GardenDesignOnline

Garden Wall Art

If you've got a wall or a fence, the side of a garage or shed, or a big expanse of house without a window, you may want to contact Deborah Sommers.  Sommers designs textile art for the garden, in made-to-measure sizes.  Pictured here is one of her very original "banners," this one with a theme of grasses.  The banners -- which can be ordered in vertical or horizontal formats -- are waterproof, UV protected, washable, and easy to hang.  The horizontal banners can also be ordered in heavier-weight fabrics to cover guard rails. Sommers  makes waterproof outdoor cushions as well with the same techniques.

These unique wall hangings -- and you must go on her website to get a sample of what she can do -- are perfect for urban gardens, patios, roof terraces, or any "alcove" area in a larger garden.  An avid gardener, Sommers features designs encompassing the themes of country, nature, grasses, and cactus, but with a background in graphics spanning three continents, Sommers will custom-design anything you desire --- like this pitchfork banner hanging on a rooftop terrace in suburban Paris.

Sommers is based in Paris, but the average shipping price is only $15 to the United States.  Retail prices are approximately $169 for a 6.5 foot high by 19.5 inch wide banner.  And prices to the trade are available as well.

Would that I had a brick wall in my own garden. Sommers can be reached at www.dgardencollection.com or phone +33 (0)6 87 48 06 75 Paris.

(photos: Deborah Sommers; click on images for larger view)

Happenings Nov 2006

Through Jan 1 Chihuly's Glass in the Garden, St. Louis, MO
Art Exhibit by Dale Chihuly, MO Botanical Garden 9-5PM daily;"Chihuly Nights" 6-10PM Mon & Thurs, and Dec 26-30 (314) 577-5100 
Nov 2, 2006 Conference Gardens in Graveyards, Alexandria, VA.
8:30-3:15 PM Symposium featuring David Barnett of Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Rosarian Stephen Scanniello, & more. Green Springs Garden Park (703) 642-5173
Nov 2 Creating Magic with Color, Bronx, NY
10AM-4:30PM Symposium, NY Botanical Garden featuring Helen Dillon, Sydney Eddison & others. (718)-817-8747
Nov 3 Turning a New Leaf, Bethesda, MD
8AM-6PM Sustainable Landscaping Conference, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church,
Lectures & Workshops sponsored by Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (410) 634-2847 ext. 40
Nov 4 Plants & Magic, San Francisco, CA.
12PM-5PM Symposium, SF Botanical Garden (415) 661-1317
Nov 4 Fall Plant Sale, San Diego, CA
9:30-4PM SD Horticultural Society Annual Sale, Bernardo Winery  (760) 295-7089
Nov 4-5 Annual Orchid Show & Sale, Phoenix, AZ
Encanto Park Clubhouse Sat 9-5 Sun 9-3 (480) 948-0714
Nov 4-19 Fall Chrysanthemum Show, Northampton, MA
Smith College Botanical Garden, Lyman Conservatory 10AM-4PM,
Opening Lecture Nov 3, 7PM Seelye Hall, Rm. 106
Nov 5 Garden Tour, Mt. Kisco, NY
10AM - 4PM Last Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour of 2006
NOV 6-10 Aqua Show , Las Vegas NV
Nov 6-10 "Sissinghurst" Design Project, Wheeling IL
Am. Academy of Landscape Design, Lectures, Studio Workshops (847) 657-7900
Nov 8 Kitty Kelley Cultivar Tell-All, Seattle, WA
6:30 PM Lecture, Center for Urban Horticulture (206) 543-8616
Nov 10-11 Drugs: Realizing Nature's Potential, St. Louis, MO
Symposium. MO Botanical Garden, Info: www.WLBCenter.org
Nov 11-12 Gourd Festival, Waco, TX
9AM-5PM Waco Convention Center, Gourd Art, Competitions, Demos & More
Nov 13-17 "Barnsley House" Design Project, Wheeling, IL
Am. Academy of Landscape Design, Lectures & Studio Workshop (847) 657-7900
Nov 14 Viburnums for MD Gardens, Lutherville, MD
8PM Lecture by Brookside Gardens Plant Collections Manager Phil Normandy,Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, sponsor MD Horticultural Society (410) 821-5561
Nov 15-17 Greenbuild, Denver, CO
International Conference & Expo, CO Convention Center
Nov 16 Wild Things Make A Comeback, West Hartford, CT.
Lecture, C. Colston Burrell, EManual Synagogue (860) 529-8713
Nov 18 Greenovation: Home Expo, Washington DC
10AM-5PM, National Building Museum, Seminars on Environmentally Friendly Home Projects & 30 Display Booths with ASLA, US Dept of Energy, Amicus Green Building Center & More. Free. (202) 272-2448
Nov 18-Jan 7 Garden of Lights, Wheaton, MD
Brookside Garden's 10th annual light show. (301) 962-1453
Nov 20, Global Climate Change & CA Horticulture, San Francisco, CA
7-9PM, Lecture, SF Botanical Garden (800) 884-0009
Nov 22-Jan 1 Flower & Train Show, St. Louis, MO
MO Botanical Garden (314) 577-5100
Nov 28-Dec 1 Pool & Spa Expo / Backyard Living Expo, Las Vegas, NV

Trees for Air Quality

An important new study says the ideal combination of trees can actually remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds, resulting in better air quality and a reduction in greenhouse gases.

Researchers at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at SUNY (the State University of New York) supplied local officials in Syracuse, NY with a list of ideal trees based on the city's typical weather conditions, and they said the same methods could be adapted to fit the climate of any city. As Dr. Allen P. Drew, a forest ecologist at SUNY, put it, "We can make the air a lot healthier for people to breathe."  The study concluded that if trees were carefully chosen for Syracuse, the city could "easily become a contributor to the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."

The study found that the best tree mixture for Syracuse consists of 31 species, including lindens (Tilia americana, T. cordata), dogwoods (Cornus florida and Cornus kousa), Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), various maples (Acer rubrum, A. saccharum, A. saccharinum), birches (Betula nigra, B.populifolia), red and white mulberries, and more. "Any one of these trees has value in an urban setting for one reason or another," said Drew.  "Some of them are attractive, others will grow in compacted soil, they all serve a purpose."

According to the researchers, while trees remove carbon, they also emit volatile organic compounds that can make smog problems worse.  However, an ideal combination of trees would include those best at removing carbon and the ones that emit the least of the damaging compounds. "It all helps," said Dr. Richard Smardon, chair of ESF's Faculty of Environmental Studies. "If you reduce carbon emissions, you really can cut down on greenhouse gases."

The study eliminated certain problematical trees such as American Elm, because of its susceptibility to Dutch Elm disease, and other invasive species, including Tree of Heaven, Buckthorn, and Norway maples.

New Antiques Site

If you're looking for that special something in the garden, you might want to check out the new web site of The Elemental Garden -- a shop in Woodbury, CT that specializes in English and French garden antiques of the 18th-early 20th centuries.

They carry containers, statuary, fountains, armillaries, sundials, and much more.  Pictures of new arrivals are on the web site, along with their lecture schedule and upcoming shows they're attending on the East coast.  www.theelementalgarden.com

(photo: The Elemental Garden)

PHS 2007 Gold Medal Awards

This plant is cause for celebration ... a dogwood that's said to have superb resistance to the dreaded anthracnose and powdery mildew.  And, it's also cold-hardy, zones 4-8.  Cornus 'Venus' is one of three gold medal award winners for 2007 from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  Reaching 25 feet in height and width, this hybrid is noted for its exceptionally large, (six-inch) pure white floral bracts that cover the tree from top to bottom in early spring. 

Venus is the creation of noted plant hybridizer Dr. Elwin Orton, a research professor at Rutgers University who's been working on hollies and dogwoods for the past 40 years. This hybrid was obtained by crossing the kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) with the Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), which is native to the Pacific Northwest and the Western United States.

Dogwoods, of course, are perfect as single specimens in almost any garden, and designers should be on the lookout for this one.  It's available now from Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, CT, Colibraro Landscape & Nursery Inc in Horsham, PA and Moon Nurseries in Chesapeake City, MD.

(photo: courtesy PHS)

Olmsted Historic Site Closure Until 2008

The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, MA, has temporarily closed for major renovations.  During construction, there will be a limited schedule of programs off-site, and the Olmsted Archives will be open to researchers on a limited basis by advance apppointment.

Olmsted (1822-1903) is considered the founder of American landcape architecture and he designed and created some of the greatest landscape projects in the United States:  Prospect and Central Parks in NYC; Boston's "Emerald Necklace";the grounds of the US Capitol in Washington DC; 50 residential communities and subdivisions; and many more public and private projects. 

The National Park Service Site includes Olmsted's family home; his office, and one million original landscape design records, including drawings and plans, photographs, plant lists, financial records, and models.

Olmsted's home, office, and the grounds -- a 1.76 acre "living exhibit" of his design ideals -- were restored some years ago, but major upgrades are needed in the areas of fire protection, drainage and waterproofing, and electrical and security systems to preserve the collection for the future.

At present, the site is expected to re-open fully in the fall of 2008.

Design Week - Landscape Awards

So, what is this, you ask?  Well, it's a place for lunch, a place for relaxation, a place to congregate or to be alone, a place to cool off on hot days or to remind yourself of a city's great landscape traditions.

Notice the bright color of the snake-like benches and the arty contemporary design.  Then you might guess that this is the work of Martha Schwartz, winner of this year's National Design Award in Landscape Architecture. The seventh annual National Design Awards will be presented Oct 18th by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum as part of its first National Design Week. 

Pictured above is Jacob Javits Plaza in New York City, and Schwartz designed it "to energize the flat plane of the plaza in the same way that the French used the parterres embroideries which were punctuated by topiary forms and whose edges were defined by trees and buildings." The "topiaries" in this case are the grassy circular objects -- 6 feet tall -- that release clouds of mist in hot weather.  Drinking fountains of blue enamel, orange mesh trash cans and Central Park lighting standards, she says, are drawn from the city's Olmstedean tradition.  Some people might not "get" the relationship to the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, but Schwartz says those elements constitute a critique on NYC landscapes, "where the ghost of Frederick Law Olmstsed is too great a force for even New York to exorcise." (If anyone would want to).

(photo: Alan Ward courtesy Cooper Hewitt Museum)

Invasives: What You Don't Know

It's no secret to me that the Norway maple, the multiflora rose and the porcelain vine are invasive:  I've been fighting for years in two gardens -- in Massachusetts and Washington DC -- to eliminate these and other plants that re-appear every spring with monotonous regularity and stubborn tenacity.  Would that someone had never planted them in the first place!

The great surprise to me in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's newest handbook, "Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants" (BBG 2006) by C. Colston Burrell, is that many plants I like to use in landscape design  projects are on the invasives list: Linden and Doublefile Viburnums, Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) and the Butterfly Bush  (Buddleia davidii and hybrids). And many more.  Not all of these plants are invasive in all parts of the United States, so you need to study it carefully.   

The editors point out that "While the vast majority of species planted ... in home gardens are not invasive, a small percentage have adapted too well and escaped cultivation.  These plants have become established, or naturalized, in the wild."  According to the handbook, invasive species cause major environmental damage totaling $120 billion a year, and almost half of the plants on the endangered species list are at risk because of non-native invasives.

(click on image to purchase book)

2007 Plants (III)

I'm not usually given to plants that require a lot of fussing.  But I just might consider fussing with this one, a new variegated lemon from Hines (Citrus limon 'Eureka'). Not only are the leaves
variegated, but the lemon itself has vertical stripes.

According to Joseph Gray, a VP at Hines, the company ships "more citrus than anything else." Although the Eureka lemon would not survive in northern climates, he says you can grow them in a pot and "bring them in for the winter" if the temperature drops below the mid 40's-F. 

Grown outside, this lemon is actually hardy to 20-30 degrees F, and it requires full sun for the best fruit production.  The standard tree will reach 12-15 feet tall and wide, and the fruits are medium sized, tart, and juicy. It prefers soil that's moist, not wet, and should be fertilized in spring before new growth begins.  Zones 9A-11.

(photo on left: Hines Horticulture)

ASLA Design Awards

We'd like to make sure everyone knows about the landscape architects who are being honored this year by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).  Awards are being presented today at the annual conference in Minneapolis.  My post on the winners -- ASLA Design Winners 2006 -- was written when they were first announced earlier in the year.