Category Archives: artists

checking out Dustin’s pottery

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Denise

As soon as work let up a bit, for a treat I’d been promising myself a trip to Dustin’s to check out his new concrete pottery. I don’t know how it happened that Dustin’s concrete work became an exact match … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, pots and containers | Tagged Dustin Gimbel, Euphorbia tirucalli 'Chocolate Sticks', Leucospermum ‘High Gold’, Second Nature Garden Design | 6 Comments

I think I can grow these

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Denise

Not sure what goes with your new AstroTurf lawn? Since 2004 Czech artist Veronika Richterova’s has cultivated a playful love affair with repurposing polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) “Since 2004 she has devoted herself systematically to serious artistic work with PET bottles. … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, design, science | Tagged PET-ART, polyethylene teraphthalate, recycling, Veronika Richterova | 3 Comments

Claire Basler’s flowers

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Denise

In an office yesterday was a Japanese four-panel painting on wood of chrysanthemums, goldenrod and wisps of flowering miscanthus. The stark white of the mums popped against the tawny background, but the panels’ overall effect was of a soothing, subtle … Continue reading →

Posted in artists | Tagged Claire Basler | 8 Comments

postscript to Natural Discourse; Flora & Fauna

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Denise

It’s been such a pleasure to see what shape and expression each successive Natural Discourse has taken. Developed by Shirley Watts and Mary Anne Friel for the Berkeley Botanic Garden, a group of artists were invited to make site-specific work … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, design, MB Maher, science | Tagged "Late Harvest", Craig Krull Gallery, Desert Garden Conservatory, Folly Bowl, James Corner, James Griffith, Jim Folsom, JoAnne Northrup, La Brea Tar Pits, Maura C. Flannery, Mia Lehrer, Mitch Maher, Natania Meeker & Antonia Szabari, Natural Discourse; Flora & Fauna 10/17/15, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Nevada Museum of Art, New Presidio Parklands Project, Rania Reyes, Rosamond Purcell, Shirley Watts, Stapelia gigantea, Susanna Dadd, University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley | 9 Comments

Natural Discourse: Flora & Fauna; A Day at the Natural History Museum 10/17/15

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Denise

From the Natural Discourse event registration page: “Natural Discourse has been invited to explore the Natural History Museum! The Museum opens its doors for a day-long conversation about gardens, art, science, and collections. Natural Discourse is an ongoing series of … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, Department of Instruction, garden travel, science | Tagged Director of the Huntington Botanical Gardens, Exposition Park, garden designer Shirley Watts, James Griffith's La Brea Tar Paintings, Jim Folsom, JoAnne Northrup, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, Maura C. Flannery, Mia Lehrer, Natania Meeker & Antonia Szabari, Natural Discourse; Flora & Fauna 10/17/15, Rosamond Purcell | 4 Comments

friday clippings 6/5/15

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Denise

Late spring conversation at our house sums up living in a “mixed” household (gardeners/nongardeners): Duncan, from the back porch: Whatcha doin’ out there? Me, from deep in the garden: Sitting in a field of poppies. Duncan (scanning for alleged field … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, Bulbs, clippings, shop talk | Tagged "Garden of Contrast" by James Van Sweden and Sheila Brady, "White Cloud" by Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot, Better Homes & Gardens, Cornerstone Sonoma, Cyrtanthus elatus x montanus, Garden Bloggers Fling 2015, Glaucium grandiflorum, Stephen Orr, Sunset magazine | 3 Comments

a Shirley Watts’ garden

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Denise

Monday features two long-time friends (and family) of AGO. Oldest son Mitch took these photos of a Shirley Watts-designed garden a few years back and kindly agreed to let me share them here. The garden had a lot of formal, … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, design, MB Maher, photography | Tagged garden designer Shirley Watts, MB Maher, Shirley Watts | 12 Comments

“The Artful Garden” featuring Shirley Watts, Portland, Oregon 2/15/15

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Denise

Detail of mural in the new reception hall at Rancho Los Alamitos. I don’t suppose there’s the smallest chance we’ll ever see a “bullet train” built that runs to Portland, Oregon, since the voter-approved Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed train has … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, artists, design, garden travel, succulents | Tagged "The Artful Garden" 2/15/15, Agave schidigera, Aloe marlothii, Bilbergia nutans, Dasylirion wheeleri, Golden Barrel Cactus Echinocactus grusonii, Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, Portland State University Hoffman Hall, Rancho Los Alamitos, Shirley Watts, Strelitzia reginae | 9 Comments

floral fireworks

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Denise

Oooh…it looks just like…Calluna vulgaris ! At fireworks shows, I’m the one that keeps up a running commentary of free associations, so this “Flowerwork” by artist Sarah Illenberger for The Plant journal was an instant hit with me. From her … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, photography, Plant Portraits | Tagged "Flowerwork", Sarah Illenberger, The Plant journal | 1 Comment

Natural Discourse: Light & Image 2014, an epilogue

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Denise

Ever wonder when our buildings are going to have the photosensitivity and photoreactivity of plants? Dale Clifford, with his focus on biomimetics applied to architecture, is on the case, investigating the possibility of designing a photoreactive brick inspired by the … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, artists, Department of Instruction, MB Maher, photography, science, succulents | Tagged Dale Clifford, Folly Bowl, Garden designer Sue Dadd, glass artist Christian Thornton, Harvard's Ware Collection of Glass Plants, interactive computer programming, Interactive Programmer John Carpenter, James Griffth, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Marion Brenner, MB Maher, Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore, Natural Discourse: Light & Image, Richard Schulhof, Roger Hangarter, Shirley Watts, Silverlake Farms, terraced gardens, University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, Ware Collection Manager Jenny Brown, Xaquixe Glass Innovation Studio | 7 Comments