What a Tool
As a garden designer I love plants. That’s a given. But not too far behind my love of plants is a love of tools. Especially those that make my life easier. When I first started in this business over 15 years ago I did most everything the hard way. I slept well, due to exhaustion, but my back hurt, my knees ached, and my fingers tingled. As I have gotten older, and wiser, I have realized that tools can be a really good friend.
Read More»Yesterday Was The Perfect Day
Recently I headed in to Boston to put one of our roof gardens to bed for the winter. I had not seen my client in a few months and she greeted me at the door. She was very enthusiastic in her praise of the garden. Recently recovered from hip surgery, she remarked that the garden had been integral to her healing. She could not take the pain medications prescribed for her so the garden became her respite. We did not know when we installed it on a 95 degree day that it would become her exercise room. At that point we were looking for beauty, relaxation and a few edibles for cooking. Since her surgery it had also become a gym. Since the garden encompasses two decks she made a loop from one to the other and that became part of her recovery routine.
She was lavish with her praise and told me about all the wildlife she and her husband had enjoyed watching. Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and birds had made regular stops in her garden, which she also said helped her recovery. My client then proceeded to give me the most beautiful hand thrown mug with bees embossed on it saying she had thought of me as soon as she had seen it.
Read More»I Have a New Baby
Lest you think that miracles do happen I will say right away it’s not the human kind. My baby is a new car. Actually, it’s a new van. Actually it’s a new, used van.
Read More»Boston Roof Garden
Since a picture is worth a thousand words we’ll let these photos do the talking.
Just know that this was a new client in Boston who wanted a lush, “wild” garden that incorporated blues, purples and reds with a healthy dose of edible plants.
We used hydrangea Cityline ‘Rio’, caryopteris, nepeta and verbena bonariensis to bring in the purple pow. We contrasted the purple with rosa ‘Popcorn’. Added structure with boxwood and ornamental grasses and a punch of red with various annuals.
For the edibles we used many different herbs, as well as cucumbers, tomatoes and beans which climbed up the obelisk that we used as a design element to mimic the Old North Church.
We often joke with the client who says she has so many vegetables she could start a CSA in her condo building!
Of course installation was on the hottest day in May but with a great crew, it all got done!
Enjoy these photos of the transformation process:
Selah
In the Bible, the word is used many times in the Psalms. While authorities are not always sure of the meaning the consensus seems to be “to pause, to think, to reflect on what has been said/heard”. For me this has been a really Selah-less summer. I hope the Lord forgives me but I have been far too busy to pause and really think about what has happened every day. It is more a matter of making sure that bills are paid, kids are fed and no one goes to work in dirty clothes. This is clearly not the meaning of Selah. Did I pause when I peeled the clementine this morning to just enjoy its citrus-y fragrance? Did I think about how beautiful the light was through the woods as I made out my to-do list for tomorrow? Did I really reflect on my daughter’s words “I love you Mom” or merely think “Then you shouldn’t have left the dirty dishes in the sink?”
Life is fast, I get it. And apparently it is getting faster. Even my kids, who are MUCH younger than me remark on how quickly time flies. But if we don’t take time to pause and reflect why bother?
As if to confirm my thoughts the hammock broke.
Read More»Accessories in the Garden
I was recently going through some pictures and came across a bunch that I had taken a few years back when entering Fine Gardening Magazine’s Container Challenge. The magazine tasked entrants with creating a container garden using a unique “accessory.”
You can see from the pictures the, accessories I chose were quite varied.
Read More»Country Living Fair, Ohio – 2017
Yippee.
I have two great reasons to visit Ohio in September.
While the foliage is beautiful and the Amish food is to die for, it is neither of those. My daughter, Eliza, will be working in Akron for the year and I am going out to visit her and see her new apartment (insert clapping hands here). I am so proud of her and love to see her decorating style coming through.
Which brings me to the second reason I can’t wait to get to Ohio – The Country Living Fair in Columbus.
I’m super excited to be giving a presentation on Saturday at 1PM on the Main Stage
I am even more excited that Country Living Magazine will be streaming a portion of my presentation on Facebook Live at 11:30 am on Saturday, 9/16. Tune in!
Read More»
Blurred Vision
“When you have a chance can you give me a call about the window boxes?”
Not necessarily the kind of message you want to hear when returning to the office after a particularly long day. Immediately the ominous tone got my stomach churning. What I thought was a great day was suddenly turning into a not-so-great day.
The morning had started very early. Said client had window boxes on a very busy street and we needed to get in and out before there was lots of traffic and parking spaces were at a premium.
I always love to use unexpected and unusual plant material in my designs. And with this client I was particularly excited about the potential of a new color palette.
Country Living Fair, Rhinebeck, 2017 – Favorite Sights
Here are some of my favorite memories from the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck – June 2017.
Read More»Love For The Garden
Read More»Hello Deborah,
Thank you for the gorgeous container garden that you created for me at the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck.
I picked it up at the end of the day on Saturday and in the half hour that I was making my way back toward the parking lot with my daughter, so many people came up to me to say, “Wow— that’s so beautiful. Where did you get that?”The love for the garden continues now that it is sitting on my front porch; people walking by, as well as my neighbors, have commented on it.
Follow Us!