Serenity in the Garden

The Central Park, NYC Recently, the New York Times printed an fun article called CENTRAL PARK VS PROSPECT PARK . in which two correspondents joust back and forth over the merits of their particular favorite park. Having grown up in Brooklyn (the old Brooklyn, not the 'cool' Brooklyn) and gone ice skating in Prospect Park with Jonah and Emily and then moving to the Upper West Side for high school and hanging out in Central Park (anyone remember the 'Be In' there?) I feel I can add to their conversation. Here is one side from the article :  I have actually been to Prospect Park. It is, as I recall, in Brooklyn. I am sure that if I found myself near it again and had nothing better to do, I would be happy to watch the grass grow, or whatever it is people do there. But seriously. I look forward to sharing with you why Central Park is not only the most visited, most famous, most beloved, but also — wait, I’m going to need the caps lock button for this — THE GREAT...

Tomorrow I am teaching a class on SECRETS OF CREATING GARDENS OF SERENITY at the New York Botanical garden It is almost full.   10 am - 3:00 pm . We are going to have a fantastic time delving into the little known secrets of creating a true Serenity Garden:  laying out a garden in accordance with the four directions and why this is important the divine proportion - why it affects us so deeply and how to use it in a landscape Using Shape and Form to Create Specific Settings and why it works Interpreting The Messages of the Trees I will be showing several Powerpoints, we will do hands-on demonstrations outdoors and will follow it up with a fun wrap up!

The URBAN CANVAS competition , created by the New York City Department of Buildings and Department of Cultural Affairs and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, is a unique opportunity for artists and designers across the United States to contribute to New York City's urban landscape. To participate, entrants must register using the online registration form. There is no fee to register. Participants offer their artful ideas for construction fences, sidewalk sheds above active businesses, sidewalk sheds above non-active businesses and supported scaffolds. They should represent a cohesive artistic vision. The deadline for registration is 5:00pm EST July 19, 2010 . Competitors have until 3:30pm EST on July 28, 2010 to complete and send in their submission. .... and Of course I think they should think PLANTS!!!! Good Luck - its free and fun...maybe CREATE A SOFT PILLOW WALL AND INFLATE IT? you can use my idea.....

water feature by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools Its 100 degrees outside right now. Sweltering. The air hangs like heavy drapes upon the landscape. There is no breeze. The garden quietly endures. So what can you do to lighten the oppressive atmosphere? ADD A BUBBLING URN -  a recirculating water feature aquascape Why do this? Because the sound of water and its dynamic presence ( ask the great Dr. Emoto) add life and energy to a stultifying summer garden... Hear what I mean in this very very short video:   Bubbling urns and fountains bring sparkle to your garden. You can build a recirculating water fountain cheaply by buying parts in a hardware store or more expensively by going to a pond supplies vendor....I am not good at hardware so I buy kits. aquascape Bubbling Urns are set atop an underground reservoir that keeps re-circulating the water. Once the urn fills with water, the water spills over into the underground basin, which pumps the water back up through ...

The old Engelhard Court - photo by Jim in Times Square Yesterday I went to my favorite space in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It wasn't there. The Charles Engelhard Court in the American Wing has been renovated. The light-filled pavilion framed by the Greek Revival limestone facade of Martin E. Thompson’s Branch Bank of the United States has been transformed - the raised planters and benches were removed  - and the result is cold, impersonal, and blah. recent renovation of the engelhard court in the American Wing It is, in my best technical parlance, a 'nothing space'. The old court pre-2009 As culture grrl in the arts journal wrote:  "what had previously been a gracious space. ...there are now vast expanses of highly polished marble, in the no-so-grand tradition of corporate lobbies" Another sage comment is from the blog of   Noel Y.C .: "... Visitors can still see Central Park on the other side of the wall of glass, but it no longer feel...

Last night I attended a Powerpoint presentation given by the estimable Ken Smith, a well known landscape architect whose offices are located in New York City.  I went there with my design studio class from Columbia Uiversity and luckily it was held on campus.  That is him in photo above (courtesy New York Times)...Howard Roark*, anyone? Ken Smith has a new book, published by Monacelli Press, and he was giving this talk in conjunction with selling and signing his wonderful book. I required my class to attend this presentation because he is the 'designer du jour' here in NYC and his ideas 'push the envelope' and are perfectly suited to the 21st century urban milieu... (uh oh! I am letting some designer jargon creep in here....note to me: watch those french words and cliche descriptors) He spoke about his widely publicized, award winning NY City school, PS 19: This was Smith's 2003 pro bono project for the Robin Hood Foundation that...

Summer is here...the magazines tell us to lay back, relax, go to the beach.... well, some of us have to work and for us, the back yard garden is our summer retreat. so in honor of those who are home, puttering away, here are a few ideas to Decorate Summer Style.. Flikr - joyeux artiste - a bird cage with herbs within..try this as a decorative deer protector for susceptible plants! Cox and Cox - Ice White LED Tree Lights Transform your garden into a fairytale in the evening with 250 pinlights.  These are on the lovely Willowleaf Pear. Also ideal for using indoors to decorate an entire room. Love the gate. Plow and Hearth Hang curftains on simple tension roads around your patio or deck...Use sheers for a luminous effect. Candle Lanterns Cox and Cox These fire-retardant paper bags are punched with a star shaped graphic to create a soft romantic glow. Place battery tea lightsinside (weigh down with a bit of gravel in case of breeze) and line them along bo...