Boundaries!

Once you see the boundaries of your environment, they are no longer the boundaries of your environment.

~ Marshall McLuhan

Today on the Roundtable we are discussing Boundaries and the garden. Boundaries are used to to define space, create intimacy, provide privacy, and to restrict. What will our designers have to say on this “limiting” subject?

Follow the links below to find out!

David Cristiani : It’s A Dry Heat : El Paso, TX

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Journey!

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

~ Ernest Hemmingway

A garden is a place of movement. Wind will sweep through ornamental grasses, pollinators will busy themselves among the blossoms, and visitors (both wanted and unwanted) will make their way through. There is also the illusion of movement, created with pattern and emphasis. As designers, our success in the garden is measured by the experience of the visitors; what they feel and what they take away from their visit, from their journey through our creations.

 

Join us today, as our designers take us on a “Journey”!

 

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

David Cristiani : It’s A Dry Heat : El Paso, TX

 

 

 
 

Design Principles

Balance, harmony, emphasis, unity, scale, line, form, texture.

 

 

Whether one is designing a garden, a living room, or a marketing piece, adhering to the fundamental principles of good design can make a difference in finished product “working” or “not working” In the garden, the canvas is ever changing. Seasonal differences, plant growth, and human interaction, all combine to create challenges for the designer, and reinforce the need to rely on a set of basic elements to achieve success.

 

This month our designers offer their thoughts on Design Principles. Follow the links below to see what they have to say!

 

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

David Cristiani : It’s A Dry Heat : Albuquerque, NM

Mary Gallagher Gray : Black Walnut Dispatch : Washington, D.C.

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN

Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ

 

 

Enclosure vs. Exposure

To enclose or not to enclose, that is the question…

Photo courtesy The Heggarty-Webber Partnership

With all apologies to The Bard, today on Garden Designers Roundtable, our designers offer their thoughts on whether to enclosure a space, and create intimacy and security, or to expose a space and borrow from the surrounding landscape, possibly creating a sense of awe.

Which would you prefer for you little corner of the earth? Follow the links below to see what our experts say then let us know!

 

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN

 

Bold!

Does the word “bold” bring negative connotations to mind — aggression or bravado, insolence or cheek?  In the world of garden design, where materials can be boringly homogeneous, “bold” is a good thing.  Think about the impact that the use of a daring color scheme creates and the fun surprise of an audacious sculpture or topiary.  Think about the visual richness that develops when brazenly contrasting textures are introduced into the landscape.  Think about the bravery of those willing to buck the system to bring backyard gardening out front — lawn-free landscapes, vegetable gardens, xeriscapes and meadows, not to mention new plant species or hybrids.

Coreopsis x ‘Mercury Rising’ is a bold color choice for any garden!

Today, our team of Roundtable designers take on “bold” as our topic with hopes to inform and inspire you to (wait for it)… “To boldly go where no man (or gardener) has gone before.”

Click on the links below to follow the discussion.

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN

Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

Jenny Peterson : J Petersen Garden Design : Austin, TX

David Cristiani : It’s A Dry Heat : Albuquerque, NM 

Patios

The patio, central to backyard family activities, has evolved from the boring angular concrete of the fifties. As it has, so have the accoutrements that make it a special, that make it an outdoor room.

Patio by Blue Heron Landscape Design

Join the members of Garden Designers Roundtable today, as we discuss the outdoor room, the hub of the backyard landscape, the patio.

Follow these links to continue on with the discussion:

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

David Cristiani : The Desert Edge : Albuquerque, NM

Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN

Garden Maintenance

There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight.

~ Gertrude Jekyll

A delightful setting at Hollister House!

It’s easy to find inspiration in these words from Gertrude Jekyll, her efforts have inspired many to create beautiful gardens, to look upon any patch of ground and imagine the possibilities! There is a hidden message in this quote however, and it lies in the effort needed to create and maintain these beautiful spaces.

Ms. Jeckyll uses the word “tamed” to describe the efforts about to be undertaken, and tamed is appropriate, as any gardener will tell you. Nature abhors order. Chaos and aggression reign without the steady and constant hand of the gardener.

Today, the members of the Roundtable take a look at the efforts a gardener must put forth to “tame” that chaos, efforts so often overlooked during the exciting process of creation. Efforts, when practiced, reveal the beauty hidden in each “spot of ground”.

Follow the links below and see what our designers have to say!

Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA

David Cristiani : The Desert Edge : Albuquerque, NM

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Mary Gallagher Gray : Black Walnut Dispatch : Washington, D.C.

Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ

Celebrating Trees!

Trees are a treasure in every capacity. From fruit to wood, foliage to flower, root to bark, we NEED trees for oxygen production as well as beauty in our lives. Not only do we need the trees, but also we find immense satisfaction in the choosing, viewing, designing, and general enjoyment of sitting under an old shade tree in the heat of summer.

There is an old saying “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.” Trees are an investment in our future. They have stages of life just as we do; toddlers, teen, young adult, mature adult and geriatric. Rarely, do many of us get to enjoy a tree fully through its entire lifespan. However, for those of us who do, it is an invaluable experience. Warren Buffet said it so well, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

Trees can move you to tears in their beauty, bounty, and grace and to another person it is simply a green structure to be conquered because it is in our way. There are those who see people that love trees as ridiculous and small or they do not even notice the trees at all. However, to someone who takes the time to look up and see the beauty of Mother Natures amazing creation and all of the life it supports and provides us, it is a point of infinite imagination and creation. No person can diminish that level of awareness. “A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.” -William Blake

This month the Designers Roundtable writes on the topic of “Celebrating the Trees.” With the diversity of our elite group of designers and writers, this month is sure to be one of the most powerful, poetic, dramatic and possibly humorous posts to date. So, make a date with the Lords and Ladies of the Roundtable to enjoy the tree. You might just come away with a completely new appreciation for all things wood.

Calculate the benefits that a tree in YOUR landscape provides with the National Tree Benefit Calculator from the Arbor Day Foundation. You’ll see the dollar value benefit in these categories: Storm water runoff, property value, energy conservation, air quality, and CO2 mitigation.

Enjoy,

Christina Salwitz

Follow the links below to see how our designers value Trees!

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

David Cristiani : The Desert Edge : Albuquerque, NM

Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA

Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ

Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN

Mary Gallagher Gray : Black Walnut Dispatch : Washington, D.C.

Transitions!

Change, conversion, evolution, passage, progress, transformation, turning point. It’s the moving between two spaces, the passage of time, and a change of perception. It’s transition, and its everyday life, and it’s extraordinary. The garden designer deals with transition on many levels, and today on the Roundtable we’ll see how are designers view and handle “Transitions”.

Please join us by clicking on the links below!

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Deborah Silver : Dirt Simple : Detroit, MI

Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

Mary Gallagher Gray : Black Walnut Dispatch : Washington, D.C.

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

David Cristiani : The Desert Edge : Albuquerque, NM

Jenny Peterson : J Petersen Garden Design : Austin, TX

Mistakes!

Mistakes, everyone makes them. From the brightest of minds to the most average of Joes, there is no escaping the fact that in the course of everyday life, or the pursuit of greatness, they will happen.

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
― Albert Einstein

Bloopers, blunders, flubs, gaffes, missteps, omissions, snafus, or even teaching lessons, they’re called by many names. Never take for granted however, the opportunity to err and learn, and pity those who do not enjoy the privilege.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
― Mahatma Gandhi

And in those moments when all seems hopeless, and frustration and embarrassment abound, remember that:

As long as the world is turning and spinning, we’re gonna be dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.
― Mel Brooks

Our designers make mistakes too, and today pull back the veil and reveal their lessons learned. Please join us as we discuss “mistakes”, garden style!

Follow the links below and when you’re done reading, stop by our Facebook Page and tell us about your favorite learning experiences.

Mary Gallagher Gray : Black Walnut Dispatch : Washington, D.C.

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

Deborah Silver : Dirt Simple : Detroit, MI