My animosity toward decking is well-documented. So it's only right that the garden gods have bestowed upon me a large patch of the stuff in my new garden. In fact I shouldn't grace the surface with the title of decking, as it's not easy as swish as that - just a lot of wooden planks really. As my daughter and I discovered the other day while walking about on it, it's devilishly slippery when wet. She could hardly keep her Peppa Pig wellies from shooting out beneath her, and I fared only a little better. We rapidly retreated inside before...
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on Sep 3, 2008, 1:27PM
Posted by Jane Perrone Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-09-04, 05:48:26
In some areas of life, you're safe using the expression, "everything but the kitchen sink," without the risk of having some literalist come along and take you up on the...
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on Aug 28, 2008, 11:49PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design, whimsy on 2008-08-30, 06:28:25
I sometimes wonder if I really like gardening... or is it actually garden construction that I love? I have a concern that when I finally stop expanding or changing the garden, that I'll soon become bored with it. I have an area piled high with accumulated lumber, stones, bricks and other stuff that might someday be useful in my projects; it looks like a salvage yard and I've had to build a fence to hide it (see at bottom). Currently I've just finished (among other things) a stairway, using some of the used materials. The stairway runs down a small hillside; the trouble is, it's a stairway to nowhere; it just ends in a muddy ditch (we'll call it a small ravine). I'm thinking I'll now build a landing at the bottom of the stairs, to make a destination for the stairs. People can then stand there ... and look around the ditch.
Keyhole gardens are a mix between square-foot gardening and herb spirals, blending the best of both practices to create something far more practical. In a word, the keyhole garden could be distilled down to 'accessibility'. It allows gardeners to access their garden bed from within a small radius located in the centre of the plot. . . .
Bonfils-Stanton Lecture Series
Gordon Hayward is a nationally recognized garden designer, a writer for Horticulture Magazine and contributing editor at Fine Gardening Magazine.
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Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-27, 06:34:49
Post #2
The Villa Garden landscape project for my clients, the Grinbaum family of Calabasas, California is forging ahead at a great pace.
One of the design elements, the new patio off of the formal dining room is almost complete.
Before: This paved pass-through area is the future site for an open-beam patio. ...
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Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-26, 05:48:31
Monday, 8/25/08: Watch Shirley Bovshow on HGTV's 25 Biggest Landscaping Mistakes at 4 PM (ET/PST)
Are you guilty of committing crimes against your landscape?...
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on Aug 25, 2008, 9:21AM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-26, 05:42:32
August is all about Trellises and Screens and even though I don't have a bunch of them, I do have a couple to show off.
When I started gardening last year, I was amazed at the high price of basic (some very ugly) trellises. I paid about $13 dollars each for these cheapy ones that I hung on the back of my garage. . .
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Posted by Gina Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-19, 05:51:26
Just killing some time one evening, in the moleskine sketchbook.
Still trying to negotiate the fine points of some talks and lectures. I hope to have some of this worked out tomorrow.
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on Aug 18, 2008, 11:56PM
Posted by Rick Anderson Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-19, 05:25:50
We've been creating the Larrapin landscape for three years now and it was only when I looked back at the pics we took when we purchased the house did I realize how far we've come in three fast years. When I add in the facts of our one to two inches of topsoil over a gravel/clay mix, then I realize that these gardening methods I've learned from my many teachers really, really work!
Here's the front of the house the day we bought it:
Steve Nix offers a checklist of tips meant to lay the groundwork for a fire safety plan to help you protect your property from wildfires. "If you copy this Firewise...
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on Aug 14, 2008, 2:30AM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design, environment on 2008-08-15, 06:30:33
Ever wonder what is going on in your neighbor's backyard when trash bins are delivered, bobcats go in and out of the yard and landscaper's trucks seem to be a permanent fixture on the street? Someone is getting a new landscape!
Before Photo
It's natural to be a little bit curious, even ...
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Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-15, 06:27:25
As regular readers know, the Princess and I bought a place together last year and have decided to make a garden. (As if that’s going to come as a surprise to any of my friends or readers.)
The garden is going to be a lot bigger than most sane people will have but I thought I’d share the design process with you over a few posts and show you pictures of the garden development as it is built. . . .
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on Aug 14, 2008, 9:20AM
Posted by Doug Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-15, 06:18:17
You probably think it’s good I have a husband in the paving industry when I need a new pathway, and it is. However, I’m sure you’ve heard the old saw about the cobbler’s children having no shoes. Well, it’s the same here. When it’s nice outside, all of the men and equipment are working on jobs that pay. When it rains, not much paving can be done anywhere. . .
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on Aug 12, 2008, 10:02PM
Posted by Dee Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-14, 07:52:56
I'm not sure who did the landscaping, but this house on Pinquickset Cove on at the end of a narrow peninsula in Cotuit, MA -- looking out to Popponesset Bay -- was designed by architect Peter Forbes & Associates, Inc of Boston. The wind-swept landscape, however, is perfect for the...
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Posted by Jane Berger Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-08-07, 06:25:29
Creating your own landscape (with or without the assistance of a professional) is just a matter of brainstorming, prioritizing and then problem solving.
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Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design, ladnscape on 2008-07-25, 07:03:26
My garden is now four years old. Some shots of the back garden over the years:
My "garden" in July, 2004. The only thing planted is the little alba rose, Celestial, over on the left side. It was just dirt when we moved in, a brand new fresh neighborhood. I had ordered the Celestial that spring, and wanted to get it into the ground while they were still building the houses. I put a brightly colored plastic bag around it to protect it from the tractors. That's me with a watering can, just finished watering my freshly seeded meadow. . . .
"Made in the shade." Most homeowners eager to garden in shade-plagued areas with their favorite plants probably wonder why this phrase has such a positive connotation. They find their garden...
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on Jul 18, 2008, 12:20AM
The color scheme for my garden is a combination of blues, reds and yellows. The blues come from salvia (dusty purple/blue), agapanthus (medium blue), penstemon (purple/blue tone), the red comes from , and the yellow comes from daylilies.
What to do with sideyards, those narrow patches of space that link your front and back yards? That is the question.
The slim profile of most sideyards makes them challenging to work with. But should you let them sit unused? No way! They’re a landscaping opportunity that’s too good to pass up—you can transform them into intimate dining areas, play areas, or even meandering gardens. All you really need is a dose of creativity and a little patience. Here are a few ideas to get you started. . .
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Posted by Katie Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-07-18, 06:00:03
The plants aren't the only thing that change and grow, die off and rejuvenate in the garden. The garden art/junk changes too. Over time items wear out or the plantings around them take over sometimes urging a move to a more prominent location.
This photo of the window and shutters on my back fence is one of my top favourited photos on flickr:
I will miss my Mediterranean style garden when I vacation in Maui, Hawaii this week with my family, especially my pepper tree.
I'm hoping my tropical destination will help me forget how I am missing my beautiful "stone-ruin garden" that I wake up to every morning. I created this vignette as ...
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Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-07-10, 06:30:47
For my Red Dirt Girl who said SHOW ME,here’s the scene from smokin’ hot Idaho. I hate to say it, but as I type I think I see a nasty smoke cloud……just over the horizon. 105 in the shade and we aren’t even in July yet. Everybody into the pool!
So Dee, here you have a few snaps of my weekend.
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on Jun 29, 2008, 10:39PM
Posted by Mary Ann Reblogged by Old Roses to design, garden on 2008-07-02, 06:42:17
In a few spots in my garden, I wonder if I might have too many architectural plants together for them to have individual impact. I think of it kind of like having a roomful of divas; while it may work just fine when VH1 puts together a concert... well, imagine having them live together in a garden, with each constantly trying to outsing the others. . .
When I saw that this month's Garden Design Workshop topic was about using stone in the garden, I knew that I would have to post because there is a lot of stone in our garden. In fact, I often wonder if I've overdone it. I think the hardscape aspects of the garden are just as important as the plant material and stone has to be one of the most popular features. . . .
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Posted by Phillip Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-05-28, 06:53:59
Your deck design options are virtually limitless. But this very abundance of choices in deck design can confound homeowners. I recently conducted an interview on deck design with an expert...
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on May 17, 2008, 3:17AM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-05-18, 04:26:56
One of the best parts of summer (aside from summer days, of course) is long summer nights spent outdoors with friends and family.
And that’s where landscape lighting comes in—shedding light on and extending the life of alfresco gatherings. Not only does it make your outdoor spaces more functional, it provides safety and security and looks good doing it. . . .
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Posted by Katie Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-05-17, 06:00:43
Today I'm excited to tell you about my new project that is almost complete! The previous owner of our home had put rocks and gravel in front of the house instead of landscaping. My husband dug all the rocks out of the bed area and removed the black plastic. We made a trip to the nursery Mother's Day weekend and bought a yard of topsoil, plus I bought a bleeding heart and a flat of annuals. He and our boys filled the bed and my daughter and I planted and transplanted. The area is sunny the first part of the day, and shaded the second half by our maple tree.
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Posted by Brenda Hyde Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-05-17, 05:35:52
This garden planning thing--it's tough for me. Click on the picture (or here) to see a full view of what we've got in the ground so far. I have such a hard time thinking rather than doing.
Over-educating myself with what can be where. It's so easy to do with all the resources available as the home gardening industry kicks up. Even when gardening on an increasingly large scale, it's the smallest things that bring the greatest joy. Yesterday, Hi-C and I enjoyed the one sugar snap pea that was ready to eat. Yes, we each got half of it, but because that's what we each got, the one bite was more delicious than an entire bowl full.
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Posted by sk8ordiehard Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-05-17, 05:35:51