GardenDesignOnline

Christmas Gifts - Last Minute - 2011

The guys I used for installations in DC had one of these ... and now it's simply my favorite garden tool.  I wouldn't be without one.  This mini-tiller is from AM Leonard, and it's beyond useful for almost any garden task.  You should be able to find a similar one in almost any garden center if you don't have time to put in an order.

Do I love this garden glide from AM Leonard? Yes indeed I do. Now, even I might be able to handle a bag or two of mulch or compost without killing myself.  It's said to "glide" over almost any kind of surface, and it has a 200 lb. capacity. I'm getting one.

And from Black & Decker, the digital plant care sensor. It sounds almost too goodto be true, but it supposedly measures sunlight, temperature, moisture and soil conditions for indoor or outdoor plants.  And the literature says it will also provide a custom report on how to improve a plant's health.  Might be worth a try for challenged gardeners.

And, it's nearly Philly Flower Show Time ... if you can't think of anything else, get gift tickets for someone to the 2012 Philadelphia Flower Show .. the theme for this year is Hawaii.  It'll surely be a great show for the latest in tropical plants.

 (photos: AM Leonard, Black & Decker,  © PA Horticultural Society)

Christmas Books 2011 - IV

Everyone who hasn't experienced the High Line wants to ... and there's not a designer I know who wouldn't love to read the amazing story by the two guys who made it happen, in The High Line: The Inside Story of New York City's Park in the Sky (Farrar, Straus & Giroux).  Joshua David and Robert Hammond -- with no experience in design or architecture -- came up with the idea of building a park on the old elevated railroad freight line on Manhattan's west side.  It took them more than a decade, but the once dilapidated and weedy site now abounds with trees and shrubs, wildflowers and ornamental grasses, along with overlooks, benches, and public gathering spaces. You couldn't find a more inspiring read for gardeners and designers during the dreary days of winter.

Sustainability is all the rage in gardening these days, and it's certainly one of the top design watchwords for the rest of the century.  In Tomorrow's Garden: Design and Inspiration for a New Age of Sustainable Gardening (Rodale), Stephen Orr, the gardening editor at Martha Stewart Living, takes you through 14 gardens across the country designed and installed with sustainability in mind.  You'll discover that you, too, can have a beautiful garden while husbanding resources, saving water, and doing your part for the environment. 

Anyone who's a serious gardener -- not to mention those of us who are designers -- needs to have a basic understanding of botany. You needn't look any further than Botany for Designers: A Practical Guide for Landscape Architects and Other Professionals (W.W. Norton & Company) by landscape architect Kimberly Duffy Turner. It includes everything you need to know for plant ID and cultivation, but the entire volume is written from a landscape design perspective. It belongs in the library of every designer. My complete review is here. 

 

Christmas Gifts 2011 - IV

A lot of people don't like lightweight fiberglass planters, but I sure have no objection to the extensive line by Crescent.  I have a few of their planters, and they've held up for many years, despite weather extremes.

I like this "Eye Ain't" planter for its modern style (there's also an "Eye Am") -- but Crescent also carries many planters in more traditional shapes.  A great choice for decks or rooftops where you're looking to save on weight.

I like this elegant hand-hammered copper vase inspired by one in Frank Lloyd Wright's collection ... lovely, simple style, and it comes in two heights, 7" and 9".  By Cobre, which has many other styles available.

Order a gift certificate from Peony's Envy for one of those plants you've coveted for years. Here, the woodland peony, which will colonize shady areas beautifully... and not to mention the nursery's unbelievable collection of peonies ... you'll want several, just for starters.

Christmas Books 2011 - III

For everyone who'd like a good read, rather than another garden book.

Founding Gardeners  by Andrea Wulf (Alfred A. Knopf).
Find out how the Founding Fathers' passion for gardens and gardening influenced politics and the making of the U.S. government.

My review here.

 

The Language of Flowers  by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Ballantine Books).
A highly praised first novel (The Washington Post called it "original and brilliant," the Wall St. Journal said it's "lucid and lovely") that's a story about a young woman who grew up in the foster care system who uses the Victorian language of flowers to help herself understand her past and connect with the modern day world. It's a powerful, compelling tale, and there's quite a comprehensive flower dictionary in the back of the book.  A great read for those chilly winter months ahead.

And if you're not quite up for a novel, consider this companion book:

A Victorian Flower Dictionary by Mandy Kirkby (Ballantine Books). It includes 300 flower profiles (illustrated with lovely botanical drawings) --along with a description of each flower and what it means (and sometimes a poem to go along with it).  The dictionary is also searchable either by flower name or by emotion.  

Christmas Gifts 2011 - III

If I knew someone who wanted a veg garden -- and especially if they lived in a city or typical suburban yard -- I'd get them a NatureMill composter.  They can sit under a counter inside, outside the door or out on a deck -- no muss, no fuss -- and it makes about 1.5 gallons of compost every two weeks.  I want one myself. Great for all other garden plants as well.

 

I've been fixated on outdoor ovens ever since an invitation years ago to a luncheon in France which featured an outdoor (brick, of course, and ancient) oven where the leg of lamb was roasted. But this counter-top pizza oven from Kalamazoo Gourmet would do in a pinch. Perfect for outdoor parties.

I know, I know, these don't really look like rocks.  Because they're outdoor stereo speakers, these from Boston Acoustics. I saw some of these fake rock speakers a year or two ago in a New York City roof garden ... and once surrounded (or enveloped) by lush plants, you don't even notice them.  And what great sound.

 

Pretty cool outdoor coffee table ... teak with a wicker top ...  and a great size (nearly 3' x 3') for outdoor parties.  Think of all the platters and drinks that would fit upon it nicely. From Giati.

 

 

Christmas Gifts 2011 -- II

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Shop:

Hanami Plate.  Decorative plate, 10" diameter, design by 17th c. Japanese painter Ogata Korin. Beautiful gift for anyone who appreciates Asian arts.

 

Take your pick of the BBG Garden Guides ... every subject imaginable, from growing roses and vegetables to pruning, indoor gardening, bulbs, wildflower and woodland gardens.  I have a collection of almost all of these guides, and they are dog-eared from reference use.

Any gardener who doesn't have some would certainly appreciate several, just for starters.

From Winterthur:

Why not a living vertical garden set that comes with a built-in watering system? Perfect for the person with a small garden, as this unit, just 16" x 20" high by 3" deep will fit on almost any wall, railing, or fence ... use your imagination.

What could be better than a folding bench that you can easily put in storage during cold and snowy months? Or a bench that can easily be moved around the garden.

 This one is metal, with a bird motif.

From Longwood Gardens:

If you know someone who spends hours at the computer on garden sites, how about a Longwood screen saver with 35 rotating color images?

 

And from Hillwood Museum and Gardens in DC:

An ornament inspired by the Faberge Twelve Monogram Easter Egg. The museum, by the way, has a sizeable collection of Faberge, well worth a visit when you're in DC.

 

Christmas Books 2011 -- II

My top picks for books this year -- all volumes that I have in my permanent collection and wouldn't want to be without.  Perfect gifts for any designer or garden enthusiast.

Envisioning the Garden by Robert Mallet (W.W. Norton & Company). Transformative book on how to "see" design.

My full review is here.

 

The Artful Garden by James van Sweden (Random House).
Van Sweden explains how the arts (literature, painting, ballet and more) can inspire design that makes for simply fabulous landscapes.

My review is here.

Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs by Michael Dirr (Timber Press).
If you're in the design business, you can't be without this book... the latest in cultivars and plenty of gorgeous photos.

Review here.

Christmas Gifts 2011 -- I

The best gift you can give to anyone interested in gardening & design: a membership to a local garden or arboretum of your choice.  The gardens always need support, and the membership will give months of pleasure to the person who receives it. I belong to the Garden Consesrvancy, and to several other gardens, some that are not remotely near where I live.

(click to enlarge images below)

From the NY Botanical Garden Gift Shop:
Clematis platter for someone with lots of vines.
Sandcast re-cycled aluminum.  Environmentally-friendly 12"x12" platter with felt bag for storage. Also available, a pine branch platter.

 

Blue Flower Pot for herbs or small plants.
Galvanized steel pot that'll fit on a windowsill. Also available, a matching watering can and a round tray.

Magnolia Placemats.
Cork-backed, wipe-clean placemats that would look great on any patio or porch table. Set of four, each slightly different. Other available designs for lovers of tulips, roses, peonies. And coasters, too.

Fern Tray.
Earth-friendly, 15"x15" tray that's resistant to heat, moisture and alcohol.  Comes with hangtag and bio of CA artist Alexis America. Tray design also available in poppies, dragonfly and blooming cereus.

Paper Fern Napkins.
Perfect for summer outdoor parties, design by French textile designer Paule Marrot. Cocktail, luncheon, and large dinner sizes. Other designs available: fruit, Tabulae Botanica.

Just to get you started.

Last-minute Garden Gifts

You cannot go wrong if you give someone a membership to your favorite local garden.  This always tops my Garden Gift List, and it's also a great way to support the people who make your life so pleasurable.

If there's not a garden in your area (and even if there is), do consider a gift to The Garden Conservancy, an organization that works tirelessly to preserve magnificent gardens around the country.

Also, you can order tickets now -- a great gift for someone --  for the Philadelphia Flower Show, March 6-13, 2011, with a theme of Springtime in Paris.

Christmas Garden Books III

Some of my favorites from the past year (in no particular order) with links to my reviews. 

Understanding Garden Design, by Vanessa Nagel, APLD.
Nagel explains how landscape designers work in this A to Z about successful garden design.

The Western Garden Book of Edibles from Sunset.
THE bible you want for veg and fruit gardening, even if you don't live out west.

Private Gardens of Connecticut by Jane Garmey.
Lessons here for everyone on designing great gardens.

Garden Guide: New York City (W.W. Norton & Co)
Everybody eventually gets to New York, so this is the book you want for the scores of places to visit in and around the city.

And unfortunately, there weren't a terrific number of great garden titles this year.  Hope to see more next year.