Pick One…Any One
March 30, 2017
Easter and Passover are just around the corner and nothing makes a simplequietmodern statement than a classic glass cylinder vase filled with flowering branches. From your own yard, a friends garden or a trip to the market, this exercise is simple…pick a single type, fill your vase with water, grab your secateurs and give each branch a fresh clean cut. Done.
Top to bottom:
Pussy Willow,Forsythia,Yellow Twig Dogwood,Lichen Covered Branches,Quince,Tulip Magnolia
all photos: http://www.shopterrain.com/fresh-faux-flowers/?cm_sp=Homepage-_-week032717-_-Branches
Finally,
March 22, 2017
Spring.
Photos: gp
It’s the little things.
February 9, 2017
Simple gestures are those that mean the most and are not quickly forgotten. One Valentines Day, many years ago, a single purple anemone wrapped in a cone of cellophane…tacked to my door. Such an unexpected surprise at the end of a long day, in the midst of a crazy work week. To this day I have no idea who left it but I remember the experience clearly, like it was yesterday. Go ahead. Spread some love.
Photo: gp
January has been brought to you…
January 29, 2017
by the color gray. While I couldn’t be more pleased with our relative lack of snow, it would be nice to see some sun. Morning, noon and night have all been so gray…DARK gray…for what seems like the entire month. A little blast of natural vitamin D would be welcome. Until the skies clear it might be a good idea to fill some vases with daffodils or forced forsythia branches, tuck a bright paint chip among your currency for a little pop of bright as you go about your day or hunker down to an afternoon of binge-watching Versailles on Netflix and seeing what the Sun King is up to. I’m going for all three.
Top to bottom:
image: gp
image: Pantone.com
image: Netflix
Cause For Celebration
December 22, 2016
The Winter Solstice may herald the beginning of Winter but it also gifts us a little extra daylight each day…slowly inching us out of the darkness. Good reason to celebrate to be sure. I’m thinking a Stinger and an arm-load of white fringed tulips are in order.
Stinger: equal parts Brandy and white Creme de Menthe. In this case, on the rocks.
photos: gp
Home Grown
September 25, 2016
It might technically be Fall, but it still feels like Summer. And, Summer’s bounty is keeping things green by the armload and basketful thanks to generous friends and neighbors. Until the leaves start to turn and the temps start to drop I’ll be good to go.
Top to bottom:
A tangle of Limelight hydrangea and hops thinned from a friends garden and casually dropped into a simple glass vessel makes a simplequietmodern statement that will last for weeks.
Another surprise package of homegrown heirlooms included these green zebra tomatoes…a welcome addition to a panzanella or caprese.
Taking advantage of the limited availability of Romanesco it was hard to pass up those locally grown.
I planted artichokes in containers this Summer for the color and texture of the foliage alone. Until the first buds appeared I had completely forgotten about the added bonus.
photos: gp
Putting the plan to paper,
August 20, 2016
starts with a little inspiration. This garden by Australian designer Peter Fudge totally embraces the simplequietmodern aesthetic. A beautiful composition of clipped hedges and hardscaping against the softened edges of natural treeline and massed plantings of native grasses. Dappled sunlight and gentle sounds of moving water. The perfect place to spend a late summer day. I’d start here in the morning with coffee, break here midday with lunch, nap here in the afternoon and finish here with dinner or cocktails. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Are you there yet?
Photos: http://peterfudgegardens.com.au/
