Halloween Plants

Happy Halloween Blog World people! 

What image do we think of first when we think of Halloween?  I’ll give you a clue … it comes from a PLANT.

 yaguargod at flickr

Pumpkins are the universal symbol for Halloween, at least in North America.  Here are some other plants that might also compliment the day and season.

Spooky-looking trees also do their part in haunting us each Halloween.  However, did you know that there are some real plant monsters out there too?  Here are a few.

Bat Plant or “Devil Flower”

Tacca chantrieri is native to Southeast Asia where it grows in the shady understory of a tropical forest.  It’s bloom resembles a flying bat or even a black cat with whiskers.  You can also find it growing in the shade in south Florida.  Imagine running into this creature on a dark and scary Halloween night?

  Venus Flytrap

The finger-like cilia of the carnivorous Venus Flytrap or Dionaea muscipula  actually resemble teeth.  These cilia help trap insects inside the two leaves, where they are soon digested by the plant.   This plant actually grows within a 100 to 200-mile radius of my hometown, Wilmington, NC.

Happy Halloween everyone.  I hope you have a SPOOKtacular one!

The High Line

Recently, I visited New York City and the first place I chose to visit was the High Line.

For those of you who don’t know what it is, the High Line website describes it best:  The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park.

Entry/Exit to the High Line

In November, 2005, the City of New York took over the ownership of the High Line from the CSX Transportation, Inc.

The park was designed by Landscape Architects  James Corner Field Operations and Architects  Diller Scofidio + Renfro, as well as various other experts in horticulture, engineering, security, maintenance, public art, and so forth.   Construction began in the Spring of 2006 with the demolition of the old rail tracks and the first section (1.45 miles between Gansevoort Street and 20th Street) opened to the public in June of this year.

Basically, the High Line is a linear park suspended above the streets of New York City. 

The Walking Paths vary in size between 6 and 8-feet in width with larger gathering spaces at regular intervals.  They are constructed using a system of long linear and narrow concrete panels. 

 

The joints between some of the concrete panels widen to provide negative space for planting media and plants. 

To keep the masses of pedestrians from walking into or trampling over the planting areas, the designers used changes in elevation – a subtle, but effective form of traffic control. 

It was a beautiful and unified approach that was very effective.  As you can see from this photograph, the High Line was quite crowded on this beautiful day and I would imagine, that will be typical in the warmer months.

The details were lovely.  The designers included benches using the same dimensional concrete forms rising up in a vertical manner. 

Larger areas containing wood decking and wood benches marked gathering places that invited the user to stop and stay, as opposed to the linear areas that suggested movement and flow.  A great place to sit and watch the world go by!

 

This place was a terraced viewing area with wood benches that terraced down to a lower level closer to the street.  This allowed people the opportunity to sit and view the traffic and street life below.

 

The whole park is suspended above the New York City streetscape providing a different perspective of the city.

The Planting Design was done by Piet Oudolf, renowned Dutch Garden Designer and author, famous for his bold use of grasses and other herbaceous perennials en masse.  The plants used in the design are mainly xeriscape meadow-type plants, all hardy to the area, many of which were natives found growing and prospering on the abandoned rails for many years prior to the park’s design.  All in all, there are 210 species of plants used in the design of Section 1.  They were chosen for their hardiness and their diversity in bloom time from late January through mid-November.

Some of the plants that I saw growing there included grasses and sedges as well as perennials such as Black-eyed Susans, asters and Purple Cone flower and shrubs such as viburnums.  The overall effect was soft and meadowlike.  If you are interested, here is the Plant List used in Section 1.  Because of that harsh environment, it will be survival of the fittest.  I would be surprised if all of the plants specified will make it.  Time will tell!

Regardless, this is an outstanding pedestrian experience and a shining example of urban reclamation of a dead and dying eye sore.  It serves as a great inspiration for other cities to follow suit!  Next time you’re in New York City, you must visit the High Line!  For more information, visit their website.

Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese American artist, sculptor and landscape architect known worldwide for his public works.  Born in Los Angeles in 1904, his long career spanned six decades.  Here are a few of his most famous pieces:

 

“Red Cube,” HSBC Building, New York, NY, 1968

Japanese Garden at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France,  Travel Pod

Dodge Fountain and Phillip A. Hart Plaza, Detroit, MI, 1975

(Metro Jacksonville)

“California Scenario,” Costa Mesa, CA, 1980-82 (Alisa Ochoa)

In 1948, Noguchi collaborated with the Herman Miller furniture company to produce a catalog of modern furniture.  Perhaps his most famous piece from this catalog was his Noguchi table.  This table still remains popular today.

“Noguchi Table” for Herman Miller , 1948

Noguchi also designed playgrounds for children.  He saw them as the perfect way to integrate sculpture into modern life.  Here are some of his playgrounds:

 

Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA

 

Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA (mikehipp at flickr)

 

The slide was recently renovated at Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA (Reid2008 at flickr)

Late in his life, Noguchi designed several “Slide Mantras” made from stone.  The Slide Manta in Sapporo was constructed of black stone so that it could be viewed even in the snow-covered winter months there.  These Slides were not constructed however, until after his death. 

  Black Slide Mantra, Odori Park, Sapporo, Japan

 

Black Slide Mantra, Odori Park, Sapporo, Japan

 Model for Slide Mantra 1, Noguchi Museum

 Bayfront Park, Miami, FL

Noguchi died on November 30, 1988 at the age of 84 after a very long and prolific artistic career.  To learn more about his life and work, visit Wikipedia or The Noguchi Museum.

It’s Friday, so it’s time to see what other bloggers are up to at The Inspired Room's Beautiful Life Friday.

Perfect mates

 

Black-eyed Susans and Russian Sage

White Purple Cone Flower and Bent Grass

Japanese Hakoni Grass and water

 Feather grass and White foxglove.

Asiatic lilies and ferns

Finding just the right plant combination is much harder than you might think.  Water, soil and other cultural requirements play a huge role.  Knowing where a plant is found in nature helps immensely.  Being able to identify and recreate plant communities will often lead to success in the garden!

What’s in your backyard?

It all started with a rope, a tire and a tree.  Add a kid and it spelled FUN.

  

There is nothing like a swing for fun!  This is something we begin to enjoy as infants …

Can you recall the sound of your child’s laughter while swinging?

 

Music to our ears!

When was the last time you heard this song? 

How inviting, this destination.

What’s in your backyard?

 

This week I’m hooked on Swings.  To see what others are hooked on, visit Julia’s Hooked on Houses Friday Blog Party and Melissa’s The Inspired Rooms Beautiful Life Friday.

What has become of our American Landscape?

For years now, the vast and beautiful landscape of our country has become more and more homogenized.  Why does Maine have to look like Cincinnati?  Why is it that more places are losing their unique identities or “sense of place” and looking more and more the same?  

It started with this …

McDonald’s created the golden arches and they sprung up all across America and the world.   Look at this map showing all of the McDonalds’ locations across the United States.

You can read all about this Here. 

McDonalds was successful at branding itself and its image.  It wasn’t long before others followed suit. 

Hotels popped up everywhere.

 

Outlet Malls or “Factory Outlets” became in vogue all across the U.S.  They were nothing more than themed strip centers but they have changed the face of our suburban landscape.

Auto parts stores grew like weeds side by side along our urban and suburban roads.

 

Perhaps worst of all – drugstores at every intersection.  They pollute our major intersections everywhere, putting parking lots and ugly architecture front and center at so many traffic intersections across the American landscape.

Now, we have Starbucks and other drive throughs…

 

Dunkin’ Donuts …

and Panera Bread.

New ‘mixed use’ Town Centers have recently begun their assent across the American landscape.   They have managed to combine all of these ‘upscale’ branded chains into centralized lovely “Main Street”-type settings, putting the pedestrian back on the sidewalks.

Mayfaire Town Center, Wilmington, NC

Bethesda Row, Bethesda, MD

Mercato, Naples, FL

Generally, they are large, well-designed and planned communities that combine mixed uses such as residential, commercial office space and retail shopping.   Parks, landscaping, and outdoor promenades are incorporated to tie it all together in an urban streetscape-type setting.  Hotels and corporate office buildings along with luxury townhomes and apartments and upscale “Charleston-style” single family residential neighborhoods are set in the surrounding areas.  They are all connected by tree-lined streets and sidewalks.   Large open, park-like gathering areas are mixed in to accommodate larger events such as boat shows and weekend concerts.

Finally, a setting where we are given the opportunity to live, work and recreate all within walking distance.  Maybe there is hope, at least to put Americans back on the sidewalks instead of in the car. 

However, I can’t help but lament all of this progress that has come at such great cost -- the loss of our regional sense of place or “genus loci.”  Everything looks the same.  How can we move forward and keep our unique regional spirit of place at the same time?  This is a great challenge for all designers.

A New Take on the Garden Bench

From Freshome, whimsical garden furniture.  Grow-your-own plants right on your very own bench or seat.

  

I wonder if they come complete with holes in the bottom for drainage?

How about bringing the garden to your very own concrete jungle with this bench?

Wood Garden Hanna Bench

Here’s a novel idea.   The Splinter Bench -- 2 chairs or 1 bench.  You choose.

For nautical lovers including Maya at Completely Coastal, a boat-shaped wood bench from David Trubridge.

David Trubridge

And a stunning Indoor/Outdoor bench from Acronym Designs. 

 

How about this sleek aluminum built-in?

My favorite is this striking organic wood bench from Diamond Teak.

Last but not least,  a modern take on timeless Adirondack chairs from Loll Designs.

 

Thoughts?

Oh look, it’s Friday!  You know what that means … it’s time to check out Hooked on Houses Blog Party.  See what others are hooked on this week.

Spotlight on Westover Landscape Design

Every now and then, it’s good to stop and admire some one else’s work.  Here is some work from Westover Landscape Design, a firm based in Westchester county, New York.

 Shanti Garden, Bronxville, NY

A Garden Path

 Slate-framed lawn

  Tarrytown, NY Terrace

 Townhouse Garden

 Westover on Hudson

I admire these spaces because of their simplicity.  I like their use of bluestone slate for the hardscaping and for the most part, their simple plant palette of grasses such as Hakoni grass and ferns, combined with shrubs such as hydrangea.  All provide a sense of unity and harmony.  The weeping habits are also restful providing for a feeling of tranquility.

 

Rock on

These beauties of nature …

 

are really pieces of Livingstones furniture.  Soft and comfy!

They are also made for use outdoors.

 

From the French company Smarin.

This week, I’m hooked on rocks.  To see what others are hooked on, visit Hooked on Houses for her Friday Blog Party.

Ode to the U.S. Open

The U.S. Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of each Tennis year, following the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon.  It occurs at summer’s end in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York on the grounds of what once was the 1939 and 1964 New York World’s Fairs.

 

1964 New York World’s Fair

The Unisphere became the universal symbol of the New York World’s Fair and it’s grounds.   It is still the centerpiece of the park!

 

The USTA National Tennis Center opened in 1978 after then USTA President W.E. “Slew” Hester spotted Louis Armstrong Stadium from the air while flying into nearby LaGuardia Airport. 

Today the grounds are known as Flushing Meadows – Corona Park.  The view from above shows how large the park is.  It includes Shea Stadium; the Billie Jean National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open; a zoo; science museum; marina; two lakes; skating rink; soccer pitches; and cricket fields.  Some would be surprised to learn that it is larger than Central Park.

 

In 1995, Arthur Ashe Stadium replaced Louis Armstrong Stadium as the largest venue on the grounds.  Designed by Rossetti Architects, it is also the largest tennis-only stadium in the world!

Arthur Ashe Stadium

On August 28, 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center was rededicated as the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  It is the largest and most prestigious facility of its kind to be named after a woman.

There are 22 tennis courts in the Billie Jean National Tennis Center and 11 more in the adjoining park.

Although the Billie Jean National Tennis Center is home of the U.S. Open, it is also open to the public for play 11 months out of the year.  The cost to the public is $16 an hour.  Each May, it also hosts the New York state high school tennis championships.

  Fountains outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium

Last year, 720,227 people attended the two week U.S. Open events.  It is crowded with sophisticated and sporty people.

 

I recently had the great fortune of attending the U.S. Open!  We were there last Saturday.  I was excited to see my tennis heroes in their New York colors!

I got to see my favorite player, Roger Federer beat Lleyton Hewitt.  Here he is on the big screen being interviewed after his win in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

And after a big serve on the courts!

I ALMOST got his autograph!!!

Here is Maria Sharapova warming up for her match against the young American, Melanie Oudin.  Oudin beat her!

And Andy Roddick hitting a big serve against John Isner, who went on to beat him!

Here’s Melanie Oudin in tears after beating her idol, Sharopova.

… and me at the biggest venue in tennis!

Congratulations to Kim Clijsters for winning this year’s US Open Women’s Singles title!  You know who I’ll be cheering for tomorrow night.  His initials are RF!

If you happen to be lucky enough to have a ticket for the men’s championship on Monday evening, check out these Ten Tips when visiting the U.S. Open.  You might find them helpful!