BATHROOM INSPIRATION

I spent the night with PINK last week. Recently back from Russia she had stories & pics. They began with wine outside on her terrace by the pond. PINK served Greek salad and marinated, grilled chicken. Recipes she garnered in Greece. Then we lay in bed with her laptop and pictures. I may never get to Russia, I'm truly the strange person liking anothers travel pics. PINK's tiny redecorated bathroom inspired me the next morning. Why?

PINK's shower curtain fabric, found at Forsyth Fabrics. Oh my.

Can you believe these Tool Bouquets? Tools were already laying on my breakfast table, for days, playing with mental arrangements.

In PINK's bathroom, above. Great book title.

PINK's tiny bath lives big with a view of the terrace where we dined. Her boyfriend recently spent hours in her garden. Haven't met him yet but I know he cares for her greatly to have done such hard labor. Oh, and the sexy shoes he buys her. We didn't talk only of Russia. Boyfriend talk was delicious too. But another type of blog entirely.

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Today, after I walk around Stone Mountain, I'll start my Tool Bouquet, inspired by Norman Kent Johnson (landscape architect extraordinaire) & Pink's shower curtain. Then work in my garden. Life is good.

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Hope your Sunday is fabulous too.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

HYDRANGEAS AT MY TOES

At the end of the day Tuesday, quilt & pillow were placed on wicker swing, the arbor ceiling fan turned on and I reclined with magazines. I felt the freedom of floating in water. With beauty at my toes. Hydrangea 'Penny Mac' from Penny herself. These were Penny's Presbyterian hydrangeas. Given when she downsized her garden. Wickedly, she embarrassed my friend, BIG BILL, who helped dig/transplant that winter day. Penny, aged 76, leaned into BIG BILL's arm and said, I bet you've got lots of women. Quickly redder than a radish, BIG BILL, a wise man, kept digging. But with a smile.

I'm a woman with a gorgeous dirty cloche, I like that literally & metaphorically. Gray Gardens is quite appealing. The monkeys are dressed for Penny's blossoms. I dallied on the swing twice last year, once the year before. Ridiculous. Will try to do it once a week.

The Lutyen's bench here too. Needing stain, to match the other teak. Can't simply bask must eyeball something to do.

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And the magazines? What a bore compared to what was at my toes.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

GROW A ROOM

Why build an arbor room in the garden when all it takes is 8 trees? I would choose more comfortable furniture.
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Easy to do this with 6' trees. Perhaps fruit trees, or redbuds, from Wal-Mart when they go on sale? Sooooooo much cheaper than building a wooden structure, which will never bloom. Flagstone terrace, comfy furniture and DONE.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Another pic I took last January while lecturing in England.

ADORE CHIAROSCURO IN YOUR LANDSCAPE?

Chiaroscuro is the few rare moments of pure black & white. Chiaroscuro doesn't arrive every day, sometimes it lasts 8 seconds sometimes 17 seconds.
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Does anyone else do this? Keen for those moments of Chiaroscuro in their landscape?
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In my garden chiaroscuro is usually in the morning. Above, taken late during an English winter afternoon, about 4pm.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

FIGHTING MOSS IN A SHADY LAWN?

Keep the moss and ditch the grass. Simple yet potent design.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

WHY IS THIS PATIO SENSUOUS?

Oh, the sensuousity of each element. Why didn't I think to measure the table? Get its specs. This tiny spot accomplishes, even in a winter pic, what most large patios do not. An invitation to repose, take time, read, have lunch, dinner, a glass of wine or simply enjoy as a still life. Have you already heard the gravel crunching underfoot as you approach? Marvel at the wisdom of keeping the moss? Can you smell the gravel & moss; the morning dew on the tabletop? Can you hear the metal chair upon the gravel as you sit down? Have your fingertips felt the bricks, lichens & moss on top of the table? Did you peak under the tabletop to discover how it was made?
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I took this pic last January, while lecturing in England, at Wisley the Royal Horticultural Society headquarters outside of London.
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As perfect as it is I must Tara'ize it somewhat by adding arms to those chairs. Done.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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