Serenity in the Garden

stone bench by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools  In the summer, gardens in my part of the world, are a tangle of foliage, flowers and dense tree canopies. We know we should start cutting back, limbing up or clearing out the overgrowth but what we really want to do is sit in the cool shade and drink a glass of iced tea. Stone Bench by  Johnsen Landscapes & Pools What better contrast to the green lushness that surrounds you than a stone seat or bench, grounded and cool to the touch! Stone seats in the garden have a storied history. The Druids of Northern Europe fashioned stone chairs out of boulders. It is thought that they were used for rituals and perhaps coronations of a sort. Today, in the British Isles and in France, you can find ancient stone seats in fields, woods and near sacred springs. See some great stone benches at the  Stonepost  website Sunny Wieler, an Irish stonemason / artist, follows in his ancestors' tradition a...

In honor of my new book, The Spirit of Stone - 101 Practical and Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden  (St. Lynn's Press, 2017) that was released last week I am sharing this post about stone benches. Stone Bench - Dallas Arboretum - photo by Jan Johnsen Stone Bench by  Johnsen Landscapes & Pools In the heat of the summer when we should be pruning what we really want to do is sit in the cool shade and drink a tall glass of iced tea. Antique sandstone Bench from  English Garden Antiques Ah, a place to sit in the cool leafy shade!  What better contrast to the soft green lushness that surrounds you than a stone seat or bench, immutable, grounded and cool to the touch... sitting on stone outdoors grounds you and aligns you to the earth's electromagnetic pulse... It is like a calming sedative that you feel almost immediately. See some great stone benches at the  Stonepost  website Stone seats...

stone bench by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools  Stone Bench by  Johnsen Landscapes & Pools  In August, gardens in my part of the world, are a tangle of foliage, flowers and dense tree canopies. We know we should start cutting back, limbing up or clearing out the overgrowth but what we really want to do is sit in the cool shade and drink a tall glass of iced tea. Antique sandstone Bench from  English Garden Antiques Ah, a place to sit in the cool leafy shade! What better contrast to the soft green lushness that surrounds you than a stone seat or bench, immutable, grounded and cool to the touch... See some great stone benches at the  Stonepost  website Stone seats in the garden have a storied history. The Druids of Northern Europe fashioned stone chairs out of boulders. It is surmised that they were used for rituals and perhaps coronations of a sort.  Today, in the British Isles and in France, you can find a...

Ben Barell makes stunning Pebble Seats -  from concrete - they are a great alternative to public benches.  The top photo is in Singapore.

[CH]AIR BY ALEXANDER O.D. LORIMER The [Ch]air designed by Alexander O.D. Lorimer looks to me to be based on a bee hive and its hexagonal cells...he says the  geometric base of acrylic was inspired by the geometry of soap bubbles and how they cluster.  The base of the chair appears so lightweight and fragile, yet its structure is able to support the weight of a person!  Ingenious. Click on photo caption for more information.

A serene setting - designed by Jan Johnsen for a private residence in Westchester County, NY.

Do you live in the metro NY area? Want to celebrate the Spring in style? Go the the NY Botanical Garden this weekend and while you are enjoying that amazing place - stop in and catch the GARDEN SCULPTURE & ANTIQUE FAIR... so much fun! Here is C.A. Johnson working on his lusciously rounded outdoor sculptures: (love the walnut) (photo thanks to Westchester Journal News) And here is a moss covered urn on a plinth from England for sale by  Balsamo Antiques: and while you are strolling through the springtime paradise of cherry trees, daffodils, crabapples, magnolias and more you can also admire the amazing sculptures by Manolo Valdes located throughout the extensive grounds:

Photo by Jan Johnsen all rights reserved   July 20, 2012 - Several years ago I planted small vining plants at the base of a black railing along some steps... I wanted to soften the look and add some green. I used Dutchmen's Pipe' (Aristolochia macrophylla Zones 5-8). It was named for a Greek named ... Aristolochos in the first century, who had learned from a dream that it was an antidote for snake bites. Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia Snakeroot) is thus named because the root was used to treat snakebite, as "so offensive to these reptiles, that they not only avoid the places where it grows, but even flee from the traveler who carries a piece of it in his hand". Many species of Aristolochia are food for larvae of swallowtail butterflies as they become unpalatable to most predators by eating the plants. Plant Dutchmen's Pipe for a dense cover, to feed the butterflies and to keep the snakes away!             July 19, 2012 ...

Show'r from Atelier Tradewinds I guess I must really want an outdoor shower because I cannot stop looking at pics of them on the internet....and it doesn't hurt that right now the temperatures in my area are over 90 F everyday. So here are a few more ideas for outdoor showers. Show'r from Atelier Treadewinds is a mobile outdoor shower made out of galvanized and powder-coated iron tubes and a black locust wood base. (Cold water only)  Wheels are placed at the back to allow the shower to be moved easily. Just click your garden hose to the standard quick connector at the base and your garden shower is ready.  Show'r is also easily dismountable. As I say, it is the setting that makes an outdoor shower outstanding.  Add color, texture, plants or all of the above !  Examples of showers and their enclosures below: Guardian Paint a poured concrete and concrete block wall blue and it makes for a private 'Blue Lagoon.' . Sunset Magazine Take some w...

Decorative Garden Bell from Cox and Cox   Tintinnabulation    is one of my favorite English words. It is a noun that refers to the ringing or sound of bells. The word sounds like what it is describing.... Edgar Allan Poe used this word in his rapturous poem about THE BELLS. It is one of my favorite poems and Phil Ochs put it to song. Here is a snippet : "Hear the sledges with the bells - Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells - From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells." How can you not want a bell in your garden after that?  :) Here are a few bells you may ...