Chinoiserie Coop, Repurposed Materials

They wanted chickens, I suggested their small unused covered patio.

Old windows, door & lumber were reclaimed from a century old cabin at Lake Burton, GA.

Chicken wire, hinges, a few 2 x 4's were the only new materials.

Once the new wood is cured the entire Chinoiserie chicken coop will be stained BM-Alexandria Beige.
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Their garden is tiny Alexandria beige will make the coop recede.

Th girls fighting for grapes is greater drama than any football match.

Nesting boxes were repurposed from the same cabin.

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These 8 heirloom girls hatched 1st week of April & produce about 7 eggs/day. 

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Amazing how many clients have chickens.  Adore watching them walk, hear their noises, see cliches come true.

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Garden & Be Well,      XO Tara

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Bidding a job last month My Guy suggested they repurpose the child's swing-set fort as a chicken coop.  Love it when my team shines past me with creativity.  

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Girls are safe in their coop & run from hawks, dogs, cats.

How To Choose A Window Box

In addition to length & width properly scaled.....

A window box must be so fabulous it can remain empty.
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Give yourself this choice.  Window boxes are high maintenance.
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You will need it.  Guaranteed.
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Garden & Be Well,     XO Tara
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Of course no one reading this blog EVER puts fake flowers in their window box.  Good window boxes are hard to find in stores.  Pic via Egypt Gift Shops

Gardens & Junk

                                            30 years of appointments across Atlanta metro area.

Consistently stopping at thrift, junk & antique stores on the way home.  Who knew cable TV would create  shows about my lifestyle.  Except my lifestyle is BETTER.  It's Gardens & Junk.   

Yesterday was a particularly good haul, because,

the prices were in the realm of fantasy.  Sold.
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Remember, 'A penny saved is a plant bought.'
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Have 7 boxwoods on order, delivery today, from North Carolina, 3' x 3' B&B.  Didn't go larger because I want granite cobblestones in a square at each of the boxwood.  This choice hurt.  The bigger boxwoods were a stunning good price, but I want the granite cobblestones immediately.  No waiting, doing without, building character.  On this topic 'I' think plenty of character has been built.  Providence laughs.
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Garden & Be Well,          XO Tara
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Been eyeing the chest for a year.  Finally put on sale.  Offered less.  She said 'yes'.  Chest & shutters already at my new office.  Lattice piece came from yesterday's jobsite & will be put into the screen door at my new office.

Theory vs. Reality

Today I'm off to a jobsite, outdoor kitchen & foyer, mostly complete, to place lighting.  Of course locations for the sconces & chandeliers are already chosen.  Do you think that matters?  No.  Real world placement trumps theory.

I need a sofa at the foot of my bed.  Dozens of pics later this is the only one I've liked.  In theory it's perfect.
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Susanne Hudson, the decorator on my team, is sourcing it now.  She'll get one with the right dimensions & fabric.  Perhaps she'll have a list of bullet points, or a single reason, why this sofa isn't right.  I'll trust her judgment, it's her specialty.
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It's something my clients have taught me!  Patience, and trust.
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Too much money is involved to make a mistake.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

Patio Furniture Mix

Calm.  Quiet.  Then revelation.

Lunch in Kemah yesterday on Galveston Bay.
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Quietude of patio furnishings to perfection. Wicker, metal, wood with repetition throughout of colors, heights, invitation to relax.  They hired a designer.  That much is obvious.
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How things change.  I grew up here.  Designers?  In my youth nothing was paved.  Dirt roads, oyster shell parking lots & the seafood available was coming off  shrimp boats.
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At my back, while taking this pic, is Galveston Bay with the boats coming in to Clear Creek and Nassau Bay.  Remember the Hilton Hotel where the woman ran back/forth over her husband & said it was an accident?  Near here!
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Beware using all metal furniture on your patio/deck.  Exceptions exist.  Be sure yours is.......    
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Crabcake sandwich & bowl of shrimp gumbo.  Fed the birds until someone pointed out the signs, "Do not feed the birds."

Lost Garden

Client recently decided to rent The Cottage this plan was designed for.
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Inspiration for another day!
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Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara
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Still pouting since I received the call a few weeks ago.  Pic, lost provenance.  If you know I'll credit.

Espalier Fruit Trees

Discovering another victim of the economy.  Large wholesale espaliered fruit trees.
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At pricing for regular people.
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Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara
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pic via Arne Maynard.  

Feeding the Muse with Slim Paley

My Muse came in 1995.  Gardens were erupting.  No brakes since.  

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Only once, late 90's, did my Muse sleep for a bit.  

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Awful.  Why did Muse go & how to get Muse back?

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Muse needs Nature without man's touch.  I'm on the woodland trails at Stone Mountain Park most days of the week.  

Muse adores and is fed by travel, top pic.  Oddly, Muse is content, demands, working in the current realm.  Muse hasn't said, "Travel........"  in the past couple years.

Muse appreciates extrapolating art-to-art-to-art, above.  What delightful arrangement of shrubs-groundcovers-understory trees-focal point will produce the magic, above?  Seriously.  I read & look at pictures about myriad art forms to feed the garden Muse.

Infertilly childless I've had women friends in their 80's since my 20's.   Chanteuse all, & I understood their songs.  Most are gone but Muse is still energized by their spirit.
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These things, and more (books/movies/solitude/Conservatory time), I do for Muse.
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Garden & Be Well,         XO Tara
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A Creativity Workshop sends emails about 1/year.  Course description is fascinating & so is the price, into the thousands of dollars.  Whatever.  Pics, Slim Paley

Hallmark of Bad Contractors

Studying historic landscapes across Europe should be mandatory for landscape contractors.

Several years now with my dream team I remember too well the dark years of contractors.  "You can't do that."  "No, can't be done."  "That will never work."  "It has to be done this way."  "It won't last."
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Better, my dream team leverages my designs.  "Miss Tara, if we........"  "Miss Tara, there are 3 ways to approach that."  "Great, thank you Miss Tara."  "Miss Tara do you think Miss #$%^@# would like to have...."  "Did you get the pictures I sent about a new idea?"  "Miss Tara that can't be done but if we a-b-c it will be exactly what you want."  "Let me show you something I think you'll like for the Woodland House Miss Tara."  "Those aren't available, I think a-b-c would be good substitutes."  "You know Miss Tara what you want is too expensive but if we do it this way I think you'll get what you're hunting."  "Tara, I think a-b-c will be better."
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Adore my team.
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Garden & Be Well,       XO Tara
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Dry stack stone retaining wall, above right, is a great example of what the Mr. No contractors said could not be done.
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Pic via Old Long Island.

Choosing Flower Color

My sister LOVES pink.  Yet she would never be this bold, below.

Choosing garden flower colors I always pay attention to interiors & what my client is wearing.
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Just did another design with the client wanting all white flowers.  White always works.
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Garden & Be Well,           XO Tara
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White flowers show best from a woodland, blue or burgundy flowers show very little at a distance......
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pic via House Beautiful

Vintage Bikes

My new office/guest cottage is close to the Bike Trail.

3 vintage bikes bought yesterday from my favorite thrift store.
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Can't wait to peddle with my girlfriends.  Of course we'll lunch first in the Conservatory.
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Isn't anticipation great!
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Garden & Be Well,        XO Tara
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Must find time this weekend to clean all that rusty chrome.  1 boy bike was included.  All the bikes have fenders.  A friend with acreage lives only a mile away, and on the bike trail.  He's a destination for sure.  Along with Mary's atelier.  She makes garden troughs sold nationally & is Yard Friends with the guest cottage.

Rule for Pots

After seeing the Queen mother's pots at Glamis Castle I knew the Rule-For-Pots.

Pots in a garden must be so fabulous they can remain empty.
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These pass the test.
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Do yours?
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Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara
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When I lived on 50 acres in a 3 bay carriage house I saw my first Tulip Magnolia, Magnolia soulangiana, it was larger than this, above.  I walked to its trunk, wrapped my arms around it, held on, and stared up.  That was over 30 years ago.  It was obliterated years ago for a Wal-Mart parking lot.
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pic via Quintessence Lifestyle