My dad passed away many years ago, but I have fond childhood memories of gleaning the shore for beach glass and shells with him. It was a pastime my family enjoyed each and every summer; my mom has a large jar filled with those very weathered beach glass findings. Read my post from the past to find out what else we gleaned for.
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there!
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
GLEANING THE BEACH WITH DAD Read More »
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
….you create skeletal tree sculptures and bring in twenty yards of mulch. That’s what I did with a client project I took on the summer of 2012. This area, affectionately referred to as ‘the park’, had been destroyed by hurricane Irene, with remnants of devastation sitting idle until I gave this homeowner a glimmer of hope.
From what I understand, this site had been chock full of assorted plant material, big and small. The survivors consisted of many badly beaten junipers and five Baptisia australis perennials. That’s it. I convinced my client to let me reincorporate a simplified and reduced amount of plant material and introduce some nonliving, weatherproof elements into the design. She agreed. She also agreed, quite enthusiastically, to let me transform the standing trees, albeit dead ones, into the new design. Talk about being open-minded. She was such a good sport about it. And very patient. This was not an instant reinstallation. I chipped away at this project in between other jobs, and each aspect of the design process was given extensive thought and consideration. Choosing the most forgiving and abuse tolerant plants was key.
Things were underway, and my client and I were both thrilled.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
Then along came Sandy.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
A week passed by before I could even access her driveway. I stood bewildered, defeated and heartbroken…… but not for long. You see, I just love a challenge. Take that, Sandy.
This year we (and the plants) are back on track, standing proud and more rooted than ever before. So, as per my client’s heart’s desire, we have ‘Zen Meets the Beach’. And skeletal tree sculptures.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU HURRICANES…… Read More »
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
I have been working, it seems, round the clock since early April, as the intensity of preparatory gardening tasks fall into a certain window of time. Punch lists still exist, but I foresee things leveling off in the near future. I’ve managed to steal a moment to just enjoy the beauty in my own garden, and timing it with the peak of my German irises in their glory. Sweet. I’m so grateful that gardens do not perform all at once. I need the intermissions. I embrace the anticipation. A garden is like a delicious novel that can’t be read all at one sitting, and I love the flirtatious unfolding of a story that grows.
A GARDEN IS LIKE A DELICIOUS NOVEL Read More »
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
Mandevilla vines have become grocery store staples like that of milk and bread. Sure, there are occasions when this vernacular garden vine lends itself to being plopped in a pot and left to its own climbing devices. But, this happens all too often, and Mandevilla could soon be renamed Mundanevilla. If you absolutely cannot pass this plant up, at least take your design vision up a notch. I incorporated a white flowering variety with a color combination of yellow, maroon and blue-grey. This ensemble is sophisticated and unexpected. Now, it’s your turn to make your Mandevilla vine turn heads.
MESS AROUND WITH YOUR MANDEVILLA Read More »