LANDSCAPE: LEARNING FROM MR. JIM'S FLOWER PLAN

Acres of scale in this garden, below. Look closely for the house, it's set, just left of center in the picture, far beyond the rose arbor. It doesn't matter if you're living in a cluster home or acreage.
Landscape design principles are the same for 200 acres or .25 acre. Above, canopy & understory trees, contrasting foliage textures (big leaves next to small leaves), formal contrasting with informal, full sun contrasting with full shade, focal point (the house), contrasting colors (greens, burgundy, flowers, trunks, sky). All elements of good landscapes, whether small or large.

MR. JIM has lived in his home & garden, above pics, over 30 years. He's owner of Gibbs Landscape and guess what he still does? Wow. I was shocked and it put a smile on my face to see that MR. JIM still draws a pencil/paper plan of the new season of annuals to be planted.

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This small act, drawing a plan for his annuals, shows much about the man. More than his successful business, beautiful garden & elegant home. A serendipitous life lesson observing a flower plan WHILE IN USE.

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Garden & Be Well, XO T

COPYING & MAKING IT NEW IN THE LANDSCAPE

A century old, at least, I copied it in my landscape. Outside. (Thank you Pigtown*Design, it was your idea.) And I don't like to collect things nor stray from simplicity. So why am I enjoying this blue/white Chaos Display?
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Maybe I'll keep it for a month or years. Doesn't matter, I'm enjoying it now. 3 RULES FOR LANDSCAPES:

COPY + SIMPLICITY + REPETITION
No matter how many times it's been done before, if it's beautiful elsewhere it will be beautiful & unique in your landscape.

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

TEA PARTY IN THE LANDSCAPE

Mr. Rabbit came from Tuesday Morning about a decade ago and has been in my landscape ever since. Who wants to maintain potted flowers or replenish them twice/year? 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.

Not many men carry a tail as well as Mr. Rabbit. I adore subtle details.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

BEGIN LANDSCAPE WITH ITS END

Studying old landscapes abroad it's obvious what survives. Trees. Tree design: canopy, understory, weeping, horizontal, pyramidal, evergreen, deciduous, conifer, variegated, burgundy, green, waxy, pubescent, peeling bark, colorful bark, single trunk, multi-trunk, spring bloom, summer bloom, fall bloom, fall foliage, fragrant, butterfly host, bird host, shade house, buffer winter winds, increase property value.
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I took the pic above about 2 weeks ago in North Georgia in MR. JIM'S garden. He's hired me to write about his garden. It will open to the public in 2 years and I want you to start planning your trip.
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For now, what about the trees in your landscape?
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

DESIRE FOR LANDSCAPE LIGHT

Designing landscapes to light interiors came later. Not in college, or studies abroad. Simply living. Realizing garden light throughout any day, any weather became necessary to serenity. Adoring how the light of sunny days, rainy days, sunrise, humid late afternoons, fall sunsets, and 100's more configurations touch my furniture, art, books, cats and me. Natural morning light, no camera flash, above. Thought you would like to peep inside my home.

Afternoon light streaming into my office landing on Laskett.

Petunia in my office by lamplight before a winter's sunrise. I adore the transition from dark to dawn to sunrise to daylight. Dark, when lamps are on in the morning knowing, soon, my garden will awaken around me.

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Some days seeing the landscape, from inside, as chiaroscuro. Walking outside in my gown during those few seconds of magic. Being greedy, wanting a magical gloaming on the same day.

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Nobody tells you these things about a landscape. They imbue you with a desire for its light.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

LANDSCAPE INSPIRATION FROM AN INTERIOR DESIGN BLOG

Chaos of blue/white makes me smile. Seen at PIGTOWN DESIGN it was a blog header for AN AESTHETES LAMENT. Where does inspiration come from? I saw museum quality blue/white in a similar chaos display at Chatsworth in England. Oh my, is 'Chaos Display' a new design trick? Without inspiration.

It may take a few weeks but I'm field gathering blue/white china now. I'll place it on this patio table. It was originally a sofa table. My frogs will be on the move. Don't know where yet. But it will be fabulous, where ever they land.

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Is any of this important? YES. Why? It makes me smile.

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What makes you smile in your garden?

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

DESIGNING A SMALL PATIO: SHOPPING

SAY SAB likes pink and everything traditional. Her tiny walled patio is hot, humid, buggy and viewed often thru the windows of her office and kitchen. Two years with nothing I forced her, last week while in TEXAS, to start the patio. Should I tell you SAY SAB is my big sister?
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Time wasn't on our side to shop & she didn't want to spend much money on a patio to be viewed more than used.
Art, above, for the brick wall from TJMaxx $30.

Large urn, a composite, above, Target $70. Only 1, I wanted her to get a pair. Oleander will be planted.

White marble table, $60 TJMaxx, looks old adding instant character.

A pair, $12 ea. TJMaxx, medallions to go on the brick wall above a pair of windows.

At the door, Target $30. From their Smith & Hawkin line.

Metal art, from Ross $20, to go over a yet to be bought table.

Pair of cast aluminum chairs, Lowe's $98 each, with good curves, traditional style, and most importantly, comfortable.

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Look at the concrete. Ugh. We will stain it a gray field stone color.

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This is the pace of REALITY SMALL PATIO DESIGN. Magazines & TV create illusions of great speed. Ha. I'll keep you posted on this project. I doubt it will see much change unless I'm in TEXAS with SAY SAB.

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In a perfect world we would shop consignment, thrift and garage/estate sales too. And wait for sales. Instead, SAY SAB already waited 2 years and I was only with her 2 days. A determined 2 days.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

LANDSCAPE & INTERIOR DESIGN

Good landscape design flows from the center of the home to the property line. Landscapes, too often, begin at the curb looking into the home. Why be an outsider to your own life? Go inside your life, begin your landscape there.
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On Mother's Day, SHE shared her home, cooking, family, garden & time with me. Can you tell she likes white flowers in her landscape? Want to see the landscape SHE asked me to design? Of course you do. But not yet, the portico is being put on next month.
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Where does your landscape begin?
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

CLEAN DESIGN: LINE, TEXTURE, FORM, COLOR

See why I chose to stay with my hosts last week in Birmingham? Could a hotel compare? This is the view as I drove into their driveway.
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What is the view pulling into your driveway? In a subdivision.
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Houses are everywhere here. Below, I'm standing in the garage shooting the same border + lawn.

View, below, from the neighborhood sidewalk.

Design elements are met, below.

Trees contrast form: cone & oval, canopy & understory. Clean line of turf: dramatic frisson turf + bed. Colors: contrasting shades of green + flowers. Textures: large leaves next to small leaves. Contrasts: calm of turf + energy of plantings

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It's no surprise professional photographer, Joe De Sciose, designed this landscape. Color, line, form, texture are all components of his day job. Joe & his wife Gail planted, and maintain their own landscape.

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Their joy is evident.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

DECADENCE ON THE LAWN

Masterpiece Theatre, decades ago, had Miss Marple. The English settings were incredibly decadent. Furnishings on the lawn. Tea on the lawn. A notion inextricably appealing.
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Oakleaf hydrangea are peaking now at Aldridge Gardens, above, in Hoover, AL. Their hydrangea festival was last week. After I finished lecturing box lunches were served in the garden.
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Why share this ridiculous notion? Without direct effort my life has included countless repasts in the garden for decades, at home, with friends, clients & lecture venues.
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What began as an infatuation has, indeed, become a way of life.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

GARDEN WALKABOUT IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

My hosts in Birmingham produced a proper custom garden walkabout. It began in the English Village area on Cahaba Road at Continental Bakery. Of course I had a scone, orange cranberry. We lolled about in conversation & laughter before heading out on foot in search of enticing gardens. Less than a mile away we found our quarry.

This little garden, literally, 2' wide, and about 45' long.

Crunchy gravel, lovely understated pots, lots of serene green, touches of chaos, touches of order. Big dose of tasty aged architecture. Can you believe this is Birmingham, ALABAMA and not Birmingham, ENGLAND?

THE Norman Kent Johnson, landscape architect, bought a falling down shed 2 decades ago and created this Norman delight. Notice thru the window, above, the house is 1 room deep. It has only 1 bedroom (upstairs).

Yesterday I forgot to mention, rub tools with boiled linseed oil if you want to copy Norman's idea. Don't worry it comes boiled. You don't need to do it.

To the left of the front door a most civilized welcome. Don't you want to go inside?

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: NORMAN KENT JOHNSON

He had me faster than hello. Shooting his spray of tools & 2' strip of landscape I was in SERIOUS CRUSH.
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Do you know what talent it takes to create a landscape with NOTHING? And he did! He saw me shooting & came outside. NORMAN KENT JOHNSON, yes the norman kent johnson, talked with me outside his charming cottage for over an hour.

Met him while meandering the streets of Birmingham, AL where I lectured yesterday.

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No time this morning. Will give you more about NORMAN KENT JOHNSON tomorrow. But wanted to get you his SPRAY OF TOOLS. Fabulous, yes?

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara