that it now has a trademark name called, fittingly, ‘Majorelle Blue’.

Jacques Majorelle's garden was saved by Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent, the great French fashion designer. Today the Majorelle workshop houses their magnificent Islamic art colleciton. Put this on your gardens to visit list as it is a place of great serenity, luxurious vegetation and powerful inspiration...and a lot of cobalt blue.

10 Great Garden Photos of 2011 - Serenity in the Garden

2011-12-30T00:05:00.000-05:00

What makes a great garden photo? Anything that delights you!

But if I had to put my finger on it - salient aspects would be the quality of the light and the richness of color. Also, composition would figure prominently.

That said, here are some memorable photographs that have been featured in this year's 'Serenity in the Garden' blog posts....my criteria? whatever grabbed my eye as I perused the photos...I hope you agree.

Doug Thayer Bench

photo: Jan Johnsen

zen garden kyushu

garden by Jan Johnsen

Jim's Poppies 2011 : Jan Johnsen

Allerton Gardens Kauai photo:Jan Johnsen

photo: Jan Johnsen

from Apartment Therapy

Pablo Reinoso bench

Purple Angelonia and more in a Purple Garden

2011-12-11T19:55:00.001-05:00

Johnsen Landscapes & Pools - Angelface Blue Angelonia and white Begonias

“If you pass by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it, God gets real pissed off.”

~ Alice Walker

Purple tickles the brain. It speaks to us of mystery and enlightenment. Purple gardens evoke delight and sumptuousness.

Leonardo da Vinci said that light streaming through purple stained glass windows could increase the power of meditation ten fold. And scientists have found that purple stimulates the brain activity used in problem solving, integrating both hemispheres of the brain – the thinking left side with the feeling right side. Stare at purple and your mind will stop chattering...Try it!

In 2008, the ‘Color of the Year’ selected by Pantone was ‘Blue Iris’ (Pantone 18-3943), which combined, "the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple..." So true - calming and mystical.

Indeed Blue/ Purple Iris are intoxicatingly beautiful. Especially Siberian Iris 'Caesar’s Brother' which is a velvety rich purple perennial that blooms profusely in late spring and is spectacular when planted in masses. Very reliable, trouble free and grows zones 3 -9 in sun or part shade. Also deer resistant and suitable for heavy soils! (photo from Bluestone perennials)

This is a must for a Purple Garden.

Purple Smokebush - Cotinus 'Royal Purple'

In feng shui, purple is used in healing and meditative spaces. In gardens it is used to create a luscious setting that captivates all who enter.

In my small front entry garden I have a purple Smokebush 'Royal Purple' (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple') which has beautiful, velvety, dark purple foliage throughout the growing season. It is topped with smoky-purple flowers in mid-summer creating a smoky cloud. It is in the corner and is a wonderful accent shrub. I prune it down in the very early spring to about 2 ft high and the new growth is gorgeous. Deer resistant too!

Purple is a blend of stimulating red and calming blue, the proportions of which determine its hue. Shades range from an indigo blue-purple to a violet red-purple. In Hinduism indigo purple governs the pineal gland or third eye and Violet purple triggers the crown chakra at the top of the head. Focusing on these respective colors quiets the mind.

Okay - purple gardens rule!

Purple Gomphrena - 'Buddy Purple'

One of my favorite purple annual flowers - blooms until frost - is Gomphrena Buddy Purple or Purple Gnome. I plant it with everything - here it contrasts beautifully with Jack Frost Brunnera. And below I paired with pink supreme roses, iris ensata and more...

Purple flowers have been proved to be rich in nectar...that is why bees and butterflies love purple flowers. Here is a butterfly on a purple aster:

Purple Dome New England Aster is an outstanding compact perennial ( comes back every year) notable for its mounding habit and luscious deep lavender-purple flowers. 18” x 18” wide. Easy to grow in any decent soil and not bothered by mildew.

Purple Dome Aster courtesy of Plant Delights

Another great and easy pruple plant is Agastache 'Purple Haze'...One of the easiest and most rewarding perennials to grow! This new selection of Anise Hyssop produces darker purple flowers and looks amazing when planted en masse. Vibrant violet-purple flowers on strong, upright stems bloom from midsummer to early fall. A great plus: The leaves smell like black licorice when cut or crushed.

Purple Haze Agastache courtesy of Acorn Farms

And by far one of my fave raves for purple in the garden is Angelonia - an annual flower that blooms throughout the season....Plant in beds or pots....This is Angelface Blue but it looks purple. I paired it with Silver Licorice Plant (Helichrysum) and Pink petunias.

Of course purple comes in all hues so here are a few more plants to add to a purple garden:

Variegated Iris

Yin / Yang in the Garden - A Landscape Design Tip

2011-11-24T08:02:00.001-05:00

The High Point / Shady Corner Balance – Serenity Assured

A truly harmonious outdoor space is a blend of both open space and shady shelter. The counterbalance of these two opposites can be seen as the ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ of the landscape.

Johnsen Landscapes & Pools - www.johnsenlandscapes.com

A high point or open level lawn is bright and forceful, ‘yang’. A sheltered shady spot is muted and soft or ‘yin’. Seeing the world through the complementary lens of yin and yang is an eye opening exercise. Gardens containing both qualities feel balanced and comfortable. Therefore shady sites near open sunny lawns are thoroughly enjoyable places to sit.

A note: moderation is the key to a tranquil and harmonious outdoor space. Stay away from extremes of ‘yang’ or ‘yin’. For example, if a high point is too high or too exposed, it can be feel scattered. Likewise, if a low area is too deep or shady, it feels stagnant. But an open lawn ringed by trees is a delightful balance of yin - shade and yang - openness.

You can create this juxtaposition in any size space. Below is a photo from Sevilla, Spain. The Moorish garden designers were masters of this counterbalance - open and closed, pooling and channelling, sunlight and shade.

A Glorious Fall Planting at the NY Botanical Garden

2011-11-20T12:04:00.001-05:00

Recently I visited the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Gardens at the New York Botanical Garden.

What a treat in November!

I was was so impressed I decided to share with you some of the plants in one corner of this wonderful garden space. And to think this is in the Bronx, NY.....

Great Native Shrubs: Fothergilla 'Mt Airy and 'Blue Shadow'

2011-11-17T17:52:00.001-05:00

I adore Fothergilla gardenii Mt Airy. (wonderful photo of fothergilla leaf from Quercus Design blog)

Fothergilla is native to the Appalachians, is deer resistant and sports fragrant, honey scented, early spring flowers before the leaves come out.

The flowers are white, short bottlebrush spikes that light up a sunny to partial sun woodland corner. The flowers are followed by blue green, heavily textured foliage.

Photo from Robs Plants Website - http://www.robsplants.com/plants/FotheGarde

photo by Laura McKillop

'Mt Airy' is a dwarf form and got its name from the Mt. Airy Arboretum in Cincinnati, Ohio. When compared to the native species, Mt. Airy Fothergilla has more vibrant multicolored foliage in shades of yellow, orange and red in October through mid-November.

This fall color is the best! It is spell binding in the garden....

Photo for Monrovia by Doris Wyjna

Photo by Plant Introductions, Inc

I like to use 'Mt Airy' in combination with Fargesia, Manhattan Euonymus, hakonechloa, ferns and viburnums. I mass them in groups of 3 or more. They grow to 3 - 4 feet in height and tolerate moist soil...Zones 5-8.

photo from Sooner Plant Farm - http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/452/index.htm

And now there is the fairly new cultivar ‘Blue Shadow’! This exciting new introduction originated as a sport from Fothergilla major 'Mt. Airy' and is blessed with the same vigorous constitution and habit.. It has steely blue summer leaves with the same outstanding autumn display of rich yellow, red and orange. Blue Shadow is a medium-size deciduous shrub 5 to 6' high and wide and easily adapts to sun or partial shade. It is tolerant to a wide range of soil and environmental conditions, needs little pruning and has no major disease or insect problems.

A MUST FOR FALL GARDENS.

Born with a Green Thumb - Jan Johnsen

2011-11-12T08:42:00.001-05:00

The most recent edition of a local magazine '914Inc' featured 28 of Westchester County's accomplished women entrepeneurs...so if you want to know a little about the writer of this garden blog, read article link here:

http://www.westchestermagazine.com/914-INC/Q4-2011/Westchester-Countys-Most-Accomplished-Women-Entrepreneurs/

Born with a Green Thumb

Jan Johnsen
Founder and Co-Principal, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

When she was in the third grade, Jan Johnsen planted corn seeds on the windowsill of her

family’s New York apartment. She soon branched out to the fire escape, where pots of flowers

and vegetables thrived. At 16, she won first prize in the Manhattan borough-wide science fair

with an experiment on how sound affects the growth

of plants. “My teacher thought it was a stupid idea,” she says, “and that made me want to do it more.

I just intuitively knew there was a connection.” Since then, scientists have learned that the

high-frequency vibrations of birdsong open up the pores on plant leaves so that they absorb

more air and nutrients.

Go to article to read more....

A Waterfall Garden - A Short Video Tour

2011-11-09T07:57:00.001-05:00

waterfall by Jan Johnsen www.johnsenlandscapes.com

I am new to the video world but it seems like a perfect way to give garden tours without making you leave your house..

So if you are interested in creating a cascade I hope this walk through a waterfall garden will inspire you and give you some ideas.

Life of Flowers Video - Nature is Magnificent

2011-11-04T09:05:00.000-04:00

This short video is so lovely - if you love flowers this is for you.

Ideas for a Fall Garden - a Short Video Tour

2011-11-01T16:19:00.001-04:00

Crabapples in Autumn - Jan Johnsen

Fall gardens can be extraordinarily lovely.

The subtle color changes and the hush that falls on an autumn landscape makes it special for many of us. Come take a short (I promise) tour of a Fall garden and allow me to share some wonderful 'fall interest' plants with you...

CLICK HERE FOR A SHORT VIDEO GARDEN TOUR -

Nature’s Time in a Garden and Einstein's Dreams

2011-10-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has lost themselves to a daydream on a sparkling afternoon in a garden knows intuitively that time ebbs and flows.

We ‘lose track of time’ while raking dry crunchy leaves or snipping old hydrangea blooms. And we see it stretch as we sip tea and marvel at the colors of our roses or the dance of the clouds.

Gardens tell us the time – daily time, seasonal time and yearly time – by unfurling leaves and bursting buds, by nascent seed pods and light frost on glistening leaves.

garden by Jan Johnsen

This is ‘Nature’s time’, a quiet spiraling of experience that envelops us wholly. What a contrast to its counterpart, our human mechanical time.

Human time hangs heavily around our neck, like an unbreakable locket. It is “as rigid and metallic as a massive pendulum of iron that swings back and forth, back and forth…unyielding, predetermined...” (Alan Lightman, Einstein’s Dreams, p.23).

Mechanical time puts constant pressure on our lives, superseding all else, and forcing us to forget what really matters. It is run by the clock and calendar. It divides our days into hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds.

It is as, Meister Eckhart, the 14^th century Christian mystic, said, an obstacle in our lives,

“Time is what keeps the light from reaching us. There is no greater obstacle to God than time: and not only time but temporalities, not only temporal things but temporal affections, not only temporal affections but the very taint and smell of time.”

Nature’s time, on the other hand, ‘makes up its mind as it goes along.’ (Lightman, p 23). It is the smooth and rhythmic unfolding of a flower; the torrent rush of rain in a summer squall; the slow exhale of a deep breath.

Nature’s time is as eternal as a granite boulder and as fleeting as a snowflake on a sunny winter day. It needs no device to measure it… the sun’s rays and the moon’s waxing and waning are its dutiful keepers.

I believe a garden helps us celebrate Nature's time more fully.

As Einstein explained, our "place" in the cosmos is not so much a physical site as it is a time frame. Our reality therefore is a blend of space and time. So I guess the best way to understand Nature’s time is as Ram Dass said, ‘Be Here Now’.

And gardens help us do that, in a quiet but glorious way.

Black and White in the Garden

2011-10-08T07:54:00.000-04:00

Black and White, the oh-so-chic color combination that we see adorning all the hippest living rooms in all the coolest urban settings is just as alluring in a garden...and perhaps even more so because the colors are not from Benjie Moore but from Mama Nature....

(black walls anyone? This is from apartmenttherapy.com, a great website!)

Black and white tulip combinations create a luscious contrast especially if they are surrounded with green, green and more green...White Flower Farm combined the 'Queen of Night' tulip, as close to black as a flower can get, with the white delicate Lily-flowered Tulip, 'White Triumphator' - that is the photo at the top of this post.

I too planted Queen of the Night black tulips with a white tulip to create a late tulip show that is also a wonderful cut flower combo.

Another black tulip you must consider is the heavily frilled and feathery-edged Black Parrot tulip which is especially beautiful - it is dark purple outside and almost black on the inside. (Protect these from wind)

Van Bourgondien Bulbs mixed this tulip with others to create their Mystery Passion Blend:

But Black and White in the Garden is more than tulips....Here are some outstanding black (or at least very dark purple) plants that I have used in various settings:

(Ipomoea 'Blackie' - photo from White Flower Farm)

I started using the trailing Sweet Potato vine (an annual in my part of the world) as an eye catching, foliage plant cascading from containers but it soon outgrew its confines and was just too large for a pot. In my opinion, it makes a great dark groundcover or as a plant to soften the edge of a raised planter or atop a wall, as shown here.

Ipomoea 'Blackie' is the perfect contrast for white lantana, white potentilla or white ageratum flowers. You can pinch it back to keep it within bounds.....

(this photo from casaconiglio.blogspot. - check it out on my links)

Euphorbia 'Blackbird' has dusky, dark-purple, evergreen foliage which gets even darker in full sun. For drama, plant them next to white deutzia gracilis or white Candytuft - Iberis.

In spring, this Blackbird creates its own contrast with long-lasting yellow-green blossoms on red stems. Deer Resistant!

(Thanks for this photo to white flower farm)

Of course, Coleus is a great accent plant in a garden and the darkest varieties are the best foil to any other plant...The puckered foliage of 'Black Magic' coleus is a dark velvety purple with a green, scalloped edge. What a striking contrast it makes in a partially shaded spot with regular White Impatiens or white New Guinea Impatiens!

(White Flower Farm photo - go to their website!)

And lastly, 'Hillside Black Beauty' Snakeroot (Cimicifuga) is a dark-leaved form of Bugbane selected by Fred and Mary Ann McGourty. It has black purple foliage, grows 5 ft tall and looks best in light shade.....A statuesque plant that would be spectacular next to white leaved Hostas or white caladiums or white astilbes.
I am sure there are many more ideas for black and white garden combos - if you have some suggestions, would you comment and add your ideas here?

Lynden Miller and her Central Park Conservatory Garden

2011-10-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

A while back I took my landscape design studio class from Columbia University (I teach there) to a powerpoint presentation given by the 'grande dame' of New York City gardens, Lynden Miller.

It was a fabulous talk about the various gardens she has installed all over New York and the impact they have had on city life..

(BTW, we saw Lynden at the N.Y. Horticultural Society, which has a fantastic horticultural library - open to all - on 37th Street at 7 Avenue.)

Wow! What a legacy Mrs. Miller will leave. She specializes in glorious mixed flower and plant borders which you can find in all parts of the city.

Lynden calls her gardens 'sanctuaries for the soul in the city' and that they are.

Lynden Miller has been, in my estimation, the modern driving force behind the beautifying of New York. Her first commission was to restore the aged and forgotten six acre garden called Central Park Conservatory Garden....

As Director, Mrs. Miller raised an endowment for this grand garden's renovation and long term care. She raised private funds, redesigned the plantings, hired qualified staff and organized a dedicated volunteer group of gardeners. Today hordes of people enjoy this special place at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street.

Of course, it is especially crowded in Spring. There are weddings galore and don't even try to go there on Mother's Day - its full.

To enter you must pass through the Vanderbilt Gate, one of the best examples of wrought iron work in New York City and a popular photo spot.

The Conservatory Garden is filled with heirloom roses, English yew, barberry, holly and, of course, "Manhattan" Euonymus. It is divided into three distinct sections, each representing its own specific style. These are the north (or French Garden), the Central (or Italian Garden) and the south (or English Garden).

(this photo from a wonderful photostream by Trish Mayo at Flikr - a very talented photographer! )

What Lynden Miller has done in restoring the Conservatory Garden, and all the other gardens she has installed in NY, is remarkable. You must know that when I was growing up in the city there were no gardens other than our botanical gardens. Sure, we had the magnificent Central Park but there were no formal flower gardens to speak of. Flowers were few and far between then. Nothing like today.

This designer deserves recognition! Buy her book, Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape and see the amazing things this pioneering and wise gardener soul has done!

Without Lynden Miller, New York City would be a much more solemn, gray place.

Sat., Oct 1 - Aligning with Natural Forces

2011-09-26T08:56:00.002-04:00

My Talk:
Aligning with Natural Forces:
Sustainable Garden Design using Native Plants

Saturday Oct. 1, 2011

at the Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces,
or at least not try to defy them.

~ Paul Hawken

Sustainable Landscape Design encourages a healthy biosphere and stresses both beauty and function.

My upcoming Powerpoint talk is a blend of inspiration and practical ideas you can use to transform challenging sites into beautiful outdoor spaces using native plants.

In my 2 hour class I will share captivating ideas and photos that illustrate

what combinations of native plants to use
which drainage measures you can take
and what design techniques you can implement

to transform any site whether it is steep or level, wooded or open, suburban or urban.

For example, the Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) that I wrote about a post about (click here) is a lovely plant with deep roots that hold loose soil together.

It looks great with butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

The native Blue Flag Iris thrives in wet sites. They can be planted 'en masse' for a spectacular effect.

I will discuss:

buffers for providing habitats and absorb runoff.

Unique ways to combine native plants

Creative ideas to minimize surface water runoff

Rain gardens and plants

Alternatives to hard surface paving

Actual projects and layout ideas - before and after photos

Discussions of the best native plants for use in gardens our area

Landscape by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

My talk is sponsored by the Native Plant Center on the campus of Westchester County Community College, Valhalla, NY

Call ahead and register here: call 914-606-6830 and press 1 or register online at sunywcc.edu/CE

CE-GRDN 2015 #85912

Sourwood (Oxydendron)

I hope you can join me.

'Lost' by David Wagoner...( a poem about forests and more)

2011-09-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

Lost by David Wagoner

photo by Jan Johnsen (NYBG - pinus bungeana)

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.

photo by Jan Johnsen (one of my gardens)

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.

photo by Blondieb

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

from Collected Poems 1956-1976 © Indiana University Press

Why We Garden - Oneness with Nature

2011-08-30T22:27:00.000-04:00

Holy Mother Earth,

the trees and all nature, are witnesses of your thoughts and deeds.

~ Winnebago saying

A garden is nature, bounded - protected and shaped by human hands. It can be a simple balcony filled with planters, a sweeping vista dotted with trees or a small courtyard bordered by plant beds.

Our urge to co-create with Mother Nature has been with us since time immemorial. This impulse lies in the need to be connected to something greater than ourselves.

Gardening enhances a heightened sense of empathy and expands our awareness of non-human life. When we garden, we see how the lowly earthworm is as important as the forest.

This, in turn, leads to an oceanic feeling that we are one with Nature. Arne Naess, the Norwegian philosopher, called this expanded sense of self, ‘the ecological self’:

^"We are not outside the rest of nature and therefore cannot do with it as we please without changing ourselves … we are a part of the ecosphere just as intimately as we are a part of our own society.."

photo by Jan Johnsen / in garden by Johnsen

The ecological self has always been with us. It is this self (not the human centered self of our Western World) that created the nature based rituals and ceremonies of Native American and Australian Aborigines; that used monumental trees or great stones as their religious totems; that developed the pleasure grounds of the Persians and the sacred groves of the Greeks.

The ecological self sees Nature as a conduit to the cosmos. As the 19^th century traveler and nature lover, W. H. Hudson, wrote in his evocative, turn of the century book, ‘The Purple Land’:

photo by Jan Johnsen / Mt Kisco, NY

“Face to face with Nature on the vast hills at eventide, who does not feel himself near to the Unseen?”

A Great Plant for Shade Gardens - Varigated Persicaria or Tovara

2011-08-16T22:55:00.000-04:00

'Painter's Palette' Persicaria photo from Moose Crossing Garden Center

For the last 4 years, I have been creating an enchanting woodland garden for a favorite client.

It is a shady site that is very wet. A challenge indeed.

In the course of planting up this garden I recently discovered:

Persicaria virginiana varigata (or Tovara)

from Forest Farm Nursery

Tovara virginiana, is an easy to grow perennial plant (hardy from zones 4 to 8) that thrives in shade and offers eye catching foliage color. It grows to 28 inches tall and spreads by means of underground stems. Each leaf has a different variegation pattern of green and white. The cultivar 'Painters Palette' has maroon markings as well. Tovara has good drought tolerance and is ideal for mass plantings where its showy color and bold leaf size make a punchy display in shady recesses.
It is clump-forming but can spread rapidly. It self seeds like mad and should be cut to the ground each fall. The best planting location is medium shade in relatively fertile soil that can be watered during dry spells.

'Painters Palette' has straight, red stems that make beautiful cuttings in flower arrangements.

Tree Spirits, Einstein and 'Frozen Light'

2011-08-15T22:19:00.000-04:00

Why do certain tree species evoke the same response from all people?

The Oak, for example, was considered by the Celtic Druids to be the 'King of the Greenwood' . To them, oaks represented mighty and enduring power. The ancient Greeks also revered oaks - groves of them were deemed sacred territory.

And Native Americans viewed the oak tree as a symbol of strength with supernatural powers. In fact, the tradition of “knocking on wood” is said to be of Native American origin - they would knock on an oak tree in order to avert the failing of a hopeful prediction.

This similarity is true for many other trees from Ash trees to apple trees to maples.... So why do disparate cultures see tree 'personas' similarly? Is it Coincidence or Co-incidents?

I think Albert Einstein figured it out. In 1905, Einstein, a young patent inspector in Switzerland, came up with a simple equation that challenged the way we in Western society saw the physical world:

Few people, at the time, realized what this mix of numbers and letters meant but it was revolutionary to those who did.

Einstein originally wrote the converse of this elegant equation (M = E/C2) but it all means the same thing -

mass (or matter) is a function of light and energy;

matter is energized light.

As Niels Bohr, another famous scientist, explained it, mass is basically ‘frozen light’. This applies to all physical creation, including trees and humans.

In essence, Einstein realized that human beings (and trees) are ‘energized light beings’.

This revolutionary equation brought modern physics to the border line of science and spirit.

Einstein alluded to this interface when he described the awe that inquiring scientists feel when confronted with the inner workings of nature:

“…[it is] a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority, that compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection. This feeling is … closely akin to that which has possessed the religious geniuses of all ages.”
(Albert Einstein, the World as I See It”, p.29)

If we, and the physical world around us, are ‘energized light’ then the idea that electromagnetic auras surround our bodies is not as improbable as once thought. Ironically, Science, in its own way, has validated the Renaissance paintings of the saints by confirming the existence of halos!

Plants and trees are also energized light and they, too, have an energetic aura.

Our forefathers' views that trees have spirits is the acknowledgment of this energetic 'footprint'.

Once you see the world in this way, thanks to E = MC ² , a garden is more than a verdant retreat - it is also a conglomeration of chlorophyll filled, light catching balls of energy!

As Rumi, the 13th century Persian Poet and mystic, wrote:

"Once we were particles of Light, now we are beings of

Light, radiating Love"

2011-08-02T07:34:00.000-04:00

Show'r from Atelier Tradewinds

I guess I must really want an outdoor shower because I cannot stop looking at pics of them on the internet....and it doesn't hurt that right now the temperatures in my area are over 90 F everyday.

So here are a few more ideas for outdoor showers.

Show'r from Atelier Treadewinds is a mobile outdoor shower made out of galvanized and powder-coated iron tubes and a black locust wood base. (Cold water only) Wheels are placed at the back to allow the shower to be moved easily. Just click your garden hose to the standard quick connector at the base and your garden shower is ready. Show'r is also easily dismountable.

As I say, it is the setting that makes an outdoor shower outstanding. Add color, texture, plants or all of the above! Examples of showers and their enclosures below:

Guardian

Paint a poured concrete and concrete block wall blue and it makes for a private 'Blue Lagoon.'

Sunset Magazine

Take some wood and box in the shower ( see at top of shower?) and Voila! a privacy screen. Add some bamboo, if you dare.

Andersson Wise Architects

What to do with all that wood from the trees you cut up? Make a privacy wall. Seal it very very well.

James Crisp architect, Millbrook NY

A lovely wooden screen fence for both the shower and changing station. Fabulous. Make the doorway wide, as shown here.

Outdoor Shower Ideas for Your Garden

2011-07-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

The Bridge by Douches de jardins

The outdoor shower is a summer dream for many of us. Imagine waking up and going outside (in seclusion and privacy) and taking a shower 'pleine air'...

The image conjures up morning, brightness, serenity and refreshment...ahhhh....

You don't need much room but you will need some privacy fencing or dense plant screening.

Why not take the plunge? I am trying to figure out where to put one in my little yard. Here are a few ideas for you:

THE BRIDGE

From Douches de jardins

This shower envelops the body in a gush of water.. The water tap is located at the shower’s rear base and connects directly to a garden hose or to a fixed installation. A hot water regulator allows mixing hot and cold water at the desired temperature. Looks like a lot of fun.

UNDER THE TREE

Under the Tree by Conmoto

An arching spray of water from a tree-like source. The tree's other branches are ideal for hanging towels and clothes. Designed by Michael Sieger, the Under the Tree garden shower is kept in place by a single ground spike and consists of two pieces for convenient storage and mobility.

THE PILOTIS IN A PINE STAND

The Pilotis in Pine by Douches de jardins

A beautiful old fashioned style shower.....

This shower is made of northern pine half logs and works like a conventional shower. It has a large, 1/4 turn, chromed brass faucet. A hand-held shower head can be supplied as an option and can installed on a terrace or on a lawn. The water tap at the shower’s rear base connects directly to a garden hose.

SPRING HOUSE ECONOMY SHOWER

This is what I will get - an economical outdoor shower unit that comes with with or without a foot shower (to wash your feet). brass faucet body with lucite handles. Does the job and you can dress up the surroundings.

There are so many others out there.....Of course, being a landscape designer, I say that you should not forget the setting in which you place this marvelous addition. Set it within a garden of Ornmental Grasses, Rose of Sharon, boxwood, coreopsis.....

shower garden by Jan Johnsen - www.johnsenlandscapes.com

Personal Space and Privacy - Japanese Vs. American

2011-07-21T09:36:00.003-04:00

In my graduate Landscape Design Studio at Columbia University, I ask students to select an excerpt from the assigned book, 'The Hidden Dimension' and correlate a personal experience to describe it.
Yuji Yamazaki wrote this very enlightening piece...I had to share. (He said it was ok.)

“We learn from the study of culture that the patterning of perceptual world is a function not only of culture but of relationship, activity, and emotion.

Therefore, people from different cultures, when interpreting each other’s behavior, often misinterpret the relationship, the activity, or the emotion.

This leads to alienation in encounters or distorted communications.”

~ Edward T. Hall, Hidden Dimension

I have been living with my girlfriend for over 5 years now. My girlfriend, born and raised in the Long Island, NY, sees certain things in a way that I don’t quite understand, especially things that relate to space and privacy.

Edward Hall mentions that there is no word to describe “privacy” in Japanese language.

But I think that there is “sense” of privacy that you can develop in Japan. A way to establish this sense of privacy is to block out other’s presence. In densely populated cities, Japanese nuclear families are accustomed to share the most intimate space. That is probably why we don’t have “privacy” in our vocabulary.

Growing up in Japan, I could go months without talking to my brother even though we shared a small 10’ x 10’ room, and it was not considered as being rude, it was rather respecting by mentally blocking out each other. But my girlfriend would perceive this type of silence as a queue to ask me “Is
everything okay?

We live in a small one-bedroom apartment, very similar size to the one with my brother. In Japanese setting, I can establish a sense of privacy by simply holding newspaper in front of my face and be silent—Japanese privacy is established. In my girlfriend's culture, when you are in a room together, you are assumed to participate each other’s presence. “What are you reading?”, “Wanna a cup of coffee?”, or “I’m bored” are the usual intrusion toward the silence. You need to go to the other room and shut the door to have privacy.

Her privacy takes four walls and a shut door, which is about 100 square feet, my privacy takes 30” by 30” newspaper, which takes about 6 square feet. Growing up in a Long Island house with her own room, my girlfriend has yet to learn about my portable Japanese privacy, and I have yet to learn when and where to have that privacy.

GREAT INSIGHT! My female advice, Yuji, politely answer her questions ......we never stop asking questions...

Garden Bells - A Sonorous Addition to Your Landscape

2011-07-17T10:19:00.005-04:00

Decorative Garden Bell from Cox and Cox

Tintinnabulation is one of my favorite English words.

It is a noun that refers to the ringing or sound of bells. The word sounds like what it is describing....

Edgar Allan Poe used this word in his rapturous poem about THE BELLS. It is one of my favorite poems and Phil Ochs put it to song.

Here is a snippet :

"Hear the sledges with the bells -
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells."

How can you not want a bell in your garden after that? :)

Here are a few bells you may be interested in...or Make Your Own...My mother, when she attended Cooper Union as an art student, made a memorable sound sculpture from hanging cans and lids that I would hit with wooden kitchen spoons. I loved that thing.

The Harmony Hollow Gardeners Bronze Wind Bell

Gardeners Bell
From Harmony Hollow Bellworks

This bell is hand made from brass, finished in a beautiful verdigris patina. A perfect gift for a gardener. I particularly like this bell because each gardeners bell comes with a lovely message that says

"It is universally believed that bells have forever driven away bad spirits and called upon good ones, and this GARDENER'S BELL is no exception.

By attracting the spirits of air (a soft breeze), of fire (warm sunlight), of water (rain plus a little help from the watering can), and of earth (rich soil), its pleasant vibrations are conducive to growing healthy plants.

Moreover; this bell's melodic ringing puts anyone aspiring to a green thumb directly in touch with the natural rhythms of Mother Nature.

May you dance in her beautiful garden, rejoice in a bountiful harvest, and in so doing, may you cultivate your soul."

I have to buy this bell after reading that! Their website lets you choose which specific bell to attach in the middle and lets you hear each sound that their different bells make. I like the A6. (Click on it to hear)....

Cox and Cox - Decorative Garden Bell

This cast iron outdoor bell is individually hand cast and can be attached to any door or wall. Beautiful and rusted - it is a euphonious way of calling one in from the garden.

Patina - Star Bell

This is hand wrought with flame cut details and a natural rust patina. It comes with a 7" wall mount which allows for mounting to any vertical surface. The 3" steel clapper had a Rawhide pull.

There are so many more and I will feature more in the future....

Let the Beauty We Love be What We Do

2011-07-08T08:31:00.000-04:00

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the earth.

~ Rumi

Beautiful Outdoor Benches Complete a Garden

2011-07-07T09:57:00.000-04:00

Baseball Bench by Douglas Thayer

Benches make a garden....

After you arrange all the plants, the rocks, install the paving and whatever you choose...then you place the bench.

The bench is what calls to us.

And the bench you place adds a special sparkle that touches the visitor directly. After all, the bench seat is what we feel when we sit down.

So it must look great and feel good. Here are some choices for your garden.

Roseto Bench by Crate and Barrel

This plantation harvested teak bench has a clean, contemporary double vertical slat-back design. Handcrafted with mortise-and-tenon joinery. Add on the weather-resistant Sunbrella cushion in neutral stone for extra comfort.

Lucky Beam Bench by Katch Design

The Lucky Beam bench by Brooklyn-based Katch Design is made from 100% recyclable aluminum, features a solvent free powder coat finish and a reclaimed Pine seat coated with an all-natural, zero-VOC oil base. The Lucky Beam adds an urban feel to any space.

Lucky Beam Bench by Katch Design

Doug Thayer makes some great benches...Look at this one - LeBlond:

LeBlond Bench by Doug Thayer

“Bountiful Bench” by sculptor, Christina Murphy, is functional art that represents nature, country, environmental consciousness, and a return to one’s roots. Visitors can sit on the “lap” of Mother Nature, who is, the artist says, 'the greatest artist of all'...She wears a blanket and sits with outstretched hands. Assets of the earth are nestled in its folds: corn and vegetables, wildflowers and trees, wheat and soil, fruit and seeds, livestock and fish.

Bountiful Bench by Christina Murphy

'Polyphony' is functional art by Cameron Van Dyke. This segmented bench is constructed of colored cast concrete. The concrete pods are polished, sealed, and mounted to aluminum plates which are bolted to the sidewalk. The pods provide durable outdoor seating Collection of the city of Coral Springs, Florida.

Polyphony by Cameron Van Dyke

The firm, Kircodan, also makes some fabulous outdoor benches:

Espresso Bench by Kircodan

Timber Bench by Kircodan

I hope this whets your interest in finding an interesting bench for your garden. Happy Hunting!

New York's Bryant Park - What Makes a Great Urban Park

2011-06-29T20:27:00.000-04:00

N.Y. City's Bryant Park in Summer

This is a revised and enlarged version of a previous post I wrote.....Jan

Bryant Park is one of the most successful outdoor spaces in New York. But why?

Well, it is open on all four sides to the public. You can enter it easily although there is a distinct separation from the street and a more formal entrance off 6th Avenue.

It is also a mix of overhead trees and open level green space. (I guess each comprises 50 percent of the whole). This is an important and salient design point.

from the website : www.soulofthegarden.com/dailymuse0703.html

It offers many different active and passive recreational pursuits. Chess tables and sculptures share the park with ice skaters, a carousel and bird watchers.

Chess players in Bryant Park

Ice Skating in Bryant Park

One of the most obvious features of Bryant Park is the perimeter planting of tall Plane Trees. These stately trees were planted years ago and have been pruned to a high canopy which offers filtered shade and a needed buffer from the surrounding skyscrapers.

photo by Jan Johnsen

I took this photo of Bryant Park in the summer. The furniture is lightweight and highly moveable. People can place their seats anywhere they like. Bravo!

Urbanist William H. Whyte suggested the use of this kind of seating for the park. He wrote in his book The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces:

"Chairs enlarge choice: to move into the sun, out of it, to make room for groups, move away from them. The possibility of choice is as important as the exercise of it. If you know you can move if you want to, you feel more comfortable staying put."

It also shows people sitting in niches set off from the main walk - another great design idea! Set the seating out of the flow of people. It also shows the trees bordering both sides of the paved walkway.

Where did this idea come from? Well, look at Villa Medici in Italy for this niche idea.

Villa Medici - photo by Hermes, Gardens of a Golden Afternoon

And what about the large central rectangle of lawn that Bryant Park features? It harks back to as Village Green. This is what 'House and Garden', said of a plan for a 'village green' concept in June, 1926:

"A new prototype of an urban park for American cities features a raised, multipurpose grass terrace surrounded by a double rows of trees. Separation from traffic and street noise is provided by low plantings and balustrades." from the website, 'Exploring Concepts of Landscape Architecture ' ... Bryant Park is a Village Green.

Bryant Park plan from the book, 'Great City Parks' by Alan Tate

Now contrast that scene with this one:

I took this photo years ago of a vest pocket park in New Orleans. It, too, has trees on both sides of the paved area. It also has seats in niches. So why is this so unappealing while the other park is so inviting?

Gary O Robinette termed it, 'Reduction'.

In Bryant Park, the width of the paved walk is small compared to the height of the trees bordering it....You feel enclosed, embraced and sheltered.

from the book, 'Plants/People/ and Environmental Quality' by Gary O. Robinette

The ratio of the trees to the paved area in the New Orleans park is very different. The trees are too small, too far apart and the paved zone is too wide....They should have placed the trees closer to each other tather than hugging the walls. The widecentral paved area has no reason for being...A narrower walk with wide planting beds would have created a softer, sheltered space.

There is no buffer from the street. No activities are offered or planned for. It is a dead end space - no flow.

As Gertrude Stein said (a sculpture of her is in Bryant Park) "there is no there, there"..she was describing Los Angeles but it could apply to this New Orleans park.

Gertrude Stein in Bryant Park - given to the park by Maury Leibovitz (he was a client of mine and had this statue at his house before donating to the park)