Debra Prinzing

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Palette of Possibilities

Sunday, December 15th, 2013

 

Welcome to the Fall 2013 issue of Country Gardens magazine.

Welcome to the Fall 2013 issue of Country Gardens magazine.

While other homeowners might be discouraged by a yard with poor drainage and a steep, 10-foot bank, Rudell and Jay Hegnes were undaunted by such challenges. Located in Gig Harbor, Wash., near Tacoma, their one-third-acre site’s pluses included a quiet neighborhood and sunny exposure. As for the hillside, Rudell says: “We knew it could be an asset, a place to display our trees.”

Since moving there in 2004, the Hegneses have treated their slope as a “stage” for cherished specimens. They have thoughtfully arranged shrubs and trees, both evergreen and deciduous, to showcase diverse needle and leaf textures — from blue spruces and silvery-green pines to golden Japanese cryptomerias. Deciduous Japanese maples produce leaves ranging from lime to burgundy, while barberries provide wine-red accents to this anything-but-green plant palette.

“Our garden has a mixture of dark green, blue, yellow and red foliage,” Rudell explains. “To us, if you mix — and repeat — forms and textures, it gives the garden a yummy feeling. And we wanted a garden that was as much about how it feels as how it looks.” She credits Jay’s passion for photography for inspiring some of their most successful plant groupings, because, “when you observe your garden in a photograph, you can suddenly see what needs to be added.”

The lawn sweeps across the backyard, leading to several arborvitae hedges that make a strong statement along the fence.

The lawn sweeps across the backyard, leading to several arborvitae hedges that make a strong statement along the fence.

A small section of lawn serves as a grassy walking path at the base of the hillside, connecting numerous perennial borders and providing play space for two pups: Bailey, a Cairn Terrier, and Rose, a miniature Schnauzer.

To correct the drainage problems, Jay and Rudell elevated the planting beds with stone edging. Crushed gravel, French drains, berms and a dry creek bed (over which passes a sweet footbridge) also help to draw excess moisture away from the garden.

This exquisite landscape has evolved along with its owners’ gardening style. Each season brings new changes, as Jay and Rudell observe how plants respond to weather patterns, temperatures and cultural conditions. For example, they’ve removed turf to enlarge planting spaces, designing perennial beds and borders to complement the house, patio and fencing.

“We wanted these areas to be wide enough for layering all our favorite colors and textures,” Rudell says. “And it has been fun finding each plant that fits in just the right spot.”

At the base of each post, there is a clipped boxwood to visually anchor the structure. Hanging baskets add late summer color and drama.

At the base of each post, there is a clipped boxwood to visually anchor the structure. Hanging baskets add late summer color and drama.

At the heart of the garden stands a 20-by-30 foot aggregate patio that is as spacious as any interior room could be. To enhance its proportions, the couple added two L-shaped corner arbors, constructed by Jay and Rudell’s brother using 4-by-4 inch, rough-cut cedar. “We wanted this space to feel enclosed,” Rudell explains.

The twin arbors frame views out to the garden and create a vertical backdrop for the surrounding perennial beds. On the patio itself, large containers of trees and shrubs are clustered at the base of the beefy posts, while the arbor’s overhead beams support six lavish hanging baskets. “Most people don’t have enough space on their patio, but these dimensions allow us to layer lots of pots,” Rudell says.

When they are seated here, sharing morning coffee or hosting a dinner for friends on a warm summer’s evening, Jay and Rudell enjoy the garden’s many vistas and vignettes. “I get a lot of joy from looking at our plants,” Rudell confides. While this is admittedly not a low-maintenance garden, its plant-obsessed owner chooses perennials for their easy-care features.

Site Plan

Site Plan

“I like plants that I don’t have to stake, that bloom for a long time, and that will reliably return each year,” she says. Some of the tender succulents and tropical plants of this Zone 8b landscape thrive during the summer months because they have spent the winter protected inside an attractive 6-by-6 foot greenhouse.

Adding to the garden’s sensory experience are several water features – fountains and bowls that are both ornamental and attractive to bird life. “We love the sound of water when we’re outside,” Jay explains.

For this husband-and-wife team of 37 years, it’s hard to imagine moving away from the garden that reflects their personal lifestyle, not to mention including plant collections and artwork. “This is our seventh house,” Rudell explains. “We love working on our gardens, one section at a time. At each area means something special to us.” 

Life on the Deck

Friday, November 29th, 2013
One area of the new deck accommodates a seating area that overlooks the distant canyon. Multiple posts support a beautiful pergola with corbels that echo the home's detailed millwork and enclose the deck, giving it a room-like feeling of scale.

One area of the new deck accommodates a seating area that overlooks the distant canyon. Multiple posts support a beautiful pergola with corbels that echo the home’s detailed millwork and enclose the deck, giving it a room-like feeling of scale.

In 1909, when the original owners of a Craftsman bungalow in San Diego’s Mission Hills neighborhood moved in, they probably didn’t grill chicken on the barbecue or gather under an umbrella to have cocktails and enjoy views of the distant canyon.

But the activities of today’s families inevitably spill outdoors, especially in a region known for its beneficent year-round climate. Kelle and Robert Wright, who have lived in the historic home since 1993 (and have been restoring it ever since), wanted to capture as much bonus space from the outdoors as possible. While working with builder Fritz Madlé of FTM Construction to enlarge the interior living space, it made sense to extend outward. They replaced a small redwood balcony with a new, 500-square-foot deck that wraps around two sides of the house and connects with the garden below.

Because the backyard slopes away from the house, the new deck is level with the upper canopy of a mature Jacaranda mimosifolia tree. Keeping the specimen was a must-have design issue, Kelle says. “We really built the deck around the tree,” she says. The months of May and June, when the Jacaranda explodes in lavish, lavender-blue flowers, are her favorite times to entertain. “When people come through our house and enter the deck, they always refer to it as a tree house because of all the vegetation in the back.”

Formerly an overgrown and unstable area, there's a new back lawn for kids' activities, a small brick patio for the adults, and access to the downstairs bonus room and storage (beneath the deck). A generously-proportioned staircase connects the lower garden with the upper deck.

Formerly an overgrown and unstable area, there’s a new back lawn for kids’ activities, a small brick patio for the adults, and access to the downstairs bonus room and storage (beneath the deck). A generously-proportioned staircase connects the lower garden with the upper deck.

Thanks to smart design decisions, the deck addition is an important connecting element that links the residence with the rest of the landscape.

A “baby deck,” as Kelle calls it, serves as a landing pad that contains the outdoor grill and leads to a broad staircase that descend to a lower brick patio.

Many of the project’s finishing touches were borrowed directly from the home’s turn-of-the-century architecture, including the white accent trim and other detailed woodwork. Eight upright posts line the deck’s perimeter, supporting corbels and a long pergola, as well as beautiful Craftsman-inspired lighting. Two pendant lights hang from each post, illuminating the deck and the garden after dusk. “When the lights are on at night we don’t need any extra garden lighting,” Kelle says. “The same fixtures are also mounted to the exterior of the house.”

The Wrights and their contractor knew that a sustainable hardwood like Malaysian Ipé was a suitable decking choice. While it may have been easier to use a composite wood product for modern comfort, “we wanted the deck to reflect the character of this historic home,” Kelle explains. The Wrights treat the wood deck two or three times a year to maintain its rich, warm hue.

Dramatic, oversized containers planted with succulents and seasonal annuals are displayed on wheeled stands, protecting the deck from dripping water and allowing Kelle to move the large pots when there’s a party.

Large signature ceramic pots in contemporary shapes are filled with succulents and other sculptural, drought-tolerant plants. Platform-style wood stands support the pots and protect the decking from any standing water or excess soil; the wheels allow the Wrights to move things around when needed.

Large signature ceramic pots in contemporary shapes are filled with succulents and other sculptural, drought-tolerant plants. Platform-style wood stands support the pots and protect the decking from any standing water or excess soil; the wheels allow the Wrights to move things around when needed.

A patterned area rug and comfortable teak and all-weather wicker furniture complement the wood and give the deck a cozy, family-friendly feeling. “We sit out here all the time,” she says. “If we hadn’t done this remodel, we probably would have moved to a larger home.”

Wood or Composite?

Considerations for your deck

The Wright family completed their home renovation and deck addition in the early 2000s, when admittedly, the selection of composite decking material was limited. “There were not so many choices then and we knew that Ipé was a renewable resource,” Fritz Madlé explains. “Now there are many colors and styles to choose from.” Madlé recommends using natural hardwood when adding a deck to a historic home, in order to reflect its architectural heritage.

Here are some of the pros and cons of today’s decking choices:

Cost: Expect to pay about twice as much for cedar and redwood decking ($2 to $3 per square foot uninstalled) than you will for pressure-treated lumber ($1.20-$2 per square foot uninstalled). Wood-and-plastic composite decking varies in cost ($1.75-$4.75 per square foot uninstalled).

Even if he has to squeeze in a few hours of work on the weekends, Robert can do it outdoors, while enjoying the relaxed setting.

Even if he has to squeeze in a few hours of work on the weekends, Robert can do it outdoors, while enjoying the relaxed setting.

Durability: Cedar, cypress and redwood are classic decking choices that are also naturally rot-resistant. Pressure-treated lumber such as pine or fir has been chemically treated to make it rot-resistant. With proper care, pressure treated wood may last up to 30 years; redwood and cedar decking should last 20 to 30 years; and composite wood or plastic decking will have a manufacturer’s warrantee ranging from 10 years or more. Exotic hardwood like Ipé is highly durable, but still the most expensive option.

Installation: Exotic hardwoods are not for the DIY builder and you should consult with a licensed contractor to do the installation. Special tools and skills are needed to work with composite decking and may also require professional installation.

Maintenance: Untreated wood decking weathers to brown, then gray, over time. Expect to treat your wood deck with regular applications of a clear sealer every year; older decks may require a tinted stain to bring back their luster. Synthetic composite, plastic and vinyl decking is designed to look like wood and requires little maintenance other than an occasional power washing.

Environmental issues: Synthetic wood does not require stains or paint, but it is plastic-based. Pressure-treated lumber manufactured after 2004 does not contain arsenic and considered non-hazardous. Natural wood requires ongoing application of sealers or stains. Some natural wood is sustainably harvested.

For more details, follow these links:

A Haven for Homebodies

Friday, November 29th, 2013
The marine-blue exposed-aggregate pool surface is echoed in glass tile beneath the cast-stone coping in the McConnaughey backyard.

The marine-blue exposed-aggregate pool surface is echoed in glass tile beneath the cast-stone coping in the McConnaughey backyard.

Start with one ordinary backyard, a concrete patio, a patch of lawn and a swing set. Include one mom and one dad, both with busy medical careers, plus three active kids. Add one rambunctious dog named Mackie and an undemanding cat named Ginger.

For Gigi Kroll McConnaughey, an OB-GYN physician in private practice, and Doug McConnaughey, an internist, this equation didn’t add up. Three years ago, the couple realized that their Newport Beach, Calif., property wasn’t reaching its potential.

“We’d been toying with a big garden project, but the idea of tackling it was overwhelming for two working parents,” Gigi says of their average-sized suburban lot.

Gigi and Doug had admired a friend’s high-functioning backyard and learned that it was designed and built by Newport Beach-based Chris Fenmore of Garden Studio Design. “We loved what we saw,” Gigi says.

Soon thereafter, she bid on a landscape design from Chris Fenmore at a school auction (and won). In 2011, the McConnaughey family — adults, kids and pets included — gained their dream backyard. The design utilizes every inch of the sun-loving, suburban property in USDA Zone 10b.

Landscape designer Chris Fenmore replaced and enlarged Gigi and Doug McConnaughey's original patio to provide more covered outdoor living space.

Landscape designer Chris Fenmore replaced and enlarged Gigi and Doug McConnaughey’s original patio to provide more covered outdoor living space.

Chris Fenmore’s space-planning approach, similar to that of an interior designer, divided the outdoor areas into function-specific rooms with clean architectural lines and simple planting schemes. The existing covered patio was too small and was weakened by dry rot, so it was rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate an al fresco dining area and a compact outdoor kitchen, plus a lounging-TV zone in front of a gas fireplace.

The new structure integrates nicely with the McConnaugheys’ Cape Cod-style residence, complete with a cottage-inspired, board-and-batten ceiling, four recessed electric heaters, recessed lighting, speakers and a fan. It is substantial enough to accommodate the master bedroom’s second-level balcony overhead, Gigi and Doug’s private spot that overlooks the new landscape.

There’s a comfy, great-room vibe to the space, which Gigi attributes to the many thoughtful design details, such as flagstone flooring with cobblestone accents, “that makes it feel like an area rug,” she says. Bench seating on both sides of the fireplace is topped with taupe, pale blue and sand-patterned cushions and pillows, a textile palette repeated on furniture throughout the garden.

A pair of teak chaise lounges flank an Asian garden stool to accommodate sunbathers.

A pair of teak chaise lounges flank an Asian garden stool to accommodate sunbathers.

Water is the centerpiece of two main gathering spaces. First, the pool is aligned with the property’s perimeter wall, which encloses a generous patio for chaises and an umbrella-covered table. Second, an in-ground spa is defined by an L-shaped bench and a casual grouping of furniture. Constructed surfaces around the pool and spa are knit together with soft vegetation, including Dymondia margaretae used as a lush groundcover and a tapestry of succulents and creeping plants at the base of the benches. 

While their residence and garden are tucked into a development with other homes close by, the McConnaughey family enjoys quite a bit of privacy, thanks to screening from the neighbors’ mature trees.

There’s another bonus: a community park and ball field that backs onto their property. To maximize her clients’ use of all this green space, the designer added a secret path and steps (located behind the spa), which lead to an access gate. The kids love to climb the steps and enter the park, Gigi says. “It gives them space to roam and play catch with the dog. It’s the coolest bonus yard.”

” . . . I know when I look back on this time, I’ll say that having this garden was the best thing we ever did.”

 

Foliage in various colors and textures fills the planting gaps at the base of the fireplace benches.

Foliage in various colors and textures fills the planting gaps at the base of the fireplace benches.

But more often than not, Gigi, Doug, James (12), Jenna (10) and Kyle (7) gather in their own backyard for “Five Time.” That’s what the family calls their ritual of hanging out together at the end of the day. “We spend quality time as a result of this yard,” says mom. “As a family, we love to eat outside and hop in the pool or Jacuzzi afterwards. It’s where the best conversations take place. And I know when I look back on this time, I’ll say that having this garden was the best thing we ever did.”

Low Water and Lush: The mostly green plant palette relies on drought-tolerant varieties that add lots of luxe to the landscape. Plantings include alternating clusters of dead nettle (Lamium maculatum) and baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii); a stunning stand of yellow kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos sp.); glossy purple-green carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans); and dinner-plate-sized Aeonium.

Budget backyard makeover: Remade for cocktails, movies and more

Thursday, November 28th, 2013

 

New backyard deck.

The perfect outdoor entertaining space ws built on top of a dated brick patio.

Click here to see the Los Angeles Times @ Home gallery, photographed by Jay L. Clendenin

They didn’t intend to become do-it-yourselfers, but after consulting with a landscape architect who told them, “my gardens start at $50,000,” Michael Moore and Chad Rothman had a change of plans.

“We had been thinking it would cost $10,000 to $15,000, so it was time to figure out how to do a lot of the work ourselves,” Moore said.

Moore, a senior legal executive, and Rothman, a creative director in marketing, both work in the entertainment industry. Seven years ago, they moved into a 1920s-Spanish-style home in the Brookside neighborhood, just south of Hancock Park. Since the house itself is only 1,500-square-feet in size, they were grateful for an attached deck, accessible from the living room.

Still, whenever they used the deck, the men found themselves staring at the vast and uninspiring backyard.

“We really liked the garden when we moved in, but over time we discovered we weren’t using it,” Rothman said of the existing “English country” plantings that eventually became overgrown and messy.

"Before," a photo that Michael and Chad shared with me. There was nothing inviting about the hard concrete benches and the crowded plantings.

“Before,” a photo that Michael and Chad shared with me. There was nothing inviting about the hard concrete benches and the crowded plantings.

A garage occupied one-quarter of the yard, its stucco facade looming and blank. A raised circular fire pit, capped with brick and centered on a kidney-shaped brick patio, was surrounded by three uncomfortable stone benches. A second brick patio was shadowed by two Australian gum trees next to the north fence. “It didn’t look awful,” Moore said. “It just wasn’t us.”

Earlier this year, a windstorm knocked down one large section of fencing and the decision to replace the entire fence became the genesis of the entire backyard makeover.

New Fence

A brand new fence, built by Creole Walker of Creative Design Works, set the tone for the stylish renovations elsewhere in the garden.

Moore and Rothman met Creole Walker of Creative Design Works through the person flipping the house next door. “His estimate was one-third of the original one we got from a fence company, and he came highly recommended, so it was a no-brainer,” Rothman said.

Walker replaced the old vertical-slat fence with a new cedar fence using a running horizontal pattern, finished with a rich, dark-brown stain. “Suddenly, we had an amazing fence and everything else looked awful against it,” Moore said.

After hiring Walker to do the fine carpentry work, Rothman sketched a design with clean, linear geometry, eliminating all the curves. That meant all the brick had to go.

He and Moore spent hours breaking up the brick with sledgehammers. One of the areas covered in brick was a small flat pad between the two trees. The initial plan was to remove the brick and create a gravel-covered sitting area. But when one of the trees had to be removed, it allowed for a much larger area. The men decided to install a raised cedar deck instead of spending almost the same amount on brick removal.

Sleek and modern, a new deck hugs the ground and provides the ideal backyard seating in Michael Moore & Chad Rothman's Los Angeles garden.

Sleek and modern, a new deck hugs the ground and provides the ideal backyard seating in Michael Moore & Chad Rothman’s Los Angeles garden.

“That one decision created what is the centerpiece of the new yard – and also gave us 130 square feet of outdoor living area,” said Moore. The 9-by-14-foot deck is only slightly elevated above the new lawn, making it feel well integrated with the garden. Two steps ascend to a cozy seating area that has the perfect proportions of an indoor living room. Rather than invest in Ipe to match the home’s larger deck, they asked Walker to use redwood. Rothman chose a driftwood-gray stain similar to the color used on the railings of their upper deck.

That light-colored decking plays nicely with the gravel in the backyard’s other main entertaining area. Rothman and Moore worked with Bourget Bros. Building Materials in Santa Monica to find just the right color gravel. “It turns out there was only one quarry near Palm Springs that had the dark gray rock we wanted,” Moore said. Using buckets, they transferred 6,000 pounds of the crushed rock from a pile in their garage to its ultimate destination around the fire pit.

"Before," a brick-capped fire pit.

“Before,” a brick-capped fire pit.

 

"Before," mid-way through the demolition work, which Michael and Chad did themselves.

“Before,” mid-way through the demolition work, which Michael and Chad did themselves.

The fire pit wasn’t exactly located where they would have liked it to be, but it was already piped for gas, making it costly to rebuild. Another too-high bid, this time $4,000 to resurface the original brick, led Rothman and Moore to try a product they had seen advertised on HGTV. The surface bonding cement was easy to apply (once Moore had used a chisel and a disk grinder to cut and sand the existing stucco and brick surface). “We refinished the entire fire pit for $200 – plus a ton of our labor,” he said.

Daily checks on Craigslist helped them furnish the two entertaining areas. Moore first snagged a set of Restoration Hardware all-weather wicker just minutes after a Hollywood producer’s assistant posted it for sale. He found the powder-coated cast aluminum seating from another seller, paying one-third of the retail price. 

This is a garden success story! Previously wasted space now used for gathering with friends.

This is a garden success story! Previously wasted space now used for gathering with friends. Michael (left) with Chad and Jackson in the foreground.

When friends come to visit, the party starts with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails on the deck, where there’s plenty of seating even if a few people perch on the steps. After dark, the entourage moves to the fire pit area. The chairs are pivoted to face that once ugly garage wall. Now there’s a new storage cabinet-counter, which Walker built to match the fencing. It’s perfect for an outside bar and hides the gas and irrigation systems from view. And above it, the wall now doubles as a large outdoor screen for movie-watching.

Yes, they saved money (a fraction of that original landscape architect’s estimate). And yes, they spent most of their weekends since last spring working on the project. But the backyard makeover also taught Moore and Rothman how to get creative, source materials and use unfamiliar tools. “For someone like me who likes instant gratification, the long process definitely delayed my enjoyment of the final project,” Rothman said. “But it was worth every swing of the sledgehammer.”

And don’t forget togetherness, Moore adds. “Six months of work was well worth the years of enjoyment we’ll have hanging out with each other – and our dog Jackson – in the new backyard.”

Full story as it appeared in the Los Angeles Times’ Home Section

Connect the spots

Saturday, July 13th, 2013
Lots of Pots

In Susann Schwiesow’s Bellingham garden, pots and other terracotta objects unify with a common design language.

 

Phormium in Pot

Terra cotta-colored foliage and flowers — a New Zealand flax and an annual called Diascia, reinforce the color scheme.

You’d think that a lot of containers could clutter up a place, but that’s not the case in Susann and Gale Schwiesow’s Pacific Northwest garden, where no fewer than 175 pots of mostly gold and green foliage plants, including clipped boxwood balls, connects four distinct outdoor rooms and draw the eye through the landscape.

Susann, partner in Schwiesow Drilias, a residential landscape firm in Bellingham, Wash., uses mostly terra cotta pottery and many shades of green foliage to give her garden a common design language.

The relationship between one area of the garden and each adjacent outdoor space relies on Susann’s artistry and use of color, especially evident in her selection of apricot and coral flowers and foliage plants to echo the clay pots.

Terra cotta containers populate the home’s front steps, line the patio’s edge and are grouped informally on several terraces. Widely varied, the pots are planted with dwarf evergreens, succulents, tropicals and other lush, heat-loving varieties.

“I like repetition,” Susann says. “It carries your eye around the garden. Each space has a focal point, which leads you from one garden room to the next.” 

Container style

Front Patio

Grouping pots for impact is the key to this cohesive vignette on the front patio.

The intimate look and feel of Susann’s patio relies on the successful way she places her many pots. Follow her design tips to create your own potted landscape:

  • Select a pottery color, finish or glaze and use it consistently. It’s okay to mix styles and sizes, but stick to a single palette. Susann uses high-quality terra cotta, which means the clay endure winter frosts.
  • Create groupings of pots for impact. Susann starts with a symmetrical layout, then she adds accent pots on one side to lessen the design’s formality.
  • Vary the height of pots in a group. Elevate short pots on a stack of concrete pavers or an upturned saucer.
  • Create an informal edge to a patio by arranging similar pots in a straight or staggered row. Susann uses medium and large-sized terra cotta pots, planted with common boxwood balls, to give a sense of enclosure to her back terrace. 

Connecting spaces

Staircase.

Pots mark transitions to help people navigate the landscape, as shown here on the stone staircase.

Each of Susann and Gale’s garden rooms is a special destination where they gather to observe the garden and enjoy a little R&R. Susann uses several easy techniques to tie one to the next.

  • Choose a theme color and an accent color, then repeat throughout the garden. For example, the foliage plants are mostly dark green, but Susann uses trees, shrubs and perennials with chartreuse-foliage as accents.
  • Give each space a focal point to lead you from one room to the next. The focal point is an eye-catching moment of drama, such as a singular pot, a specimen plant or a furniture grouping.
  • Define transitions. “Show where the garden room lets you in and lets you out,” Susann says. For example, she places pots to emphasize pathways, steps and transition points.

A Paradise Revived

Saturday, July 13th, 2013
Casa dos Mujeres

Cheryl and Robin brought dignity and charm back to this “grande dame” of 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival architecture – and its landscape.

In 1999, Cheryl Bode and Robin Colman discovered the house and garden they soon came to call Casa dos Mujeres (House of Two Women).

Prompted by the desire for more space as they combined their individual households, the two were drawn to Altadena, a village in unincorporated Los Angeles County wedged between Pasadena and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

“Cheryl went there on a lark with our real estate agent,” Robin recalls. “This house was in terrible shape, but part of it really captivated her.”

Later, when Cheryl returned with Robin in tow, she jumped up and down with joy when Robin pronounced: “I could live here.”

Rose Garden

The crunchy gravel path bisects the rose beds and is interrupted (in a good way) by a small fountain.

Motivated to  save the aging 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival-style home and tame its landscape, Robin and Cheryl spent more than a decade on restorations. They reclaimed the property’s gracious character, so it is reminiscent of its origins . In doing so, they, too, have become rooted in the community. “It feels like you’re taking a step out of the hustle and bustle of city life,” says Robin.

The 4,000-square-foot, stucco-and-red-tile-roofed residence required extensive interior and exterior renovations. While much of the land once attached to the house had been subdivided and sold over time, three-quarters of an acre remained.

Rose Garden 2

The arbor defines the entry into this beautiful garden room where scented roses flourish.

Cheryl and Robin didn’t consider themselves gardeners, but they knew the overgrown and debris-strewn yard needed to be cleaned up and redesigned. They turned to Pasadena-based garden designer Thomas Batcheller Cox for help.

“We had no idea what we were taking on,” says Robin. “We love it now, but we didn’t come in with our eyes wide open.” 

Cox’s expertise has had a profound effect on the couple, who have relied on his design direction for more than a decade, Cheryl says. “We could not have done any of this garden without him. We continue to work with him today, which means this property is evolving into a mature garden.”
Renovated in phases over many years, the once unruly property  is now a series of nine garden rooms – from the front garden where  ginkgos flank the front door to the shade garden where clusters of more than twenty Daphne odora shrubs perfume the air. According to Cox, the landscape is defined by distinct, room-like features. “The floor, of course, is the lawn, terrace or patio, the path or walkway. The adjacent areas where plants grow form the shape of each particular room.”

Overhanging trees evoke the idea of a ceiling, while tall plants form “walls” that frame the sky view above, he explains, adding:

Strolling Lawn

This is the killer shot that somehow never made it into the Horticulture magazine layout. The entire perimeter of the oval strolling lawn is enclosed with lush, verdant foliage.

“I love spaces that are softly enclosed so you can only barely see them.”

Sansieverias in pots

Two urns are planted with the uncommon Sansevieria cylindrica ‘Skyline’ plants.

Focusing so much energy on her garden  turned Cheryl, who retired from a career in health care administration, into a plant-lover and collector. “I came to learn that I had a passion for gardening,” Cheryl says. ” I ask: Is it rare? Is it unusual? I want that special geranium or uncommon blue ginger — varieties I’ve never seen growing in a private garden.”

In consultation with Cox, Cheryl scours small specialty nurseries for just the right flowering azalea or rose cultivar. She is equally comfortable rattling off botanical names like a horticulturist or tending tomatoes, strawberries, and beans in the sunny kitchen garden.

The Veranda

The covered veranda spans the central portion of the home, providing seating and connecting to the garden’s open-air patios and water feature on the opposite side of the lawn.

The restored residence has a deep, covered veranda that overlooks a strolling lawn, several outdoor dining areas and a formal pond. The new garden needed to be worthy of the home’s grand scale.  “We wanted it to look as if everything belonged here and was built by craftspeople from the 1920s,” Cheryl explains.

The spirit of that ethos begins in the walled rose garden, established along the home’s east perimeter in an area once covered in asphalt. A gate built from turned spindles (echoing the home’s original window trim) provides entry. Sand-colored Santa Rosa gravel crunches underfoot as you walk along the path, sidestep a small bubbling fountain at its center, and inhale the perfume of 32 rose shrubs (“I only grow roses that have fragrance,” Cheryl says.)

Dining and Water Features

Two semienclosed dining patios provide intimate gathering spaces on either side of a tranquil water feature.

Upright stone ledges form the risers in a gravel path and staircase that descends from one level of the garden to the next. “The path goes down two little steps to an arch, which leads to the first terrace and connects with the upper lawn,” Cheryl explains. “Then it continues down five more steps to the lower garden.” From this main walkway, several narrower, undulating paths follow the topography of the land, leading to nearly-hidden seating areas. “You have to explore each and every aspect of this garden,” Cheryl says. “It’s not like you can stand in one place and have a panoramic view.”

Rather than considering the property’s gentle slope as a design challenge, the owners, designer and their contractor Tim Foster of Chaparral Landscaping all felt it was a strength. “We didn’t change the  topography of the land when we created this garden,” Cheryl points out. “So that laid a foundation for Tom and Tim to enhance and build upon.”

The meandering path

The journey continues to the southeast corner of the property; from here, you can see the home through the tree trunks.

Before it turns at the southeast corner of the property, the path loops around an octagonal bed, an important focal point where Cheryl and Tom have established a medallion-like tapestry of succulents, planted bands of bearded irises and added the unusual Strelitzia junacea, a type of bird of paradise. “That’s now our sunniest corner,” she says.  

The journey continues to an oval strolling lawn, often used as a dance floor for summer soirees. Enclosed by bold-leafed rice- paper plants (Tetrapanax papyrifer), graceful swaths of Mexican weeping bamboo and other subtropical specimens, the enclosure “feels like a garden cathedral – now that’s the real meaning of a ‘room’,” Cox points out. “Containment makes it feel much larger.”

Though this side of the landscape borders a well-traveled street, it is quiet and feels private, thanks to a “living fence” of evergreen pyracantha shrubs, their espaliered branches supported by cables strung between metal fence posts.

Cheryl and Robin preserved as many old trees as possible, including several deodar cedars and sycamores. They nursed a vintage orchard back to health, although it took five years of

Urn

This fantastic urn stands at the center of the sunny octagonal bed.

proper irrigation and feeding for many of the citrus trees to resume fruit production. Trees in the southern-facing area, enjoyed from the kitchen window, include a Meyer lemon, Satsuma and navel oranges, low-chill plum, apricot and apple trees, as well as two persimmon trees.

A diverse plant palette now enhances the gently sloping property: Princess and King palms, Camellia sasanqua shrubs, an African cabbage tree (Cussonia paniculata) and a pair of Sansevieria cylindrica “Skyline” in pots.

“It does look like a jungle,” Cheryl laughs, looking out across the upper lawn (she once overheard a garden tour docent describe the garden as “controlled chaos.”). But it’s an almost-tamed one that provides fragrance, fruit and flowers to those who enter — and look up to view the sky.

Vibrant stands of tropical Heliconias come into view, their leaves creating a green hedge. Cheryl and Robin never tire of observing this scene. “First, I see the Texas redbud, then the princess palm and then giant bird-of-paradise. Even when we’re sitting still, there’s exploration, Cheryl explains.”  

Dappled light

Deeper and deeper into the garden, the path continues to reveal beautiful surprises.

This botanical collection thrives in what Cheryl describes as Altadena’s unique microclimate. “Our summers are very hot; our winters are cold. The topography is such that we’re often encased in clouds in the winter.” Temperate-climate plants that won’t grow in nearby Pasadena seem to perform better in the foothills, she contends.

Beyond the oval lawn, stepping stones lead towards the deep shade of an old California sycamore, mature Pittosporum undulatum, Magnolia denudata  trees. Here, a restored pond is landscaped with ferns, hellebores, mondo grass and a trio of golden ginkgos (Gingko biloba), which Tom suggested adding to commemorate Cheryl’s late mother. The colors of spring appear: overhead in the blood-red foliage of several Japanese maples (including Acer palmatum ‘Red Blood’ and several dwarf, cut-leaf varieties that survive in dry Southern California only with some shade) and at one’s feet, in the salmon-pink flowering azaleas that line the path. Dappled sunlight animates the scene and it’s hard to imagine anyplace more peaceful.

“I don’t even really want to take vacations anymore, because it’s so beautiful here,” says Robin, a vice president at eBay Inc., who for the past five years has commuted from Southern California to Silicon Valley each week. “I come back on the weekends and I love just being home.”

Because the women feel they are stewards and caretakers of this special place, they frequently share it with friends and host benefit dinners for favorite charities. “We’ve been given the opportunity to return this ‘Grand Dame’ to how it was in 1925,” Cheryl adds. “It’s amazing to see what one garden can do. We want other people to enjoy it.”

Clematis

The white clematis strikes a beautiful grace note along the exterior wall of the veranda.

 

Creating a sense of seclusion in urban Venice

Thursday, April 25th, 2013
Before: A "spanish-ized" stucco box from the 1930s, with little to recommend it.

Before: A “spanish-ized” stucco box from the 1930s, with little to recommend it.

Architect John Frane saw plenty of promise in the Venice Beach shoe box, a 1930s bungalow Spanish-ized with interior doorway arches, a tiled parapet and swirled metalwork on the windows and fence.

“Ugly duckling is a good way to describe it,” Frane said of the house, painted beige with maroon trim when he bought it in 2011 and, more important, hemmed in by apartments on all four sides.

“The house has an urban side, and the big backyard had been paved over, but I saw it as potentially being a great private space.”

Love the shadowbox effect created by a simple "frame" around the original doorway.

Love the shadowbox effect created by a simple “frame” around the original doorway.

The stucco box has since become the architect’s experiment in creating seclusion where none seems possible, invoking design devices that trick the eye into thinking the space is larger and that minimize the presence of neighboring buildings. The recently completed transformation will be among 30 projects open May 4 for the annual Venice Garden & Home Tour.

Frane, co-founder of Predock Frane Architects, had been house-hunting for a few years and was familiar with the inventory around Rose and 4th avenues. “I had drawn up lots of scenarios for other parcels, so I knew how I could work with this one,” he said of the 5,200-square-foot lot. Another bonus: The house was about twice the size of the 575-square-foot Santa Monica apartment where he and his two black Labs had lived for 14 years.

Today, step through the house’s entry gate along 4th Avenue, ascend a few steps to the elevated patio and you’ll see two giant pop-out windows. Inside, one window ledge serves as a full-size daybed in the library, allowing Frane to use the room for guests. The other window ledge is a seat looking out to a mirror mounted on the front garden wall.

“When you’re in the living room, the reflection doubles the size of the space you’re seeing, and it blocks the view of the 40-unit building across the street,” Frane said.

An inward-facing mirror tricks the eye into imagining Frane's home and entry garden are much larger than reality.

An inward-facing mirror tricks the eye into imagining Frane’s home and entry garden are much larger than reality.

So it doesn’t turn a cold shoulder to the sidewalk, the garden mirror is backed with rustic fence slats, the edges of which are painted in colors that echo a totem pole across the street.

Inside, what had been a dark interior is now luminous white. All the chopped-up rooms have disappeared. Two 8-by-8-foot skylights are aligned above the central through-way, topped with the kind of clear acrylic domes typically used in industrial projects. The height of the domes — they rise about 10 feet above the flat roof — captures morning light while preventing neighboring apartment-dwellers from peering into Frane’s domestic environment. The effect is transformative, Frane said, creating twin spots in the center of the house where the ceiling soars to 16 feet.

Reed Kroloff, director of the Cranbrook Academy of Art and former editor of Architecture magazine, recently visited Frane for a few days, settling into that library daybed.

“John has condensed so many layers of information and ideas into one package that feels open and generous and casual and cleverly formal all at once,” Kroloff said. “He’s managed to get this amazing evocation of a perfect beach house, using a masterful control of light. There’s nothing about being in that house that feels small.”

The glow of light overhead comes from one of two 8-by-8 foot skylights aligned with the center of the small house.

The glow of light overhead comes from one of two 8-by-8 foot skylights aligned with the center of the small house.

Among Frane’s smart space-planning solutions: A free-standing wet bar is hidden beneath a hinged lid, so it opens and screens the kitchen from view when he entertains. Extra-large doors connect the dining area with a raised patio, allowing Frane to double party seating — half indoors, half outdoors.

Once paved-over and occupied by cars and a clothesline, the courtyard is now an important living space for Frane, his pets and his friends. A raised platform contains a soaking tub, a fountain and a fire pit, sheltered by a triangular sunshade overhead. Because the platform is elevated, it serves as a promontory that orients views away from the tall apartment building just to the south.

On the opposite side of the garden, a boccie ball court runs the length of the yard and provides a serene scene through bedroom windows. The central gravel area accommodates a collection of textural agaves, aloes and other succulents, grown from cuttings that Frane collected over 15 years. He added eight olive trees, placing them as screening in front of windows.

“I’m kind of a closet landscape designer,” he said. “It’s my favorite thing to do if I’m not being an architect.”

Looking from the house into the backyard, you see one last trick of the eye: your image reflected in another mirror, this one mounted on the garage, creating the illusion that the pleasant transformation never ends.

The elevated lounging platform faces away from the tall apartment complex next door. Love the triangular sailcloth awning.

The elevated lounging platform faces away from the tall apartment complex next door. Love the triangular sailcloth awning.

Venice Garden & Home Tour 

What: The 20th installment of the Venice Garden & Home Tour, a self-guided walking tour with 30 stops, this year all near Abbot Kinney Boulevard

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4

Tickets: $60 in advance, $70 day of tour (advance purchase recommended to avoid lines on tour day). Proceeds benefit the Neighborhood Youth Assn.

Where: Starting point is the Neighborhood Youth Assn., 1016 Pleasant View Ave., Venice

Information: (310) 821-1857, www.venicegardentour.org

 

 

Art Beneath the Open Sky

Saturday, March 30th, 2013
Leaf Magazine Spring 2013

Leaf Magazine Spring 2013

At its best, artwork triggers a full range of emotions – from delight and surprise to shock or even discomfort. And when it appears in a naturalistic setting, outside the walls of a conventional gallery or museum, art can evoke passionate feelings and communicate a strong sense of place.

At their 1.5-acre landscape in Lafayette, Calif., collectors Gail Giffen and Chris Pisarra have magnified these sensations, thanks to more than 35 individual works of art and sculpture (the total number keeps changing, because “we’ve never counted them,” jokes Chris).

This landscape offers a compelling lesson in selecting and placing artwork beneath an open sky. For those who visit, it’s nothing short of magical. “It’s our little hidden paradise and we enjoy seeing what a big surprise it is for people who enter,” he confides.

Ceramic Poles by Sally Russel

Ceramic Poles by Sally Russel

Over a 20-year period, Gail and Chris have populated the spaces in and around their home, swimming pool and guest house with an eclectic array of sculpture. They have befriended and supported countless artists, including Marsha Donahue, Mavis McClure, Topher Delany and Phil Glashoff, whose work ranges from the sublime to the playful. This outdoor gallery winks at anyone who takes themselves too seriously, says Chris. “We just have fun,” says Chris. “We buy art we like.”

The collection’s genesis dates to the mid-1990s when Gail completed a major renovation of a 1940s California ranch house original to the site. Building designer Reed Robbins transformed the existing structure into a Mediterranean-inspired residence with two new wings. The home’s entrance faced south, oriented toward a rather neglected piece of land, which prompted Gail to ask Oakland-based landscape architect Michael Thilgen, of Four Dimensions Landscape Co., to devise a new garden. A few trees were worth saving, including a valley oak and a Modesto ash, which after judicious pruning have continued to thrive, shading the home and providing a living canopy for outdoor patio and courtyard spaces.

Entry path beneath the majestic trees

Entry path beneath the majestic trees

According to Thilgen, Gail was drawn to a classical Mediterranean aesthetic at a time when cottage gardens were all the rage. “She was attracted to doing something more architectural,” he explains.

Thilgen used two axial lines to divide the property, concrete pads that have a rhythmic (and permeable) break every few feet. One axis is parallel to the home’s facade and travels deep into the garden. At the midway point, aligned with the front door to the house, a second axis extends at a 90-degree angle, providing sightlines across the property. The intersecting paths work in tandem “to subdivide the landscape into different areas with different sizes and character,” Thilgen says.

In his original drawings for the garden, the designer identified places for sculpture at the terminus of each path. “It was a new idea for Gail. She was not a collector of art at the time, but I gave her a couple gallery names and it seems like she has never looked back since then,” Thilgen says. “Collecting has become a major part of Gail’s life. It’s the way she expresses herself and how she has shaped the place she lives.”

The dreamy view looking across the secondary axis into the garden.

The dreamy view looking across the secondary axis into the garden.

The landscape has evolved over two decades, and is currently in the hands of B.J. Ledgerwood, APLD, owner of Native YardScape, who has been replacing aging perennials and shrubs with mostly native plant additions. The meadow-like mix of white and yellow flowering plants satisfies her clients’ preference for a neutral palette. “This is a garden where Gail and Chris can entertain, but they also want it to be restful to the eye,” she points out.

While the pathways form a grid that invite guests to navigate the garden, not all is seen at first glance. Dramatic stands of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ soar upward toward the sky, promising a surprise around each corner. Ever-changing and dynamic, the grasses reach their peak in late summer and early fall, evoking a sense of mystery as one explores the artwork that is so well integrated. By late winter, ornamental grasses are cut back and the entire mood changes again, giving Gail and Chris a momentary perspective across their landscape.

Beyond the stands of tall grasses are two gathering places.

Branches with Color, by Jeff Rosendale

Branches with Color, by Jeff Rosendale

The first, glimpsed to the left of the entry walk, is carpeted in lawn and defined by a rustic, industrial cauldron, now a water feature. Once a play area for the child of this household (who is now a young adult), the area is intimate and serene. That is, until you happen upon a large grasshopper, a praying mantis and other metal insects, lending their distinct point of view to the scenery around them.

The second gathering place is centered around the swimming pool and guest house, also part of the original renovation. Mostly human-inspired sculpture occupies the sun deck or the pool’s perimeter, although “Amanda,” a bronze nude by Australian artist David McKay Harrison, reclines on the diving board.

This is a garden that possesses artwork, but one could argue that the artwork possesses its owners, as well.

“We don’t buy art because we’re thinking of making an investment,” Chris maintains. “The beauty of art is that it is something you will appreciate every day. These are pieces that you’re supposed to feel, you’re supposed to sense – not just with your eyes, but with your hands. That’s the biggest benefit of owning sculpture.”

More artwork to wow you:

"Untitled," by Nina Lyons

“Untitled,” by Nina Lyons

A whimsical trail of sculptural ants marches across the garden

A whimsical trail of sculptural ants marches across the garden

Art surrounds the pool and patio, including a lifesize figure on the diving board

Art surrounds the pool and patio, including a lifesize figure on the diving board

Cauldron-turned-water feature

Cauldron-turned-water feature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backyard Beautification

Friday, March 29th, 2013

Alaska Airlines magazine, March 2013 coverSpring is here and many homeowners equate March’s arrival with a long list of chores. But those to-dos don’t have to be a drag. Backyard improvement projects can yield satisfying results now and through the year.

“You can think about your garden as purely a place to grow plants or a place to entertain,” says Lauren Hall-Behrens, designer and principal of Portland-based Lilyvilla Gardens. “But it can also be something that transforms you at the end of your day, giving something back to you – a connection with nature.”

It’s possible to move practically any activity in your lifestyle to an exterior setting. In a 2012 residential-trends survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA), nearly 92 percent of respondents rated outdoor areas for kitchen and entertaining as “somewhat to very popular.” The study also found that grills, fire pits, lighting, seating/dining areas and weatherized outdoor furniture continue to be top landscape amenities for the residential backyard. Yet people apparently also want to spend less time taking care of such spaces, with nearly all respondents in the ASLA study giving “low-maintenance landscapes” a popularity rating.

A Welcoming Garden

Portland landscape designer Lauren Hall-Behrens turned a small city lot into what she describes as a “Pan Asian Tropical Refuge” for gardening, relaxing and entertaining.

If you’re going to invest extracurricular energy into a gardening project, it had better promise a payoff. You also want to relax in your garden, not work overtime to help pay for it. These two issues—time and money—are at the heart of the garden tips recommended here. Read on to see what the experts suggest:

1. Appraise your garden’s assets and limitations.

Observe your environment – at different times of the year and times of the day – so you’re tuned into what that space is like throughout each season, says Billy Goodnick, a Santa Barbara-based landscape architect and author of the new book Yards: Turn Any Outdoor Space into the Garden of Your Dreams (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013). Goodnick says that homeowners should draw a quick sketch of their outdoor environments. The exercise will likely reveal the plusses and minuses of their properties.

“Make a list of all your wants and desires—from room for the kids to play to a summer napping spot,” Goodnick advises. “I tell my clients to figure out their ‘needs’ and make the most of out of the space they have. Gardens are for living in, so prioritize based on the pleasure you’ll deriive from and the frequency you’ll use each feature.”

A backyard can be reimagined into a welcoming environment for every member of the family.

A backyard can be reimagined into a welcoming environment for every member of the family.

Atlanta-based landscape architect Mary Palmer Dargan, author of Timeless Landscape Design (GibbsSmith, 2007) and Lifelong Landscape Design (GibbsSmith, 2012), offers ideas about how homeowners should view their properties when making landscaping decisions. She advises dividing the garden into four important parts, each with its own unique role. There’s the entry to the property, including where people park and how they walk to the front door (which Dargan calls the “approach/arrival”); there is the structure of the home, itself, (the hub); the places where homeowners go to enjoy their family and friends outside (perimeter spaces); and the places further from the home where one might grow a vegetable patch, store gardening equipment or play (linkages/destinations).

“When these four areas are in harmony with one another, the property purrs like a well-oiled piece of machinery,” Dargan maintains.

2. Explore local resources for inspiration:

To develop ideas for those four areas of the garden, homeowners should look around their own community for inspiration. That file folder stuffed with magazine tear sheets is certainly a source of design ideas, but there’s nothing like a three-dimensional landscape to give you a sense of a tree’s grandeur.

Tour public gardens for design ideas, such as this calming scene at the Bloedel Reserve on Washington state's Bainbridge Island.

Tour public gardens for design ideas, such as this calming scene at the Bloedel Reserve on Washington state’s Bainbridge Island.

“Everyone should visit public gardens,” says Stacie Crooks of Seattle-based Crooks Garden Design and a trustee of The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.

“I’m confident that when I suggest a visit to Bloedel, my clients will have a personal experience that inspires them visually or emotionally – and it will help them want to create a similar feeling in their own garden.”

Snap photographs of attractive plant groupings or gorgeous framed views. Take a guided tour with a docent. And while most of us probably won’t replicate a majestic strolling lawn or a bosk of shade trees, we can certainly borrow ideas to bring home.

“The reasons we feel comfortable in a garden space – whether it’s large or small — are the same fundamentals of every good garden,” Crooks says.

3. Hire a pro for the big jobs:

Gardeners tackling big jobs may want to commission a designer to first create a master plan and then hire a contractor to handle details such as installing outdoor lighting or pouring a concrete patio.

Homeowners can save the less physically demanding or technically difficult aspects for themselves, such as the actual planting. Also, start with the front yard and enjoy it for a few years before tackling the backyard. In other words, pace yourself.

alaska air march 2013_pg4The amount you will spend varies widely, from hiring a relatively unskilled day laborer to haul away debris for $10-per-hour to a professional designer or landscape architect whose fees can range from $75-per-hour to much more, depending on where you live. Ask friends and neighbors for referrals’; solicit quotes from multiple companies; and check references. Most states have a nursery-and-landscaping trade association that can also provide suggestions, such as whether it’s better to negotiate an hourly fee or a per-project rate. Just remember that you get what you pay for: Cheapest is rarely the best option, especially when it comes to investing in your home and landscape.  “It’s all about knowing your strengths and abilities,” says Anthony Tesselaar, cofounder and president of international plant marketer Anthony Tesselaar International. “You may only need a pro to shift that tree that looked good when you first planted it; but now it’s too big or overgrown.”

The International Society of Arboriculture (www.isa-arbor.com) maintains a searchable database of tree-care professionals who can tackle such a project. Hall-Behrens, of Lilyvilla Gardens, believes that working with a designer who understands a gardener’s personal style can help them get much closer to their ideal garden.

“I’m interested in helping clients get as much out of their garden as possible and that often starts with helping them know what they want,” she says.

Sharing the practical aspects of your lifestyle can greatly help a designer, Hall-Behrens says. “If you know you always entertain 30 people at a time, or that you definitely want a place to barbecue or lounge, it will make the whole process so much easier and affordable.”

4. Plant Trees

Spring is a great time to plant trees because so many wonderful specimens are in bloom, says Nancy Buley, communications director for J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., wholesale tree growers based in Boring, Ore., outside Portland.

“Obviously, you should plant trees for their beauty, but they also have great environmental value,” she says.

However, homeowners need to do their homework to choose the right tree for their properties’ sites and scales. Many communities have resources to help, be it a city arborist or a utility district. Public gardens and universities also evaluate best trees in regions around the country.

For example, in the maritime Northwest, the Great Plant Picks program (www.greatplantpicks.com) lists the best residential trees, while California property owners can view Cal Poly’s SelecTree recommendations (www.selectree.calpoly.edu). Midwest gardeners will find great backyard trees at Missouri Botanic Garden’s Plants of Merit program (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), while the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal Plants highlight best area trees at www.goldmedalplants.org.

If making a beautiful addition to one’s landscape isn’t enough reason to invest in trees, Buley points to a recent U.S. Forest Service study of Portland neighborhoods, which determined that street trees growing in the right-of-way in front of homes added an average of $8,870 to the sales price and reduced the time a home was on the market by 1.7 days.

“Aesthetically, trees are the ‘bones’ of the landscape – they set the tone for the overall look of the garden,” Buley says. “Therefore, it is important to choose wisely, and where space is limited, choose one that will serve multiple purposes.”

5. Barter, borrow or trade

Gardeners on a budget should try embracing some old-fashioned practices and join the new barter economy. Like homesteaders and pioneers before us, today’s enterprising homeowners are finding and creating non-cash solutions for home and garden projects.

According to Steve Couche, founder of the Southeast Portland Tool Library (www.septl.org), this movement is based on equal parts need and creativity.

In 2010, as part of a neighborhood sustainability coalition, Couche and fellow volunteers started a tool-lending center, now one of 40 such programs around the country. The idea is that a gardener may only need a tool for a specific, one-time project. So rather than purchase it, borrow it. “It’s similar to joining a book library,” he explains.

Some tool libraries have been in operation for decades, while others are just getting started. Programs vary, such as one operated through the public library system in Berkeley, California, to others begun by neighborhood groups.

To address growing interest, founders of the West Seattle Tool Library designed a “Starter Kit” that addresses everything from liability issues to planning a budget. It is available for free at http://sharestarter.org/tools/.

At the Southeast Portland Tool Library,  More than 2,000 cardholders are able to check out 1,200 tools, mostly donated—from axes to wrenches to more expensive tools.  “Young people just starting out want to borrow tools, but retired people do, too,” Couche says. “One of our board members remodeled his house entirely with tools from the library.”

The spirit of the tool library is also similar to garden-sharing cooperatives in which people with extra square-footage allow those who need a plot to grow vegetables, flowers or even  host beehives in exchange for a percentage of what they produce.

Ballard Bee Company (www.ballardbeecompany.com), an urban pollination service in Seattle, is one such venture. Founder Corky Luster or a member of his crew set up hives in the residential backyards of neighborhood hosts, as well as in spaces like restaurant gardens or hotel rooftops; the company has also set up apiaries in Dunn Gardens, a beautiful, historic public garden in Seattle.

Property owners pay a small fee and in return receive a “personal pollination station” in their garden and a regular supply of the hive’s honey. As bees forage for pollen in urban backyards, they create a lightly floral, golden, and, of course, delicious product. Plus, it’s safe, explains Luster. “Honeybees are really gentle. When you have a hive, you can experience watching the bees, benefit from the pollination and enjoy some of the honey.”

6. Eat what you grow

Whether it’s because of concerns about the economy, food security, or simply a desire to grow and cook with fresh ingredients, the kitchen garden continues to be an important feature of American backyards.

Gardening with vegetables remains a top consumer priority, according to a recent survey conducted by the Garden Writers Association (www.gardenwriters.org). The study found that over the past three years, the number of households engaged in vegetable and fruit-growing has remained fairly constant at nearly 54 percent of those with a yard or garden.

To begin this project, “forget about seeds,” suggests Willi Galloway, Portland-based author of Grow, Cook, Eat (Sasquatch Books, 2012) and host of www.digginfood.com, a gardening-cooking blog. “Buy veggie starts (rooted seedlings available in 4-inch pots at most garden centers) because they’re already growing and ready to plant.”

Galloway recommends that novice food gardeners should begin growing plants they already like to eat. “Grow a cherry tomato with some lettuce. Or plant some peas with arugula,” she says. “Herbs are great because you can work them into any existing sunny flower border in your yard or grow them in containers.”

Vegetable gardening is a great family activity, Galloway adds. “Kids like anything they can pull up out of the ground, like carrots and beets. And digging up potatoes is like finding buried treasure.7.

7Make the garden kid-friendly

When my sons were young, I grew lots of berries, greens, vegetables and fruit for the simple reason that I wanted them to know that food came from the earth—not from a shrink-wrapped tray at the supermarket.

By the time my children reached elementary school, we discovered the power of school gardens – “living classrooms” that engage youngsters in fascinating experiences like worm composting, seed sprouting and eating what you grow. There are many resources available to teachers and parents, including the National Gardening Association’s Kids Gardening program (http://www.kidsgardening.org/), which lists lessons and activities, as well as a guide for starting a youth garden. It’s easy to begin small, with just a few flower pots of carrot and radish seeds, and “grow” from there.

Helping children engage positively with the natural world is one objective of the Seattle Children’s PlayGarden (www.seattlechildrensplaygarden.com), a nonprofit program for children of all abilities. Executive director Liz Bullard and landscape designer Wendy Welch say the PlayGarden is an important teaching tool for children with diverse physical and developmental skills. More than one thousand children participate annually in the PlayGarden’s preschool, field trips, afterschool programs and popular summer camps, where play is an equalizer for all children ages 4 to 12.

No one says “don’t pick that” here, says Welch, the program’s lead designer and owner of Wendy Welch Garden Design. “Everything we plant is provocative for kids in some way – from the scent to the texture, to the taste. There are endless amounts of flowers to pick and berries that kids can eat to their heart’s content,” she says. “But then again, this is a public park – and the plants have to stand up to teenage boys playing basketball. So we’ve chosen varieties that are super tough like Joe Pye weed, rudbeckia and solidaster. These are workhorse plants that are hard to kill, but they are also colorful and good for pollinators.”

These lessons of a public park can be adapted to any home garden where children may congregate. “In a garden, kids change their relationship with nature, with their siblings, with other children,” Welch says. “It’s really about creating a welcoming place to play. It doesn’t take any money to build a mud puddle, after all.”

8. Plant for birds, bees and beneficial insects

Bird watching is popular nationwide, with the annual economic impact of bird enthusiasts valued at $32 billion a year, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The agency reported that in 2011, 22.5 million people 16 years old and older took trips away from home to feed, observe, or photograph wildlife.

But these same enthusiasts also enjoy wildlife in their own backyards. Bringing birds into your garden “is probably the easiest connection you can make with wild nature,” says Jim Carpenter CEO of Indianapolis-based Wild Birds Unlimited, a backyard bird feeding specialty chain. “When we provide good habitat, feeding stations, water and a place for birds to raise their young, they reward us with song, beauty, wildness – they bring what may already be a beautiful garden to life.”

9. Recycle, repurpose, re-use

Giving new life to someone else’s throwaways is the idea behind Building Resources (www.buildingresources.org), a 19-year-old construction and landscaping materials center in San Francisco. What began as a way to limit landfill waste has grown into a model emulated all around the country and a way for gardeners to save money and be environmentally sensitive.

Program manager Matthew Levesque says enthusiasm for recycled building materials began to increase five years ago. “People who never before expressed interest in re-use are now interested.” And it’s not just for the do-it-yourself crowd. Patrons include artists, designers, educators and anyone interested in sustainable practices.

“Yes, our growth is economically driven,” Levesque maintains. “That’s because during leaner times, people get more creative. There’s also a growing sense of environmental awareness as people realize there is good material here to be reused.”

10. Make it yourself

Related to the growing “hand-made” movement, make-it-yourself projects can stretch a home and garden decorating budget, allow homeowners to put a personal stamp on their environments.

Picking up a tool and learning a new skill—from floral design to furniture-making—satisfies those who desire unique over the mass-produced, says Dan Benarcik, a horticulturist at Chanticleer, a nonprofit estate garden outside Philadelphia. Benarcik began teaching students seven years ago how to build garden chairs based on The Red Blue Chair, designed in 1917 by Gerrit Rietveld, a Dutch carpenter and artist.  Benarcik was surprised when his first students were mother-and-daughter teams.

Women continue to sign up for Benarcik’s furniture-making classes, often given by botanical gardens and horticultural societies. Benarcik thinks the success of his workshops is due in part to the “I want to do it myself” mindset.

“I’m amazed at the momentum,” he says of the do-it-yourself movement. “Most of my students arrive saying, ‘I’ve never built anything else before,’ but I’ve had 100-percent success rate.”

11.  Tailor your garden to fit your lifestyle. “Think of your outdoor spaces as adding more rooms to your house,” say landscape architect Goodnick. “The patio is another dining room; the quiet refuge under a tree is your den; the fire pit is your family room.” Even if you make one change in your landscape this spring, you’ll find yourself drawn to the great outdoors more frequently as the season unfolds.

Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based garden and design writer and outdoor living expert. Learn more at www.debraprinzing.com.

Flower Power

Friday, March 29th, 2013

Costco Connection, March 2013Anyone who has received or given flowers knows that a bouquet will put a smile on your face in an instant. What seems like common sense has even been confirmed by the academic world. According to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed. When the university’s social scientists explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction, they found that flowers are a natural and healthful moderator of moods.

If you need some mood-enhancing floral therapy – and who doesn’t? – this is the perfect time of year to  plant perennials and shrubs with attractive flowers and foliage. If your space is limited or if you aren’t a gardener, you can still appreciate nature’s abundance in your home by combining greenery with cut blooms.

BACKYARD BOUQUETS

The age-old practice of picking and arranging stems in a vase was popularized by the Victorians, but now, according to many gardening experts, cutting gardens are returning to the domestic landscape.

“As I travel the world in search of new plant breeds, I’ve noticed cutting gardens are coming back,” says Anthony Tesselaar, cofounder and president of Tesselaar Plants, with U.S. offices in Lawndale, California.  “I’ve noticed that Europe tends to be a bit ahead of the U.S.  in terms of garden trends, and based on what I’ve seen there, I suspect cutting gardens will begin to gain momentum here in the U.S. once again.”

A recent survey by the National Gardening Association suggests there are  10.8 million households in the U.S. buying flower seeds (along with vegetable seeds) annually. And according to NGA’s research director Bruce Butterfield, “34 million households — nearly one in three U.S. households — have a flower garden.”  That’s a lot of flower power.

“I think the cost savings, self-expression and powerful connection to interior design’s popularity in the media make cutting gardens a coming trend,” says Miriam Goldberger, president and co-founder of Wildflower Farm, a wildflower-seed producer based in Coldwater, Ontario. “I myself have been absolutely besotted with cutting gardens for 25 years. I love the endless amount of creativity it gives me, and the way it helps me bring nature inside my home.”

FLOWERS IN THE LANDSCAPE

Flowers in the home shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions alone. Head outdoors to find ingredients for a freshly picked bouquet. Shrubs and perennials from the garden offer a creative palette of design choices. Look for classic favorites such as forsythia, red-twig dogwood, hydrangea, peony, lily and dahlia plants beginning now and continuing through the entire growing season; all are perfect vase ingredients.

When you clip blooms and greenery from the garden, use clean, sharp pruners and plunge the cut stems into a bucket of room-temperature water until you’re ready to start arranging. Extend a bouquet’s vase life by stripping off any leaves that will be in water. And keep things fresh by changing the vase water every few days.

Debra’s Eco-Floral Design Techniques

MIX-AND-MATCH

Gardeners and foodies have embraced the seasonal aspects of what they grow, cook and eat. But depending on where you live, it might be a challenge to enjoy seasonal flowers all year long. That’s when everyday garden foliage can be a useful addition to a mixed bouquet or a single bunch of blooms.

You can stretch the potential of the bunch you buy and make it more local with cuttings from your garden, says Susy Wingate, owner of Wingate Interiors on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Wingate begins with a large bouquet of roses and regroups them, using foliage and other flowers to create even more arrangements. “Use your imagination,” she suggests. “Figure five roses per vase — you always want to use odd numbers of stems – and add greens [and other flowers] to create multiple bouquets.”

Bring springtime indoors with fresh flowers and garden cuttings:  It’s an easy way to celebrate the season. Simply gather a cheery bouquet to enjoy on your desk or create a lavish centerpiece for your next dinner party. Either way, there is a flower option that will express your sentiments and alter the moment’s mood. Channel your inner floral artist and create a bouquet that reflects you, the occasion and your personal style.

Design tips from Susy Wingate

  • Choose flowers with an open mind. “Rather than limiting yourself to a specific shade or type of flower, see what looks best the day you shop and let those flowers inspire your design,” she says.
  • Large floral bunches can yield several small bouquets. “Build your own by adding greenery and tailoring each design to your event or your home.” Wingate says single-variety bunches go the furthest when they are mixed with other botanical ingredients.
  • Garden bunches or mixed bouquets are lovely gifts. But don’t show up with the cellophane-wrapped package and hand it to your hostess, Wingate says. “Take it apart, clip off excess stems and foliage, and put the bouquet in a vase as a special gift.”
  • Combine different flowers from the same palette. “I love using all sorts of floral textures in shades of one color to create a really rich and fun bouquet,” she says.

Debra Prinzing is a longtime Costco member, a Seattle-based outdoor living expert and the author of “The 50 Mile Bouquet” and “Slow Flowers, both published by St. Lynn’s Press. Read more about her work at www.debraprinzing.com.