Yak, Yak, Yak--My Big Mouth!

Here's a podcast I recorded about my experience as a landscape designer who blogs. The others on the podcast are Rochelle Greayer of Studio G and Chris Heiler of Landscape Leadership. Click here. Listen and enjoy.

Old School Recording Device

By the way...I haven't posted video since that day.

Showhouse Season, Volume V, Issue 13--Party Time!

Last night was the gala opening for the VNA showhouse at 99 Rumson Road in Rumson, NJ. Over 650 people wined, dined and danced after touring the house and gardens. I highly recommend that anyone who can attend this event does. I've participated in many showhouses, and this one is special. No expense has been spared and the house feels like a home instead of a series of individual spaces--it's lovely.

The Garden ready for a Party

Back to last night. The weather was perfect! Michael Deo, my lighting designer, and I donned our party duds and hosted the garden's debut. As a designer, I always try to create a space that will draw people out into it and be interesting enough for them to linger in it. Of all the gardens at the show house, people congregated and lingered in two --the way over the top poolhouse and mine. I don't think it was because of the wine either!

The two photos were taken just before the party and a few minutes after it started. Once things got going I was too busy talking to everyone to snap away! Peter Rymid is going to photograph the garden on Monday and then I should have some great shots.

A Jazz Quartet, Guests & Party Time!

Showhouse Season, Volume V, Issue 12--The Home Stretch

Things were hopping at the showhouse garden today. I'm beginning to be somewhat satisfied with the results...

My assistant, Joanne, and one of Frank's guys drove out to Steven Snyder's Cedar Maze studio in PA to pick up the bird sculpture. The geraniums (an odd choice for me, but it works) from Hamilton Farms and Ajuga from the Perennial Farm for the parterre arrived in two separate trucks. You know what happened don't you? The sod also arrived early this morning.

Everything everywhere

With all that good news, the bad news is that half of the Heliotrope for the containers has decided it's too cold and windy and gave up the ghost. We're going on a nursery run tomorrow to find replacements. At this point I want to see everything since there's absolutely no wriggle room. The gala party is on Saturday.

I concocted a center piece for the table that is almost finished and will hold postcards and business cards for people to take on their way through. I also bought some cushions for the chairs to soften up the space since it wasn't really looking too comfy.

Here's some photos. We're heading down the home stretch.

The Bird

Showhouse Season V, Issue 10, Mud & Mayhem

Here's some photos from today. Furniture and pots arrived. Irrigation and lighting was installed. Today was complicated by too many people in too small a space and downpours.

The plywood & tarps are protecting one of our walks
It's the only access the adjacent garden has. Tomorrow we cut them off

The first container planted--there are 8 in total

Sod, the bird sculpture and a bazillion annuals will arrive tomorrow. After I left at lunchtime I went shopping for something to go on the table. More about that later.

Showhouse Season V, Issue 8, Mud & Annuals

I will try and post short bits until we're done--hopefully on Friday. No progress pix today since nothing's really changed since the last ones.

We delivered as many annuals for the containers as my pickup would hold. The staging areas were so muddy that two volunteers had their shoes sucked right off their feet and another sunk in up to her knees.

After dropping off the plants we went to the nursery to get the remaining ones. Here's what's going in the containers...with a few pictures...

• Deutzia gracillis--I know it's a huge shrub, but a #3 full of buds and about to burst works here
• Heliotropium arborescens 'Atlantis'--great fragrance also fully budded and ready to bloom

• Bellis perennis 'Strawberries & Cream'--a punch of color that will tie into the rest of the planting

• Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'--just because it's pretty
  
• Helichrysum petiolare --the grey loose structure and felted leaves create a nice contrast

Tomorrow--rain or shine--we're planting up the containers so I'll take a photo and post tomorrow evening.

Showhouse Season V, Issue 5--For the Birds

Many of the architectural details at the Sheep's Run showhouse depict birds, so of course I have to honor that. The birds on the grill work shown below are typical of these formal early twentieth century details. They have been restored for the showhouse--some are black wrought iron and some have been re-gilded.

Turkey Detail on balcony

Peacock Window Grill prior to restoration

As the design for the garden has been revised and has continued to evolve, I've become increasingly interested in juxtaposing rustic elements typical of a farm setting within the confines of a formal garden. Originally I wanted a small fountain as the secondary axial focal point, but since that was nixed, I had to explore other ideas. A bird bath--too small, a sun dial--too mundane, an armilary--not appropriate for the rustic quality I wanted for the details of the space.

I wanted a bird. So I turned to Steven Snyder, a stone sculptor from Bucks County whose work I have used and recommended to clients before. Steven very graciously offered to lend one of his sculptures. Although he creates many other things, I love Steven's birds. Shown below, the middle bird still in the studio, worked in terms of height and color, so it will be the new focal point.

Birds in Steven Snyder's studio

Showhouse Season V, Issue 4.1, The State of Things (con't)

Every designer showhouse I've been involved with suffers from the same malady--too little interdisciplinary/committee/designer cross communication. Yesterday, my entire day was dedicated to solving issues with my garden space that could have been a non-issue had all parties worked with each other from the onset. Let me explain...

As you can see from the site map in Issue 2 of this series, my garden space is tucked away between two adjacent exterior spaces and two corners of the building. I used the consulting landscape architect's site plan to create my original concept. I also checked the boundaries of the garden with his office as well as the appropriate committee members. No one told me that the boundaries of the large garden to the south and the large terrace to the east had changed from what was on the site plan.

Confused? So was I. Those perimeter boundaries were modified on two sides without my knowledge and last week when I videotaped the space it became apparent that what I had designed would not be able to be shoehorned into what was actually the space. ARGHH.

I try to be a team player when it comes to these things...but I am the only one being asked to completely revise my plan. It was obvious to me that the original design would have to be modified to work with the space's new proportions. I didn't radically alter the concept, but everything had to be on a different scale and slightly modified. The double axis would now dead end into the south garden's hedge so that definitely had to go. Paths had to be made narrower, garden areas smaller. I was able to make all but one of the spatial transitions work and I can't really spend any more time on the revision (read: I have paying work to do) so it will have to be resolved on site.

So here's the revised design (click on it to enlarge). It doesn't appear to be changed that much but everything is scaled differently. The good news is I'm going to use a fabulous Steven Snyder bird sculpture as a focal point. More on that next time...

Showhouse Season V, Issue 3, Early Decisions

As I said in Issue 2, this is going to be a formal garden. The garden's official name for the showhouse journal and website is 'A Formal Invitation'.

The 'invitations' are implied the the garden's design. Its layout allows views from the adjoining rooms--Invitation No. 1. Entrances to the garden from three other areas of the property--Invitation No. 2. A table for rest and relaxation or a place to enjoy a bottle of wine--Invitation No. 3. A sculpture or fountain as a focal point/feature of interest--Invitation No. 4. Beautiful containers filled with very detailed plantings--Invitation No. 5.

The choice of which style of containers (shown in burgundy on the plan to the left) to use is important in this garden because they will set the tone on the second layer of design ideas. If I choose to use black Medici urns, the garden will not have the modern welcoming feeling that I want it to have. For me, too much formality feels pretentious, rigid and stogy. Mixing it up will give this outdoor space a sense of being in the present rather than the past. I have a fondness for terra cotta planters. They're timeless, their matte finish contrasts and completments many type of foliage and flowers.

For a few years I have been using and recommending Seibert & Rice terra cotta. They are worth every penny. The quality is flawless. Seibert & Rice are local importers who have a keen eye for great design. Depending on the style, these pots can lend a formal or an informal feeling to the garden. Although I haven't made a final decision yet and I've previously used all of the ones pictured below. They could work again.

The Hartford Pot by Guy Wolff--a great simple pot

The Olive Oil Urn--I've filled this urn with Cannas--Wow!

Lemon Flower Box--Great for herbs near a kitchen door

All photos are used with the permission of Seibert & Rice.

Showhouse Season V, Issue 2. The Design Process

All of the landscape design invitees for the 2009 showhouse were provided with a master plan which illustrated the homeowner's and the consulting landscape architect's very formal vision for the property.

There would be an addition to the east side of house to update the antiquated kitchen, create additional living space and add a garage. A new pool and pool house would also be added as well as a sheep barn, greenhouse and an apiary at the southwest corner. We were allowed to re-define the spaces if we chose for future approval. Below is my annotated copy of a later version of part of the master plan.


Some of the project constraints other than the two usual suspects--time and money--were and still are: the rampant deer who eat their way through the unfenced property and that some of the original garden features were to remain or be restored. I added to those caveats my own personal desire to source as much as possible from local nurseries and resources and to limit the amount of work that had to be done by machine for both logistical and sustainable reasons. Once those benchmarks were established, I decided to pursue several ideas within final conceptual design that was submitted to and ultimately accepted by the selection committee. Those ideas, as well as the conceptual plan are below.

Design Idea #1--Go with the Flow. I had the advantage of having done a previous project originally as a showhouse garden for the same owner which was kept as permanently. I knew she loved formality and the master plan clearly showed her input. If there were already 2 votes cast in the formal direction--why rock the boat, formal it would be.

Design Idea #2--Define the space the way I wanted it, excluding some of the peripheral areas. This would tighten up my ability to maximize views out of the house and would enable me to use strong axial relationships and bold geometric forms.

Design Idea #3--Design a space that would draw people into it and cause them to linger as well as creating elegant transitions to and from the adjacent spaces. One of my underlying garden philosophies has always been to make outdoor spaces for living as opposed to being just for viewing.

Design Idea #4--Limit the materials and utilize a very narrow deer resistant plant palette to simplify further. With simplicity the overarching traditional formality will look clean and modern rather than traditional and overworked.

Design Idea #5--Think about adding a water feature. People love water, the homeowner loves water, water makes people linger supporting Design Idea #3.

Design Idea #6--Try to use appropriate native plants without being a slave to that concept. Turf would be allowed since it is a large part of the master plan anyway. Offset the use of turf through of locally sourced pea gravel paths equaling (or close) the same square footage. That boat again.

Design Idea #7--Make the plan as easy as possible to implement since the participating contractors would be partially donating their time. April, the installation month, is the 2nd busiest month of the year.

Although it's a bit difficult to see. Here's the conceptual plan. The koi pond that is noted is a element from the master plan that is to be restored and not part of my garden space. Enlarge it to see the notes.

Showhouse Season V

This is the start of my 5th designer showhouse season. I am drawn to the charitable nature of these month long benefits, which often raise several million dollars for their charities. This one, Stately Homes by the Sea, benefits the VNA of Central NJ.

For me, participation has not been an annual occurrence, although I have done a showhouse garden each year for the last three years. I accept all invitations to view the property, but unless there's a space that immediately inspires me in some way, I don't accept. These gardens are an opportunity for me to experiment creatively without the constraints of a typical design brief. They are also an excellent opportunity for me to showcase ideas for potential clients in a realistic setting.

Last summer I was invited to preview the house and property that would be transformed by the following May. Typically these properties are vacant and in need of a face lift. As seen in the video below--one of several posted on YouTube, this particular property, 'Sheep's Run' in Rumson, NJ was in the throws of a complete overhaul.



Each designer was invited to compete for up to two spaces by submitting a a conceptual design and written proposal for each. I only wanted one--it's at the very start of the video with white pick-up truck parked in it. It's adjacent to a sun porch, a library and a very large terrace. It had beautiful views out from the house as well as being a somewhat independent space from the rest of the very formal master plan. I was awarded the space I wanted.

Here's some shots of the space as it was last September as well as a beautiful detail of one of the window grills. Since this will be an ongoing serial--this is also the end of the first installment. How's that for a cliffhanger?

Above: A view through the space to the gutted sun porch

Above: A view through the space from the sun porch showing the library windows

Above: A view through the space showing the oak that's on it's central axis in the distance
Below: One of the many bird themed details found throughout the property both inside & out

Design with Discipline, Plant with Abandon

I have always had a fondness for the clean lines of formalism. To my eye its geo-organization looks contemporary and fresh. I know there are a many designers who would rather die than design something with a formally organized space--they think it's rigid, unnatural and outdated. Worst of all, they think it's easy--just make a geometric shape, fill it with some flowers, and presto, it's a formal garden. That way of thinking gives these highly considered garden spaces a bad rap.

Clean lines and unexpected formalism out side of the education building
at the New York Botanical Garden

Formal gardens can be current, relevant and engaging. There are two schools of thought on traditional formality. One is an adherence to a classical garden style updated with a scale suitable to today's architecture and lower maitenance requirements and the other juxtaposes the reverse formalism of today's naturalistic planting style with formal structure to create something altogether different. Parterres can be filled with blowzy perennials which soften the hard lines of these gardens.

The second idea will be demonstrated in the design plan to the left. This garden will be installed as part of the VNA showhouse at Sheep's Run in Rumson, NJ in spring 2009, and has been developed as part of a much larger formal estate plan. This small niche garden will be viewed from a screen porch on the short side, a library and an expansive terrace on the long side. The other two sides open to adjacent the landscape. The axial pathways, circular resting places and focal points are extremely formal and geometric. The four enclosed evergreen parterres will be planted with very loosely structured perennials or annuals.

This type of garden doesn't work for every site, nor does it work for every garden owner. Depending on the plants used, formal gardens can be sustainable. For example, I have used low growing native evergreen grasses and other plants with a compact growth habits as a substitute for the ubiquitous clipped hedging plant. With careful planning, the maintenance of the geometric structure becomes less cumbersome, the garden's need for water can be significantly lowered, and native plants can be incorporated.

Following the same design idea, below is a different plan for an entry to a classic residence in Short Hills, NJ. The owner wanted something that would work with the traditional lines of the home yet echo her inclination to blend contemporary ideas within the traditional framework. The garden also had to be appropriate for a very conservative neighborhood.

The resulting garden (sorry no good pix yet) is deceptively simple. Rectilinear boxwood groups are staggered to provide planting pockets for naturalistic perennials. These informal cottage style perennials are planted in complete symmetry on either side of the entrance underscoring the geometry of the design. The Pennstemon digitalis 'Husker Red', Lirope muscari 'Pee dee Ingot', Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue' and Alchemilla mollis are usually associated with more informal gardens and they worked to meld the two styles together.

This isn't to say that a more controlled formal style isn't also clean and modern. The photo to the right shows an extremely classical entry. The architecture and details are remarkably similar to the residence in the project above and both gardens have different takes on formality. The photo was graciously provided by Chris Heiler at Fountainhead Gardens in Michigan.

#24--Last day to finish

We started first and are finishing last. For the past week there's been little but this crazy sprint to the end.

The almost completed rockery

There have been soooo many issues this week that it's hard to even recount them. The most major was the pond builder hurt his back the day before his installation. Our choice was to fill it in or build it ourselves--which I'd never done before. We built it ourselves yesterday and will finish today. I had to go to a pond supplier last night and get some additional supplies--there's a world I know little about!

Others include a tabletop that doesn't fit the base, a light pulled out of it's location for no apparent reason, wires which weren't buried by the lighting installation crew, etc. etc. etc. We'll finish the pool today, clean up and return for special events. It will be good to get back to regular work.

Here's the good news--What makes the rockery 'GREEN'...

Use of recycled materials:

• All of the boulders were on site and recycled from the original rock garden.
• Two architectural elements from Fro Heim’s legendary Japanese garden were found in the rock garden and recycled into the patio.
• Fill for the garden was brought from a local site where a swimming pool was being dug, eliminating the need for that fill to be dumped.
• All organic waste material from garden construction was taken to a local commercial organic waste recyclingcenter.
• Pea gravel is used as mulch and does not need to be renewed annually. It also helps to keep the plant roots cooler in the hot sun.
• Stone dust, a quarry byproduct has been used as pathway material.
• Stone used to build the reflecting pool was reclaimed from a demolished bridge in Newark.

Reduction in energy needs of a traditional garden:

• All materials have been sourced locally reducing the need to ship them over long distances decreasing the use of fossil fuels necessary to secure materials.
• 90% of the plants in the garden are New Jersey grown, the remaining 10% were grown regionally.
• Plants have been chosen that will thrive in the hot sun with low water requirements.
• A solar panel provides energy to illuminate the garden at night powering 30 LED fixtures.

Environmentally sensitive construction techniques:

• When building the garden, the area around the Rockery was left undisturbed. Areas of disturbance were limited to a narrow perimeter around the site.
• Use of machinery was kept to a minimum and machines were not left running when not in use.

#23-- Four Days and Counting

The deadline for completion of the gardens is Thursday. Today, hopefully, the pool is being installed in the patio. This week has been so stressful because every hour I spend on this project is an hour that I'm not doing other work (read paying). There's probably a 1/2 day's work to go other than the round reflecting pool.

Other issues this week have included a cracked tabletop and scheduling issues for everyone involved. Overall, the project probably took 6-7 days to build, but it's been done over a 6 week period which makes it seem like FOREVER.

The good news is solar lighting works and we're going to adjust it tonight. The bad news is that all of the pea gravel mulch has to be adjusted around the plants and it hasn't rained in 2 weeks.

Here's an image from yesterday--it really is almost done...

The rolled stone dust path before rolling and the guys working on the patio

#22--Solar Tower of Power

Today, Michael Deo and crew installed the solar panel and battery that are going to power the lights. In other electrical news we 'found' and unmarked live electrical line while digging for trees. UGH. Here's some not so great photos from today...

The panel being hoisted into its new home.

There's got to be some kind of paradox going on here between the 'green' technology and the cigarettes...

The panel almost set in place. It's actually pretty well concealed by the stone. Some plants will be added next week.

#-21--12 days and counting

With less than two weeks to go, the major boulder work is complete and many of the plants have been purchased and placed. It is becoming a marathon of fits and starts due to the weather and trying to coordinate people to work. The solar equipment is going on top of the mound where it will be hidden from view. The rest of it will be under the still to be constructed patio. There's probably about 2-3 full days of work to go...

Partially planted, the solar tower of power--also known as 'That's a big pile of boulders!'

The nursery shorted us about 60 grasses and other plants so now I have to go on a major hunt to find substitutes. Nothing is ever easy. Here's what it looked like when we were almost done today. The planting is very slow because everything has to be tucked in here and there.

#--20 Fifteen Minutes of Fame?

Even though it's too small to read here (you might be able to click & read though), a regional bimonthly, The Black River Journal, features an article about the Mansion in May showhouse with a sidebar article about the focus on sustainability of the rockery. How cool!

#19--Muck and Mire

We went back to work today for a bit. It was a muddy mess. I had to give Harry the dirty dog a bath immediately upon return home. There's three weeks to go and actually we need to be done in advance of that.

Yesterday, I went to a favorite perennial grower yesterday in the rain to choose some of the plants. It's odd, but when I design a project for a client I don't have any problem deciding on which plants to use, but for me--I go round and round and round. I did see and buy some great plants. Some are native, some are not. I deviated a bit from my original plan, so here's what I bought:

Ameria rubifola
Euphorbia palustris
Phlox subulata Emerald Cushion Blue
Eragrostis spectabilis
Festuca glauca 'Boulder Blue'
Teucrium hyranicum 'Purple Tails'
Salvia argentea
Aethionema coridifolium
Pycanthemum muticum
Sedums--Acre, rupestre 'Angelina', dasyphllum major, floriferum 'Weihenstepahaner Gold', 'John Creech', 'Czar's Gold', 'Vera Jameson'
Artemesia --whichever looks best at shipping
Mixed thymes
Aurinea saxitilis 'Compactum'
Veronica repens

They also had some beautiful Yuccas...I forgot the Dianthus--damn!

Here's two photos of the 2nd emerging rock pile that will have solar panel hidden from view (by virtue of height) on the top. This one is eliptical in shape and stands about 5' tall. This and a smaller circular pile will look vastly different when they're planted. I hope we have enough stone. The patio stone is arriving on Thursday. I hope it's not raining.

#18--Stoned Again

A trip to Wicki Stone in Great Meadows today yielded the tumbled flat bluestone for the dry garden as well as stone for another project we're working on. That way we were mixing business with pleasure...

Frank (shown for scale) tagging a 1.5 ton pallet of tumbled patio sized bluestone.
It's not easy to find pieces this size that are tumbled.

These big bad babies will be set in pea gravel to make a random level walking surface.

#17--Slow Progress with 1 month to go

Projects like showhouses can be of great benefit to everyone involved, but they demand a financial commitment of either hard cash or time. We were supposed to work today getting the vertical stones in place, but paying work has stalled that effort. We still have plenty of time but I don't want to get caught in the last minute rush to finish.

I did order furniture for the dry garden patio.

The top photo shows the table and the bottom the chairs.
Both are from Janus et Cie

I have always loved faux bois furniture and garden elements. Probably not what most would choose, but it's my nod to the Edwardian gardeners who first built the rock garden. I think it will add a softer element the environment while still being rustic. Plants will add to that soft quality. I also ordered some recycled glass boulders to play with.

The solar lighting scheme is inching along with some technical issues that are slowly getting resolved.

#5--Scheduling the Masses--Mansion in May

Yesterday I met with the primary contractor for the showhouse project, Frank Scheppe. Frank has been building projects with me for the past two years. His work is flawless and we've been able to complete some very complex projects together. We did the show house in Rumson together last spring and it was a great experience. The space ended up being a permanent addition to an already beautiful property. There's an image of the brick and turf steps and garden that we built below.

So back to the schedule. We had to figure out who, what and when, working back loosely from the end date of April 24th. Since the spring weather is so iffy and all of us are super busy in April we decided to start next week. Frank's delievering his excavator today so calls had to be made about that so we can start moving stone and cleaning up the piles next week. Large stones that will be stood on end will be selected, stones for the arch will be set aside and the central area will begin to be moved. Both Frank and I are concerned about what might be living in the burrows so I have to call local animal control to see what we can do to relocate any possible critters before the fact.

I called Dan Lupino, dry stone waller, to let him know that he can start building his arch the weekend of March 8. That will take him a few weekends I think and I want him to be able to work on his section undisturbed. I also had a conversation with Mike Deo who is designing the passive solar system that will power the lighting and gave him a heads up. I have to figure out how to hide the 12V battery and charging regulator within the rocks. I don't want to add another material to the mix.

I'm thinking about removing the existing turf areas around the garden and seeding with a no mow meadow mix. I'm on the fence about that one.