FRONT PORCH IN A SUBDIVISION, FAST

Rare people implement landscape design quickly. What is quick? One year is a blink of the eye in the landscape realm. Jeri Farmer, retired marketing guru, moved in a year ago. In retirement? She owns, Le Jardin Blanc, with Susanne Hudson.

Jeri is hooked on white. With some blue. Susanne designed Jeri's garden overdosing Jeri's theme.

Jeri did something shocking. She implemented the plan, without wavering. And in a year has a garden life.

Landscapes, like people, are more defined by what they say no to.

"Men come to build sooner than to garden finely as if gardening were the greater art." Alexander Pope 17th century
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

HEDGE ENTRY + ENFILADE

How's this, below, for a holly hedge? (Note, proper pruning, top slightly narrower than bottom.)Mystery, backdrop, entry, evergreen, drought tolerant, bug proof. Hitching posts are all antique. Now you see, below, what the hedge is embracing. Does it matter, anymore, the parking court is a mere 4' from the pool decking?

A fabulous ENFILADE, above.

Leading to another ENFILADE, above.

You like?

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This private garden is in Douglasville, GA where it, and the home's interior, are under the guidance of designer Susanne Hudson.

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Shooting this garden with its owner & Susanne was an incredible hour of power. You'll be seeing more of it.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

STREET VISIT WITH A CLIENT LANDSCAPE

SHIPMEN invited me to a picnic yesterday. Thought you would like a few street views of their landscape. Path & perennial border, below, led them to hire me. Years ago.Don't you love this hint of entry, below, luring you further? SHIPMEN purchased their neighbor's backyard and extended their garden beyond the entry, above. A few steps further, below, and you see their gate.

A few steps more, below, and you realize the entry is an ENFILADE.Entering the gate, above, but before arriving at the 2nd gate, welcoming urns of geraniums. Notice the lattice walls, below, painted black. Perfect.

Sneaking thru their garden, because I could, and I knew you would want to peak into their conservatory, below. A hint of one FETISH.

SHIPMEN adore antique chandeliers. They're shipped home from across the globe.SHIPMEN use their conservatory for dining & plant propagation. It's not for show.


Leaving thru the same gate, above. These were only street views. Tempted to see more?

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

THIS WAS A RANCH?

SURFER CHICK & TENNIS bought a dystopian ranch. Then hired architect John Knight . Do you see any hint of the ranch? It's still there, all of it.

SURFER CHICK & TENNIS liked my idea of French doors off the dining room, above. Creating a magic circle.

After the landscape design was complete TENNIS said he wanted a level frontyard.
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Hence the stone wall, above.

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Plantings are not yet a year old. A true dwarf loropetalum 'Purple Pixie', above, will soon soften the wall. Along with gardenias, variegated pittosporum, hydrangea, Southern Indica azaleas, & perennials.

Stone for the wall copies what John Knight chose for the house.

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Repetition & copy are 2 landscape design tools.

The new landscape is redolent of another era, 1930's, using pass along plant favorites.

John's details are fabulous, above, round copper downspouts, and a slight pitch to the shingle siding where it meets the brick.

Entry to the garden from the street, on axis from the front door, creates an enfilade. Adding depth, warmth, welcome, focal point, movement.

Thru the black-eyed Susan's, above. Pairs of gardenia are used at the front entry near the curb and at the front porch.

Last Friday I was on site to draw the backyard landscape.

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I've added another pair of French doors to the left of those above. And 2 new arbors. One extending from the screened porch and the other directly opposite. Ceiling fans on the arbors, cozy seating with Adirondack chairs and a harvest table with chairs.

Potting table & gravel terrace (#89 granite gravel) will be added in front of the back wall, above, with the oval window. Camellia sasanqua hedging will embrace the gravel terrace.

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The upper lawn, above, will keep it's tapestry hedge of azalea, ligustrum, liriope, camellia. I've added several oakleaf hydangea and a new sitting area.

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The front door has an enfilade thru the French doors, patio & lawn, above. A bench has been placed on axis with it in the plan.

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And I'm feeling negligent I didn't get a picture of the plan for you.

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I'll ask SURFER CHICK to send a picture of the plan AND a picture of their original ranch.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

BIRTHDAY PICNIC IN THE EVENING GARDEN

He said, It's late but please come to LOLA's birthday picnic. Bring something healthy for about 15. I met LOLA last month lecturing for the Extension Service. Instant GIRL CRUSH.LOLA was growing TARA TURF before we met! Historically correct for her older home. A mix of fescue-moss-clover-what the wind blows in. Never needs water, fertilizer or chemicals. Honeybees love it.

LOLA chose the paint for her bricks and created her own interiors. How to get you the fragrance of this magnolia?

Vanishing Threshold, above, dictates views into a window are pretty in both directions. No backsides of pictures, clocks, or TV.

Do you like still life's too?

About here, above, I thought to myself, This is probably rude leaving the party to wander & take pics without asking. Ha, did I stop?

I knew LOLA wouldn't have paper plates. Or paper napkins.

Gazpacho in the pitcher, Mario Bitalli asparagus (sauteed with garlic/parsley/citrus), fruit salad, cucumber salad, field pea salad.... Wine & beer & tea were in the copper farmhouse sink cradled in ice.

Set into a slight hill the house is crowned with a hardwood canopy of oaks. Captured light, above.

Vanishing Threshold, house & garden, each a seduction of comfort.

LOLA added French doors.

The back garden has 3 terraces.

LOLA really nailed her pot clusters, above. She overdosed, with 3!

Standing at the French doors looking into the garden. A designer planned the garden; contractors put in the stone. LOLA and darling TOM are doing the plantings & maintenance. Exactly the hand-heart-eye a paid maintenance crew cannot provide. The word for it? Charm.

What is a house & garden without a Queen? CHESSIE was in control. She also sweetly gave away a personal tidbit. She's a Daddy's Girl.

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LOLA & TOM live from the center of their home to the property line. And that darlings is Vanishing Threshold.

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Stop here if you don't partake of good gossip.

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LOLA & TOM were married last year in Italy. LOLA invited her 2 best friends. And that is how darling TOM honeymooned with 3 women at a villa in Italy.

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You bet I'll keep up with this interesting crew.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

SUSANNE HUDSON'S FRONT PORCH

Framed by 2 magnolias, Susanne Hudson's front porch is a masters class of design. Susanne created the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival honoring 2 loves, a plant & a friend.

In her town, Douglasville, GA, Susanne is proof, Build it & they will come.

Susanne asked me to speak to her garden club last year. That venue was her wildly successful wedding & events business, Le Jardin Blanc.

This year I spoke at the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival. It was last Saturday.

Trams shuttled visitors to speaking venues, tented vendors & open gardens.

After speaking it became pure garden fantasy. Seeing Susanne's garden.

Her front porch took 1/2 hour.

Her home is on the historic register.

Green, brown & white are Susanne's favorite colors to use in the garden.

Oh my, the timelessness of Susanne's design.

She creates realms of calm repose. Simply.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara