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? 
My trim had been white. (Blinds, above, are always open but lowered to prevent birds smashing.)
Antique iron gates, Egyptian, late-Victorian, arrived rusted with hints of Robin's egg blue. It became the color for all the iron in my garden, above.
This chair, above, arrived, from Wal-Mart circa 1990's, already stained. Ick.
Original stain finally wore away and I stained, above, the chair Saturday. You knew, of course, I do these chores myself? Then, as it dried on the patio the rains came.
Choices had to be made, above, painting this iron gate with wood post. Stain the wood, as all the wood is stained, faded green, or go with Robin's egg blue? After that, choosing the bird's color was easy.
Several are in my garden but Susanne had overdosed a theme.
Tuesday Morning was on the way home after making large scale copies for a client plan at Kinko's. Hadn't been inside for years.
They had a shelf of cloche's. Most, not all, were on sale.
I bought all on sale, 7. Most are etched, others plain and varied amongst 3 sizes.
County restrictions & certificate of occupancy played a role in the initial landscape. A dastardly lawn HAD to go in. Soon much of the lawn will be flowering shrubs, groundcovers, understory blooming trees, paths, rosemary, lavender & more wildflowers. 
SPO's first wildflower meadow, above.
Lawn now but just you wait, hydrangeas, azaleas, viburnum, mondo, jasmine, tea olive, cryptomeria, gardenia, camellia, forsythia, & etc...... 
SPO sourced most of the materials for the house. The working shutters are on all sides of the house. The living room, above, with 2 pair French doors leading to the back porch and, below, a door from the master bedroom to the back porch.
Well chosen downspout, below, it's round. The stones are faux. On site, from 3', you can't tell they are faux.
The kitchen, family room, master bedroom, upstairs office, & porch, below, overlook an amphitheater with a mature woodland backdrop. You would not believe the birdsong. 
Natural terracing, below, forms the amphitheatre. Faux stone tops the retaining walls.
Textured blocks, below, even cheaper than the faux stone, comprise the retaining walls. Not seen, why spend more?
A delight in the carriage house, the Cadillac. SPO & CAPE COD drive for pancakes each Saturday in the Caddy. Yes, I've asked them to stop by & pick me up some Saturday.
SPO adores cooking and found her kitchen online at Yestertec Kitchen Works. Simple, compact, functional and charming. 
The oven, below, is in the cabinet under the stove.
And the armoir, below, is not a pantry.
It's a cooking center, below. Delightful, just close the doors and it's a clean look.
In the library, below. Moving into this house they decided to forgo cable. And are loving the change in their lives. 
Between kitchen and living room, below, the desk. The house is one room deep in these rooms and full of natural light. And views, views, views. 
Keeping it small, below, SPO knew to go high with the living room ceiling.
SPO & I dreamed, before she moved in, about having a tea party on the back porch, below. Alas, dear ones, we were weak. Do you know how forsakenly hot/humid it was? 
My late friend/mentor/client/artist/rancher Mary Kistner instilled her mantra well, It's what we do with what we have.
Junk, glorious garden junk. Can you believe I do get rid of things...occasionally? 
Unexpectedly, delightfully, the garden bells clap in the wind. Do you think this looks like a pile of junk on the wall? That's fine. Each piece of junk has a backstory making me smile. One piece involves a police chopper, ooh-la-la. Another was found in England at Great Dixter. 
Not part of the 'landscaped' garden this outdoor kitchen has loads of character for little cost.
Repeating the arbor, below. Repetition is as important as simplicity in a landscape.
3 RULES FOR LANDSCAPES:What is the saying? Non-fiction is a true story, myths are stories that happen over & over & over.... Landscapes are myths, at least mine is to me. How else to explain the grace my garden exudes? Using the 3 rules: copy, simplicity, repetition will give you mythical grace in your landscape.
Setting up the blue/white CHAOS DISPLAY, below.
Intentionally design your landscape to create impromptu Still Life, above.
Went to my favorite junk shop to complete the blue/white collection last Friday. I would tell you where but the friend who shared the shop with me did so with a demand, Do not tell anyone about this shop.
Pic, above, is not styled. The box was awkwardly heavy & I set it on my patio table to begin arranging the Chaos Display. Magazine shoots are fine but I delight, especially, in good pics not styled. The impromptu of life creating still life.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
A couple of days ago Mr. Rabbit invited me to a tea party. Thru the years his arms have held fresh flowers cut from the garden or a dried hydrangea. 
Lawn, plants, stones, mulch, focal points, above, are hours old. HIPPIE CHICK wanted a landscape from the 1910's-1920's-1930's-1940's-1950's. 
Knowing to use rocks as jewelry, urr, low columns. HIPPIE CHICK loves rocks. 
Clothesline is new, custom made, based on memories. Rust color by choice. Tucked behind the new cottage.
Using what HIPPIE CHICK had on site. Her bench placed with the Tara Rule for focal points, Just Let It Touch. 
In my mind's eye there are 5 claw foot tubs under the tree. A small table, with dinner-wine, at each tub. I'm in one of the tubs & girlfriends are in the rest. 
We are talking-sharing-savoring: the tree, the art, night, fireflies, fragrance, sound of bats, each other, floating, comfort, nurturing, laughter, ideas, joys, lessening of sorrows, epiphanies, being silly, gathering strength, being tender, knowing we will leave the evening enriched-changed-more completely ourselves.
Last Friday I invited CLOWN to lunch. A stressful career explains her hobby donning a clown outfit and visiting local children's hospitals. She asked for a circus theme.
CLOWN has a swimming pool she uses in her backyard but she's not interacting with her landscape. CLOWN plays drums & clarinet too. Yet her personality and lifestyle aren't stamped into her landscape.
CLOWN commented about the 'drama' I bring to the smallest details. Laughing because she said it came out wrong. Meaning it is happy drama I've touched things with.
Tara Landscape Design Rule: Overdose on a Theme.
Cooking for CLOWN, a pleasure. Lemons, above, in the antique pitcher before heading outside to the compost pile. Wanting my compost pitcher to be as pretty as the Spode dishes on my table, the camellias blooming outside and more.
CLOWN did laugh at my happy little dramas. She got it. I can't wait to be invited to lunch in her circus themed landscape. When that invitation comes, and it will, I know CLOWN will be interacting with her landscape. Her home-garden-life, finally, together.
