Every lunch invitation was coveted.
Her long table staged with stems cut that morning from the garden, a beautiful book opened to exactly the right page for color/content, a textile she had woven set as collage upon the gorgeous wood, dishes & food arranged as jewels, silver-linen napkins-art more collage styling, menu seasonal & delicious, hiring an assistant to serve-clear-facilitate-disappear, music, conversation. Life affirming.
.
Afterward, a walk in the woods, into the open pastures, silences, more conversation, laughter. I hear her laughter now. See her sparkling eyes, white hair glinting greater than a crown. I feel the strength of our conversations, our silences.
.
She's gone, several years. Seeing this kitchen, above, brought her close again.
.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
.
.
Mary Kistner hired me to design the garden zone between formal at the home transitioning to the wild meadows, the wild woods. David Stevens, my contractor, installed our plan. He became part of our luncheons. Only 50 he died not long after Mary. They are both sprinkled upon Mary's property, known now as
Kistner Center, which was donated, in its entirety, to the
Georgia Piedmont Land Trust .
BAD doormats set me off. Disrespect. 
They date themselves.
At this angle, below, it doesn't matter the flowers are in plastic pots. They aren't visible.
At terrace level, below, there was a pond. I moved it. 
Dwarf mondo will be planted between the stones, matching the rest of the terrace.
Duck Foot ivy will be planted on the riser to the greenhouse, hiding the timber & adding lushness. (Lushosity?)
Preparing to carry desert & decaf to the Conservatory, above.
These are getting rattier by the day.
Doesn't matter, from the house they look fabulous, their rattiness doesn't show.
Tulips last longer when you keep them in your conservatory. 
Her long table staged with stems cut that morning from the garden, a beautiful book opened to exactly the right page for color/content, a textile she had woven set as collage upon the gorgeous wood, dishes & food arranged as jewels, silver-linen napkins-art more collage styling, menu seasonal & delicious, hiring an assistant to serve-clear-facilitate-disappear, music, conversation. Life affirming.
Contrasts on this new home are wicked good.
Curves, squares, arcs, circle, colors, wood, brick, glass, slopes, rectangles, peaks, valleys, flat, vertical.
Landscape Design is more than 'right plant-right place'.
a mortar & brick style of the past.
At terrace level bricks are flush with mortar. The rest of the bricks are slightly raised.
Instead of bringing the brick 'straight' to the curb I flared it slightly.
A common technique for painting on canvas; transition from wider to narrower for creating the illusion of greater depth.
Can you believe the timing of the shadow? Ugh!
I was in my early 20's when I first noticed, in House & Garden magazine, a front door Vanishing Threshold. 
SHIPMAN called from Buenos Aires last month, "Found you the perfect chandelier, want it?"
SHIPMAN dismantled the chandelier & packed it in a fruit crate for its trip home.
SHIPMAN brought a bottle of wine & 2 crystal glasses for the hanging & gossip fest.
SHIPMAN & I decided it must have summer shades & winter shades.
I'm on the prowl for those shades.
Yesterday, in my garden, several big projects. My guy suddenly standing in front of me, in my space, mirroring my body language. Not good.
