How to use what you have available in design?  This, in my opinion, might be the biggest trend in design in recent years.  Would you agree?  Recycling, reuse, and resourcefulness are more important now than ever before (or at least ever before in the time frame of my career).

Imaginative re-use and re-thinking of the typical forms in gardens is the key element of Patrick Nadeau‘s design workshop where students of horticulture and studioents of garden design collaborate to create contemporary gardens.

I think that some of the ideas are really quite good.  Take for example, the table top gardens made from pallets.  This could help those with mobility issues to access gardening more easily.

And this pretty in pink hay bale garden is hands down, my favorite.  The bold sweep of pink with the bold shape of the bales are like a grownup playground of prettiness that I find endlessly appealing.

I am so happy to be back here talking about gardens design! The wedding came off beautifully and while I still have house guests, I am getting back to normal.  Whew! September was a crazy month!

How lucky this homeowner is to have a stream in the garden.  I wish for such things.

When designer Dana Assinder was presented with this project, she celebrated the existing woodland edge and stream-side character and made a feature of the ecology of their garden.

The clients wanted “a space buzzing with plant and animal life, and for the design, construction and maintenance of the garden to be sustainable and adaptable.” Additionally, the garden had to be a safe space for their young grandchildren to explore, but not sanitized and manicured.

The details work for me.  Yellow yarrow (perhaps Achillea Anthea) mixed with the geranium (I’m guessing maybe it is  geranium ‘jolly bee’) is a really lovely combo that I think I might try.  And additionally, the step construction reminds me of my peg based raised garden beds and is a really nice rustic/ modern touch.

Dana says her “Design triggers” for this project were ” reflections, wonky vertical stems against strong horizontals of stream, flood plain and roof-lines, native plants, seasonal change, the challenge of periodic flooding and general wateriness.”

The idea of listing out design triggers before sitting down to create a plan is interesting.  I think it is a good way to keep true to the site and what would be appropriate to the project, the brief and the client.  What do you think, do you spend time to think of a list like this to inform your design.  I have to admit, I don’t always, but when I do — usually in the form of pictures,–  I think it makes for a better design.

click below to see more images of this design.

I have to get my creative juices flowing…I am in Washington DC preparing for my sisters wedding.  I am headed out to pick up some flowers to take to the cake guy and then back here to arrange all these lovelies into boutineers, corsages, bouquets, and centerpieces.  Yes, I have  quite a busy day ahead of me.  Aren’t those gerbera daisies beautiful?   So this is what I really want to tell you about….my sister got them from costco and had such a great experience…she ordered them weeks ago and specified her date of delivery (today) — then a couple days ago thought better of it and called them back to see if they could be delivered a day earlier (this with less than 24 hours notice) — and they arrived less than 24 hours later.  And you want to know how much they cost?  80 beautiful blood red gerbera daisies for 89$ and customer service to boot.  Talk about BARGAIN!.

I think I am having a relatively good picutre taking day….I go hot and cold on this.  I try to be good all the time, but it just doesn’t always work out the way I hope.

I kind of love the way the colors are all coming together for this event.  It is somewhat surprising given the circumstances of the organizing.  The stripes on the bottom is my dress…and that orange in the middle is some silk I found at a decorator fabric store.  The other dresses, flower girls wedding dress and others were all done independently and really nothing was actually set side by side until yesterday — remarkably it all looks amazing.  The colors are dark red, and burgundy, fuschia, orange/gold, yellow and black.   I think I am going to have to re-use this combo again somewhere because I simple adore the way it all looks together.

So as I said before…things are a little crazy — but I am looking forward to getting back to relative normalcy and posting next week.  In the mean time, if I happen to continue to get lucky with the camera, I will make sure to share…

How about a true tale of garden discovery and restoration and renovation to contribute to this day of Garden Designers Round-table postings.   This story is still unfolding.

It started one day when a Yoga teacher friend called a Garden Designer friend; come with me and see a labyrinth that a mutual Artist friend made at a museum.  It might need some work – “I’d like to start using it for my students”.

A twist in the conversation… “do you have an hour you can spare?”…”supposedly, the woman who started this place used to have a meditation garden”…There was a statue of a goddess in it…Guan Yin… no one knows where it was or is now, but we have a picture….lets go for a hike and see if we can find something….

Vistas discovered, garden plants (lilacs, daylilies, clematis, irises, peonies, and other remnants), oddly in the middle of the woods.  And then there are the byzantine columns buried deep in the overgrown shrubbery.

Who is this woman and why did she do all of this?  What are the links that connect?  Transcendentalism, Shakers, Native Americans, Early Yogi’s in America, The Eye of Isis, Black Magic and White Magic, Occultism, Rosicrucians, a garden, a healing place, and a Boston Brahman woman in the early 20th century.

And then there is the modern day research…Love tunnels and affairs, flowers named for mistresses, witches in the garden, a curse, deception and lies, and the serendipitous and purposeful unfolding of clues to the story that seems orchestrated by an incommunicable source.

Where is this going and how is the story going to end?  I can’t wait to find out, each day is a new adventure….

I have been looking forward to this post for a while…

The search for the goddess continues. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction.  And all in the name of garden restoration….does this sound like a trailer for a movie or a best selling novel?….well, actually, maybe it might be….

Other posts from the Roundtable can be read through the links below.

Andrew Keys : Garden Smackdown : Boston, MA

Carolyn Gail Choi : Sweet Home and Garden Chicago : Chicago, IL

Genevieve Schmidt : North Coast Gardening : Arcata, CA

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

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

Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ

Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay, CA

I can’t help myself…I share no relation to Studio ‘g’ architects, except for a name; they are regular architects, this is a landscape and garden design blog, but because they recently completed the first phase of a revolutionary green roof right here in my own Boston back yard,  and because it is a remarkable project and garden at a school, I feel more than compelled to share it with you – in fact I feel a little like the cosmic- universe-y whatevers are telling me straight out to help spread the word about this remarkable project.

The Boston Latin School outdoor learning lab will have a green house to grow food for the cafeteria, a learning lab where a variety of living laboratory classes are being offered, wind turbines, solar panels, an outdoor elevator, an orchard and a contemplative garden.   The students are in the process of raising the money (6.2 million USD)  to continue to implement future stages of the project.  If you are interested in seeing what Studio ‘g’ has imagined for them — as well as a fun picture of what Boston might look like if all the other surrounding buildings were converted to green roofs, check out this post over at inhabitat.

My son is still asleep and my husband and daughter have gone outside to work on the the new chicken coop — I should be making Birthday cake and cleaning house in preparation for the party later tonight….but….seriously I have to share this great idea from  Karen over at The Art of Doing Stuff.

Gates that close with magnets — and a full set of DIY instructions for putting it together yourself…..and thus allowing for all sorts of creativity when it comes to handles for your fences….

A quick brainstorming session on ideas is getting me in the mood for creative cake making…..How about using vintage car parts for a gate handles?

image from make club

…or perhaps old toys and charmingly aged found bits….

image from old holden

Tinker toys seem to provide endless options for a modern but colorful and thoughtful detail. Handles fashioned from these would need a bit of shellac for protection.

Of course silverware is made to be comfortable on the hand…so why not re-purpose to another hand friendly device…

image by mazzorello media.

or maybe forgo the whole creative handle and magnet thing entirely and do a kick to open and auto close cannon ball variety….hmmm…any other ideas for interesting gate handles?

Have a great Sunday….see you back here (hopefully) tomorrow…