Serenity in the Garden

What makes a great garden photo? Anything that delights you! But if I had to put my finger on it - salient aspects would be the quality of the light and the richness of color .     Also, composition would figure prominently. That said, here are some memorable photographs that have been featured in this year's 'Serenity in the Garden' blog posts....my criteria? whatever grabbed my eye as I perused the photos...I hope you agree.  Doug Thayer Bench photo: Jan Johnsen zen garden kyushu  garden by Jan Johnsen Jim's Poppies 2011 : Jan Johnsen Allerton Gardens Kauai  photo:Jan Johnsen photo: Jan Johnsen from Apartment Therapy Pablo Reinoso bench

Johnsen Landscapes & Pools - Angelface Blue Angelonia and white Begonias l  “If you pass by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it, God gets real pissed off.” ~ Alice Walker Purple tickles the brain. It speaks to us of mystery and enlightenment.  Purple gardens evoke delight and sumptuousness. Leonardo da Vinci said that light streaming through purple stained glass windows could increase the power of meditation ten fold. And scientists have found that purple stimulates the brain activity used in problem solving, integrating both hemispheres of the brain – the thinking left side with the feeling right side.  Stare at purple and your mind will stop chattering...Try it!  In 2008, the ‘Color of the Year’ selected by Pantone was ‘Blue Iris’ (Pantone 18-3943), which combined, "the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple..."   So true - calming and mystical. Indeed Blue/ Purple Iris are intoxi

The High Point / Shady Corner Balance – Serenity Assured A truly harmonious outdoor space is a blend of both open space and shady shelter. The counterbalance of these two opposites can be seen as the ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ of the landscape.   Johnsen Landscapes & Pools - www.johnsenlandscapes.com A high point or open level lawn is bright and forceful, ‘yang’. A sheltered shady spot is muted and soft or ‘yin’. Seeing the world through the complementary lens of yin and yang is an eye opening exercise. Gardens containing both qualities feel balanced and comfortable. Therefore shady sites near open sunny lawns are thoroughly enjoyable places to sit. A note:   moderation is the key to a tranquil and harmonious outdoor space.   Stay away from extremes of ‘yang’ or ‘yin’. For example, if a high point is too high or too exposed, it can be feel scattered.   Likewise, if a low area is too deep or shady, it feels stagnant.  But an open lawn ringed by trees is a delightful b

Recently I visited the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Gardens at the New York Botanical Garden. What a treat in November! I was was so impressed I decided to share with you some of the plants in one corner of this wonderful garden space.  And to think this is in the Bronx, NY.....

The most recent edition of a local magazine '914Inc' featured 28 of Westchester County's accomplished women entrepeneurs...so if you want to know a little about the writer of this garden blog, read article link here: http://www.westchestermagazine.com/914-INC/Q4-2011/Westchester-Countys-Most-Accomplished-Women-Entrepreneurs/ Born with a Green Thumb Jan Johnsen Founder and Co-Principal, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools When she was in the third grade, Jan Johnsen planted corn seeds on the windowsill of her family’s New York apartment.  She soon branched out to the fire escape, where pots of flowers and vegetables thrived. At 16, she won first prize in the Manhattan borough-wide science fair with an experiment on how sound affects the growth  of plants. “My teacher thought it was a stupid idea,” she says, “and that made me want to do it more. I just intuitively knew there was a connection.” Since then,

waterfall by Jan Johnsen      www.johnsenlandscapes.com I am new to the video world but it seems like a perfect way to give garden tours without making you leave your house.. So if you are interested in creating a cascade I hope this walk through a waterfall garden will inspire you and give you some ideas.

This short video is so lovely - if you love flowers this is for you.

Black and White, the oh-so-chic color combination that we see adorning all the hippest living rooms in all the coolest urban settings is just as alluring in a garden...and perhaps even more so because the colors are not from Benjie Moore but from Mama Nature.... (black walls anyone? This is from apartmenttherapy.com, a great website!) Black and white tulip combinations create a luscious contrast especially if they are surrounded with green, green and more green... White Flower Farm  combined the 'Queen of Night' tulip, as close to black as a flower can get, with the white delicate Lily-flowered Tulip, 'White Triumphator' - that is the photo at the top of this post. I too planted Queen of the Night black tulips with a white tulip to create a late tulip show that is also a wonderful cut flower combo. Another black tulip you must consider is the heavily frilled and feathery-edged Black Parrot tulip which is especially beautiful -  it is dark purpl

A while back I took my landscape design studio class from Columbia University (I teach there)  to a powerpoint presentation given by the 'grande dame' of New York City gardens, Lynden Miller .  It was a fabulous talk about the various gardens she has installed all over New York and the impact they have had on city life.. (BTW, we saw Lynden at the N.Y. Horticultural Society , which has a fantastic horticultural library - open to all - on 37th Street at 7 Avenue.) Wow! What a legacy Mrs. Miller will leave.  She specializes in glorious mixed flower and plant borders which you can find in all parts of the city. Lynden calls her gardens 'sanctuaries for the soul in the city' and that they are. Lynden Miller has been, in my estimation, the modern driving force behind the beautifying of New York.   Her first commission was to restore the aged and forgotten six acre garden called Central Park Conservatory Garden .... As Director, Mrs. Miller raised a

  My Talk: Aligning with Natural Forces:  Sustainable Garden Design using Native Plants Saturday  Oct. 1, 2011    at the Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY 10:30 am - 12:30 pm The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them.  ~ Paul Hawken    Sustainable Landscape Design encourages a healthy biosphere and stresses both beauty and function. My upcoming Powerpoint talk is a blend of inspiration and practical ideas you can use to transform challenging sites into beautiful outdoor spaces using native plants. In my 2 hour class I will share captivating ideas and photos that illustrate what combinations of native plants to use which drainage measures you can take and what design techniques you can implement to transform any site whether it is steep or level, wooded or open,  suburban or urban.   For example, the Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) that I wrote about a