Going Long

July 3, 2017

What better way to kick off the 4th of July than with an extended holiday weekend? Plenty of time for some DIY projects, maybe a local road trip, enjoying some seasonal favorites and simply kicking back. On your mark…get set…where’s that hammock?

From the top:

First things first…get that flag up.

Add in a new plant material and see how it performs the rest of the summer.photo: http://www.highcountrygardens.com/bouteloua-gracilis-blonde-ambition

How much fun could a tree swing be?  Photo: https://www.schoolhouse.com/collections/all-new/products/wood-rope-tree-swing

After a bit of work a rewarding lunch near the water could be a good idea.

Cold watermelon and an 80 degree day…perfect.

A bag of marshmallows, a box of sparklers and a yard full of fireflies should finish the holiday off nicely.

photos: gp, except where noted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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?

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Photos:  http://peterfudgegardens.com.au/      

 

Hedged In

April 25, 2016

Or, so I thought. The last several winter’s extremes have taken their toll on all of my boxwood hedges. Gone. Time of death? Officially April 11, 2016. Where they once served as sharply clipped extensions of the house itself sits blank space in need of attention. So now what? Replace them as they were or start fresh with a new direction…and new plant materials that will be able to take on the bitter winters and always hungry deer. Now’s the time to jot new ideas, review old inspiration and perhaps even move into uncharted territory plant-wise. While I loved things the way they were, I can’t help thinking change might be good.

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Top to bottom:

You’ve got to love the modern use of clipped layered hedges of boxwood and yew in the masterful garden designs of Luciano Giubbilei. More of his genius can be found here: http://www.lucianogiubbilei.com/

Maybe my solution is not more boxwood at all, but horizontal fencing and drifts of native grass Bouteloua Gracilis, Blonde Ambition. Napa Landscape by Scott Lewis Photo: via Gardenista

After a black and white Winter perhaps yellow Magnolia tucked into the woods would be a welcome sight come Spring, like this Magnolia Yellow Bird. Photo: gp

 

 

 

 

Winter Garden

January 17, 2016

There is no better time than now to rethink the Winter garden. Keep the plan simple…implement it in the Spring…let it take root through the Summer and wait for the rewards come Fall and Winter. You might be inspired by the gardens of Dutch designer Piet Oudolf, with great drifts of native perennials and grasses, their varied color,texture and structure framed by clipped hedge rows or a distant borrowed vista. Maybe a simpler plan is more to your taste with the selection of a few species planted together in a sort of modern meadow. Simpler still, the work of San Franciscan landscape architect Scott Lewis might lead you to bold stokes of a single variety, neatly framed and punctuated with a mature specimen. The best part of this exercise is your reduced carbon footprint, time freed up this summer to spend doing anything but weeding and deadheading and a simplequietmodern new view through every window from October to the following March.

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http://www.gardenista.com/posts/10-garden-ideas-to-steal-from-superstar-dutch-designer-piet-oudolf

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http://www.gardenista.com/posts/vineyard-haven-a-napa-valley-garden-that-belongs-to-the-land-scott-lewis-landscape-architect-visit