GEUMS ARE GEMS

I discovered this flower only a few years ago and now cannot imagine living without it.  In early spring it pops out like orange polka-dots all over my zone 5 sunny perennial border.  The foliage is wide and round giving much needed coarse texture to the garden.  The flowers balance above about 12-18". There are many different cultivars, so I may be creating my own sweet little geum collection soon. Be warned that it does not transplant well.  My greedy side wanted more, so I attempted to divide and move them around, but only lost some in the process. I guess that is a a good reason to go plant binging shopping again.

If you're interested in more articles like this one, plus would like to receive a free copy of my theme garden eBook, please sign up for email updates here.

BOOK LOVE

Since it's the week of love I thought I'd share some books that have impacted my love of design.  These are not all traditional garden books, but they have all inspired me in my love of landscape design. I always encourage you to look for inspiration within the gardening world, but also look outside on the fringe.  You never know what will spark that new idea.

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN by Sara Midda

My favorite book of all time.  This is such a special collection of illustrations and garden fables.  I'm still infatuated with it as much today as I was when I received it as a gift over 20 years ago. It taught me that we can communicate our ideas in so many beautiful ways.

THE ELEMENTS OF GARDEN DESIGN by Joe Eck

Back in the 1990s I visited an amazing garden in Vermont by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterowd .  I was a young designer grasping for formulas on how to create an amazing garden. This book began to break it down for me and I kept it a close resource for many years. It's simple and easy to read, plus it brings back memories of that wonderful visit to North Hill.

THE VICTORIAN GARDEN by Allison Kyle Leopold

I read this book many years ago when a local group asked me to present on Victorian gardens.  The amazing thing I learned was how much our society impacts landscape design....including such things as religion, technology, and politics.  This book sparked my love of garden history.

101 THINGS I LEARNED IN ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL by Matthew Frederick

Gardens are never mentioned in this book, but the author does an amazing job discussing how to create space...which directly relates back to landscape design. This book has a refreshingly simple way to look at design which has lured me through it's pages over and over again.

If you're interested in more articles like this one, plus would like to receive a free copy of my theme garden eBook, please sign up for my email updates here.

GARDEN SPRINKLES

For the past few days I've had the pleasure of taking a hand-lettering workshop through Skillshare with the talented Mary Kate McDevitt. We had to pick a quote, go through a series of warm-up exercises, then finally create a final hand-lettered composition. I created three, then plan to create a print with one of them. Let me know if you have a favorite.

You may wonder about the garden sprinkles. Sprinkles are those sweet details that you place throughout your garden to make it extra special.  These may include art, lighting, paint, furniture, wind chimes, etc.

If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.

KEEP IT POSITIVE IN THE GARDEN

Let me tell you a little secret about garden design. It's important to keep your livable spaces positive.

What do I mean? Often we'll lay out beds, think about their shapes meticulously, plop them in our yard, then fill them with plants...creating a negative space for our main livable area. This main area becomes leftover space, even though it should be the main focus of our garden. The main space is often the lawn (though it could be a patio or deck too). This is very similar to rooms in your house.  Each room has a strong shape with walls that reinforce it.
Try designing this way instead...

1. Identify where you would like your main lawn area.
2. Determine what shape it should be...an oval, square, circle, kidney bean, etc.
3. Keep the bed lines clean and/or in broad strokes (not a lot of small wiggles).
4. Place planting beds and plant materials to reinforce your shape (along the outer edge, not in the middle).
5. Now you have an amazing garden where you can place garden furniture, read a book, have a picnic or play a little croquet.

A couple of thoughts...though the positive garden I'm showing you above is formal, your garden does not have to be.  This process works for both formal and informal gardens.  Also, your lawn shapes do not have to be totally surrounded by plants.  You can place them sparingly to still give the idea of a lawn shape, without totally enclosing it.

In the end, I want you to remember that garden design is about creating space.  This space is formed by plants and hardscapes, but you must always remember to create the space first.

If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.

A DOG FRIENDLY GARDEN

This week I had the privilege of visiting a stunning Iowa garden. When I swung open the ornate wooden gate I was greeted by two sweet little dogs and a third held by this quaint garden's owner. As I walked through, it was such a delight finding all the doggie doo-dads...all done so beautifully.

1. Look at this fabulous set of limestone steps that lead up to a doggie door. You don't see these tiny doors much in the cold winters of Iowa, but it works for the owner well. The plant keeps visitors off the wobbly stairs, while reserving them for those with four legs.

2. Not only is this a beautifully constructed arbor for garden guests, but it also includes little stairs for small furry friends (who should also relax in comfort).

3. One sweet little pup enjoying his favorite garden bench.

4. A serpentine fountain inspired from Welsh travels. Perfect for little paws to hop over while taking a walk along the path.

5. This fence had to be designed twice.  The first row of pickets were installed, then soon after one smart pup slid right through the narrow spaces. The sleek addition of chicken wire and second row of pickets fixed that problem. How could any creature want to escape this garden?

6. Another arbor and gate leading to the back garden. This gate is intended to keep neighborhood kids out (not the dogs). All animals need some privacy.

If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.

A SET OF HERBS

Here are some more illustrations from the past...a set of herbs that I eventually made into a poster. These are just a few from that collection back in 2011.

Dill

Beets!

Since the veggies are popping out of our garden in full force...why not highlight each one?  While I'm on a beet kick, let's start there.

Birds & Lemons

I seem to pair up birds with everything...why not lemons too?  You can find this postcard here.

Peas & Flowers

Another freshly, picked from the garden pattern...peas!  You can find this postcard here.

Inflorescence Vegetables

This is a short list of inflorescence vegetables, since I don't know much about the exotic ones.  Pop a few in your salad today.

Tuber Vegetables

This is an example of thinking too much rather than just doing.  I kept worrying about not being able to create an interesting enough image with just tubers, so allowed time to just slip away.  This morning I decided to just draw and realized tubers did indeed have some unique qualities...enough to have a simple, fun image.

And, in case you're wondering I'll be continuing my vegetable craze into May, since I have several more images I'd like to explore. Thanks for allowing me to chug along at a slower pace the last few weeks. You can find the print here.

Parsley

Okay, this is probably the second herb I learned as a kid.

How many times did I ask my mom if we could eat that pretty green leaf on my plate when sitting at a restaurant?

Oregano

This is considered the "pizza herb" for obvious reasons.

I think this is one of the first herbs I learned as a kid because it topped one of my favorite foods.

Sage

This is one of my favorite herbs...purely because it's fun to draw. I just love those simple leaves.

How do you use sage?

Cilantro

If you're going to grow all the goodies for salsa this summer don't forget the cilantro.

Thanks to Michelle (via Facebook) for the suggestion!

What other dishes do you toss this lovely green into?

Herbs...Let's start with dill.

I am so pleased to step back into color and even more excited to start garden planning...with herbs.

I received a lovely request from Andy at MerMama.com to focus on herbs in March, so here we are!

If you'd like to suggest your favorite herb please comment below or visit my Facebook page. Thanks to Temptations on Main for the first herb idea: dill.

No Strawberries

On a walk around the garden earlier this week a friend and I took a peak in the strawberry patch in hopes of finding something. No luck. The strawberries were all gone.

{print available}

Apples and Leaves

I seem to have an apple trend this week. My favorite season is sprinkled with a beautiful fruit.

{print available}

Pickles

Pickles are such a wonderful thing, especially the light-green crunchy ones in the grocery store's refrigerator aisle. I've never been good at making them myself, but have fond memories of the ones from my great-grandparent's garden in Indiana. A bigger pickle fan than me...my daughter. {available}