GardenDesignOnline

Happenings July 2011

Selected Events from Around the Country:

Thru August 21, Gardens of the Alhambra, Bronx, NY
Exhibition, NY Botanical Garden: Conservatory show, artworks, public programs 718-817-8700
Thru Oct 10, Green Genes: Mapping the Plant World, Washington DC
Exhibit & Special Lectures, US Botanic Garden, 202-225-8333

July 8-9 Coastal Garden Tour, Rockport, MA
10AM-4PM, 13 private gardens, 978-546-2896
July 9, Intro to Rooftop Urban Agriculture, NY, NY
8:30AM-noon, Workshop, NY Hort Society, 212-757-0915

July 9-10, 19th Annual International Mango Festival, Coral Gables, FL
9:30AM-4:30PM, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Lectures, Workshops & More 305-667-1651
July 9-10 Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours, NJ, NY, CT, NH
NJ: Bergen County; NY: Delaware, Suffolk, Putnam Counties; CT: Hartford, New Haven Counties; NH: Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham Counties

July 11-17, Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Crested Butte, CO
Hikes, Garden Tours, Demos & More. 970-349-2571
July 13, Design Tutorial with plantsman & author Adrian Bloom, Wellesley, MA
9AM-11AM, MA Hort Society @ Elm Bank, 617-933-4995
July 13, Lecture, Adrian Bloom, Wellesley, MA
7PM-8:30 PM, From Bressingham to Bressingham, MA Hort @ Elm Bank, 617-933-4995
July 15, 14th Woody Plant Conference, Swarthmore, PA
8:30AM-5PM, Scott Arboretum, 610-388-1000 x 507)
July 15, Gift of Persia: Exotic Gardens for CA, Walnut Creek, CA
8:30AM-5:30PM, Seminar, The Garden Conservancy, 415-441-4300
July 16, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CT, IL, NY, OR
CT: New London, Tolland Counties; IL: Du Page, Kane Counties; NY: Dutchess Cty; OR: Clackamas Cty

July 17, 17th West Seattle Garden Tour, Seattle, WA
9AM-5PM, "The Art of Gardening," 10 gardens, lecture.
July 17, 53rd Dearborn Garden Walk, Chicago, IL
noon-5PM, self-guided, 20+ Gold Coast gardens, 312-632-1241
July 18-23, Perennial Plant Association Symposium, Atlanta, GA
Hyatt Regency Hotel
July 21, Summer Splendor Garden Tour, MA & NH
8AM-6PM, sponsor: Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 508-869-6111
July 21-23 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, E. Lansing & Grand Rapids, MI
Sponsor: American Horticultural Society 703-768-5700 x132
July 23-24, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours, VT, CT, IL, NY
VT: Bennington Cty; CT: Litchfield Cty; IL: Lake Cty; NY: Columbia Cty.

July 26, Central Park's Enduring Legacy, NY, NY
10:30AM-4PM, Lecture & tour, NY Botanical Gdn Midtown Center, 800-322-6924
July 26, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours, NY
Otsego Cty

July 30-31 Gardenwalk Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
10AM-4PM Largest annual garden tour in the US, 716-879-0123
July 30-31, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours, NY, CT, IL, MA
NY: Suffolk, Onondaga, Westchester Counties; CT: Fairfield Cty; IL: Du Page Cty; MA: Berkshire Cty.

LOOKAHEAD:

Aug 25-27 Farwest Show, Portland, OR
Oregon Convention Center 800-342-6401

Aug 26-29 Garden Writers Annual Symposium, Indianapolis, IN

Pesticide Report: Roundup Causes Birth Defects

If you haven't yet heard the news, there's a new scientific report that says the world's most popular pesticide -- Roundup -- causes birth defects. The report is by Earth Open Source, a non profit group based in the United Kingdom that promotes sustainable food production through open source collaboration.

The report is not based on new research, but it brings together stideis done in countries around the world for a comprehensive view of the chemical.

You can read a summary of the report, with links to the original article here on the Huffington Post.

As for me, I find that a vinegar solution works just fine on weeds in my garden if you get them when they're small.

 

Garden Design: Classic Chinese Garden Patio

The moon gate, the classic Chinese stone lions guarding the entrance ... yes, the entrance to a classic Chinese garden, but who'd guess it's in the middle of a garden with a Beaux-Arts style house built in the early 1900's. 

We saw this garden earlier in the month, part of a garden tour during the APLD annual conference in Cleveland.  I loved the bright Chinese lanterns, the "rock garden" containers, the simple pebble paving.

(click on all images to enlarge)

Designed by APLD member Ann Rosmarin, there was even room for an open-air pagoda with seating that wraps around three sides and overlooks the entire garden ...

 

including this charming dragon's head fountain. The fall of water into the pool below quiets any noise from traffic in the neighborhood and makes the entire space feel more spacious than it really is.

And how about the zig-zag boardwalk that guides you through the main patio elements and to the gate on the other side of the garden that takes to an entirely different garden "room."

This was definitely the high point of the enormous garden that surrounds this classic Cleveland residence.

And more to come in future posts about this garden, which includes a Shakespeare herb garden, a Victorian greenhouse, and a swimming pool garden ... and amazingly enough, it all seems to work together.

(photos: ©Jane Berger

 

Gardens to Visit: Via iPhone, Droid, mp3

Great landscape design idea:  a three-part literary audio tour inspired by the sights of the New York Botanical Garden.  At the moment, the tour includes recordings by eight NYC writers reading original works, with nature as the theme. 

The authors include poet Leslie C. Chang, novelist Sofia Quintero and poet and photographer Andrew Seguin.  Four additional authors will be featured beginning in September.

These special literary offerings are in addition to the garden's audio tours that can be downloaded from iTunes or accessed by cell phone when visiting the garden.

To hear some of the audio info from the comfort of your own home, see this NYBG web page here.

(photo: NYBG)

Books: Herb Garden Design

 Still trying to come down from last week's APLD conference in Cleveland, where we saw SO many fabulous gardens ... and this little book certainly does the trick.

So many clients and homeowners want vegetable gardens today, and herbs are a major part of it. Author, editor and gardener Judy Lowe takes all the mystery out of herb growing in her new book Herbs! Creative Herb Garden Themes and Projects (Cool Springs Press, 2011).  While we've (probably) all seen books on herb gardening, I particularly liked the way this one is organized.  After a brief intro on herb growing in general, Lowe divides the book into chapters on different types of herb gardens:  the pizza herb garden, the fragrance and aromatherapy herb garden, the pickling herb garden, plus others for grilling, children, the culinary arts, and some with specific themes like the Shakespeare Herb Garden and a Biblical Herb Garden.

Each section includes a list of herbs appropriate for the subject and recipes, recipes, recipes.

The latter part of the book includes a descriptive page for each herb, with a photo and growing tips.  I was thrilled that Lowe mentions the invasive herbs, as I once planted lemon balm in my garden on a neighbor's recommendation and was pulling it out all over the place years later.  Unless you take Lowe's advice to plant it in a container, you'll never be rid of the stuff.

There are also lists of herb gardens to visit around the country, sources for seeds and plants, and, believe it or not -- even an herb nutrition chart. I knew that parsley had a lot of vitamin A and that garlic is supposed to be very good for everyone, but you should see the attributes of cilantro, tarragon, and sage.

A perfect summer read.

 

 

Garden Design Awards III

click on photos to enlarge

This eyei-catching design by Patricia St. John of Berkeley, CA, won an APLD 2011 Merit Award for Cost-Efficient Projects.  The design intent was to connect the interior and exterior spaces with a sleek, modern design to go along with the mid-century ranch house. 

St. John flipped the deck boards and re-used the existing ones, stained a new color; replaced an arbor over the deck with "sails" for shade, re-configured the concrete patio and filled the spaces in between with black La Paz rock; and kept the plantings simple and low-maintenance.  A simple, elegant, high-quality solution for a client who couldn't spend a lot of money.

Margie Grace of Santa Barbara has always had an innovative design streak, and this garden, winner of an APLD Merit Award, was no exception. The new entry shown here replaces an ugly front yard parking lot, and of course,  ...

why not find an old bedstead and drape it with plants for a very dramatic garden effect.

I've never seen anything like this before, but you have to admit it looks very inviting for a lazy afternoon nap!

 

And finally, designer Reuben Huffman rotated this back yard design on a 45 degree angle to form three separate garden "rooms" and create a larger sense of space in the narrow yard.  It also won an APLD Merit Award.  The APLD website should soon have info on all of this year's winners.

(photos courtesy APLD and designers)

 

 

 

 

Garden Design Awards II

Landscape architects and designers W. Gary Smith and Matthew Cunningham won 2011 gold design awards from APLD, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

Smith's award-winning project in Virginia Hunt Country, called Innisfree, is a 15-acre woodland property that was converted into a wildlife sanctuary in a natural old farm setting.  The clients wanted a very informal design, so Smith gave them what he calls "studied abandon," shown in the outdoor patio above.

The design consists of a number of elements: "The Daily Jaunt," a soft path of mowed turf or wood chips; an "Eastern Deciduous Forest Allee" at the entrance to the property; a "Fire Circle" overlooking a pond; a "Sycamore Slope" and a "Wildflower Meadow," along with "Beth's Hedgerow," a haven for birds, for insects, and even for small mammals.

Cunningham won two gold awards -- the first for this residential three-acre property on Maine's Mount Desert Island.  The main challenge was to restore the parcel after hurricane-force winds that toppled trees and caused severe erosion problems. 

The new design moves water away from the residence, captures the spirit of nearby Acadia National Park, using a palette of native local materials and plants that can withstand the often harsh weather patterns.

Cunningham also won a gold for this small courtyard design in Boston's South End. It's only 415 square feet, but the ingenious design includes plenty of space for firewood storage, dining, a BBQ grill, and lush, shade tolerant plantings.

(photos: courtesy APLD & designers)

click on photos to enlarge

Garden Design Awards I

Landscape architect and designer Suzanne Arca has won this year's top design award from APLD, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.  The award of International Designer of the Year will officially be conferred this week at the association's International Design Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

Arca's winning design of a garden in Lafayette, California, includes low-maintenance native plants, a water feature, a "farm" for vegetables consisting of raised planters, and hardscape elements that are environmentally friendly.

Arca created a naturalistic garden by down-sizing existing lawn and asphalt areas; making smooth and natural connections between the existing terrai and drifts of ornamental grasses and native plants with accents of rich Mediteranean species.

  Main paths in the garden are constructed of Mariposa slate with tinted mortar joints.  The "farm" boxes are made of selected heart redwood, capped to  provide additional seating, and cable and post trellises were added to accommodate berries and grapes.  This part of the garden also includes a redwood potting bench and a matching tool rack. 

As Arca put it in her original submission, she made every attempt to "follow the principles of Bay Friendly landscape practices" in order to limit future waste in landfills, conserve water, and improve on-site water percolation. In addition, the design is intended to "wed to natural Lafayette backdrop of oak woodland ... with sustainable plantings."

 (photos courtesy APLD & designer)

Design: A New Take on the Trellis

If you're as tired of the plain old trellis as I am, then consider these mod beauties from designer & artist Jennifer Asher.  This one, pictured left, called "Gracie," is a full 76 inches high, tall enough for most people to skip or stroll under, and what fun to have a vine (or two)  growing up it that circles about to enfold you.

All of the designs from Terra Trellis are made of steel.  The one above comes in a natural oxide fnish or powder-coated in a variety of brilliant colors: pink, orange, blue green & more. 

On the smaller side is the "Lazio" vase trellis, 58 inches high, tall enough for almost any climbing rose, and you can just plunk it down any place in the garden where you need an unusual focal point.

And if those are not enough, Asher's also making wall trellises in a couple of different sizes and configurations.

(And ... click on all images to enlarge) 

I particularly like this new version of the all-too traditional tuteur.  And of course you can coordinate the color of the structure with the climber that you're planning to plant underneath it. A deep blue clematis on a yellow tuteur? Eggplant tuteur and green climber?  Only your imagination will hold you back.

Check out the Terra Trellis website for the full inventory of new and imaginative designs.

Plants: You Can't Always Have What You Want

How many times, when I lived in DC, did I advise my clients to forgo even the thought of rhododendrons? Or Kalmias. Or, in the category of perennials, delphiniums.

But in spite of my advice, sometimes rhodendrons (and the others) were planted, and believe me, those pitiful specimens never looked anywhere near like the one in the photo above, growing at the side of a Cape Cod house.

You simply never get the tall and gorgeous rhodies in a climate that's too hot and humid.  They of course will grow there, but in time they become scraggly and spindly shrubs, absent the true character of the plant.

Rhododendrons prefer cool weather, and it's only in the cooler zones that they can attain their full height and glorious bloom.  So, designers, resist the wishes of your clients, refuse to plant what won't do well, and look to the ones that do well in your area.  The rhododendrons in these photos love the New England climate, and I do have to tell you that although native dogwoods do grow here, you simply don't see them in the numbers and the bloom that you do further south.

 

And how about this broom with poppies? Another perfect New England combo.

(Photos © Jane Berger)