I hope this before and after will inspire some heavy duty DIY.  This project is not for the light hearted, but these homeowners did a terrific job of transforming their space from dismal and dreary to lively and pretty all by themselves.

They had to remove and haul out a lot concrete, but with some planning, they were able to salvage some of it too and cut a new arc in it to create a beautiful planting area.

I think these guys did a great job of mixing up materials to make an interesting pattern in the patio.

I think that their plan to create two separate garden rooms was successful.  And I really like the textural planting that uses a good amount of dark leaved plants, which really pop with the white pergola.

All images by by Finstr and Found via brownstoner

Reading Resurrection Fern I get these little tinges of Andy Goldsworthy crossed with beautiful craftiness. The writer of this beautiful blog creates stunning collections, bits of needlework for nature (for example crochet pockets for rocks and doilies for the forest floor) and other handmade creations.

I have so enjoyed the pictures and art at this website today.  I have absolutely no physical need for a rock wrapped in beautiful crochet, but now I want one desperately.

This site is well worth a read as the author is obviously connected to nature in such a beautiful way, her photography is stunning and she has the most covetable weathered bench that she has outfitted with beach stones to act as a beautiful backdrop for many of the beautiful photos .  She has a real eye for garden beauty that I find very inspiring.

All images from resurrection fern.  Check out website for a great read and alot more images like these.

It’s a slow slow rainy Saturday here in New England.  Besides kicking off the farmers market this morning, I have spent the bulk of the day glued to the TV, watching the sad farewell to our well loved Senator Kennedy.  While I am the type of person who would watch this type of thing from beginning to end, just because, (I can be a considerable news and event junkie) I am even more cemented to the sofa than normal because I kinda feel terrible. It is about all I can muster today.  If you follow me on Twitter, you might remember more than a month ago, I think, I mentioned that I thought I had Lyme again…well, as it turned out then, the Dr. tried to convince me that it was Poison Ivy (on the back of my neck?) — so in disbelief I took the cream and moved on.  But things have gotten worse and I, like so so many others, started to realize that I had been misdiagnosed (actually I thought it was Lyme all along but convincing the insurance quota concerned Dr. is another thing).  So with a new visit to the Dr. I now have the diagnosis that I know was right a month ago. What I am not sure of now, is if this is a new case, or perhaps just a continuation of my first diagnosis from last fall.  More tests will hopefully give some insights.

image by roddh

Anyway, so why am I bringing this all up?….well, primarily because I think it is something that really needs a bit of a spotlight…this blog is really about landscape design and related things.  Unfortunately, I find ticks and mosquitoes to be a huge part of my design practice.  It is not uncommon in New England that people are affected by these pests when making decisions about what to create or more likely NOT create in the gardens of our Northeast US environment.

image by veender

As I sit here and watch the Kennedy eulogies and processions, I am inspired by the family that has done so much to help others.  With mentioning my experiences with Lyme before, I have had numerous people contact me wanting advice that I don’t feel qualified to offer.  I am only another person with Lyme, and the parent of kids with Lyme – and simply no expert.  But, in an effort to help, I can offer some links and information and people that are worth knowing if you are affected by Lyme or seeking more information:

• andrebakes is someone to follow on Twitter. She regularly posts about her own lyme fight and Lyme activism.
• Under our Skin is a documentary well worth viewing (or maybe you might want to sponsor a screening local to you).
• If you are here in New England, and affected, it might be worth trying to see Sam Donta, a renowned, Boston based Dr. in the field. I know many people who have worked with him and he has been a tremendous help.
• Additionally,  here, is an article about creating a tick free zone in the landscape, and here is another.

This is really all I can offer, but if you too are dealing with this, I wish you the best and hope you are able to get the help you need.

And while I am talking alot about Me, Me Me today….and on a much brighter note…I have been the recipient of a MeMe award.  It was passed to me from Susan Cohan.  Why did I win it…well I guess because she cares about Me and what I might say according to the MeMe rules:

• Link back to the person who gave you the award.
• Reveal seven things about yourself.
• Choose seven other blogs to nominate, and post a link to them.
• Let each of your choices know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.
• And finally, let the tagger know, when your post is up

and since she took the time and thought to nominate me, I am more than happy to oblige…

So here are 7 things about me…

1) If an opportunity crossed my path to move abroad again…I would snatch it up in a heartbeat… I yearn for that kind of adventure for me and my family.

2) I value all sorts of intelligence in other people…it’s what earns my respect.

3) When I was young I had would frequently (with all the bravado of a teen/20 something) tell people that one day I was going to be a US senator (ha-I really believed that was what I wanted to do) — now, while I still am fascinated with politics and love helping people, I just don’t think I could ever be happy playing that game.

4) Patience is the virtue I struggle with most.

5) While I am a total nature lover…and enjoy lots of outdoor activities, I hate to “backpack” – the idea of trying to figure out the bare minimum of what I need to live in the wild, then pack it into a bag in the smallest lightest way possible so I can set out with it all on my back is completely insane to me.  (and I am sorry to say this drives my husband nuts)

6) Unique, Unique, Unique…what ever it is, if it is Unique or original, I am drawn to it.

7) I want to become a better carpenter, because I really like to be handy…but I know my greatest weakness is patience…I don’t have the patience for myself to learn to be as good as my perfectionist side demands.

and 7 blogs that I would love to hear more from….well lets give these a try….

1) Fern at Life on the Balcony – Love the support and cheer that is always available here.

2) Andrea at Heavy Petal – Another mom with stuff going on…who blogs about gardens in a fresh hip way.

3) Deb at Dirt Simple – Because she is so talented and I love her blog and projects.

and for my last four…I will call out a few friends from my BYW class earlier this year…I hope they all join in because they are such fun, creative and interesting people.

4) Sarah at Paper*Crown

5) Sarah or Jo at Hardaker and Pope .

6) Lisa at Parallel Botany

7) Courtney or Lauren at KellyandOlive.

image by ~hmmm~

The best laid plans of mice and men….the story of my garden. Yes, I suggest that no plan is fool-proof and no one can be completely prepared for the future. This year we had plans of overly abundant tomatoes (planting more than 30 plants) and lots of  little round ball shaped french zucchini but my garden was repeatedly ravaged by small animals of various sorts, heavy early rains and now tomato blight. Ugh! to it all….But it is bouncing back….some things better than others, but we won’t be making ketchup.
Every year I plant at least one thing in my veg garden that I have never grown before.  This year, I chose okra.  It is one of those things that I had no intention of success or idea of usage, I just threw the seeds in the ground to see what would happen. I am totally in awe of this plant and all the surprises it has brought to me.

Here is what I have learned this year in my okra adventure:

1) The seeds achieved 100% germination.

2) When faced with a garden full of seedlings, this is the last thing that animal invaders will eat…in fact, in my experience, they simply won’t eat it at all.  It is the only thing that remained untouched by munchers.

3) Ditto for bugs, slugs and grasshoppers.  Simply pristine foliage among a sea of holey leaves.

4) This plant is actually quite interesting (in a design sense)….the stems are sturdy and strong, the leaves are interesting and the flowers are just like hibiscus! I had no idea!

Image from Manyu expo.

image from Food Museum.

So now I have two problems that I am dealing with. I have too much okra and being the novice grower, I have let many of them grow way to big. Seems that some cultures harvest the pods at about 1″ in length and others let them grow to 3-4 inches. I, however have okra that are nearing a foot in length.  I just didn’t know when to say when, until it was too late.  So I have been trying to sort out what to do with these monsters and have come up with some surprisingly fun ideas.
Large Okra Pods are often  dried and used in floral arrangements. I really like this wreath that prominently features the pods so I may string up a bunch in preparation for Christmas wreath making.

image from A & M Growers.

I also think I might be able to entertain the kids for at least 20 minutes making okra stamped stationary, fabric or whatever.  I love this block print towel idea that Shilpa in India created.

images by {shilpa}

And I am similarly obsessed with these vegetable images that Laura in Michigan created. So interestingly cool don’t you think? (though I have to admit NO inclination to to try and recreate myself.)

by hullaballoo2

Now I just have to figure what I am going to do with those normal sized okra that I am clearly going to be harvesting for a little while now…I am not a fan of too many fried foods and want to avoid the famed sliminess, so I am considering drying them for later use, which according to Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska,  spares you from the sliminess and gives you only the unique taste. (I may also try their Armenian Okra and Meat recipe)
Mostly though, I am excited to try this amazing looking okra curry that I found over at simply spicy.

Do you eat okra? Based on my experieces, I think they should be on all first time gardeners’ list of things to grow. They are ‘no fail’ — we just need a few good chefs to start singing their praises and exciting us with wonderful recipes. How about you any thoughts on okra? Have you grown it? Do you eat it? have a favorite recipe?

I am completely charmed by these industrial, construction-y, feeling BACSAC plant containers from France.  I think they make things seem so temporary and able to change at a whim (which is probably not true as I am sure once they are filled, they are heavy) – but it is  a quality I like in a garden…it is never the same twice.

I am especially drawn to the ruck sack version.   The idea of flowers overflowing from saw horses opens so many opportunities to pretty things up.  I was in Boston yesterday and did a lot of walking. I always notice what is planted (or not planted) wherever I go.  American Cities really don’t have that much in the way of flowers and gardens. When I lived in England it was impossible to NOT notice every pub’s floral displays, they are always such bright spots in an urban landscape.  These bags seem like they might be good tools create those type of voluptuous displays in a lot more obscure un-plantable places.

Here is what I would love to see, when I pull up to a closed road- perhaps some summer road construction – I am greeted with some nice flowers and a friendly sign that shows me the detour. I am wondering if we had more flowers on roadsides if we would reduce the incidence of road rage? I think it might….what do you think?

I saw this over at Inhabitat and wanted to make sure you all knew….

“Head’s up green thumbs and urban gardeners across the states! Do you have an extraordinary edible garden project that you’re dying to share with the world? Well now’s your chance because Fritz Haeg and crew are currently accepting submissions to include in the expanded 2010 edition of Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn. They’re looking for examples of “full frontal gardening” from a handful of locations across the US that transform lifeless front lawns into leafy green edible gardens. The deadline for submissions is coming up fast next Monday August 31st, so check to see if you’re in one of the applicable zones and submit your garden today!”

+ Edible Estates