Curves in the Landscape

(Naumkeag in Stockbridge, Mass...a must-visit)

 “In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves.”

~ Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

(pool and landscape by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

Perhaps it is my reaction against the tight grids of modern site
design, or maybe it is my love of natural forms, or possibly it is due to my being a female...

but I love curves in the landscape.

I am not referring to the squiggly kind or the ill considered hose-on-the-ground variety but the sweeping curves that draw your eye around and onward.

(Red and White Border - Jan Johnsen, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

The lure of a curve entices you to see what is on the other side.

(no Belgian Block here! - Jan Johnsen, Johnsen Landsapes & Pools)

A curving line makes you feel good.

(The Mastery of Gaudi - Parque Guell, Barcelona)

It may even make you stop and ponder the scene sometimes.

(Naumkeag again, photo by Jan Johnsen)

But most of all, a curve in the garden delights and relaxes.

(deer resistant planting along a drive - Jan Johnsen, Johnsen Landscpes & Pools)

and helps us to rest

(Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

and delight in the Green World!

(Garden by Jan Johnsen, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

#3 Garden Inspirations from Serenity in the Garden Facebook Page

Photo by Jan Johnsen all rights reserved

 

July 20, 2012 - Several years ago I planted small vining plants at the base of a black railing along some steps... I wanted to soften the look and add some green. I used Dutchmen's Pipe' (Aristolochia macrophylla Zones 5-8). It was named for a Greek named... Aristolochos in the first century, who had learned from a dream that it was an antidote for snake bites. Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia Snakeroot) is thus named because the root was used to treat snakebite, as "so offensive to these reptiles, that they not only avoid the places where it grows, but even flee from the traveler who carries a piece of it in his hand". Many species of Aristolochia are food for larvae of swallowtail butterflies as they become unpalatable to most predators by eating the plants. Plant Dutchmen's Pipe for a dense cover, to feed the butterflies and to keep the snakes away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 19, 2012 - This is a patio - in the making -  of round shapes at Bedrock Gardens in New Hampshire. It includes five septic tank tops and a huge grinding wheel! This Saturday July 21 Bedrock Gardens is open to the public! http://bedrockgardens.org/Pages_main/events_index.html

 

 

 

 

 

July 18, 2012 -  Reflexology Path, anyone? This is in Thailand and is designed by Bill Bensley, Bensley Design Studio...amazing work! His book is Paradise by Design. http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Design-Tropical-Resorts-Residences/dp/0794604935

 

 

 

Photo by Jan Johnsen - all rights reserved

July 17, 2012 - The MONET'S GARDEN show at NY Botanical Garden sells copies of his green outdoor bench...It looks like it is made by the Weatherend furniture company. Looks great against that yellow forest grass on the right.

 

 

 

Photo by Jan Johnsen all rights reserved

 

 

July 16, 2012 - Profusion zinnias are a hybrid between the old cut-flower-type zinnias and the Mexican zinnias. Vivid colors make a great summer display. A full-sun location is best. Zinnias perform best in drier years as they are remarkably drought-tolerant.

 

 

 

Romance Rake by YANKO DESIGN

 

 

July 16, 2012  - Dieter Rams, head of design for Braun for many years, lists ten aspects of good design:
Good design should be innovative .
- should make a product useful.
- is aesthetic.
- will make a product understandable.
... - is honest.
- is unobtrusive.
- is long lived.
- is consistent in every detail.
- is environmentally friendly.
- is as little design as possible.

This is the ‘Reverse for Rebirth Romance Rake.’ it quickly rakes up yards and can spice up your living space as a wall decoration!
Designers: Ahn Joonggeun, Lee Sanghyuk, Lee Jaemin & Park Seohee YANKO DESIGN http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/03/23/romantic-rake/

 

 

Photo by Jan Johnsen - all rights reserved

 

 

July 16, 2012 - So did they paint the planter bright green to match the inside of the succulents? or vice versa? I took this photo in Santa Barbara earlier this year.

 

 

 

 

Bench by Forms + Surfaces

Tangent Rail Seating - Backless Benches that can be articulated in any angle! An idea whose time has come: http://www.forms-surfaces.com/tangent-rail-seating

Foot Chi for All! A Reflexology Path for Your Garden

I have a dear friend who loves to walk barefoot in his garden. I know he enjoys the sensation but I wonder if he knows how good it is for his health?

In fact, I am thinking of suggesting the addition of a 'Foot Chi Path' to his amazing landscape...

Have you ever heard of the Chinese tradition of Stone Stepping?

This ancient practice recommends walking barefoot on a surface of rounded, small stones for a variety of health benefits.

When the scientists at the Oregon Research Institute control tested Chinese cobblestone stepping thay found that the older adult participants "experienced significant improvements in mental and physical well-being."

Their study suggested that this simple activity could be an answer to the quest for a "simple, convenient, and readily accessible exercise program that will reduce health problems and improve quality of life of the aging population."

foot chi walkers

The names for this cure-all vary: stone stepping, cobblestone-mat walking, pebble path, foot chi path,  Reflexology Path or Barefoot Health Path. Whatever it is called, this idea will capture many serenity gardeners' imaginations.

The rekindled interest in this ancient practice has been spearheaded by Jesuit priest who heads a congregation in Taiwan - Father Joseph Eugster. Here he writes:

"In nearly every village in Taiwan they have built special paths of pebbles and every morning at 3 or 4 o'clock, people walk barefoot around the pebble path for a half hour before they go to work. Hundreds, even thousands do this. It has become a way of life. I think this is very important. We eat three times a day for our health. For me it is like praying or meditation, I need it for my bodily health and I think every body needs it." (Father Josef Eugster, (British) Reflexions , March 1995, pp. 16-17.)

from a calm oasis website

Father Eugster was introduced to cobblestone walking and reflexology in 1977 when he suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis in his knees. It cured him.  He gradually developed his own variations on the known techniques judging their value solely by the results and now he has taught his techniques to the world.

Father Josef has also taught Reflexology to blind and handicapped people in Taiwan,  assisting them in finding an ethical means to support themselves. Since Reflexology is highly sensitive to touch and intuitive feel, he feels their natural handicap can also become a significant advantage. What a great idea!

The bottom of the foot has more nerve endings than any other part of the body. These are connected to the various organs ....so it follows that stimulating these nerves stimulates the organs!

Cobblestone walking can help relieve tiredness and provide a general boost to wellbeing.   This idea opens up so many opportunities for gardeners and designers alike. Healing Gardens should all incorporate this idea.

I hope to see many Foot Chi paths in the future. 

by Bill Benlsey, Bensley Design Studio, Thailand

#2 - Garden Ideas and Inspiration from 'Serenity in the Garden Facebok

photo by Jens Kolk

'Serenity in the Garden Blog' is the name of my Facebook Page.

Each day I post a photo of something garden related...it is an eclectic assortment and I post whatever I think might appeal to other kindred spirits out there. You can click here to go to the site: Serenity in the Garden on Facebook.

This is #2 of some photos from June 2012 on my FB page. I am trying to catch up and post them so they will be available to non-Facebook users.  I have a lot more to post!

This is dew garden time! Photographer Jens Kolk captured this photo of a ladybug covered in beads of morning dew in his garden: "I went out into the garden with my camera on a cold Sunday morning. The very special light shining just the right way led to to dozens of little sunstars."

 

 

 

Pavers in the lawn create a great pattern - by Peter Walker and Associates, 311 West Broadway, NYC

I am planting a mass of CIRCUS coralbells today in a garden... Raspberry colored flowers complement the large, chartreuse to medium green leaves. Maroon veining during the spring and gorgeous late-season foliage ranging from green to yellow and pink. Zone 4 -8

Want to see some fun stuff? go to Terra Trellis on line. I LOVE the Gracie Arbor...how cool is that? http://www.terratrellis.com/

In honor of the UK Diamond Jubilee year I present: The Queen Of England Shrub Rose, one of the ten most popular roses for over 40 years.

'Queen Elizabeth' is an elegant, grandiflora rose whose flowers come singly on one stem, similar to hybrid te...a roses. Cold climate rose.

It doesn't need much maintenance, can grow 4' - 5' tall and makes a good hedge. Cut down hard in late winter about once every 6 years to rejuvenate it. Mild fragrance. Info: http://www.rose-gardening-made-easy.com/queen-elizabeth-rose.html

 

Houzz featured one of my projects today (Johnsen Landscapes & Pools) - great article by the garden writer, Debra Prinzing!
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2545175/list/Garden-Design-Essentials--Proportion-and-Scale

Debra writes about my photo:
"I'm a sucker for a well-placed piece of artwork or sculpture in a garden setting. This classical bowl on a substantial pedestal has the correct proportion within the space. It rests informally on the green carpet of turf and relates nicely (at about half the height) to the border of ornamental grasses behind it.

As for scale, there's something quite elegant about the appropriateness of this piece. I can certainly imagine a much taller sculpture placed here. But I do appreciate how the pedestal's volume echoes the tree trunk at the far right."

White Prelude Sibirian Iris..easy to grow, deer resistant, comes back every year. Highly recommended for serene outdoor spaces.

Bedrock Gardens in Lee, New Hampshire has an open house once a month - 2012 dates are: June 16, July 21, August 18, September 15. All run from 10am to 4pm. I hope to go sometime. http://bedrockgardens.org/home.html

My French Country Garden is a wonderful wonderful FB page! All our dreams come true....

This is the Hybrid musk rose 'Buff Beauty'.

Garden Design by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

Nepeta 'Walkers's Low' (Catmint) is deer resistant and steals the show in June in my part of the world! 

Catmint is an easy to grow perennial that provides a beautiful show of color in summer. They prefer full sun and ordinary, well-drained soil.  Shearing the plants back by half after their first bloom tends to stimulate a second bloom cycle. USDA Hardiness Zone 3-8. 

Try the shorter 'Kit Kat', its height is only 15-18 Inches. Photo and landscape by Jan Johnsen.

Pool Design and Installation by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

What to do beneath a raised deck?....I used cedar lattice to screen below. And my client gained needed storage space!  Go to Johnsen Landscapes & Pools on Facebook for more pool settings that inspire...(and overcome tough site conditions)

Gardens for Spiritual Renewal

Alfred Savinelli writes in his book, ‘Plants of Power’: 

“To bring our lives back into alignment with the cosmos, to reconnect with the source that deeply feeds us, to remember that life is but a dream and we are, collectively, its dreamers, requires vigilance.

We must keep remembering”

‘Remembering’ to him means we recognize “the spiritual aspect that lives within and behind all forms and structures that we take for granted” (Savinelli, p 6).

Native Americans and aborigines use ritual to remember their connection to the plant spirits and sky gods. Churches and temples conduct prescribed ceremonies to remember transcendent stories and events.  Buddhists and monasteries use chants and meditation to illuminate the unseen world around them. 

Gardens, too, can be quiet places of spiritual ‘remembering’.  Through careful selection and placement of walks, plants, water, rocks and features we can create a garden space that will help us view Nature – and our time with her - a little differently.

 A garden designed with intent can “remake ordinary time and space into sacred time and space” (Savinelli p.6).  It is here amid the pathways, pools of water and thriving plants that we can feel the aliveness of this ‘dream’ that we all share.  

Once we become attuned to the energetic world around us we will understand the essence of a garden. It  harkens the 'stop time' moment we all seek. 

 As Lily Tomlin said, 'For fast acting relief, slow down'.

Enlightened Awareness in the Garden

The Latin word for ‘cultivate’, colere, means both ‘to till’ and ‘to cherish’ .

How appropriate!

‘Tilling’ your garden helps you to cherish Nature and become more 'watchful' of nature's processes.

Going out before the heat of the day in summer you can see Nature’s serendipitous ‘co-incidents’ close at hand. The fragrant, multihued display of flowers is not meant to delight us but to catch an insect’s eye - this is a glorious way to ensure pollination of each blossom and hybrid seed production.

  

 Indeed,  the symphony of the natural world is a medley of synchronous events working together, ever changing throughout the “striped coat of climates, this fourfold year…” that Ralph Waldo Emerson termed it.

Cultivating our observation of Nature leads to serene acceptance.  For example, in spring, you may see the fluffy white seedpods of the Cottonwood trees on everything, making a 'mess'. But this ‘cottony’ mass  that covers everything is used by birds to make the softest nest Nature can provide. What a lovely , soft way to disperse tree seeds during nesting season! No longer a mess, we see it as mattress padding for baby robins.

Similarly, in blustery autumn, as oak trees drop their acorns, industrious squirrels bury these hard coated seeds for their winter food supply. The trees couldn’t ask for better seed sowers for future mighty oaks!

So noting  the weather, sky, plants, animals, sounds, terrain and anything else illustrates how all ― even lowly earthworms ― are all essential parts within a harmonious tapestry, woven together.

Next time you are in your backyard, watch the network of life that inhabits your surroundings.

 It is from this enlightened viewpoint that the best garden design ideas emerge.