I am posting this for 3 reasons….first, this is a test….I just wanted to see how Leaf magazine would look on my own site before I tell you that you too can embed Leaf into your site. Maybe you run a design business, or have a cool blog or newsletter, or for whatever reason want to share and have a little added value. Well, you can. Just like with youtube or other such sites, you can embed Leaf – go ahead share it….people will think you are so cool for doing it (I promise). (and I think think it looks pretty cool — you can pick the page you want to share and the background color!)

The second reason was that I wanted to point out this particular page….the contributors….these people are just plain awesome and I am grateful for everything they did to help make this magazine possible. If you want to know more about them you can click on their names in the magazine and clickety click, you will be on their fantastic websites. They are bunch worth knowing and I encourage you to go introduce yourselves.

And finally — we are running a little Leaf launch Giveaway Scavenger Hunt. All you have to do is find the hidden link in the magazine, click on it and then when you get to the secret page, leave a comment. It’s a Leaf-y scavenger hunt. Oh, and look on the Leaf facebook page tomorrow for a clue about where to find the secret link if you are having troubles finding it.

The leaves are falling in New England, sadly, this year with little show.   I am not sure what environmental factors make for a dull leaf season, but they must be something like  those this year.   I have yet to be stopped in my tracks at the fire orange-red show of a maple of other deciduous tree as is typical this time of year and I have subsequently been thinking of how to add a bit more interest with evergreens.

For this, I get endless inpsiration from Iseli Nursery.

New growth on the Picea abies ‘Rubra Spicata’ is bright red!

I have never ordered from them directly however even though they are on the other side of the country, their products can be found in a few of my local nurseries.  Perusing their catalog is wildly inspiring and finding just the right rare thing always sets me on plant hunting adventures that leads to something more that just a new plant in the garden.

I thought I would share with you my favorites – these will all work in my own zone 5, there are however other fantastic options for warmer climates.

Tsuga diversifolia ‘Gracilis’, Tsuga Canadensis ‘Albospicata’, Larix decidua ‘Varied Directions’, Pinus contorta ‘Taylor’s Sunburst’

Picea orientalis ‘Aureospicata’, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Goldilocks’, Abies koreana ‘Starker’s dwarf’,  Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana gracilis’

Picea sitchensis ‘Papoose’, Picea abies ‘Acrocona’, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Spiralis’, Berberis thunbergii “Golden torch’.

Top choices for me are have winning qualities for color (namely bright yellows and chartreuse, blue – or in the case of a few – bright red new growth), touch-ability (I love soft conifers) and shape (I can find good use for blobs as well as cones, columns and balls…and that natural swirl of the Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Spiralis’ is very pretty!).

What do you like in evergreens and conifers?  Do you have a favorite unique variety?

all images from islei nursery.

Whose ready to get back into a regualr schedule? ME!!  While I am not going to shut-up any time soon about Leaf Magazine (have you read it yet?)  – I am going to take a little break to try and get back to some regularlity.  First up a Tursday before and after — right here, right now, on Friday — a day late — but whose on time, right?

This is from Nicolas Lebas in Lyon France.  He is a garden designer there and made over this roof for a friend…to be honest, I am not sure if there is actually a ‘before’ shot in this bunch, so I am going to just share my favorites of the afters….

I am particularly enjoying the casual and slightly rustic vibe that doesn’t try too hard — and the views!! (Is that the Cathedral de Notre Dame in Lyon in the background?).  As per usual, Southern France is endlessly appealing and oozing style.

The morning after feels kinda good.  Yesterday afternoon was a hell of a whirlwind with the Leaf launch.  Thankfully, today, my heartbeat has returned to its normal rhythm.   I thought I would spend the rest of the week working back into my regular studio ‘g’ blogging schedule by sharing a few of my favorite things about Leaf and the adventure of making the first issue.

Did you see the video?  It’s about making a cocktail called a Grilled White Peach Rumble.  The recipe was provided by Warren Bobrow and a friend (Jonathan Williams) and I made the whole thing in my garden – with a short aside in the orchard across the street for the peach picking shot.

I love the music — which was one of the hardest things about the whole thing — finding the right thing, then making the right thing work.  I actually wanted the first minute of this clip to be the music but we struggled with the length of the piece and other issues and ultimately ended up with the mix that we have now.  Chicha music though is certainly a new favorite in my repertoire – perfect party vibe.

And I am looking forward to making my own rhubarb liqueur next summer.  I haven’t tried it before, but with 2 plants officially growing (and starting to thrive) in my garden, I hope that this spring will provide enough stalks for at least one good crisp and a couple bottles.

Not sure what the next video adventure will be, but I am looking forward to getting better with the medium and refining our look and technique.  Have you worked with video?  We could use lots of tips!

It’s finally here.  I feel like a new mother with a scheduled c-section planned for later this afternoon.  It’s been many months and now I just gotta get this thing out…but what about tomorrow — what will that be like?

It’s 5:15 am (I’ve been up since 4:30) I am trying to quell my simultaneous fear and excitement with coffee.  No matter what happens afterwards, it’s going to be a big day, today.

So here is how it’s going to go down — I hope you can join me along the way -

1) I need to go finish about 50 little things on the magazine and other details of launching a website and a PR campaign all at the same time.

2) At about 3:00pm today we should be all done and ready to go — that’s when you all come in.  Stop by the leaf mag website, have a first look at the magazine.

3) At 6:00 join us on twitter (@leafmag) to tell us what you think and help us celebrate.

4) You go curl up with the magazine and really enjoy it.

5) Tomorrow, come back here and we will start to chat just like we used too before the magazine took over — I plan to take off at least one week before working on issue # 2 to get things a little back to normal.

Have you been to Brimfield?  It is a HUGE antiques fair in Massachusetts that happens three times per year.   I find the place utterly overwhelming and without a plan of attack, a day there exhausts and puts me into a state of utter mental overload.   I attended the most recent fair with a plan for Leaf Magazine.  We have a story in our upcoming first issue about trends that we saw there.   So with a mission in mind I was ok for most of the day to stay focussed andpurposeful.

But that meant that personal shopping was out of the question.   I think it is an extraordinary mind that can go to a place like Brimfield and actually be creative and imaginative in the face such excess and stimulation.  Personally, I need a list (a tool with which to focus) – which I am starting now for the spring visit.  It will include vintage linen tea towels — because I just plain love them, but also because I think that a cushion collection such as these:

are the perfect kind of pillows for my garden chairs, or the chairs of a porch… or really lots of places.

(these were  found via Steph Bond at Bondville and were created by Morgan Wills — there are still a couple left for sale at her site)