This may be old news, but I thought it was interesting enough to call attention to. Here’s something to chew on. Sculptor Tom Otterness was commissioned to design a private playground. In bronze. Tin Man playground.
Photos from the Tom Otterness Website
This is what I would call “functional” art in the landscape!
At 8:30 pm local time on Saturday, March 28, 2009 Earth Hour will commence. People all over the world will band together in unity by turning off their lights for one hour. The purpose is to “make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.”
Spread the word! Email your friends, family and associates and ask them to participate in this world-wide event. Ask your federal, state and local officials to do the same.
Lets stand together for one hour. Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm. Turn out. Take action.
My friend Ross in South Africa will participate. So will Christine in Kentucky. I will turn out my lights tonight at 8:30 pm. How about you? Will you join us?
To learn more about this important event, visit the Earth Hour website. To join the movement of global solidarity against global warming, go Here. Be the voice for our planet!
Are you making the most of your living environment? Outdoor living is becoming more in vogue these days. Outdoor spaces, like indoor ones, should be designed for how we live. If you live in a climate that is conducive to outdoor living, why not consider a courtyard space or outdoor room?
Why do something like this …
when you can have something like these:
Photo by Wayne Strydom Garden Design
The outdoor room or courtyard is enclosed by at least two or three walls. These walls can be man-made or they can be living, green walls.
The outdoor room or courtyard is considered a “concave” space. This is the kind of space that is the most comfortable space for people to experience. Psychologically, we feel protected and safe in this type of space.
These spaces can be small and intimate.
Or they can be large and open spaces.
Often, outdoor rooms will overlook or connect to other larger spaces.
Suzman & Cole Design Associates
Always, outdoor rooms and courtyards are connected to the sky above.
These spaces can be achieved quite easily with a little foresight and planning. Why is it that so often we spend so much time planning the design of our homes, and fail to consider the design of our outdoor spaces?
Is it a courtyard or an outdoor room? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that these spaces, like indoor spaces, are well thought out and planned for how we live. What makes them so special is that they are designed for outdoor living and/or entertaining!
Photo and Design by Philip Nixon Design
How do you live outdoors? Is your outdoor space an afterthought or your favorite place to be?
To see what others are into this week, stop by Hooked on Houses, Fifi Flowers Design Decor or The Inspired Room.
Here is some work by my friend and classmate Richard Hartlage who works with AHBL in Seattle. Richard is a very talented plantsman and designer! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
houzz.com
… and some more views of the same property.
To see more of Richard’s work, visit ahbl.
Along with the robin,
Nothing says “Spring is Here” quite like the Narcissus or daffodil!
As a garden designer, one of my foremost goals is to create a garden where plants bloom 12 months out of the year. I am also very fond of garden dynamics. This occurs when the look and feel of a garden changes from season to season. In order to achieve this effect, one must use plants that ebb and flow through different seasons of the year. Obviously, a knowledge of plant bloom times in your area is a must.
Also, the use of flowering bulbs can help you achieve this effect. Every garden design I create includes flower bulbs and they always include daffodils! These bulbs are among the toughest and most reliable plants I know.
There is nothing more beautiful to me, than to see naturalized daffodils in Spring.
There are all sorts of wonderful varieties out there. Some of my favorite sources for daffodils are Dutch Gardens and White Flower Farm.
When I plant daffodils in the residential landscape, I always put them in a bed of liriope such as this.
Or this …
Imagine that beautiful bed of liriope transformed each Spring by the color yellow. It could be sensational!
In this way, the daffodils come up each Spring and completely change the appearance of the bed without compromising the integrity of the design. The foliage of the daffodils and the liriope is similar in size, shape, color and form. Year round, you have a lovely evergreen bed of liriope until the Spring when suddenly, the yellow daffodils transform it into a mass of yellow. Stunning!
Another good reason for daffodils is the fact that deer won’t touch them. They are tried and true deer-resistant plants and require little to no maintenance. Now, that’s my kind of plant!
Daffodils should be planted in the garden in Fall. They should be planted in full sun to part shade in well drained soil. The soil should be amended with compost or another organic material and bone meal at the time of planting. Watch this P. Allen Smith Video to learn more about how to plant daffodils.
To learn more about daffodils in general, visit the American Daffodil Society.
Happy Spring!
Your entrance says a lot about you. It is the first thing that the eye should see when viewing a property.
Visitors should not have to guess where the entrance is or how to find it! It should be obvious.
Plants and paving should compliment the architecture of the house and be pleasing to the eye.
Entrance plantings should be bright enough or interesting enough to catch the eye. DO use bright colors to catch the eye!
If the entrance is not a front entrance, than plants and hardscape should reinforce the message “enter here” or “come this way.”
The journey from street to front door is experiential. There should be a nice progression of space or spaces leading to an entrance that is pleasing to experience.
Plants and paving should always work together to lead the way to the entry.
Your entrance is often one of the first things your visitors will see of your house. What does yours say about you? Is your entrance appealing and welcoming? Or not?
This week, I’m hooked on well-designed entrances! To see what others are hooked on, visit Hooked on Houses. Have a great weekend!
