Category Archives: design

The California Look 2011

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Denise

The Los Angeles Times L.A. At Home section has been asking for readers’ input in a poll to determine the “California Look” for 2011. Results of the poll can be found here. Offered as inspiration for the poll is this … Continue reading →

Posted in design | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Flea Market Shuffle

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Denise

A sunny day at the flea market brings its unique brand of hangover. An unfocused listlessness follows the rest of the day. The adult equivalent of the delicious exhaustion I’d feel as a kid after spending a whole day at … Continue reading →

Posted in design, pots and containers | Tagged | 3 Comments

Old Lights Made New

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Denise

In the angle of the eaves where the house intersects with the bath house, the space cried out for a light. A hanging light or three. I’ve had these three glass shades for many, many years, but every time I … Continue reading →

Posted in design, garden ornament | Tagged , | 4 Comments

L.A. Lawn

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Denise

Emily Green, in the September 9, 2011, edition of The Los Angeles Times, discusses many of the hidden costs related to keepings lawns, including the health risks to those often hired to maintain them in Southern California, in her piece … Continue reading →

Posted in design | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

1stdibs

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Denise

In a piece in yesterday’s New York Times, Steven Kurutz introduces readers to the “marketplace for design and antiques” known as 1stdibs. And the next thing I knew, about three hours were somehow sucked out of my day. “Set of … Continue reading →

Posted in design | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Garden Puzzles

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Denise

Working with a small garden can be a bit of a puzzle. This powder blue Agave potatorum, or ‘butterfly’ agave, was planted a couple years ago deep in the recesses of the gravel garden, much too out of the way … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Dinner at Dustin’s

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Denise

A word of advice. An invitation to dinner at Dustin’s should never be passed up. Yes, he is a wonderful cook (Salade Nicoise with salmon, chocolate ganache torte). But prowling around his garden to see what he’s been up to … Continue reading →

Posted in design, garden visit, MB Maher | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Palms & Lawn

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Denise

I’ve had a very interesting past couple of days. (Interesting in my usual narrow, horticultural sense of the word.) Thursday I finally made it to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to check out up close the new Eli … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, garden travel, MB Maher, succulents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Foreword to Piet Oudolf Landscapes in Landscapes

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Denise

I didn’t dare take this beautiful book on the recent camping trip, so it sat waiting in a quiet house. A couple pages behind the cover’s brisk Helvetica type is this arresting foreword by Robert Hammond, co-founder of the High … Continue reading →

Posted in design, garden travel, MB Maher | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Arguing With A Bad-Tempered Gardener

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Denise

What an odd concept, to separate enjoyment of gardens from the process of garden-making. A garden magazine article a couple months ago introduced me to this astonishing notion, when it profiled the owner of a complex garden who spoke intelligently … Continue reading →

Posted in design, essay | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments