Landscape Components

Susanne Hudson recently styled this porch. Recognize the magical component?The lamp. Poppets, that jewel stays ON.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Susanne Hudson sent me this pic 2-3 weeks ago.

Hepcat

Finally, met a HEPCAT, below.
My right hand on his dropleaf table at Scott Antique Market this month, he anticipated my intent, before I finished my sentence, he had grabbed my right hand & lowered to his knees. Firmly guiding my hand (me clueless) to a screw. They were loose on purpose.
Bought the Hungarian chest & too cute watering can, above, before I met my HEPCAT.
HEPCAT knew loose screws would make it quicker to get the legs off the table.
HEPCAT wanted $175 for the table, (me- intense eye contact), then he said $145? I said, "You think about that price while I wander the booths & come back." "$100?" "Sold, will you keep the table while I wander?" He grabbed my hand, "Let's shake."

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There was something intensely USA-of-my-childhood, real, true, honest, earnest, delightful, a light behind his eyes, spiritual, joyful, peaceful, warm, intelligent, been thru the fire & came out a phoenix within HEPCAT.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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HEPCAT, George, was at the location inside the perimeter & selling his wares outside on the sidewalk at the end of the building. Poppets, you do realize what these acquisitions are for? My new conservatory!!!

Change Of Color: Last Month & This Month

7 am last Tuesday, below, crape myrtles coloring; spreading to the walls of my office & casting their russet glow on my skin. Same view from my office last month, below.

Last Tuesday again, below.

And the same chair from above, 2 months ago, below.

Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Poppets wish I had more time to shoot my garden, but there is this little thing called a Day Job. Thankfully it is creating more of these views. Ha, many of my clients say I Tara'ize them. They're right.

Choices For Happiness Even In A Rental

Chandelier Chick chose to put a roof over her patio & screen it in.No, materials aren't top of the line, as expected living in a rental home. With a sense of style Chandelier Chick
chose a White Theme.

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What her covered porch shows? Pure optimism. Choices in a life about HOW TO LIVE.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pics taken last Saturday at Chandelier Chick's home. You should have seen her interiors. She made a fabulous New Orleans (her hometown) brunch for us then we flew off to Scott Antique Market....... Another fabulous place to make a girl (boy too) happy.

How Women Share Their 'Man'

Chandelier Chick's home had a previous tenant who scavenged anything/everything. Her 'Man' cleared, put in a fence, a pond, & etc. Chandelier Chick told her 'Man'where she needed her path, & how to lay its pattern of bricks, salvaged on site. "I told him......", began many sentences while touring her garden last Saturday.
Her 'Man' is obviously good with his hands, & cheap. Pure catnip to women of a certain age.
Many of my Lady clients share a 'Man' in their neighborhood. And that 'Man' is spoken of OFTEN within their circle.

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'Man' is shared only with like-minded women, & never beyond their organically formed Harem. 'Man' is paid what the Harem decides, 'Man' shares the Harem's tools/equipment amongst the Harem, Harem members pass along 'Man's' newest skill set, because of course, all Harem members will need those skills at some point. If a Harem member has something unexpected and needs 'Man' in an emergency other Harem members delightfully relinquish their planned day with 'Man'. 'Man' knows "Yes, ma'am" is a heady elixir for his Harem.

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Trying to find your 'Man' is as difficult as getting on the circuit of a fabulous mobile pet groomer.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pics taken in Chandelier Chick's garden last Saturday. Top pic a centuries old garden.

Landscaping A Rental Home

Chandelier Chick, single with a fabulous career taking her across the continents, rents a tiny working-class ca. 1940's cottage, the last street of its kind in this section of Atlanta, enveloped by cluster mansions & located minutes from her job.At the terrace level by her back porch she sited a little garden & pond. White washed cinder blocks & the gravel? Yep, that's Chandelier Chick's touch, dancing in the Poverty Cycle with keen intellect.

Mornings with coffee, or evenings with wine, her bench,

pond, birds, plants, meadow, & views fill the spiritual well.

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Who wants to spend a lot of money on a rental house?

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pic taken last Saturday.

Choices

This oak tree made a choice.I am humbled.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pic taken in a friend's garden last Saturday.

Before & After: Copper

Before, below, trying to mimic copper.The shiny red penny didn't quite get it done.
A few brush strokes, and many fallen leaves later, below.
Voila, copper ! AKA, Sherwin-Williams, Best Bronze. Use it on gutters/downspouts too.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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In the garden, don't forget, your house is a focal point. Get the Tara'tude app, All Parts Perfect.

A House In The Garden

Research discovery; plenty of cheap garden structures, and the too expensive. I'm needing a house in the garden, on a steep slope, behind my client's ca. 1920 Tudor home.

Have settled upon a chinoiserie style roof & plenty of French doors. Need a front deck too. Don't want the switchback trail up the slope to enter from the front, want to enter from the side.
Received the first set of drawings, below, from my contractor last night. All he received from me were several pics & about 12' X 18' please.
His creativity in materials has exceeded expectation.

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Contractor & client have a phone appt. today about details. Pricing should be complete early next week. No, it won't be cheap. Goldilocks is hoping for 'just right'.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pics, top 2, via research (aka unknown) the past couple of weeks. Bottom 2 pics, via my contractor.

Southern Living Magazine: Clear Winner

When I design landscapes I must see pictures of gardens you like, and dislike.Women, men, widowed, single, divorced, all ages, starter home, mansion, city, country, heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, whatever, this garden is the clear winner.

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Yesterday's client, yep ! Saved this pic since its debut.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pic taken of Southern Living magazine photo at my jobsite yesterday.

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Why does this garden resonate? Good Design: canopy trees, understory trees, evergreen walls, groundcover flooring, layers of green (contrasting in texture/color), hi density & low density. Paths, seating, water, sky, intuitively low maintenance plantings.

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Do you know why hi & low density are potent? Pollinators............

Axis, Bench, Focal Point In Your Landscape

A note yesterday, "Should I buy a pair of these.....?" "Yes", in reply.$200 each. Don't know the name of the shop. Designed her Birmingham, AL landscape a year ago & know there is a perfect place.

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Where? TBD !!!!

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Why is To-Be-Determined so extraordinarily exciting, always, in a landscape? When, many parts of life To-Be-Determined contains a wariness, an acceptance, a sense of 'this too, shall pass'. (Trees are noble shedding their leaves. Enriched by what they shed. A metaphor to hang on to. Oh, no, I have to relearn it over-over.....)

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pic via Birmingham........ I'm partial to benches as focal points. You may never have time to sit on your bench but looking at a bench from inside your home gives the illusion of repose.

A Room With Purpose

Bunny Mellon has a room for her baskets, below.Biltmore Estate has a room for flower arranging.

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2 very good ideas.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pic via unknown.