GardenDesignOnline

A Kiley Classic

I've seen pictures of Fountain Place in Dallas a zillion times, I think ... but you have to visit the place in person to really understand its impact.

Designed by the late Dan Kiley to go with the modernistic skyscraper by IM Pei, the five acre plaza reflects the dramatic glass-paned office tower that's 60 stories tall, anchored by a water garden with 172 bubbler fountains,waterfalls, and a flat pools of still water throughout the space.

The day I visited, a wedding party was ascending the central steps to the street; families and other small parties of visitors had gathered to enjoy the view under the canopy of trees.

The bald cypress trees, Taxodium distichum, (which love water, by the way) .. are perfectly laid out in circular granite planters on a 15 foot grid ... a Kiley signature ... and all surrounded by water.

In late September, the deciduous evergreen trees were just starting to turn bronze and lose their needles for winter.  It must be quite stark in winter, but in spring through fall, it's probably one of the best places to escape from the relentless heat and appreciate a classic Kiley design.

Design: Hammock Time

Summer, I guess, is officially over, but there's still time in those Indian summer days of October to spend an afternoon in the hammock, reading. Where to put a hammock in a garden? Sometimes they don't really fit with the design, but if you're lucky enough to be near a body of water, you have no problems.

Of course you need a couple of cooperative trees, but if you happen to have a couple the right distance apart, you can even install an entire garden "room" like the one seen here.  This entry to this particular hammock room is just a small path between some tall shrubs, but once inside, there's a perennial garden that you can rock above as you look out over the ocean. 

It's a bit of descent to this hammock, but the hillside is so steep, it almost makes you feel like you're floating out over the ocean itself. 

(Click on smaller photos to enlarge).

Books: Great Connecticut Gardens

There's almost every kind of natural landscape in Connecticut, from rolling hills to open farmland and the expansive stretch of shoreline along Long Island Sound.  The varied landscapes produce varied micro-climates, making it possible to have many different kinds of plants in many different kinds of gardens.

In her latest book, Private Gardens of Connecticut (Monacelli Press, 2010), author Jane Garmey offers readers what she herself calls "an idiosyncratic selection" of some of the most sumptuous gardens in the Nutmeg state (officially, the Constitution state, but many of us are far more familiar with Nutmeg).

The book begins with the garden in South Kent of socialite and long-time arts patron Anne Bass.  She consulted with the late British landscape designer Russell Page on a stunning rose garden with more than 140 varieties. The celebrated American landscape architect Dan Kiley also had a hand in the design of the main garden elements, and Madison Cox has helped with the medicinal herb garden. Bass is now at work on a woodland garden, and Garmey reports it's still a work in progress.

Plants: A Striking Perennial for Spring

I get a lot of e-mail about plants, and I don't always put up articles about them, but this spring perennial from Sunshine Farm & Gardens really caught my eye.

According to Sunshine, the large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) has large, inverted golden yellow flowers that look like candle flames.  (Good description, I'd say).

It has medium green foliage about 18-24 inches high, a nice foil for the long-lasting blooms.

Moreover, it's native to the US and Canada, grows easily in moist, well-drained soil and takes part to full shade.  Zones 4-10, and in the deep south it requires full shade.  Sunshine says that some deer populatikons ignore the plant entirely, while others may take a nibble or two on occasion. (And is there anything they won't nibble?).  Looks like a plant I'll be sure to try in the spring.

Garden Trends 2011

The big news in gardening for 2011 is not really a surprise ... gardeners are into growing their own food and participating in projects to make their urban and suburban communities "greener" in coming years.

The latest Garden Trends Report from the Garden Media Group says that "gardening with a purpose" is taking hold ...whether it's creating "green" sanctuaries, growing fruits and vegetables, or promoting gardening projects in city schools. 

As the group's outdoor living and garden expert Susan McCoy puts it, "We had trouble trouble wrapping our heads around saving the rain forests, but we clearly can wrap our arms around saving our own back yards."

According to GMG, vegetable gardening is up 20 percent and community gardening up 60 percent over the last year.  Moreover, gardeners are choosing eco-friendly products instead of toxic chemicals, using organic soils, and transforming their lawns into sustainable landscapes.  In addition, more people are planting fruit-bearing shrubs and trees; using perennials and long-blooming shrubs instead of annuals; and are taking steps to plant natives and drought-tolerant species that can survive in a variety of conditions. Vertical walls are also popular ... along with farmers' markets and CSA's (Community Sponsored Associations) that provide homeowners with weekly deliveries of fresh produce.

Finally, GMG says a new kind of urban lifestyle is emerging, offering more green space for everyone.  Parking lots are being converted into "parklets" and more cities are installing outdoor plazas where people can socialize or simply enjoy the outdoors.

Good trends for everyone.

Best Website 2010

Margie Grace has done it again ... last year, she won the 2009 award from APLD (The Association of Professional Landscape Designers) as International Designer of the Year.

This, year, her website has just won the gold award from the Garden Writers' Association for best website of 2010.

Check it out at  www.gracedesignassociates.com

Design: A Different Take on Stepping Stones

Note: click on images to enlarge.

I've seen a lot of stepping stones set in gravel, or set straight into the ground, with creeping groundcovers planted in between them, ie, mazus, thyme and the like.

I've also seen many steppers set straight into lawns, but never with plants as well.  I was absolutely charmed by these steppers that I encountered on a garden tour in Woods Hole, MA last summer, sponsored by Heritage Museum & Gardens -- their annual garden tour that takes place somewhere on Cape Cod.  This past summer, it took place in Woods Hole on Penzance Point, a rather exclusive little enclave with plenty of well-appointed homes and gardens.

I don't know who designed the path or the garden, but I love the way the path meanders along, widening out at some points to accommodate more flowers, narrowing at other points.

Do the flowers and plantings get in the way of walking?  Well, not really, as there's a double row of steppers, allowing the visitor to cross from one side of the path to the other.

It all winds up at the classy front porch/deck, where it perfectly complements the natural stone wall around the planting bed. 

It kind of makes you angry that you didn't think of it first ... but that's something designers think about all the time.

I'd have no qualms about trying this myself in the right locale, perhaps with a little variation on the theme.  But it sure looks great in the right setting.

Winning Roses -- AARS 2011

Rosa 'Dick Clark'
(Weeks Roses)

Everyone who remembers American Bandstand (today, all well-aged teeny-boppers) -- can now re-live those happy years rocking around the garden with 'Dick Clark.'

A medium-tall grandiflora rose, this is one of two All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winners for 2011.  It has double blooms, about four to five inches across, with multi-colored flowers.  The very deep red buds open to swirls of cream, edged with deep pink.  A moderate, spicy cinnamon scent, glossy deep green leaves and a broad, bushy habit complete the combination for this lovely rose.  I have this rose in my own garden, planted in spring of 2010, and even though Washington DC had one of its hottest, most humid summer seasons on record, there's not a single blemish of black spot anywhere on the plant. 

The rose was hybridized by Tom Carruth and Christian Bedard of Weeks Roses,('Fourth of July' x unknown) and trial results so far show that it performs best in the Southwest and Midwest.  But as I said, it did beautifully for me in the Mid-Atlantic.

Rosa 'Walking on Sunshine'
(Jackson and Perkins)

This bright yellow floribunda is an upright, rounded shrub that reaches a height of about four feet.  The three and a half inch flowers have a moderate scent of anise with a petal count of about 25-30.  The bloom color should look great against the glossy, medium green leaves, and it's said to have excellent plant vigor, bloom production, and disease-resistant foliage.

If you want cheer in the garden, or a real show, this may be the rose for you.

Bred by Keith Zary of Jackson & Perkins (Sequoia Gold x Baby Love) x (unnamed seedling x Amber Queen)

(photos: AARS)

 

In the Magazines Sept-Oct 2010

  Garden Design Sept-Oct
*Winners of the 2010 residential landscape design awards from ASLA - the American Society of Landscape Architects (not sure I like all of them, but ...). *Mums of every type.
*An artful autumn garden by landscape architect Lisa Roth.
*A sun-blasted landscape and gorgeous garden in the Florida Panhandle.

Fine Gardening Oct 

*High profile containers for entries.
*Solutions to deer-proof a garden.
*Unifying elements that tie a garden together.
* All about Asters.
*Beyond the usual herbs.

Sunset Sept.

*A San Diego garden re-designed to withstand fire.
*The How-to of a sandy path through the garden