Serenity in the Garden

to Wayne Dyer : Thank you, thank you, thank you

I will be speaking to the wonderful Lenox Garden Club on October 7, 2015 Lenox Garden Club Kimball Farms, 235 Walker Street, Lenox Ma. Wednesday, October 7, 2015 10:00 am - 11:00 am afterward, go visit The Mount : The Mount - photo by David Dashiell go here:  http://www.edithwharton.org/estate-gardens/the-gardens/

Photo by Laura McKillop - Allium 'Millenium'   This summer bloomer,  developed by allium breeder Mark McDonough,   is a clump-former which produces sterile seed and will not spread in the landscape. Buy potted plants now and plant in spring/summer.  It is deer resistant.  'Millenium' has scapes that rise above the foliage to 12-20” tall   in midsummer  each is topped by a showy 2-inch orb of rose purple florets.  Flowers typically bloom mid to late summer (July-August) and stay for weeks.  When blooming fades, cut back the stems, or leave the heads on to dry and add textural interest. Deer and rabbit resistant and it is perfectly hardy in zones 5-9. Great for butterfly gardens. Containers. Fresh and dried floral arrangements.  the name is ‘Millenium’ - not Millennium. Can be divided in the spring if you want to spread it around.  

cascade - Jan Johnsen design "The world is moving into a phase when landscape design may well be recognized as the most comprehensive of the arts."    Geoffrey Jellicoe ,  'The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day'  Creative ideas don't just come out of thin air - they are an amalgam of what we have learned and used in the past. By looking at other cultures' traditions and their approach to the natural elements you can enhance your garden immeasurably. by Bill Bensley, Thailand A garden maker should look to landscape designers of the past and present and learn their design philosophies. Never stop learning.  The English garden designers such as Russell Page, Arabella Lennox Boyd, and Gertrude Jekyll stand side by side with their counterparts in the United States, Canada,  Japan, South America, Thailand, Indonesia, Hawaii, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy,  Holland, Germany,

Pennisetum Hameln, Montauk Daisies, Canna Lilies and Lamb's Ears ' Helene on Stein' - Jan Johnsen   In my part of the world - New York State - October is when Mother Nature shines.The days are shorter, the sun is low in the sky, but the weather stays warm enough for the flowering plants to hang on.  I design and install gardens with October in mind because it is now when people have time to appreciate their grounds - it is too cold for the beach and graduations and summer parties are a memory.  This is when people can stop and savor a garden.  The design of Fall gardens is something I urge my students to master because these gardens prolong our enjoyment of Nature's gracious gifts.   And, more importantly, they quietly trumpet the siren call of the garden muse who is about to take her leave...but not just yet..... she sticks around to give it one last show .... So in that vein, I am describing a little of what goes into making a autumn flow

Next Wednesday I will be speaking to the Wellfleet Garden Club  (on magical Cape Cod, Mass)  about the secrets of serene garden design. It is not just about plants! Although plant energy affects us all. It is also about line and color and rocks and direction and the power of place..all packaged in a garden that uplifts and soothes. Heaven is a Garden. Jan Johnsen  That is what I will be sharing. It is a popular, engaging talk full of new/old ideas that you can use in your outdoor space, no matter the size. The talk is based on what is in my book, 'Heaven is a Garden - Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection'  .  It is chock full of tips and suggestions based on what I have learned over 45 years as a landscape designer. I hope you can come if you live near by. You will enjoy it! Garden Gate - J johnsen

If small is beautiful then....smaller must be more beautiful. At least that is what I tell myself as I survey my postage stamp of a backyard. I remind myself that some of the sweetest of serene spaces are small gardens, tucked away, out of sight. I add touches in summer like this flowering lantana among rocks My small verdant retreat is where I can place a chair or two, sip a cup of tea, tend to the garden, admire my planters of foliage or even write my blog, ‘pleine aire’, so to speak … Small gardens call for small plants  – although normal size plants look great when first planted, in the years that ensue they may grow to overwhelm the space… To prevent that I have a few suggestions for some hardy, compact and delightful perennial plants. The following diminutive plants are perfect for small gardens, in containers, along walkways, in rock gardens or as low growing ‘filler’ plants in plant beds. Sedum   is a sun loving, easy to grow succulent.  Sedum rupestre