12.31.2013
12.29.2013
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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12.24.2013
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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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
12.12.2013
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.
12.06.2013
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.