Better Late…
May 18, 2014
than never. While I usually schedule my Spring clean-up for somewhere nearer the middle of March, this past Winter and Winter-like Spring has only now allowed me the luxury taking stock and pulling on my gloves. Clearly Mother Nature has taken her revenge and has left my property to resemble Chernobyl after the blast rather than a rural retreat in the Midwest. Boxwood hedges…gone. Yew hedges…stripped to skeletal by hungry deer. Japanese Skyrocket Hollies…a moment of silence please. And, what is left in the way of birches, pines and spruce had taken one last good beating during a severe hailstorm on Palm Sunday. Devastating. At least the grass is finally green. And, on that one positive note I will look to the light at the end of this tunnel, entertaining the thought of rewarding myself in a setting like this…pea gravel soft underfoot, a gentle afternoon breeze weaving its way through the masses of miscanthus, and a cocktail. Oh yeah…after this mess there will be cocktails.
photo via: http://cabbagerose.tumblr.com/post/85363575103/outdoor-room-via-lorrainepennington
Any volunteers?
June 17, 2013
Really, look around…do a quick survey of your site…and make a few notes as to the indigenous plant material that has made a home there on its own…the volunteers. If they are doing well, you have the added benefit of knowing that in addition to being happy they’ll be safe from attacks by local fauna. This is a great jumping off point when selecting the plant material for your new landscaping project. The juxtaposition of modern meadow against structures, clipped yew, tallhedge or boxwood may be just the simplequietmodern statement you’ve been looking for. Dutch landscape master Piet Oudolf illustrates this point to perfection in the design of the Highline in Manhattan as well as both public and private spaces around the world. If inspiration like this can come from a quick inventory of flora in an abandoned elevated train track I imagine you could pull a little magic from the “surprises” popping up in your yard. http://www.oudolf.com/piet-oudolf
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