Easy Garden Furniture

Furniture in the garden has intrigued me from childhood.  Thankfully, my parents had a cool iron chair, I adored.  Bought new in the 60's, it had arms, tall back, detachable iron 'bonnet', separate foot rest, it turned 360, rocked, and had nice cushions.  I rocked, whirled, read books, and even napped, with my orange marmalade cat, Tigger, in that chair on the screened porch with deep overhangs, Galveston Bay always hot/humid.  Most memorable moment in the chair, awakened from a nap by a loud chorus of tree frogs.  Looking around, none visible.  Still, the chorus.  Found them, by the 100's, rimming the underside of the chair cushion.  Managed to hop out faster than an Olympian, without harming a single tree frog.  50 years later, I cannot see a tree frog without thinking of that chair.
.
Time passed, mom gave the chair away.  I see those chairs occasionally in advertising, or at antique shop.  None, complete with bonnet & foot rest.  A good thing, I would probably buy the chair, if it were complete.
.
Dad had the worst end of the deal with that iron chair.  Cleaning the patio, hosing it off, he had to move the chair at least once a month.  Maybe it was him, glad to give the chair away.
.
Now, easily moved garden furniture is the hunt.  Aside from lightweight, it must have arms, a back tall enough to rest the head back, and nap.  More than the personal, garden furniture must leverage having friends in the garden.  Create a setting for conversation, laughter, lingering.  Especially after meals.


Pic, above, here.
.
Have the good fortune of sourcing 3 of the wicker chairs, above.  Each for a song.
.
Amusing to see Freud in a photo new to me, attracted by the outdoor furniture, round circle of iron in the railing contrasting so well with squares of the French doors, and those chows.  Freud.  Not my cup of tea, more Jungian.  Thankful for both.
.
That balcony.  So much narrative, without a word, wisely playing backdrop.  Yet, take away the man/dogs, the backdrop narrative immediately jumps forward, owning the stage.
.
These are the things I design in gardens.  Some, too rich, think it's all about a few bushes and a little garden furniture.  Those, are not my tribe.
.
Garden & Be Well,   XOT

Face Heads Correctly in Your Garden

Dogs, horses, lions, mostly, are the heads I have the joy of placing properly in gardens.  Don't I have the best career ever?
.
Heads-up, these dogs, are looking in the correct direction.  



If you have a pair of heads in your garden, their correct placement is most often, above.
.
Oddly, irritates me no end driving thru neighborhoods and seeing heads facing that grand morass-muddle-chaos of the great beyond termed The Public.  Wouldn't you rather give a lion's ass to the public?  Don't give the power of your garden away, facing heads the wrong way.  It's your life, joy, beauty.  Beauty.  There is a garden design secret I discovered about Beauty.  Designing your garden to be beautiful from every window of your home, yes every window, creates beauty in the opposite directions too.
.
Got heads?  Getting heads?  Think it thru.
.
Garden & Be Well,   XO Tara
.
Pic via here.

How To Garden with Dogs

Listen to the dog!

Where do they run, lay, dig?
.
Have drawn dozens of gardens with a running path at the fence, shrubs/groundcovers/trees placed where the dog lets me place them.
.
Only 1 dog exasperated me, & her owner, I created 'cross' paths where the sweet hellion ran.  That garden is on the cover of 1 of my books.  Proof, the biggest challenges make the best gardens.
.
Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara
.
Pic from Rough Luxe Lifestyle

How To Make These Windows More Fabulous

At her bluestone terrace, below.  Inside is the kitchen.

Soon, French doors will open onto the bluestone terrace.
.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
.
Pic taken yesterday at a jobsite.  Notice the gap in the ferns?  Saw the culprit eating them.  Her dog!  Unrepentant.
.
When I told her the windows HAD to be French doors she smiled and said it was validation.  Her thoughts exactly.

Gardening With Dogs

Georgia red clay, white dog, below, and a contractor

needing to get a load of mulch spread.  FAST.
.
Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara
.
How to landscape with dogs?  Pay attention to their habits & assume every plant is toxic.  Where a dog runs, digs, lays rarely changes.  Incorporate it into the design.  Toxic plants?  I worry more about little sticks or rocks being eaten and twisting the intestines.  If azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas, along with native plants, were extremely toxic the South would be known for a lot of dead dogs.  Hence, use plants long known to be used with dogs in the yard.
.
A client sent the pic to my contractor !

20 Plants That Could Kill Your Dog

Amy Leigh sent me this title, 20 Plants That Could Kill Your Dog.From, See Fido.

.

Enjoy !!

.

Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

.

Pic from a client this summer. We trade garden & pet pics !! Some food too.

.

Thank you dearest Amy, I didn't know about this site.