Serenity in the Garden

Myburgh copper poppies   If you want a nice touch in your flower beds try this: Copper Poppies! Stephen Myburgh makes Copper Poppies  in three sizes. They are easy to place – gently push the stem of the flower into the ground.  Buy several and create a simple arrangement with a few of these. And the Poppies collect water for the birds or you can float candles in them. Great idea.

Catalpa tree flowers - source:  Kansas Native Plants   Did you know that the Catalpa Tree drops its flowers, which look like orchids, on the Summer Solstice? Catalpas are the last to leaf out and their flowers tell us when the longest day of the year is. On this day they  fall like snow... The Catawba Indians of Upstate New York, where the Catalpa is native, regarded this tree as sacred.   T here is a great story about how they were seeded all over the midwest:   The Great Catalpa Craze.  I love Christine Agro's messages and mandalas. Here is her 'Catalpa meditation': source: Catalpa: Be In Tune With Nature

Coral Coast Bridges So you place a lovely garden bridge in your garden.. now the question arises: to stain it a color or not? Most people are inclined to say, 'let's let it turn gray naturally'.... But what about staining it with a wood stain in the color of gray or brown? is that better?  Coral Coast Bridges say: ' Make your backyard or garden as pretty as a painted picture with a Bridge stained Dark Brown Stain.' You can stain it a color or treat it with clear weather treatment, or both. I like the look of a stained, treated bridge. It lasts longer.  See above for a good comparison. So here is are 2 photos below of a bridge I placed in a landscape over a stream I created.  The one on top was 'before', the one on the bottom is 'after'... Which Do You Like? Let me know . BTW, the client always wanted red but I resisted....not brave enough, I guess.  Jan Johnsen -  garden bridge before staining  Ja...

source: The Plant Hunter  Got shade? Try 'Moonlight' Hydrangea Vine! ( Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight')  Zone: 5 - 9  Height: 180" I just planted this vine against a stone wall in a very shady site.  It tolerates part to full shade and adheres well to a wall...In midsummer, large, lacy heads of hydrangea-like flowers form along this cultivar's stems, offering a moonlit display. The flowers can last for up to 2 months! Disease and pest resistant. Scott Arboretum Hydrangea Vine But it can grow fast and be aggressive so think first before you plant it.... With lovely pewter mottling on each heart-shaped leaf, this rare vine is perfect for lighting up shadowy sites. It can easily cover walls on the north side of a home or on trunks of large trees. While it is called Hydrangea it is not a real hydrangea...it is in the same family, however.  It may look like a climbing hydrangea but it hugs a wall more closely and it is more showy. sour...

The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) has officially made its magazine available to everyone. For years, it was only open to the eyes of members but no more.... 'The Designer' is a magazine that is full of fascinating advice, tips and examples for everyone who likes landscape design. I am proud to say I have an article on designing with the four cardinal directions on page 28 of this digital publication. Check it out!

Amsonia Blue Ice  by Monrovia Nurseries The Blue Star perennial family has a hybrid cousin, Amsonia 'Blue Ice'  that is an amazingly vigorous plant. It blooms from April and is still blooming right now in mid-June. photo by Jan Johnsen It grows in a 15" tall by 2' wide mound of narrow, dark green, deer-resistant foliage. And in spring it is topped with large clusters of lavender-blue flowers which are much more vivid than other blue stars.  It  blooms prolifically and turns a golden yellow in the fall.  Amzonia Blue Ice  is a member of the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae ) which means it has a white, milky sap that is toxic to deer and more. Yay! The summer foliage looks great in combination with low grasses.  I recommend trying it with the compact   heavily-banded Miscanthus 'Gold Bar' ornamental grass.  This grass is also deer-resistant and is topped with a lovely inflorescence in late October.  Zones 4-9 - Adap...

I am happy to share this great review with everyone - Westchester Home Magazine has featured my new book in their summer 2014 issue!