Serenity in the Garden

Sometimes I find something that makes me so happy - I just read this post which was written several years ago by Kurt Fromherz in his Natureworks blog -  https://naturework.com/jan-johnsen-of-serenity-in-the-garden/ I never know how or if what I write reaches people..and now I know...Thank you so much Kurt Fromherz. Here is what he shared - I am so honored: This winter I made the trek up to snowbound Boston to see a woman speak that I have been following for many years. Jan Johnsen is a garden designer and writer. Her Serenity in the Garden blog caught my eye a long time ago and I fell in love with her posts. When I heard that she had published a new book, Heaven is a Garden, and would be speaking at New England Grows trade show the first week of February, I signed up. She was AMAZING! Her book is all about designing serene outdoor spaces for inspiration and reflection. I read it cover to cover the minute I returned home. I have to admit at times I was moved to tears...

  Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces Jan Johnsen. Countryman, $29.95 (288p) ISBN 978-1-68268-396-5 Readers with even the slightest interest in beautifying an outdoor space—large or small—should find something of value in this expansive guide from landscape designer Johnsen ( The Spirit of Stone: 101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden ). She emphasizes the importance of deciding upon a goal for a garden and visualizing its final appearance before beginning work on it, declaring that the sum of any such project is greater than its parts. Johnsen takes care to dissect these parts, revealing creative possibilities (accompanied by practical guidance) for each nook and cranny. For example, to recover the lost art of “garden strolling,” the design can include a widened, curving walkway that coaxes the stroller through a garden’s various turns and twists. With proper planning and plant placement, the garden wi...

Spring has sprung! I am happy to announce the publication of my new book Gardentopia- Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces . Publishers Weekly just released its wonderful review which I am sharing with you. I took the liberty of adding a few photos from my book: Readers with even the slightest interest in beautifying an outdoor space-large or small-should find something of value in this expansive guide from landscape designer Johnsen (The Spirit of Stone: 101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden).  She emphasizes the importance of deciding upon a goal for a garden and visualizing its final appearance before beginning work on it, declaring that the sum of any such project is greater than its parts. Johnsen takes care to dissect these parts, revealing creative possibilities (accompanied by practical guidance) for each nook and cranny.  For example, to recover the lost art of "garden strolling," the desi...

illustration of Christopher Alexander's 'Positive Outdoor Space' by Matt Noiseux One of the books I used in my Landscape Design Studio class in Columbia University is the classic,  'A Pattern Language ' Towns- Buildings- Construction by Christopher Alexander and others.  It offers 'patterns' as basic design templates for you to follow.  These are principles of  design that are founded on common sense as much as anything else.  Alexander says his design language  is based on human and natural considerations. Adding to the delight it that they are numbered for easy reference in the book:   'Accessible Green' is # 60.    'Quiet Backs' is #59.  One of the more elusive patterns is   #106 Positive Outdoor Space.   It is a favorite of mine.  It talks about manipulating outdoor space and refers to space as being 'negative' and ...

Stonescaping - review by Jennifer Moore Stahlkrantz I find the abundance of natural stone—the outcroppings, the ridges, the meandering walls—in our area just breathtaking. If you’re drawn to it, as well, and looking to add dimension and resilience to your landscape, grab a copy of Mt. Kisco landscape designer Jan Johnsen’s new book The Spirit of Stone . Inside, she shows the many creative ways that stone and gravel can be used in a garden. The tips and photos are inspiring. serenityinthegarden.blogspot.com. To see this review go here: http://www.townvibe.com/Bedford/May-June-2017/Shout-OutsLate-Spring/ .................................................................................................................................. Btw - Please sign up for my new monthly newsletter - full of tips, ideas and links for all garden lovers. ! Click here.

Do you garden in a dry area?  I love this teaching approach by Olivier Filippi. 1: Salvia chamaedryoides 2: Rhodanthemum hosmariense 3: Artemisia abrotanum 'Silver' 4: Phlomis 'The South' 5:  Senecio vira-vira 6: Salvia fruticosa 7: Salvia leucophylla 8: Artemisia lanata This photo and information is from a French website that I cannot translate into English. It is by the authority on dry gardens, Olivier Filippi, and is very good. Check it out:    http://www.jardin-sec.com/ Also he wrote a great book called 'Planting Design for Dry Gardens'.  Nigel Dunnett says,  "In  Planting Design for Dry Gardens  Olivier Filippi has charted a future for garden and planting Design. Combining authoritative practical advice with deep ecological insight, Olivier shows how learning from nature can give us the best of all worlds: beautiful and sustainable gardens with a unique sense of place. I challen...

A Solid Take on Landscaping Meets a Perennial Classic Esther Jackson  is the Public Services Librarian at  NYBG ’s  LuEsther T. Mertz Library  where she manages Reference and Circulation services and oversees the Plant Information Office. She spends much of her time assisting researchers, providing instruction related to library resources, and collaborating with NYBG staff on various projects related to Garden initiatives and events. Jan Johnsen ’s  The Spirit of Stone  is a new book from Pittsburgh-based publisher St. Lynn’s Press. Johnsen, an instructor with The New York Botanical Garden’s Adult Education Department, brings 40 years of experience to bear in her newest book. In the introduction of  The Spirit of Stone , Johnsen writes: Stone is often an overlooked player in a landscape. While we may swoon over the many shapes and colors of plants within a garden, the stone walks and walls stand silently by, perhaps unnoticed. This ...