Moonrise Kingdom’s trailer is such a ridiculous visual feast of a style that I simply adore. And so much of it makes me long for summer garden days. I am watching it over and over because it sparks ideas literally every single second. I wish I had a full set of stills to study.
Oh and that music — sounds so much like the Chicha music that I fell in love with when we made the first Leaf Magazine video. Do you remember it?
I am so torn, I thought this feature should be every week, then every other week, then now, I am back to thinking every week….Because I seriously just can’t wait to share with you the plan and the 3-D renderings for this super cool Garden Story project.
“The garden combines functionality and contemporary elegance to create an unusual and usable space. It is divided into three areas, each with a distinct purpose and ambiance.
The first section, adjoining the house, is dedicated to relaxation and entertainment. Directly outside the patio doors will be an area of oak decking, chosen to echoing the floor of the kitchen. This deck will be large enough to accommodate a weatherproof rattan sofa. Along the right side of this section will be an outdoor dining area. Surfaced with Mint Fossil sandstone, this area will benefit from a substantial dining table and benches constructed from railway sleepers.”
“The second, central area of the garden is planted with low maintenance architectural plants. Four screens of various dimensions emerge from the planting and help to obscure the rear of the space from view. Each screen features a different material: wooden panelling, textured stone tiles, stainless steel mesh and orange Perspex. A stainless steel water blade installed on one of the screens will give the space a contemporary feel that emulates the interior of the house.”
“To the rear of the garden the final section is home to the children’s climbing frame and a storage unit for bicycles. This section is hidden from view by a timber screen. An artificial lawn provides an extremely low maintenance and safe surface beneath the climbing frame. A low, timber framed tunnel with coloured Perspex lenses in the roof provides additional opportunity for play. Both boundaries will be softened and masked by climbing plants. The existing row of conifers at the back of the garden are to be retained to provide a backdrop to the garden and privacy from the road beyond.”
To see previous installments of this Garden Story click here and here….in order. Next week — We will see the construction get underway!
This might be one of my most favorite blog series’ of all time. The Fashioned Florals collection that Joy at Oh Joy! commissioned from Liz of The Nouveau Romantics is simply wonderful. It brings together everything I love about inspiration, art and design. The series takes art and photography of really anything and uses it as inspiration for a floral arrangement. This is perhaps my favorite:
The arrangement was inspired by the painting by Christine Soccio.
See the whole series of Fashioned Florals.
And find a few more of gems in the gallery.
Katrina’s back with the next phase of the current Garden Story — we kicked off this series with The Breif – which you can see here.
I was struck this morning when I opened up the latest email from Avant Gardens. These plants were part of the mix that they are offering in early season sales and my mind immediately thought of dusty old pictures of Victorians in the their gardens. Yes I know that back in the day, they didn’t live in a sepia colored world (duh, but wouldn’t that be interesting for a while?) and that old pictures just look like that, but wouldn’t it be fun to make a garden full of plants that we could pretend like we all old fashioned in?
All images from Avant Gardens.
Phlox ‘Sherbert Blend’, Acer ‘Esk Sunset’, Cotinus ‘Daydream’, Magnolia ‘Sunsation’ and Rodgersia ‘Chocolate Wings’.
And as a side note — check back later today — I have a big surprise that I am excited to share!!! (here is a hint – check out the writers page….)
London is calling.
I am super excited for 2012 – I am going to be making a variety of trips to cover some really great events. I am busy putting together my schedule and plans, but the one I am most excited about is a return to London to attend the Chelsea Flower Show. The trip would not however be complete without a stop at one of my most favorite places on the planet — the Liberty department store. If you haven’t been there, these yummy images give an little glimpse of the place.
To start, it is a beautiful Tudor building in the heart of London’s West End. It is filled with the most imaginative of department store crossed with design products that are worth getting lost in for hours on end.
And then there are the storied prints. Liberty prints and the fabric that they are generally printed on have been a favorite of mine since I discovered them years ago. If I were a collector, Liberty fabric and liberty print adorned items would be a worthy thing to gather. I imagine making beautiful quilts and pillows and basically anything else that can be crafted with fabric.
I love Liberty spotting and seeing where the fabric turns up. Of course, there was the relatively recent Target range, but a few years before J Crew did a line of shirts and I have seen many a clothing/ shoe/ accessory designer work in the prints here and there. I really love finding them in home goods — but I haven’t yet seen them to brought to the garden. Hmmm…Waiting….
images: miss cherie, Red bubble, Liberty, little green notebook, and cabinet a bidoulles.
You can see more Liberty print inspiration on my Liberty Pinterest board.
