Category Archives: design

Willy Guhl Spindle Planter

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Denise

There’s really no other Mid Century Modern planter quite like the Spindle by Swiss designer Willy Guhl, made with his student Anton Bee in collaboration with Eternit in 1951. Mitch showed me some photos from an interior shoot he did … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, design, MB Maher, pots and containers | Tagged , | 6 Comments

oil drums for plants

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Denise

Way back in spring, when we were sourcing stuff for the popup, there was an ad on craigslist offering food-grade, powder-coated oil drums for cheap. Really cheap. Temptingly cheap. Large containers are so pricy, and these would be perfect for … Continue reading →

Posted in design, pots and containers | 4 Comments

coloring outside the lines; Hot Color, Dry Garden

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Denise

In her new book “Hot Color, Dry Garden,” botanist/biologist/educator Nan Sterman aims to reassure readers that in these uncertain, climactically challenging times for gardens in the drought-afflicted western U.S., there’s no need to scrimp on what compels us to make … Continue reading →

Posted in books, design, inspire me | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

agricultural shade cloth is taken seriously in Ho Chi Minh City

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Denise

Neighbors have taken note of our traditional summer shade cloth improvisations (what Nishizawa Architects calls “vernacular uses”) and are now deploying their own shade cloth configurations in strategic locations over the sunniest areas of their deck. Along with shading work … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, design, inspire me | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

bloom day hack august 2018

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Denise

The ‘Mesa Peach’ gaillardias seem to be this year’s answer to my craving for a low-growing summer daisy that fits in nicely among the permanently resident aloes and agaves. Similar water and light requirements, not too extravagant in summer growth … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day, design | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

of ponds and pyramids at Digging Dog Nursery

Posted on July 29, 2018 by Denise

Returning to the June 2018 visit to Mendocino for the Garden Conservancy Open Days, the second garden we visited belonged to Digging Dog Nursery, also the home of co-owners Deborah Whigham and Gary Ratway. The garden comprises five acres, the … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, design, garden travel, garden visit | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

S A Y A Designs

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Denise

When Victoria at S A Y A Designs asked if I wanted to know more about her work in helping to replant rain forests in Indonesia, I told her most definitely yes, I very much would be interested in knowing … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, commerce, design, inspire me, MB Maher | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Garden Conservancy Open Days/Mendocino/Moss Garden

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Denise

cooler on Sunday, June 24, Mendocino Bot. Garden, a plant mix like nowhere else of conifers, maples, perennials, redwoods. Island beds designed by Gary Ratway. The buzz started spreading at the Austin Garden Bloggers Fling in May, at least among … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, design, garden travel, garden visit, journal | 7 Comments

new entry gardens at the Huntington; form, color, texture & time

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Denise

On the 14th of this month I attended a lecture by Huntington Botanical Gardens head gardener Seth Baker entitled “The 4D Garden; Landscape Design Using Form, Color, Texture, and Time.” If I understood correctly, it was his first such public … Continue reading →

Posted in design | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

revisiting Nancy Goslee Power’s private garden

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Denise

The Los Angeles Times ran a profile on Ms. Power this weekend (“She spent decades transforming Southern California landmarks. Go inside Nancy Goslee Power’s private garden,” so I’m grabbing the opportunity to repost a visit I made to her garden … Continue reading →

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