Dogs in the Landscape

Come inside, below, to see adorable signs of a dog.

Our landscapes are stories of ourselves.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pics taken a couple of weekends ago at Susanne Hudson's garden, she has adorable Jack Russells.

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When I design a landscape I'm hired to tell the right story. Perhaps the landscape story belongs to a previous owner. Or the story from a past chapter of my client's life.

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What story is your landscape telling? Is it your story?

Landscape Design: Pollinators

Vanishing Threshold increases pollinator habitat. 1 in 3 mouthfuls of food are the result of insect pollination.
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Circa 1996, the USDA wrote, "...impending pollination crisis."
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Ha, not in my garden!! Why? Mix of plants, mix of heights, mix of density, ponds, composting, no chemicals, no fertilizer, . Everything pollinators need.
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Major cause of pollinator decline? Loss of habitat. Subdivisions across USA with traditional lawn/foundation plantings & their maintenance. Not opinion, scientific fact.
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Testosterone On Wheels Landscaping vs. Matriarchal Landscaping.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Huge topic, more info at POLLINATOR.org

Jackie Kennedy & Martina Navratilova

COLONNADE has a new home, below, 10 acres, 3 children & is new to gardening. Asked what she liked, COLONNADE produced pics & ideas of Rosemary Verey's. COLONNADE is an intuitively wise gardener. Verey was one of the greats.

COLONNADE, a Jackie Kennedy/Martina Navratilova combo, acquired 3 brothers to help with the gardening.

3 baby goats, above, nibbled my clothes as I designed.

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Channeling Rosemary Verey is a delight but most importantly I'm an advocate of COLONNADE's time. COLONNADE will be the one on the tractor, riding mower & etc. She's sourcing equipment now.

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Young children are the focal point and her landscape must be pleasure not stress.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pics taken last week. Did you know baby goats have soft fur? And they want lots of petting & attention. Their little voices sweet.

Frames in the Landscape

A bit small for framing, below, in person. But with

your camera this armillary sundial

is an interesting frame in the landscape.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Shots taken recently in Susanne Hudson's garden. Hydrangeas, bottom pic. A friend visiting my garden last week saw my armillary sundial laying unused on the potting table. She suggested I use it as a chandelier for the new conservatory. Hmm, delightful !

Garden Overlook

Taken years ago, below, in England. Who wouldn't want their desk overlooking the garden? Amazing, lovely, delightful (hearing Cole Porter yet?) when life conspires to, indeed, give you one of your desires. Unbidden.
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I forgot about this pic; stumbling upon it only last week.
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Must get the azaleas pruned to show you my desk-with-garden-overlook. Why tell you about it now, without the pic? Because, dahlings, it's the ANTICIPATION.
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These little excitements of anticipation in the garden are a sweetness of life.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

Lucy

Today my friend and contractor will put down his beloved Lucy. He kept me informed, over a decade ago, as he looked for a breeder.

He had just moved into his historic Crafstman bungalow near Zoo Atlanta. "Will Lucy sleep in your bed?", I asked. "Never." Ha, you know where she slept from the beginning.

Whether Lucy was on the job, having play dates with friends, or romping at Carter Center I could count on pictures of Lucy arriving in my inbox.

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He and Lucy partnered to create a beautiful garden around their Craftsman bungalow.

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Within that garden, in their home, Lucy & James will say goodbye.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Pic taken in Susanne Hudson's garden. Gardens & pets are inseparable. Not surprising I've been asked to landscape design many pet burial grounds.

A Favorite Landscape Book

5 bookcases line the walls of my office. One of my favorite books, below, Garden Magic by Roy Biles.
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Several editions of this book are on my shelves; of my top 10 go-t0 books this is one.
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Seeing it displayed in Susanne Hudson's conservatory, above, made me smile in complete understanding.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Pic taken last Sunday.

Draperies in the Landscape

Last Sunday, below. Considered draperies for your landscape?
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Took the pic in Susanne Hudson's garden.

The Sacred & Profane of the Best Landscapes

The best landscapes have elements, below, of the Sacred

and elements, below, of the Profane.

Landscape design is about contrasts.

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The Sacred & the Profane. Got both?

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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(Big leaves with small leaves, blue foliage next to burgundy foliage, pyramid forms next to horizontal forms, blowsy hydrangeas bursting over neat green hedging, spikey flowers by round flowers, & etc.)

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Top pic taken last week at Stone Mountain Park, bottom pic England.

A Landscape Design

Think this is unkempt? A landscape design, above, an illusion of country. Nature. Not one leaf is unconsidered. The dirt path? Part of the landscape design.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Took pic in England.
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Living with a manicured lawn yet love the garden above? Yes? Life is too short not to have a garden nurturing your spirit.

Decorating Your Conservatory

Susanne Hudson used windows from the dump, 2" X 4" 's, opaque corrugated roofing panels, old doors, & #89 granite gravel, below, to create her conservatory. Inside, plenty of seating, lighting, & art.

Tables, cushions,

fabrics & collections.

A color palet. A few plants too.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Can't wait to begin building my conservatory. Hunting/gathering now. Dahlings, there's zero budget for this. Adore the challenge. Getting what I want at MY price point. Soon I'll be: hammering, shoveling gravel, painting, then, ta-da, decorating my conservatory.

Outside & Inside A Hedge

Standing in the street, below, at my front gate this morning. Inside the hedge, below, is my Bay Terrace.

Oakleaf Hydrangea blossoms unfurling, below, in the Bay Terrace.

The subtlety of my rule "Just Let It Touch", blossoms caressing, below, the adirondack chair.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas espaliered, below, at the bay window. Learned this trick in Italy at Lake Maggiori.

Did my garden make you curious about seeing, below, inside?

My go-to spot, above, for working on projects, lunch, dinner with a girlfriend.

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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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Bottom pic taken weeks ago, rest of the pics taken less than 15 minutes ago.

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Love English hedgerows and copied. Mine: dwarf abelia, climbing rose 'Dortmund', hydrangeas, boxwood, palm, rosemary, lavender, liriope, clematis, hollyhocks.

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Breakfast yesterday morning, in my gown, sitting in the adirondack chair caressed with oakleaf hydrangea blossoms. Neighbors in my tiny subdivision, surrounding my tiny property, well hidden behind my hedge.

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The antique gateleg table had been in my office for a decade until last January. I hired Susanne Hudson to choose paint colors, somehow, ALL my furniture moved !