Category Archives: design
“Gardens: An Essay” by Robert Pogue Harrison (reposted from 10/7/11)
I’m more than a little overexcited at the prospect of hearing Professor Harrison speak at the latest iteration of Natural Discourse entitled “Culture & Cultivation,” to be held October 10, 2013, in Berkeley, California. The previous Natural Discourse programs were … Continue reading
Posted in artists, books, Department of Instruction, design, garden travel
Tagged "Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition", "Natural Discourse", architect Julia Morgan, art, gardens, historic hotels, Natural Discourse: Culture & Cultivation 10/10/13, Robert Pogue Harrison, science, Shirley Watts, The Berkeley City Club, The New York Review of Books, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
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hillside with Schwentker Watts Design
I was in a wonderful garden the other night, but was caught flat-footed as far as having any photos to show for it. Although only 7:30ish, twilight doesn’t last long in this Los Angeles neighborhood but is quickly swallowed up … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, artists, climate, design, garden visit, MB Maher, pots and containers, succulents
Tagged Bocconia arborea, Cupressus macrocarpa 'Citriodora', Franco-Giacomo Carbone, Harvey Watts, James Schwentker, landscape architecture, Los Angeles, MB Maher, mediterranean climate, Schwentker Watts Design, Silverlake, The Los Angeles Times
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warm thoughts on formal gardens
Have I mentioned how hot it’s been lately? It’s the kind of heat that gives a boho plant nut a deeper appreciation of the cool, austere lines of a formal garden. A garden built not on the scaffolding of flowers … Continue reading
September and its discontents
Every September I’m startled by the heat this month brings. A heat that, if you’re not careful, can wick away inspiration. But then that’s what photos like this are for. Image found here At least two more months to go … Continue reading
anatomy of a late-summer road trip
Is there a tinge of desperation in the road trips of late summer? By the end of summer are we stuffing itineraries with an absurd number of places to see in the dwindling opportunities to experience daylight until 8 p.m.? … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, artists, design, edibles, garden travel, garden visit, MB Maher, plant nurseries, succulents
Tagged "Natural Discourse", 2013 Heirloom Exposition, Agave 'Cornelius', Agave americana var. striata, Agave celsii var. albicans 'UCB', Andy Cao, Annie's Annuals & Perennials, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Cornerstone Annual Tomato Tasting, Cornerstone Sonoma, Cottage Gardens of Petaluma, Gladiolus papilio, Gunnera perpensa, James Van Sweden, John Greenlee, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Sheila Brady, The Ruth Bancroft Garden, University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, Xavier Perrot
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a garden with a roof
I miss when Sundays were neatly divided by the sections of a thick Sunday newspaper that sprawled across tables, beds, and couches. The travel section might include articles like this one on the Buenos Aires home of Mercedes Hernáez and … Continue reading
Posted in artists, design, garden visit
Tagged Alejandro Sticotti, Freunde von Freunden, Mercedes Hernáez, Miluccia, Sundays
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driveby garden; LAPD headquarters, Downtown Los Angeles
“The first five months of this year were the driest on record in California, with reservoirs in the state at 20 percent below normal levels.” – Arid Southwest Cities’ Plea: Lose the Lawn, The New York Times, August 11, 2013 … Continue reading
A Texas shoe story as told by Ronald Rael (Prada Marfa)
rac·on·teur /ˌrakˌänˈtər/ Noun A person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way. Synonyms narrator – storyteller Way back in January I breezily announced “ambitious plans to produce transcripts of the lectures” given by the illustrious group of artists … Continue reading
driveby garden; AT&T Center, Downtown LA
You’d be surprised how many “Angelenos” have never visited Downtown Los Angeles, even now that it is surging with vitality again. For decades it was right up there in ignominious competition as one of the most superfluous, neglected downtowns of … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, driveby gardens, pots and containers
Tagged Agave vilmoriniana, architect Julia Morgan, AT&T Center, Convolvulus sabatius 'Compact', Dichondra argentea., Dorycnium hirsutum, downtown Los Angeles, Gensler architects, Geranium X antipodeum, Herald Examiner building, mediterranean plants, Oreganum dictamnus, ornamental oreganoes, rosemary, South Park neighborhood
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consider the leaves
We have Pam at Digging to thank for hosting this monthly celebration of foliage. This month I’m focusing on some of the leaves that impressed me during recent garden travels as well as examples from the back pages of AGO. … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, artists, design, garden travel, garden visit, MB Maher, pots and containers, succulents
Tagged Acacia pendula, Aloe striatula, Bernard Trainor, bromeliads, CA, conservatories, Garden Bloggers Fling 2013, garden designer Dustin Gimbel, garden designer Rebecca Sweet, Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers, Hakonechloa macra, Huntington Botanical Gardens, Landcraft Environments, landscape architect Jarrod Baumann, Long Island, Longhouse Reserve, Lysimachia nummularia, Muehlenbeckia axillaris, New York, Planting Fields Arboretum, San Francisco, Zingiber malaysianum
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