Can you believe that today is the last day of January? Already this month has passed by so quickly, and with the warm temperature spring is right around the corner. To carry on that spring mood, here are some photos taken in our greenhouse today. No joke the temperature was 75 degrees.
While going through my Pintrest boards this morning, I keeping pausing on mixed borders that included Alliums. I love alliums because of their striking shape, height and ease of planting and forgetting about. Scroll down for some great examples of alliums in landscapes along with planting tips and bulb information.
Image from Martha Stewart
Alliums 101:
Here is a selection of the bulbs you can order from Van Engelen, but visit their site or your local garden center for additional options:
It has been awhile since I have done a “Get the Look” post and they are actually my favorite to write. In the landscape it is easy to be able to apply the look and feel of an inspiration photo, but it is often difficult to ID the correct plants and materials. For this post, I found a design in the May issue of Canada House and Home by Kim Price of Kim Price Landscape Design. She used only four plant types and two surfaces, but used in mass groupings to create maximum impact.
In the design plants are used in mass, and the surfaces are used to delineate between different groupings. Indiana Limestone is used for the walkway to separate the ornamental grasses from the low growing junipers. Corten Steel is used to create a raised planter box for the Maples and vinca.
In the photo above, the warm tones of the weathered steel stand out from the crisp greens of the plants and cool limestone. However in the fall months, the Flame Amur Maple turns a rusty red which will complement the steel. You can really see how the color palate changes with the season in the image below.
Hello, I have a new blog design and URL – officially now blogging on Thinkingoutsidetheboxwood.com. I am excited to have a site that is more reflective of what Thinking Outside the Boxwood stands for – Good Landscape Design. Please make sure you update your favorites list and blog roll with the new URL.
Also, let me know if there is anything else you would like to see on the blog; Any specific topics or information you would like for me to cover?
This is the most commonly used product for de-icing because of its cost and quick melting properties. This can be applied both before and after ice and is typically used on Highways and roads. However, this is also one of the most environmentally damaging products you can use. Rock salt can kill evergreens or other plants around your drive and walkways. Rock Salt will stay on your driveway and grass until it leaches through the soil (and then into streams, etc). Also, Rock Salt can cause damage to interior surfaces such as hardwood and natural stone.
Key Takeaway – Use as last resort.
Urban Outfitters announced their new Terrian location a few weeks ago in Westport, CT. The company plans to convert an old car dealership (see the before space here) into a garden oasis. This will not be the first time the company has converted a deserted industrial space into a green, creative and inspiring environment. In 2006, Terrian’s parent company (URBN) moved its offices from downtown Philadelphia to the decommissioned Navy Yard outside the city. The company purchased five buildings for $1,and in 20 months with a $100 million investment created an amazing campus for its employees. Besides preserving a historical building, the company ensured the finished spaces included lots of green space, light and natural elements. You can understand why URBN’s employees enjoy working there. Below are photos of how the company incorporated living plants into their design. (see the whole office here)
All this being said – I am mad at Terrian in regards to a water feature I purchased. I called to confirm delivery 3 weeks after my order and I was told it was no longer available (yet still listed on the website) and will be refunded my deposit. Sorry, but an offer for a 20% off coupon did not make up for the bad customer service and the disappointment of losing the zinc water feature I have been stalking. Note to others: call the store don’t purchase online if you really want something.
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| Amaryllis at my house a few years ago. |
We have spent the last few weeks enjoying our paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs in full bloom, but now the blooms have expired and the paperwhites have become too leggy. Instead of throwing away the bulbs, we are going to store the bulbs to use again next year. To reuse your bulbs again next year, follow the steps below and enjoy the blooms for an additional year.
The process of forcing bulbs during the winter puts stress on the bulb since you are making it flower prior to when it would do it naturally. After the bulb blooms you need nourish the bulb to help it bloom for another 2-3 years, so it is a process. Zones 8-11 you could plant your bulbs outside after the holidays, but here in zone 5 it is a little bit of work.
(1) Cut the brown flowers down to the base, leaving the foliage. Keep the soil moist and the bulbs in a sunny place.
(2) The foliage will eventually brown/yellow. Cut off the foliage and allow the soil to dry out completely.
(3) Once dry, store the bulb (in same container or remove from soil) in a dry, dark and cool place (40-45 degrees F). Keep here until about 6 weeks before you want the bulbs to bloom.
(4) Plant the bulb in the same methods you would a new bulb, in a sunny warm place and keep well watered. I have had better luck with amaryllis than paperwhites with this process, but if you follow the steps (cool, dry, dark) you will have repeat blooms.
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| Paperwhites in a Camp di Flori artichoke planter with moss. To stop them from getting this tall, add a bit of vodka in the water. Image from here |
I’ve had a tear sheet of an amazing image of a boxwood garden photographed in black and white with the perfect amount of mist and intrigue hanging on my office board for years. Over the holidays I spent time Googling and found the photographer of the image, Rodney Smith. On his website I found that the image I have been coveting was only one of hundreds of amazing images taken by Smith. The beautiful locations, use of humor and quirky images are so thoughtful, funny and inspiring. Industrial Revolution mixed with Rene Magnitte?
You can purchase a book by Rodney The End, but at $750 a little out of my price range. I did however order The Hat Book from Amazon and am thinking of ordering The Book of Books. On my “when we hit the lottery” list is one of his photographs framed, but it might be difficult to pick just one so will have to be a series. Read a great interview with Smith here (part 1 and 2).
Happy 2012! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years. We had a wonderful time with family and friends throughout the past two weeks and with the recent snow and cold temperatures it finally feels like winter. During my week off from blogging I created a very long list of topics/thoughts to share this year, but thought I would start off with a best of 2011 and some photos that never made it on the blog last year. Thank you for following me this year, it has been a great year and plan for a better 2012!
Top posts from 2011:
Holiday at Home:
Thanks to Pinterest this post has received so many hits. Working on our own home allows us to experiement more freely than on client properties. The only issue is that I don’t have that much time to work at home on our landscape.
Bird Houses – Modern and Sculptural:
This post was big from Google Searches. I am sad to say that no bird family made a home inside our two birdhouses last year. However our European Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus) hedgers are home to more than one nest.
Hellebores – Lenten Rose:
This was another big post from specific Google searches. I am glad to see one of my favorite spring flowering plants is so popular.
Here are some unseen photos from 2011.
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| This was a garden in South Carolina that we saw while on a bike ride during our vacation. Basket weave pattern set within turf, shows how simple patterns can be used in many different ways. |
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| This is a home in German Village that is always very neat and tidy. Seeing these pansies in early spring was wonderful after the grey winter. |
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| Dear Homeowner, I want to design your landscape. I see so much potential in your house to have an amazing garden. Please call me. |
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| This is Spot. He greeted folks at the Home & Garden Show, but did not get the notice he deserved. However he now lives at home with us, and I think this summer will move outside. |
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| Espalier Asian Pear trees on a client’s property. Love the edging and rocks. |
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| Japanese Maples in large wooden planters at a client’s home. The scale of the trees is amazing, |
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| A formal garden on a client’s property. |
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| This was my best meal of 2011 from the Drake in Toronto. Fried Chicken on an Herb Belgium waffle covered in a cherry compote. Hands down best food! |
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| This is our garden shed at home. I added the Caryopteris, Snow Fairy (foreground) in 2010 and it has really taken off in 2011 (photo from late summer). |
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| This design deserves a whole post on its own, designing for dogs. This is a dog run we did for a client. This pathway was designed specifically for the dogs to run through the landscape without ruining the plantings. |