Serenity in the Garden

Roof Garden Basics 101 - Custom Made Building a roof garden is a compelling vision but it can be a daunting task if you don't  know where to begin.  Here is a comprehensive infographic made by Custom Made .   They also have a complete how-to post that accompanies this graphic - Click HERE FOR ARTICLE.

Cracked Log Lamp   Duncan Meerding designs some great stuff... I especially like his Cracked Log Lamp. I like it so much I chose it as the Garden Photo of the Day - although I do not think this photo is accurate. I do not think you can use them outside... Why not make your own with outdoor rated electrical fixtures?

I have a great Powerpoint talk about Designing with Fragrance in the Garden... if anyone is interested in having me present this talk at a symposium, conference or to a group please contact me. jan@johnsenlandscapes.com

The traditional cottage gardens of Great Britain contain both vegetables and flowers - the flowers attract the bees to pollinate the crops.  cottage garden, design - Jan Johnsen Thus cottage gardens are filled with colorful, scented blossoms and herbs. The tallest plants are at the back and shortest ones in front. The flowers border the gravel paths and make quite a show. A confluence of shapes, color and texture make the garden an exuberant display of nature's finest. You can't make a mistake with this so have fun! Sunny Border Blue veronica - from Bluestone Perennials

( Profusion zinnias, marigolds,salvia, plectranthus -  Jan Johnsen ) Annual flowers - those that bloom all summer into late fall (then give it up for good) - are the secret to a joyful and colorful garden.  I know some people might think that colorful flowers are too bright, too eye-catching or overstated but I say, 'embrace the color!' Nature communicates through color. Color is its catalyst and its signal. Birds and insects navigate by color, among other things, and besides, annual flowers' color makes us happy. (Jan Johnsen - coleus, plectranthus,angelonia, and more) It does require extra work in the spring. You must prepare the flower beds and plant seeds or small plants during the cool days of spring. But boy, does it pay off during the summer and fall. The display enriches our everyday life and greets us every morning with a colorful 'pop'. (Mohonk Mountain House, incredible place) I know all about annual flowers because after g...

Painting - Henri Matisse A certain blue enters your soul. A certain red has an effect on your blood pressure.  - Henri Matisse garden - Jan Johnsen

White flowers in this pic are Diamond Frost   My favorite deer resistant annual flower is Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' . This plant, which looks like airy Baby's Breath, made its debut in 2005 in the Proven Winners catalog of annual flowers and since then has become the   Most Award Winning Plant in Proven Winners History .  Why? Well, besides having a nice mounded habit to it (about 12 to 18 inches tall),  it blooms continuously in clouds of airy white flowers through summer heat and drought. It stays beautiful without deadheading. And it is deer resistant! (internationl hearlad tribune - posted by erasmus) You can fill in plant beds in the middle of a combination. It tolerates temp down to 40°F  and you can plant it in sun or partial shade. It blooms nonstop from spring until frost. What more could you ask? Euphorbia is known as spurge and was named after an ancient Greek physician,  Euphor...

Jan Johnsen -  Johnsen Landscapes & Pools  A gate announces a new experience. If you elongate or expand the entry area it makes the transition even more tantalizing. The gate shown here is in a lovely property that I redesigned ...We installed a pool and renovated the old gate with new hinges, roofing and paint. I installed a bluestone threshold beneath and extended it out into the peony garden. The overhead roof makes a grand statement. The white color stands out against a green setting. The gateway leads down existing brick steps which extends the 'entry experience'. That is Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' or Japanese Dappled Willow on both sides of the gate. It is a great plant for pool areas as its striking white-green foliage moves in the breeze and brightens up any sunny area. Cut it down to a foot or two above the ground in late fall and watch it grow back through the summer! Jan Johnsen - Johnsen Landscapes & Pools Here is t...

Heaven is a Garden by Jan Johnsen  I was just interviewed for a great article about creating Serene Outdoor Spaces. It is a lovely summary of the three elements of a calming and joyful garden: Go here for the article. 

Hybrid Horsechestnut    This is the flower of  Aesculus pavia x flava. It was taken at the   Longenecker Gardens at the UW-Arboretum in Madison, WI. I have never seen anything like this..had to share.

Life and Death, possession and loss,  success and failure, poverty and wealth,  virtue and vice, good and evil,  hunger and thirst, heat and cold --  these are changes of things in the natural course of events.  Day and night they follow upon one another,  and no man can say where they spring from. Therefore they must not be allowed to disturb the natural harmony,  nor enter into the soul's domain. Buddha at Green Gulch farm One should live so that one is at ease,  and in harmony with the world,  without loss or happiness,  and by day and by night,  share the peace of spring with the created things.  Photo by Jason Smalley Thus continuously one creates the seasons in one's own breast.  Such a person may be said to have perfect talents. - Confucius

Succulents - Source    I don't know much about succulents. This is a great place to start.....

Vanessa Rosse Magnificent bamboo art installation in France. Click here for more: 

click here to get chasmanthium River Mist  This lovely variegated cultivar of the ornamental grass - Northern Sea Oats 'River Mist' -  really brightens up a light shady spot. Chasmanthium is a native N. American clump forming grass.  I think it is good for pots.  It likes light shade, is deer resistant and low maintenance. Cut back in late winter or very early spring before new growth begins. oat-like seed heads rustle in the breeze 'River Mist' looks especially graceful in a pot with Lamium 'Ghost' and small begonias. It grows from zone 4 - 9. 30" tall.  Here is Lamium 'Ghost' - It is a ground cover and great in shady areas.  Lamium 'Ghost'  The bamboo-like blades of 'River Mist' are marked in white and in summer its oat-like seed heads making a shimmery silver/white display. In fall, bring the dried seed heads indoors for unique cut flower bouquets. Have fun!

Join us this coming Friday! Montclair Garden Club Watchung Booksellers 54 Fairfield Street, Watchung Plaza, Montclair, NJ 07042 Friday, May 8, 2105     6pm- 7pm