Chosen Wisely

I am not sure the "whys and wheres" of this installation, but a stunning outdoor space just the same. The use of a few " indoor" pieces......chosen wisely.......always elevates a design to a higher level. 

Simplicity

ivy clad

"There is great satisfaction hidden within simplicity" A D Williams

jack wirtz

 Fernando Caruncho

After a month of maximal saturation, I am so looking forward  to embracing the intricacy of simplicity.

customhomeonline

paul bangay

Sometimes a restrained planting pallet is all that is needed to create the perfect setting.

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If you would like to add a more Classical feel to your garden please contact me for further information at mwhite841@verizon.net

Visions of Sugar Plums

image music for deep meditation

May all your dreams come true.

 A Very Merry Christmas to each and everyone.

If you would like to add a more Classical feel to your garden please contact me for further information at mwhite841@verizon.net

Mistletoe & Holly

image mis chestchest

" Oh by gosh by golly, it's time for Mistletoe & Holly". 

Ever wonder why both Mistletoe and Holly hold such importance during the Christmas season?  

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 Well the "short " on the mistletoe goes something like this. Because mistletoe is a semi-parasite, and grows on oak trees having no roots at first of its own, the Druids, ......yes it was revered way back when, .......felt it had magical powers and so would gather it during the mid winter solstice and hang it in doorways to ward off evil spirits. 

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It is also said that the goddess Frigga in an attempt to save her son, who had been killed by an arrow made of Mistletoe wood, wept over the plant and her son was saved...... Ah, a mother's love! ..... Frigga so grateful made the plant a symbol of love and had all the other gods kiss under it. Why today it is a symbol of peace and love, and why so many believe a kiss under it holds magical powers.

image mis vintage.es

As for the holly, the Druids, .......yes, those ever popular Druids again,....... considered holly sacred. Being evergreen as well as producing berries, it was a symbol of fertility as well as good luck,  and so  it's branches were cut and brought inside not only for luck but protection as well. The Romans believed Holly to be the sacred plant of Saturn and so during Saturnaila festivals gave wreaths of holly to adorn images of Saturn with it. 

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Over time like so many pagan rites and rituals they have been blended  and meshed into some of the most wonderful of holiday traditions we know today. 

Wishing you the very best of love under the mistletoe this season.

If you would like to add a more Classical feel to your garden please contact me for further information at mwhite841@verizon.net

Sawyer & Berson

Just another reason to love city life! Tucked away behind an Italianate brownstone in the West Village of Manhattan sits what is best described as a secret garden. Lush with shade loving plants, the garden is a testament to  what is possible with a very limited color & plant palette. If you look closely you will realize that the plants have been repeated over and over again with very little change. The main stay of the garden, Boxwood, Ivy and Hostas used throughout, help to create classic elegance in this tiny plot. A trellis and mirrored fence, as well as levels add to the illusion of space, and privacy.

Designed by the New York firm of Sawyer Berson, a interdisciplinary firm practicing architecture, landscape architecture and interior design. The firm works in a variety of styles from traditional to modern in both commercial as well as residential projects.

A Berry Merry Christmas

5th & state

With  holiday decorating well under way, most of us will still turn to the traditional red, green, & holly decor to liven up the season.
With a little help from Mother Nature I have gathered a sampling of what is possible once we step outside our  " Holly Berry " comfort zone. An array of colors, sizes and shapes are available for the snipping with just a simple walk on the wild side and pair of trusty clippers.
Snow,  Juniper,  Beauty and China Berries, to name a few, not only add the the landscape in winter but to holiday decor  as well. Who doesn't love a bit of natural, even if tucked amongst the not so natural.  

swimming up

5th & state

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snow moon

oldtownweath

5th & state

daisymaebelle

dictoma

yum diary

hortophile

plant ifas

essentials

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p allen smith

And The Winner Is

The winner of the Maria Killam of"Color Me Happy" Color Core Boards is Tawna Allred from Tawna Allred Interiors.
Thank you to all who left a message and became a member. I truly appreciate it.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:7

Happy Halloween

image via art&architecture

I couldn't help but share this whimsical entry gate with you today. If anyone knows the where's and why's please feel free to post.

I will be announcing the winner of  Maria Killam  from the "Color Me Happy" blog http://www.mariakillam.com/blog/   Color Boards later today. Thank you all for participating in the drawing

Enjoy the Day!

Autumn Image

                                              “L'automne est un deuxième ressort où                                                chaque feuille est une fleur.” 

                                                                                                                  ― Albert Camus

 An autumn garden by the California design firm of Deborah Carl Landscape Design

If you haven't already registered to be in the running for Maria Killam's Color Board Give Away it isn't too late. All that is needed is for you to be a  following member on my blog and leave a message. The Winner will be announced on Oct 31

Lane Goodkind & Santa Barbara

In the process of beginning a new e-design for a client, I came across the work of the Santa Barbara  landscape architect firm of Lane Goodkind. I was immediately taken by the simplicity and understated elegance of their designs.

 With a deep understanding of the natural area around them, as well as the use of plants and hardscapes indigenous to the area, they create not only sustainable landscapes but  seamless transitions from that which is man-made to that which nature has created. 

Goodkinds quote " Our work begins with the premise that careful stewardship of the landscape is vital to our physical and spiritual well-being." had me thinking.

 Shouldn't it be this way with all landscape design? Whether designing landscapes in the arid rocky South West  or the small fishing villages of the North East,  shouldn't it ultimately reflect it's surroundings ?

 A landscape designers first and foremost decision should be to identify the area around them taking into consideration not only the residence , but the neighborhood and the surrounding geography, using what is,  as opposed to creating something that never would have been. 

Only then can a design be created that will enhance and heighten and be " The Best of What it Could Be"

all photos via Lane Goodkind Landscape Architects

If you haven't already registered to be in the running for Maria Killam's Color Board Give Away it isn't too late. All that is needed is for you to be a  following member on my blog and leave a message. The Winner will be announced on Oct 31