Serenity in the Garden

  If Nature is your Teacher your Soul will awaken ~ Paracelsus   Have you ever experienced a moment when the wafting fragrance of flower blossoms captured your attention and lifted you away? Or when the birdsong around you was louder than the chatter in your head? This exquisite moment of 'stop time' can occur anywhere - while you bask in the warm morning sun or even while hurrying to your car. You may have stopped and looked around, enjoyed the trilling of the birds and felt a connection, for that brief instance, to the green world.         That moment of awareness can become a more regular occurrence in your life if you study the web of Creation that occurs in a garden. Just as a wine connoisseur learns to relishes that first sip on his tongue; you can learn to savor a flower, a rock or even a breeze.         Gardening and wine are very similar; although not essential to life, they enrich our everyday experience.     Gardens are a m

  Jewel tones are rich colors that resemble gemstones including emerald green ( 2013 color of the year),amethyst purple, ruby red, topaz yellow, sapphire blue, tourmaline green, and turquoise blue. A jewel tone is bold and lends an air of distinction to a space. They bring a scintillating 'Pop' to a garden.  Complimentary jewel tones like amethyst purple and topaz yellow are especially popular. Jewel tones look great indoors as well...I love this painting and chairs below... But too much saturation can be overwhelming...You must temper your exuberance a little.... I mean, isn't the table above a little intense? Richness can lead to burn out... Fire Spinner Ice Plant But you can get away with lots of jewel tones when you use plants that fall into this category... Smoke Bush   The smoke Bush Royal Pueple or Velvet Cloak fits in this category.   Jeweltone bouquet   Spello, Italy   Flowers also can be combined to be

San Diego - Martin Luther King Park, Peter Walker    To make a point, repeat yourself... This is certainly true in a landscape, no matter what the size.   Steps are the best example of a repeating element in a garden. Steps can make a strong, repetitive statement... They can be rustic:   (The Japanese gardeners knew it all) (johnsen landscapes & pools - www.johnsenlandscapes.com ) They can be modern: Steps Paul Banguy Deliberate repetition in an outdoor setting makes a visual point and creates order which calms us immensely. Ordered vs. chaos - most of us would choose ordered ...  repeating plans, stepping stones, pavers, planters and more can create unity and rhythm...we like that. Here are some examples of repeating elements outdoors - there are so many. Try it at home - get a bunch of anything and line them up!             (Naumkeag, Stockbridge, Ma.      

There is no more fun than using something you've retrieved, found, saved or salvaged in a garden.  It is especially fun if you make a  tin can man  from these items...   Its an old custom to reuse items wherever you can. Some call it Art, others call it Necessity. Artists do this naturally. To them, any item is potentially art. Garden Art. Landscape Art. httpwww.flickr.comphotoshorspool And the can is so plentiful..and it rusts to a nice patina outdoors in the garden.  Did you know that  British merchant Peter Durand invented and patented the tin can in 1810 and three years later the UK’s first commercial canning factory was opened - but the can opener was not invented until 50 years later?!   how did they open all those cans?   A tin Can Man can have such personality too....look at this one above : looks like Woody Allen in Sleeper:   Richard E , made this sweet metal man below in Albany, NY....Richard explains, “I have been a Wizard of O

I attended the University of Hawaii and lived on an organic farm in Waimanalo. This was decades ago but I never lost my fascination with banana plants ( there are many varieties!) and their multiple uses. Banana trees make great windbreaks.   Banana leaves are a wonderful, versatile way to carry and serve food....Here are some great ideas:   Stir fry lunch, wrapped in a banana leaf tied with bamboo, with chopsticks cut from lotus or something like that..... It unfolds into its own little bowl. The person who took this photo writes:   "Cheap, readily available, secure, waterproof, light, strong, beautiful to hold and look at and it'll biodegrade with the rest of the forest. Brilliant."   http://palojono.blogspot.com/2010/06/eco-packaging-lunch-boxes-thai-style.html#!/2010/06/eco-packaging-lunch-boxes-thai-style.html     The banana leaf is highly flexible. The shiny and natural waxy surface of the banana leaf is ideal for any wet