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contents 

APRIL 2009 

FEATURES 

48 Snake Bitten 

Sometimes called snake plants and other times mother-inlaw's 

tongue, sansevierias are bulletproof— ideal for beginning 

gardeners and top-drawer designers alike, at home in 

the garden or indoors in planters. BY JENNY ANDREWS 

56 California Dreamin' 

When his client moved from the East Coast to San Rafael, 

California, and fell in love with an Eichler house, Davis 

Dalbok created the ultimate companion garden for it — 

complete with boldly colored and shaped plants, defined 

outdoor rooms and a midcentury spirit. BY MEGAN PADILLA 

66 A Pool by Jungle & Sea 

The cascading jungle of Rio's hills are a dramatic backdrop 

to a contemporary pool garden designed by Sao Paulobased 

architect and landscape designer Paulo Pratti for 

this Brazilian getaway. BY PAULA DE LA CRUZ 

74 Holding Court 

Made Wijaya's glorious garden at Villa Kirana realizes a 

family's wish list for their fantasy of a Balinese landscape: 

a lush water garden, a dramatic classical Balinese garden 

and lots of interesting elements. BY JOANNA FORTNAM 

GARDEN DESIGN APRIL 09 

ON THE COVER 

Designed by Eric Groft of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates, 

this Southampton garden is not only stylish, it's sustainable. 

Story on page 45. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FELBER. 

s s 

Й z

Kalamazoo has been bringing gourmet lifestyles outdoors for 

more than 100 years. Today we offer everything you need to build 

the ultimate outdoor cooking and entertaining retreat. 

Hybrid grills that cook with charcoal, wood and gas. Outdoor 

refrigerators, wine chillers, ice makers and keg tappers. Pizza 

ovens, wok cooktops and lobster boilers. Weather-tight kitchen 

cabinets. Even design support from our outdoor kitchen experts. 

You and your garden deserve a custom outdoor kitchen from 

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. 

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contents 

DEPARTMENTS 

8 FROM THE EDITORS 

13 CONTRIBUTORS 

15 FRESH 

Flora Grubb's living wall; (enny Andrews 

loves Drimiopsis; One to Watch: Courtney 

McRickard; Philadelphia parks, nurseries 

and more. 

24 PLANT PALETTE 

Now seen in glowing new colors, calla lilies 

surely belong in the garden — and in vases 

and containers. 

32 STYLE 

All these small things have big impact: spacesaving 

designs for the garden that pack a lot 

of punch. 

36 SWATCH WATCH 

Textiles in elegant hues emanate 

a relaxing vibe in a garden room cast 

as a spalike sanctuary. 

38 GARDEN GOURMET 

Is your garden space little more than a glorified 

patio? No matter. Your fully outfitted 

outdoor kitchen awaits. 

45 LIVING GREEN 

A four-season, low-maintenance garden in 

the Hamptons showcases the signature style 

of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates. 

GROUNDBREAKER 

As a cross between New York City's industrial 

past and a synthesis of landscape 

architecture, ecology and art. James Corner's 

High Line will be a garden in the sky. 

86 LANDSCAPE 

Garden curator and "vision keeper" 

Sadafumi Uchiyama is defining the integrity 

of the Pordand Japanese Garden while bringing 

a new level of public engagement. 

88 SOURCEBOOK 

A listing of the products and services 

mentioned and shown in our pages. 

96 ON DESIGN 

Julie Moir Messervy's new book, Home 

Outside, lays out her design theory. The long 

and short of it? She finds ways to create a 

sense of comfort in the garden — for playing, 

eating, frolicking. "You can event tryst there," 

she says. 

For more, go to gardendesign.com. 

POSTAL INFORMATION Garden Design, Number 158 (ISSN 0733-4923). Published 7 times per year Uanuary/February, March, April. May. July/August, September/October. November/December) by Bonnier Corporation, 

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2851. Retail sales discounts available; contact Circulation Department. Following are trademarks of Garden Design and Bonnier Corporation, and their use by others is strictly prohibited: Fresh; Growing; Style; Sage Advice; On Design. 

6 GARDEN DESIGN APRIL 09

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IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS 

OF COURSE SIZE MATTERS. A LARGE 

space should be planned one way — a 

small space another. Small spaces (small 

gardens, that is) demand perfection in 

their makeup because they are so intimate. 

Their every element is under the 

microsope, and one false move easily 

overwhelms the eye. A tiny courtyard 

surrounding a hideous fountain is a 

complete failure even if the plants and 

hardscape are gorgeous. Place that same 

water feature in the heart of an estate 

garden, and its impact is lessened by the 

many other views. 

In our feature California Dreamin', p. 56, 

Davis Dalbok, who designed an immaculately 

detailed outdoor-living garden for 

his friend and client, carved up the San 

Rafael yard into distinct rooms, each with 

its own use. When moving through the 

garden, you experience a series of moods 

and activities that you might not expect in 

such a small area. 

We discover in Lauren Grymes' Garden 

Gourmet column, p. 38, that even the 

smallest of outdoor spaces has room for 

kitchen additions. The electric condo grill 

and the sleek serving cart both bring fullservice 

style to a tiny patio or balcony. 

Columnist Damaris Colhoun culled 

through her findings from shows on 

both sides of the Atlantic to present a 

short list of the coolest space-saving 

pieces for outdoors in this month's 

Style department, p. 32. A dual-purpose 

ON THE WEB 

One of Garden Design's most exciting new ventures 

is the launch of our editor's blog, found at 

gardendesign.com. Here, I've been posting everything 

from short book reviews to highlights of upcoming 

events that appeal to garden enthusiasts 

(the Venice Garden & Home Tour will be a bastion 

of gorgeous gardens that offer the same kinds of 

dividing wall serves as a plant display, and 

a modular coffee table opens up to become 

a dining table — these are two innovations 

that match function with elegance. 

Look for more great ideas along these lines 

in our feature Snake Bitten, p. 48, with its 

plethora of container concepts for indoors 

and out. Also, Flora Grubb's living wall, 

p. 15, proves once and for all that sometimes 

the best things come in small packages. 

SARAH KINBAR/EDITOR 

pithy design nuggets this issue does). My favorite 

feature on the blog is the "Hot New Project" Q S A's. 

where I do a brief interview with a designer whose 

recent work has caught my eye. Lately, I've interviewed 

Calvin Abe, Heather Lenkin and Raymond 

Jungles, and there are many more Q S A's to come. I 

post several times a week, so keep checking back!

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contributors 

ALL THE SMALL THINGS 

We asked our contributors: What is the best spacesaving 

idea you've seen ortried in a small garden? 

> Shawn Bean, writer. Fresh, p. 15: "When 

I lived on Manhattan's Upper West Side, I 

discovered this amazing garden while walking 

to Central Park. Built into the slim gap 

between two high-rises, the garden had 

roses, wildflowers, ornamental grasses and 

trellises with bougainvillea. For an island that 

has made room for 8 million people, this was 

the city's best use of a tiny space." 

► Tovah Martin, writer, Plant Palette and 

Landscape, pp. 24 and 86: "When I achieve 

the plant version of perpetual motion, that's 

when I feel that space is utilized to the max. 

Efficiency at its finest is threading spring 

bulbs between Callicarpa shrubs before they 

leaf out, then turning the action over to hardy 

geraniums and phlox bedded beneath before 

chasing it with heirloom purple cabbage when 

the Callicarpa is in berry." 

■< Megan Padilla, senior editor and writer, 

Fresh and California Dreamin', pp. 15 and 56: 

"The Davis Dalbok garden featured in this 

issue is not large at all. I love how he placed 

a massive mirror against the fence behind 

layers of plantings and the edge of the basalt 

patio. The mirror goes mostly unnoticed but 

creates the illusion of an extended part of the 

garden that isn't there at all." 

< Rob Cardillo, photographer. Plant Palette, 

p. 24: "Small gardens, including mine, tend to 

be overcrowded. We keep shoehorning new 

plants into densely populated beds and allow 

established plantings too much freedom. I'm 

slowly learning that good gardeners prune 

ruthlessly, thin vigorously and chuck out underperformers. 

The art is always in the edit." 

Beautiful Outdoor Spaces, and find out 

how you can spend more time outdoors, 

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GREEN-WALL DESIGNERS ONE TO WATCH: COURTNEY MCRICKARD I LOVE THIS PLANT WHEN IN PHILADELPHIA 

vertical solutions What options do 

you have when faced with a garden not much larger than a closet? 

If you are San Francisco garden designer Flora Grubb, you tile it in 

slate and add a planting bed, an outdoor bathtub and a vertical garden. 

Says Grubb: "It sounds like way too much, doesn't it? And yet 

when it was done, I think we accomplished more with this space 

than most gardens 10 times the size. It is interesting, peaceful and 

endlessly fun to look at." 

The concept for the focal point of Grabb's garden was hatched 

at her San Francisco nursery and showroom Flora Grubb Gardens. 

"The concept of vertical gardening has been creating a huge buzz 

around my store. The more that people see images of Patrick 

Blanc's work [the French inventor of Le Mur Vegetal, as it is known 

Drought-tolerant Sempervivum takes well to the vertical planter. In the bed 

below, the foxtail asparagus fern was used to soften the look and give it movement, 

while the succulents mixed in pick up colors from the wall garden. 

GARDEN DESIGN 15

fresh 

in France], the more excited they get. We can't keep books on the subject 

in stock, and our customers have been asking us to do this type of 

installation for them. This was a perfect opportunity to try it out." 

Perfect because in this case, Grubb and her fiance, Kevin Smith, 

who is also a builder, were the clients. Working with their best friend, 

architect Seth Boor, the trio transformed a tiny cottage — that for 

more than 50 years was Betty May's School of Tap — behind their 

home in the Mission District of San Francisco into cozy living quarters 

with about a 40-square-foot garden. 

Grubb found that weight posed the largest challenge to building 

a vertical garden. Their solution was to customize a wall to provide 

both strength to hang the planting structure on as well as to hide an 

irrigation system that is piped into the back of the piece. The water 

then drips down into the planting bed below. 

As for the garden itself, Grubb chose succulents for their hardiness 

and for their jewel-box look. "Putting a frame around the plants 

and hanging them on the wall like a work of art makes you think differently 

about them. You see them in this unexpected context and it 

makes them even more fascinating. It reminds me of a mandala [a 

geometric design representing the universe and used as a spiritual 

aid in meditation]. It draws you in." 

When it comes to her small-space garden, Grubb says: "The lesson 

is that less is more only when more is too much. Let your small 

garden spaces live large." floragrubb.com — MEGAN PADILLA 

16 GARDEN DESIGN APRIL 09 

GREEN-WALL DESIGNERS 

>■ Jane Hansen of Lango Hansen Landscape Architects led her team in 

repurposing the exterior of an outdated Portland, Oregon, Days Inn Hotel 

into the oh-so-relevant Hotel Modera. The focal point is a green-wall 

system comprised of l-foot-by-l-foot planted cells — each containing 

only one species of plant — arranged in a grid pattern. Next up? A green 

wall for an interior lobby space that will call upon a palette of tropical 

plants, langohansen.com 

>■ When faced with designing plantings for an 800-square-foot, year-rounduse 

rooftop garden on a Manhattan brownstone, Michael Madarash of 

KokoBo Plantscapes added a 14-foot-tall vertical garden comprised 

entirely of sedums. His firm has been experimenting at its garden center 

for about two years and has a half-dozen vertical gardens soon to be 

installed. Says Madarash, "While cost may be prohibitive in certain situations, 

everyone is interested!" kokobo.com 

>- Boston's third-generation floral designer Winston Flowers has launched 

a new branch of the business: custom garden design and installation. On 

their hot list? Green walls. Winston made a splash in certain circles with 

a temporary wall created for the 2008 charity event, Dining by Design, 

last year in Boston. Though the installation was created out of cut 

materials, the design firm has all its suppliers tagged to provide the real 

thing, winstonflowers.com

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Outdoor Living 

COLORS OF 

HAWAII 

When San Diego interior designer and 

colorist Kathleen Roarty wanted to create 

a livable outdoor room, she searched 

in vain for designer pillows that could 

work under "real life" situations. The result 

was the launch last summer of Mint 

Pillows, three lines of indoor-outdoor 

pillows each inspired by her family's 

worldwide travels. Roarty recently fell in 

love with Hawaii, discovering its aloha, 

or spirit, and its connecting themes of 

lush flora, ocean, volcanic soil and rich 

culture. These elements translated into 

the Aloha line (pictured). "The colors I 

chose represent the overlying green of 

Hawaii and the blue-violet tone captured 

at both sunrise and sunset. Both colors 

complement the turquoise ocean and 

the sand," says Roarty. The flora on each 

honors the ubiquitous state flower, the 

hibiscus, and the Monstera leaf. Each pillow 

is silk-screened and sewn by hand, 

and a portion of the proceeds is donated 

to various charitable and environmental 

organizations — the aloha spirit indeed. 

$96 each, mintpillows.com — MP 


One to Watch 

COURTNEY MCRICKARD 

Courtney McRickard (above) of Three Sixty Design 

used water in an urban Denver residence (right) to 

unify the space and drown out distracting noise. In 

another project (below), she used her client's love 

of art to create a focal point outdoors. 

Courtney McRickard is talking — and talking 

and talking — about different species of bamboo, 

eco-friendly concrete and recycled glass. 

Sustainable design is McRickard's passion 

as well as the focus of her Denver, Colorado, 

landscape-design firm. Three Sixty Design. 

While the 35-year-old is juggling several projects 

in and around the Rockies, she's most 

excited about volunteering for PlatteForum, a 

community art center in Denver where innercity 

kids create artwork and assist master artists 

with their installations. Her contribution, 

a 1,300-square-foot urban garden fashioned 

mainly from sustainable materials, will be 

completed this fall. — SHAWN C. BEAN 

Q: What landscape designs have inspired you? 

A: I love Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, 

D.C, and any of Virginia's James River 

plantations, including Evelynton Plantation, 

Shirley and Westover. 

Q What are the trademarks of a Courtney 

McRickard design ? 

A: I analyze a site, understand its parameters 

and let the land reveal its own design. As designers, 

we're taught to instill our creativity 

on a space. But the best way is to let the space 

continue on through the years and to recognize 

and respect what it wants and needs. 

Qj Tell me about your work with PlatteForum. 

A: With the help of the local kids and two senior 

horticulturalists from the Denver Botanic 

Gardens, I'm creating an urban garden with 

sustainable materials. There are steel gabion 

walls that we're filling with urban refuse 

— colorful glass bottles, felled limbs from 

winter storms — to demonstrate how urban 

waste can be reused in an artful way. 

Q Why has sustainable design been such a 

large part of PlatteForum ? 

A: The museum's design team wanted to 

raise awareness about the urban environment 

and how recycled materials from that 

same environment can be used in creative 

ways. Plus, sustainable design is an essential 

part of any landscape architect's education.

Cutting Edge 

CHRYSANTHEMUM, MEET LE CORBUSIER 

Every day after school, Karla Dascal's mother took her to a floral market 

in Little Havana, Miami, where the sunflowers, gerbera daisies 

and bird-of-paradise listed in their water-filled buckets. This experience 

ignited Dascal's passion for fresh flowers. Or as her company's 

mission statement puts it: "Florals are Karla's soul transformed 

into a million-dollar art form." After studying art, architecture and 

design in Boston, Dascal returned to Miami and began selling roses 

imported from Ecuador. "They were these sensational, salmoncolored 

roses that would last ю days," Dascal recalls. That budding 

enterprise has since bloomed into — deep breath — Karla Conceptual 

Event Experiences, a full-service event-planning firm in Miami's 

Wynwood Art District that handles invitation design, event decor, 

lighting and of course sculptural floral design, Dascal's trademark. 

"Whenever you see one of my floral designs, you know it's from 

me," she says. "When I began, people were still doing these big 

European arrangements. We streamlined things and made them 

more architectural." The Mix (pictured here) is a perfect example. 

Every arrangement starts with freshly imported flowers, in 

this case, South American chrysanthemums, Dutch tulips and 

New Zealand flax leaves. "This arrangement alone represents three 

continents," notes Dascal. Add some traditional architectural materials 

— steel wire and glass — then reshape the flax leaves into 

Japanese calligraphic brushstrokes, and "you have art," Dascal 

says proudly. "Fresh, design-driven art." karlaevents.com — SCB 

APRIL 09 GARDEN DESIGN 19

fresh 

Sculpture 

STEEL CACTUS 

We've all heard of drought-tolerant plants, 

but Eric Carroll and Richard Turner of 

Desert Steel Co. have done nature one 

better. They've created stunning steel 

succulents that require no water or maintenance 

and are impervious to bugs, birds 

and disease. "We wanted our pieces to 

be stylized interpretations, but to have 

enough detail to convey the complexity of 

the real thing," Carroll says. After cutting 

out patterns using a computerized plasma 

metal-cutting machine, the Kansas artisans 

hand-fold, hand-roll and weld the 

works of art — towering saguaros, squat 

barrel cactuses, paddle-shaped prickly 

pears, serpentine agaves — which now 

"grow" in 36 states and 11 countries. The 

surprisingly lifelike pieces are available 

in verdigris, rust and stainless finishes, 

and may be customized with extra arms 

and/or blooms. They also can be rigged 

with lights that shine long into the night 

or be equipped with misters for withering 

summer days. Prices range from $250 

to $5,900. desertsteel.net — EMILY YOUNG 

I Love This Plant 

DRIMIOPSIS 

It is an electric moment to be shaken from 

musing over the usual offerings at a local 

garden center by a plant I've never heard 

of before. It's like hiking in familiar woods 

and having the compass needle go haywire. 

In this case, the plant tag combined the words 

"succulent," "African" and "hosta" — I had 

to have it. 

Though neither a succulent nor a hosta 

but a scilla relative from South Africa, 

Drimiopsis maculata has become one of the 

treasures of my little plant collection. Its subtle 

charm, quirky schedule and simple needs 

have endeared it to me over that past few 

years, tucked in a low pot by the front porch. 

Forming a clump about a foot wide and tall, 

the spoon-shaped, fleshy leaves are speckled 

with brown spots when new, changing 

to green in summer, and a little forest of 6- to 

12-inch-tall, white-flowered spikes appear in 

late winter/early spring (one common name 

is little white soldiers). 

Hardy to Zone 9, it's a nice size for a container, 

so it can be grown as a houseplant or 

greenhouse plant farther north. It has proved 

Just In 

RAIN DANCE 

In 1981, Fred Hayward and his family worked in 

every corner of their Southern California home 

cutting swatches from skifFsails and hammering 

out brass fittings. He was trying to replicate 

the eye-catching umbrellas he'd seen at the openair 

markets along the Mediterranean. Nearly 

30 years later, after founding Santa Barbara 

Designs, Hayward hasn't ran out of ideas. His 

colorful, multilayered and weather-resistant creations 

resemble everything from dragon scales 

to wedding cakes. Hayward's latest is the Mirasol 

Flamenco. While it is haute couture for the 

courtyard, the Mirasol is high performance 

and low maintenance. The cover employs 

Regatta acrylic fabric, making it ideal for wet 

and humid climates. $2,600 for the umbrella, 

$425 for the base, sbumbrella.com — SCB 

/ 

quite durable in my Florida garden, helped by 

its natural winter dormancy, though I move it 

indoors if the weather gets close to freezing, 

just to be safe. Partial to light shade, it can tolerate 

a range of light situations, and laughs 

at heat, humidity and drought. 

My first thought when I brought it home 

was "fussy collector's plant, maybe it will be a 

good learning experience." But it has proved 

itself a risk worth taking. — JHNNY ANDRPI'S 

*.qJ^s. w^> 

20 GARDEN DESIGN APRIL 09 GARDEN DESIGN 

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WHEN IN PHILADELPHIA 

The greening of Philadelphia goes back to 1683, when founder 

William Penn modeled its five parklike squares (still there!, though 

one is now a circle) on those of Europe's "green countrie townes." 

The whole Greater Philadelphia region is a temperate-zone Eden, with 

fabled public gardens like Longwood and Chanticleer. But you don't 

need to stray far from the brick and cobblestone streets of Center City, 

abloom in April with pear and cherry blossoms, to grasp the city's threecentury-old 

garden obsession and see how it's playing out in the hip 

Philly of today. — CARA GREENBERG 

TIME TRAVEL Step into the 18th century on the corner of 4th and 

Walnut, where a Colonial-style formal garden is artfully re-created 

next door to Dolley Payne Todd Madison's former abode. It's a tidy 

little gem, with boxwood parterres, a miniature orchard and a handsome 

vine-covered pergola. Drive some 15 minutes south of Center 

City to stroll the riverfront grounds of Bartram's Garden, home of 

early botanists John Bartram and his son William, and often called 

America's first botanical garden (bartramsgarden.org). Heirloom 

daffs and rare "broken" tulips, scattered among silverbell trees, 


Clockwise from top left: Take tea at the gardens at Shofuso in Fairmount 

Park; get your gardening green on at City Planter in the hip hood, Northern 

Liberties; visit Bartram's Garden, America's first botanical garden. 

horsechestnuts and bottlebrush buckeyes, bloom in profusion this 

month, along with native flame azaleas. Then check into the 15room 

Revolutionary-period Morris House Hotel (onetime home of 

Robert Morris, one of the Declaration of Independence signers), 

where guests can relax in the flower-filled flagstone courtyard, and 

breakfast is served in the library and afternoon tea in front of a fireplace 

(morrishousehotel.com). 

PHILLY'S "LEFT BANK" West of the Schuylkill River, Fairmount 

Park erupts in a fantasia of pink from late March through mid-April 

when hundreds of cherry trees, planted in the last decade by the 

Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, bloom. In May, take 

tea among traditional Japanese plants such as bamboo and pine, a 

koi-filled pond, perfectly placed rocks and a stone pagoda at Shofuso, 

the authentic Japanese house and garden built in 1953 in Nagoya, 

Japan, then reassembled at the current site in 1958 (shofuso.com). 

From March 30-April 18, see abstract sculpture take shape at the 92acre 

Morris Arboretum, where renowned artist Patrick Dougherty, 

working with hundreds of locally gathered sticks, saplings and no 

preconceptions, will weave a large-scale, site-specific creation likely 

to resemble a fairy-tale dwelling (morrisarboretum.org). 

MODERN PHILLY The city's rep for vanguard culture is growing.Tour 

the growing houses at Greensgrow, an urban farm 

and nursery in the up-and-coming Kensington section; pick up 

some unusual container plants and hard-to-find heirloom vegetable 

seedlings while you're there (greensgrow.org). In the liberhip 

Northern Liberties neighborhood, choose from hundreds of 

containers and planters, some of which are made from antique 

molds at City Planter (cityplanter.com). Indulge in chocolate-chip 

pancakes, a local favorite, at the Morning Glory Diner in Bella 

Vista, just south of Center City, and be wowed by the most eyepopping 

window boxes in town (215-413-3999).

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plant palette 

COOL CALLAS 

Jewel-colored calla lilies are hot additions to vases, pots and gardens 


STORY BY TOVAH MARTIN ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB CARDILLO 

THE SEDUCTION OF CALLA LILIES IS 

inescapable, and the list of calla conquests includes 

everyone from Georgia O'Keeffe to Diego Rivera. 

Coquettish and cloaked in sensuality, these South 

African bewitchers are graceful, suggestive and 

delectably obtainable — but they're not really lilies. 

Like Jack-in-the-pulpit, Zantedeschia is in the 

Araceae with an inflorescence of many flowers 

sharing a long, slender spadix caped discretely 

by a wraparound spathe. And callas are as easy 

to cultivate as their kindred philodendrons, with 

a lot more reward — there's nothing unrequited 

about callas. Formerly, their domain was domestic, 

holding the florist trade captive. And once 

upon a time, that symbol of pearly white purity, 

Z. aethiopica, was the only game in town. With the 

spate of new spathe colors on the horizon — think 

mango, cinnamon, ember, molten, vermilion, 

sunset, flaxen, canary, fire engine or smeared lipstick 

— callas show no sign of slowing tempo as 

cut flowers. But now, you can also ignite your garden 

with their sensuous color range. Since 1985, 

the new siren call is that callas are slipping into 

garden beds and containers. The new generation 

of tuberous callas can be coaxed to blossom 

eight weeks after planting, according to Paul 

van Leeuwen of Wageningen UR/Applied Plant 

Research in the Netherlands. But flower thrills 

are not a calla's only gig. To keep you baited while 

flowers unfurl (and after they've faded), there's a 

crop of arrow-shaped foliage to speed your heart 

further. These callas were photographed at worldclass 

breeder Kapiteyn (Captain) in Callas and 

at Keukenhof in Lisse, both in the Netherlands. 

SEE SOURCEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION. PAGE 88 

< 'TREASURE' 

When callas were first gaining their vibrancy 25 years 

ago, Treasure' was one of the groundbreakers going for 

the gold. Achieving headline status for its fiery moltenlava 

shades bleeding into saffron in a graceful sheath, 

it began the trend for color-soaked callas, with morerecent 

newsworthy cultivars drawing out the drum roll 

with lingering blossoms and increased bud count.

ng beauty into your life with a Private Garden Victorian Glasshouse, the essential 

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plant palette 


A CAPTAIN AMIGO® 

Yellows are big, but punch it up by tossing a hint of apricot 

into that sunny shade, and you've got something truly seductive. 

Plus, Captain Amigo® presents its blossoms proudly 

above the broad, speckled, lance-shaped leaves, infinitely 

expanding its pot-worthiness — and that's the direction 

in which callas are headed. Not just cuts anymore, they're 

moving outdoors. 

MOZART® 

Since beauty is an individual perception, it's understandable 

that each calla breeder has his own Everest. And the 

mixed messages of bicolor spathes are the trait responsible 

for sending a thrill through the hybridizers at Sande 

B.V. of the Netherlands. In Mozart®, not only does a black 

eye accent the depths of the salmon-pink spathes, but 

the cloak-and-dagger package includes a graceful, wavy 

sheath like a sail billowing in the breezes, culminating in a 

long, green flourish at the tip. 

CAPTAIN SAFARI® 

With 'Treasure' as the benchmark, hybridizers continue to 

strive for finer oranges, Captain Safari" being the latest contender 

for the throne. What makes it fab, according to its 

creator — Kapiteyn in the Netherlands — is the perfectly 

spiraling round spathe shape and its high production count 

of riveting flowers on long, strong stems. A buxom beauty, 

it was developed for cut flowers or large urns. And mutability 

is one of its charms — during a blossoms' lifespan, the 

spathe turns from raging gold to apricot to parrot green. 

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plant palette 


A PICASSO® 

In 2001, when Sande B.V. hit the scene with several bicolor 

breakthroughs the likes of which the world hadn't 

previously seen, Picasso 15 was a superstar among those 

prima donnas. Large flowering and pointed in its form, 

the throat of each thick, creamy vase is suffused in rosy 

purple, giving the goblet depth. Developed for both containers 

and cut flowers, the blossoms stand head and 

shoulders above the shorter, heavily dappled leaves. 

A ASCARI® 

Also pushing the envelope pigmentwise is Ascari®, with 

shimmering gold spathes so heavily drenched with deep, 

dark purple that the color isn't confined to the inner circle; 

it seeps outside the challis. Suitable for cutting as well as 

garden culture, the leaves are slightly lobed rather than being 

strictly arrow-shaped, extending the intrigue before and 

after blooming. 

< ODESSA® 

Hinting of marvels to come, Odessa® is a glimmer of future 

trends, hot off the press and just released. So dark burgundy 

that it's classified as black, the flowers crown long, 

luxuriant but also sturdy stems. And the bulbs make for fast 

forcing with superabundant blossoms. What does plentiful 

mean for a calla? In this case, it translates into as many as 

15 sensuous flowers per bulb.

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plant palette 

NATURE, NURTURE 

Care: Care will be simplicity incarnate if 

you erase everything you know about Z 

aethiopica, because its colorful cousins 

are a whole different animal. Semi-aquatic 

Z. aethiopica rhizomes thirst for watering 

holes, but the more-colorful hybrids 

stem from Z albomaculata, Z elliotiana, 

Z rehmannii and others, which hail from 

higher ground, form tubers and don't share 

the drinking habit. Drainage is what they 

demand. Any time between February and 

June (but after danger of frost is past) 

bury them 3 to 4 inches deep in porous 

soil directly in the garden or in containers. 

Give them water when the soil is slightly 


dry (but don't overdose — the new callas 

dislike soggy soil), and they're good to go. 

Eight weeks after planting, flower stalks 

begin shooting up, and you'll be regaled by 

blossoms for the next couple of months. 

Before frost threatens in autumn or 

early winter, whisk them indoors to rest 

the tubers after their labors. If callas are 

planted directly in beds, dig the tubers 

from the garden or store them in their pots 

in a dry 55°F environment, withholding 

water for eight weeks or longer before 

jump-starting the cycle again with light and 

water. Zones: Although Z aethiopica has 

been known to soldier on in Zones 8-10, 

A CAPTAIN RENO® 

The ideal for a calla is a cloak drawn closely around the inflorescence, 

which describes Captain Reno® perfectly. With copious flowers 

tucked within the white splashed leaves, the thick spathes are so 

heavily pigmented pink that they blush nearly red. An added incentive 

is that suggestive green spur on the tip, serving as a flourish. 

< CAPTAIN ROMANCE® 

Going full circle is what the new callas strive to do as far as flower 

structure is concerned, and Captain Romance® does the perfect 

pirouette. The flagship of the Kapiteyn collection, this calla's 

credentials include candy-pink blossoms overlaid with syrupy 

vermillion. But really, the process of unveiling each elongated cup 

is what holds us spellbound. And the beauty of this hybrid is that it 

blossoms over the long haul. In this instance, romance is recurring. 

its colorful relatives are more comfortable 

in Zones 9 and warmer. Or treat them 

as tender perennials in colder climates. 

Exposure: Callas bask in anything from 

full sun to partial shade — bright, indirect 

light being ideal. Dense shade might put 

a damper on bud count, and scorching 

midday summer sun can prove equally 

challenging. Soil: The new color-soaked 

hybrids prefer a well-drained, porous 

soil. Sandy soils are simpatico if you add 

fertilizer; clay soils can be tricky. Excessive 

nitrogen will encourage a bounty of leaves 

and long stems, squelching bud production. 

In a fertile soil, no further food is needed.

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CLEVER & COMPACT 

This spring, tidy up your garden 

with space-saving designs 

STORY BY DAMARIS COLHOUN 

> SPLIT YOUR SPACE 

With Dedon's powder-coated aluminum Green Wall you can divvy up small 

spaces without closing them off. Available in horizontal and vertical versions 

that come with or without ceramic pots, the Green Wall also doubles as a 

display case for potted plants and a screen to hide unsightly tools, outlets 

or views of the neighbors. $2,816 with ceramic pots. JANUS et Cie. 

800-245-2687, janusetcie.com 

У MULTITASK 

When it comes to nifty multipurpose designs, Europe has always been 

ahead of the curve. Case in point is the Duo Modular Table from the KAMA 

collection, by EGO Paris. The Duo packs a two-for-one punch: At rest, it's an 

unimposing coffee table, but lift and spread its mobile top like a pair 

of wings, and the Duo is transformed into a dining table with built-in 

service trays. From $3,980. Sipure Design, Dania Beach, FL 954-924-2258; 

or EGO Paris, France, 011-33-474 65 0854, egoparis.com 


\ ' 

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34 GARDEN D E S I G NlAPRIL 09 

(STYLE NOTES) 

"If possible, create seating areas that feel completely different from 

one another. This will create a journey through your garden, adding a 

greater sense of perceived space." — Lauren Hall-Behrens, Lilyvilla 

Gardens, Portland, OR 

"Less is always more for a small space. Avoid the clutter of lots of 

small pots. Get a big bang out of fewer really interesting plants and 

special containers." — Chris Meyers, Just Terraces, NYC 

"The small terrace or rooftop can feel visually enlarged by remembering 

that the view from the terrace looking back into your living space is 

just as important as the one looking out." — Mark Gomes and John Broere, 

Box Design Build, Toronto, Canada 

LIFTOFF (TOP LEFT) 

Viteo's Wallfire gives you the drama of fire without taking up 

ground space. Austere and minimalistic, the Wallfire's concrete 

design serves as both a decorative element (like an overscaled 

sconce) and a gathering point for cocktail sippers. $1,042. 

Luminaire, Miami, FL. 305-576-5788, viteo.at 

FOLD IT (ABOVE) 

With its LEGO-like looks, Kikkerland's EZ Folding Step Stool is 

a bright addition to the tool shed. Don't let its cheerful looks 

fool you: This compact wonder supports up to 300 pounds 

and folds up neatly for easy storage. Available in two sizes in 

black, orange or gray. S21, in orange for $28. Kikkerland, NYC. 

212-678-2250 or 800-716-4199, spoonsisters.com 

DOUBLE TIME (LEFT CENTER) 

Artecnica's Kaktus stool, by Enrico Bressan, takes its name 

from the spiny, intricate formations of the staghorn cholla 

cactus. In a nod, perhaps, to the adaptability of its namesake, 

this cast-aluminum stool flips over to moonlight as a handy 

storage basket. $320. Artecnica, Los Angeles, CA. 

323-655-6551, artecnicainc.com 

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE (LEFT) 

Ross Lovegrove's Supernatural chair collection unites 21stcentury 

industrial design with organic shapes that play with 

light. The newest addition to Lovegrove's Supernatural collection 

is this round table. Made from glass-fiber-reinforced 

polypropylene, the table's slim, unimposing silhouette slips 

easily into tight corners and small patios. $666. Moroso, NYC. 

212-334-7222 or 800-705-6863, morosousa.com

Chicago 312 755 1414 / Florida 239 947 4005 / Montreal 1 877 527 3468 / Switzerland 

New Breeze collection by Cane-line www.jardindeville.com

swatch watch 

ZEN SALON 

Create a sanctuary with these serene outdoor fabrics 

STORY BY MEGAN PADILLA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JON WHITTLE 

room has to be about connecting with others. Why not create one just for 

yourself? The cushion for this oversize chaise by Lloyd Flanders, designed exclusively for Robb & Stucky, comes stocked 

in Sunbrella's Reel fabric and is accented with a pillow in Sunbrella's Zen. Or, customize your own look with one of the 

above spalike fabrics. No matter how you shape this space, it is the dreamy and decadent drape from Perennials Outdoor 

Fabrics — the innovator of outdoor solution-dyed acrylic sheers — that really unifies the look. Says Perennials President 

Ann Sutherland, "Evocative of washed linen, the gauzy, crinkled quality of Scrunch provides a reprieve from the outside 

world." So what are you waiting for? Create your retreat now. SEE SOURCEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION, PAGE 88 

Opposite: Chaise cushion and pillow: Lloyd Flanders Chaise cushion comes stocked by Robb S Stucky in Sunbrella Reel (style 42034- 

0000) in Slate; or, purchase it by the yard at Joann Fabrics. $74.99 per yard. The pillow is also a stocked item at Robb & Stucky and 

comes in Sunbrella Zen (style 46003) in Spa; or, purchase the fabric by the yard at Calico Comers. $62.99 per yard. 336-221-2211, 

sunbrella.com. Drape: Perennials luxurious outdoor textile Scrunch (style 294-84) in Smoke provides 80 percent UV blockage and 

resists fading and mildew for three years. To the trade. 888-322-4773, perennialsfabrics.com. Above from left: (1) This 100-percent 

olefin woven indoor/outdoor fabric from Duralee features a small-scale cheetah design (style 14257) in Teal. To the trade. 800-275- 

3872, duralee.com. (2) Perennials Bubbles (style 193-163) and (3) Ripples (style 194-162) are both designed by Galbraith 8 Paul and 

combine the spirit of hand-block-printed textiles with modern production techniques. Each comes in six colorways. To the trade. 

888-322-4773. (4) Mar vista (style 755) features embroidered sky-blue flowers on a deep-chocolate background. The Italian import 

is 100-percent woven acrylic, by Brown Jordan. $132 per yard. 800-743-4252, brownjordan.com. 


arden gourmet 

A PETIT FIVE 

Torre & Tagus Designs' smart CIRC five-piece 

serving assemblage does up geometry with class. 

The white ceramic plates and dark-brown wooden 

base are perfect for tapas and small treats. $50. 

917-557-7557, katiewongnyc.com 

>• SOPHISTICATED HEIGHTS 

Elevate outdoor entertaining to the penthouse 

level. Not only will you be charmed by the urbane 

attitude of GE Monogram's 30-inch Outdoor Cooking 

Center, but also by its diminutive frame, which 

belies its hidden strength: 25,000-BTU stainlesssteel 

burners and a ceramic-infrared rotisserie 

burner. Heavy-duty stainless steel gives the appliance 

more than a glint of professionalism, and 

integrated red LED lights above the knob controls 

and interior halogen lighting only add to its sex 

appeal. Powered by natural gas or liquid propane. 

$4,899. 800-444-1845 or monogram.com 


SQUEEZE 

There's always room to entertain outdoors 

STORY BY LAUREN GRYMES 

A wide expanse of stone or brick makes a solid, 

elegant base for an outdoor kitchen. But what 

if you are limited for space? Balconies, decks 

and patios attached to apartments, condos and 

townhouses are often so cramped that it's hard 

to fit a dining table alongside the grill, let alone 

an entire kitchen. But just because your balcony 

is built for two doesn't mean you can't amusebouche 

with major style. 

-< SPACE AGE 

Who needs the mansion and butler? Roll out 

dinner on FTF Design Studio's smooth Cart Blanc. 

The future of swank, at-home table service has 

arrived. Made of Corian, in snow with a matte finish. 

$7,995. 212-925-0847, ftfdesignstudio.com

See garden displays by the best designers in 

Southern California 

Shop at the Marketplace for one-of-a-kind plants 

and garden elements 

Learn from garden experts and authors in 

lectures and demonstrations 

Be entertained all weekend long with activities 

kids, music and food 

For more information, go to www.arboretum.org or call 626.821.3243 

We thank our participating partners: 

MONROVIA 

HOUTICULTUIAL ClAFTIHBK'llKCt I916 Armstrong GARDEN 

Garden Centers *H И ^ И H ■ N 

!

garden gourmet 

A WATTS FOR DINNER 

Apartment and condo residents already squeezed for outdoor space are 

often also contained by safety rules that don't allow for wood-, charcoalor 

even gas-burning grills. Enter the Electric Condo Grill. With its compact 

size, contemporary design and nonstick aluminum cooking surface that 

heats up to 425 degrees, even the dweller of the smallest balcony can 

be proud to play grill master. $199. 888-263-9850, frontgate.com 

V PRESS-ON FUN 

The pretty Pressed Vinyl Dot Tablemats by Chilewich will instantly brighten 

a surface, from picnic table to buffet. Available in black, citron, grass, hot 

pink, smoke and white. $7 for the 14-by-19-inch tablemat; $28 for the 

14-by-72-inch runner. 212-679-9204, chilewich.com 


У NICE MACHINE 

The Portable Ice Maker allows you to set up the bar outdoors. In other 

words, its continuous ice-forming action keeps you from missing any 

of the party action. Simply add water and plug in. Stainless steel, with 

an ice compartment that stores up to 2 Vi pounds of cubes. $399. 

888-263-9850, frontgate.com 

P

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION 

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"An Architect's Garden" in Pottersville, New Jersey began 

in 1992 as a complete renovation and expansion of 

an eighteenth-century dairy farm on thirty-five acres. It 

features French formal boxwood gardens, English borders 

and the informal play of trees and allees that merge the 

formal grid to a more informal sense of an American 

country landscape. Visit this garden on September 12th. 

Photo: ©Tendenze Design. 

^ ■ ■ j w ^ r a ш^шшшш^ш^ 

THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY'S 

OPEN DAYS —Visit America's Private Gardens 

By Sam Yanes 

Maybe it's because it is an opportunity 

for me to indulge my passion for 

gardening, to learn and be inspired. Maybe it's because 

I'm just old-fashioned and that beautiful gardens 

remind me of my duty not to make anything ugly or 

shabby. Or maybe, it is just a guilty pleasure, a chance 

to peek into a stranger's backyard to see the taste and 

connoisseurship of others. Whatever the reason, each 

year I eagerly await the selection and visitation schedules 

for the Garden Conservancy's Open Days, when 

hundreds of private gardens across America open their 

gates to the public. 

Since 1995, the Garden Conservancy's Open Days 

program has provided behind-the-scenes access to some 

of this country's finest private gardens, offering visitors 

the rare opportunity to spend time in beautiful spaces 

that are rarely available for public viewing. 

This year's program begins this month. Details 

:£*• 

about the gardens are available on the web or in the Open 

Days Directory. The Directory is my favorite way to learn 

about these gardens. This reference book will lead you to 

examples of contemporary ideas, taste and best practices 

that can translate to your own garden, and automatically 

become a treasured addition to your bookshelf. 

Open Days director Laura Palmer attributes the program's 

success over the years to a belief that the best way 

to learn about gardens and to appreciate them is to simply 

spend more time in them. "The program started when extraordinary 

gardeners Page Dickey and Penelope Maynard 

came to the Garden Conservancy with 110 private gardens 

in hand, including theirs, that would open the first year. 

Now in 2009, more than 320 private gardens in twentythree 

states, almost half of them new to the program, will 

open for a very limited time. Visitors can explore and learn 

from some of the best," Palmer says.

Anticipation Grows 

The experts who recruited this year's gardens 

have selected some of the most captivating and 

creative in America. Here are four that are not 

to be missed in 2009. 

The Graeme Hardie Garden in Nutley, New 

Jersey transports the visitor to a world far from 

what most might imagine as a typical New Jersey 

Garden. His forty-by-sixty-foot walled contemporary 

garden designed by Richard Hartlage is 

richly planted in perennials and tropicals. It is a 

mix that works to great effect. Visit his garden 

on September 19th. 

At the Markus Collection and Garden in 

Highland Park, Illinois, Brent Markus began 

landscaping his family's garden when he was just 

a teenager. At first it was dwarf conifers and Japanese 

maples in the mail, then entire truckloads 

of them. There is now a collection of 200 dwarf 

conifers and fifty Japanese maple cultivars that 

provide an ever-changing collage of sometimes 

unpredictable colors. The Markus Collection and 

Garden will open to the public on June 28th. 


When the property around the Lillie Garden in 

Atherton, California was purchased just over twenty years ago, there were 

only a few mature oaks and remnants of the original Thomas Church design. 

The owner's subtle use of distinctive Japanese rhythms and harmonies 

Opening to the public for the first time through Open Days, "The Burke's Jardin del 

Sol" in Las Vegas, Nevada is a lush, colorful, yet drought-tolerant, xeriscape garden 

designed by family members with recreation and social gatherings in mind. Approximately 

fifty percent of the gardens each year are new to the program. Visit this garden 

on April 18th. Photo: Andrew Cattoir, courtesy of Southern Nevada Water Authority. 

Visitors tour Fordhook Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, home to national presenting 

sponsor, W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Fordhook Farm will host five Open Days in 

bucolic Bucks County. These Open Days will feature guest speakers, garden tours, 

and Burpee's popular plant sales featuring the Heronswood collection. 

transformed this garden into a series of rich, multilayered 

experiences that include vistas combined 

with intimate moments. Judicious and thoughtful 

use of stone and sculpture enhance exquisite 

plantings composed of a remarkable collection of 

Japanese maples, conifers and unusual perennials. 

The Lillie Garden will be open to the public on 

April 18th. 

Twenty years ago Louise and John Wrinkle moved 

into the house built by her parents in 1938 and 

where she grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Her horticultural interests began with natives but 

realization of Asian counterparts has enriched 

the plantings, which include family collections of 

hollies, azaleas, and ranunculus. Through the years 

the trees have grown to enormous size and new 

projects have unfolded, the latest of which are a 

pond in the lower corner and a pit greenhouse at 

the rear of the cutting garden. The Louise 6k John 

Wrinkle Garden will be open on June 13th. 

To find a partial list of Open Days gardens near 

you and scheduling information, visit the Open 

Days web site at www.opendaysprogram.org. For a 

complete listing of 2009 Open Days gardens, locations 

and dates, as well as listings of public gardens 

in every state, order the new Open Days Directory 

or join the Garden Conservancy and receive a free 

copy of this 300-page reference guide.


2009 Participating Open Days Schedule 

Alabama 

• Birmingham: April 18, June 13 

California 

• Altadena: April 26 

• Los Angeles: May 9 

• Marin County: May 17 

• San Francisco Peninsula: April 18, May 2 

Colorado 

• Denver: September 12 

Connecticut 

• Fairfield County: April 26, May 31, June 7. 

July 12 

• Hartford County: May 23; June 6 & 28; July 

11 & 19; September 13 

• Litchfield County: May 31; June 14, 27 & 

28; July 19 

• New Haven County: May 24, June 6, July 12 

• New London County: June 21, July 18 

District of Columbia: June 13 

Florida 

• Vero Beach: April 4 

Illinois 

• Chicago's North Shore: June 28, July 26 

• North Barrington: June 27 

• West Chicago: August 2 

Kentucky 

• Louisville: May 16 

Maine 

• Blue Hill/Sedgwick: July 26 

• York: July 19 

Maryland 

• Annapolis Area: May 30 

• Potomac: June 6 

• Bethesda:June 13 

Massachusetts 

• Berkshires: June 28, July 18 

• Boston Area: September 26 

• Nantucket: June 25 

• Worcester: June 6 

Nevada 

• Las Vegas: April 18 

New Jersey 

• Bergen County: May 9, June 6 & 20, July 11 

• Essex County: April 18, September 19 

• Hunterdon County: September 12 

• Monmouth County: June 6 

• Morris County: May 16, August 8 

• Somerset County: May 16 & 30, 

September 12 

New York 

• Columbia County: May 31, June 13, July 19 

• Dutchess County: May 16, June 13, July 18, 

September 13, October 3 

• Greene County: July 11 

• Nassau County: May 16 

• Onondaga County: July 12 

• Orange County: August 15 

• Oswego: June 14 

• Putnam County: April 26 

• Suffolk County: May 2, 3 & 16; June 20; 

July 11, 12 & 15; September 12 

• Tompkins County: June 13, July 11 

• Ulster County: June 6, July 11, October 17 

• Westchester County: April 26; May 3, 9, 

17, 23 & 31; June 6, 7 & 14; July 19; 

September 13; November 1 

North Carolina 

• Raleigh: September 19 & 20 

Oregon 

• Eugene:June 6 

• Portland: June 13 

Pennsylvania 

• Bucks County: April 3 & 4; May 8 & 9; May 

30 & 31; July 10 & 11; August 21 & 22; 

September 25 & 26 

• North Coast/Erie County: May 24 

• Philadelphia: September 20 

Rhode Island 

• Newport: June 20 

Tennessee 

• Knoxville: May 16 & 17 

Texas 

• Dallas: October 24 

• El Paso: May 16 

• Fort Worth: October 11 

Vermont 

• Manchester: June 27 

Virginia 

• Fairfax County: June 6 

Washington 

• Bainbridge Island: July 19 

• Olympia: August 15 

• Seattle: June 7 

At the "Dan Johnson Garden" in Denver, Colorado, 

an average city lot supports an eclectic 

garden that is anything but average. The result 

^ k of a mad collector with an artistic bent, carefully 

planted and placed containers, sculptural elements 

and found objects enhance the sense of 

surprise. Visit this garden on September 12th. 

Photo: Dan Johnson. 

Get a copy of the only 

directory that invites 

you into America's 

finest private gardens 

Yours FREE 

when you join th 

Garden Conservancy 

The Garden Conservancy's Open 

Days Directory: The 2009 Guide to 

Visiting Americas Gardens—$21.95 

(includes shipping and handling) 

Order online at www. 

gardenconservancy.org/opendays 

or call toll-free 1-(888)-842-2442. 

Opendaysprogram.org 

The Open Days program web site 

provides instant access to the most up 

to date garden tour information, and last 

minute additions and changes to our 

schedule. 

Open Days E-mails 

Sign up for e-mail reminders to receive 

information about upcoming Open 

Days as well as invitations to Garden 

Conservancy events in your area. They 

also serve as a great reminder to put 

down your pruners and go explore 

outstanding gardens growing right in your 

own neighborhood.


THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY 

Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden in Bishopville, SC is one of sixteen preservation 

projects of the Garden Conservancy, www.fryarstopiaries.com 

THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY www.gardenconservancy.org 

Jpen Uays is a program of the Oarden Conservancy, 

established in 1989 by the distinguished American 

gardener, Frank Cabot. In the twenty years since 

its founding, the organization has done more than 

any other national institution to save and preserve 

America's exceptional gardens for the education and 

enjoyment of the public. 

In partnership with individual garden owners 

as well as public and private organizations, the 

Conservancy provides the horticultural, technical, 

management, and financial expertise needed to 

sustain these fragile environments and ensure longterm 

stewardship of natural assets so essential to the 

aesthetic and cultural life of our communities. 

"America's exceptional gardens most often 

begin as private affairs, the life's work of passionate, 

dedicated and remarkably talented gardeners," says 

Bill Noble, director of preservation projects for the 

Garden Conservancy. "A select number of these 

gardens are capable of lasting for generations and 

need to become public gardens to facilitate their 

preservation and public visitation." 

The Garden Conservancy takes a leadership 

role in this transition for the American gardens in 

its diverse portfolio. It assists in the structuring of legal 

strategies and conservation easements to protect 

these resources from development, develops master 

plans for preservation, interpretation, horticultural 

management and public access, and helps establish 

sound fiscal and organizational foundations for each 

property. 

National Headquarters: P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, New York 10516 | T: (845) 265-2029 | F: (845) 265-9620 

West Coast Office: 38 Keyes, Avenue, Suite 116, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129 | T: (415) 441-4300 | F: (415) 441-4343 

Our Sponsors 

BURPEE, 

Tin-; COOK'S GARDKN 

/V pl.tnlN lor ГОПГГО& VCgeubiM 

W. Atlee Burpee & Co. is the 

National Presenting Sponsor 

of the Open Days Program 

www.burpee.com 

www.heronswood.com 

www.cooksgarden.com 

GARDEN 

D E S I G N 

Garden Design magazine is 

the National Media Sponsor 

of the Open Days Program 

www.gardendesign.com

.iving green 

LONG ISLAND LUSHNESS 

A four-season garden showcases the signature style of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates 

WHEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS WOLFGANG OEHME 

and James van Sweden joined forces in 1977, sustainability was not part 

of the vernacular among their colleagues, or even among gardeners. But 

for the two men, it was an innate philosophy of eco-conscious principles 

that drew them together. Since then their style has even been assigned 

its own name, the New American Garden. "They were green before 

anyone else," says Eric Groft, a principal with Oehme, van Sweden 

& Associates. "You could call them the grandfathers of green." 

Though the Washington, D.C., based firm has been at it for more 

than 30 years, their work is still cutting edge, from public spaces 

to perfect-fit surrounds for architecture ranging from modern to 

classical, the translatable quality perhaps due to the blend of order 

and wildness, the perennial border meets the American prairie. It 

was this combination that drew a Southampton client to the firm in 

2001. A friend of van Sweden's, she wanted a wildlife-friendly garden 

STORY BY JENNY ANDREWS ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FELBER 

A butterfly's paradise of 

Sedum 'Matrons', Agasrache 

'Blue Fortune' and Kalimeris 

mongolica billows along 

the walkway at this home in 

Southampton. Designed by 

principal Eric Groft, the garden 

has a controlled wildness that 

suits the luxe location while 

recalling the natural look of the 

client's former home in Maine. 

that recalled the natural landscape she had enjoyed near her previous 

home in Maine. This meant bucking the traditional approach 

to gardening in the Hamptons, where a drive in any direction presents 

block after block of meticulously clipped hedges and manicured 

lawns — green only in a color sense. In this affluent part of Long 

Island, the sound of hedge trimmers and mowers generates a constant 

hum during high season. 

The designer on the project was Groft, a then 15-year veteran with 

the firm and well versed in the mantra of "reduce, reuse, recycle," 

which for OvS comes into play with every design. To start with, the 

ubiquitous Hamptons lawn was in this case tailored to allow just 

enough play area for grandkids and dogs, covering only about 15 

percent of the 2-acre site. As Groft explains, a standard lawn creates 

nearly the same runoff surface for rainwater as asphalt or other 

hardscaping, and OvS has long been on a mission to minimize turf 


living green 

on all its projects, while balancing this with client needs. 

The tactic for OvS is to pack as much perennial plant material into 

a location as possible, which is water absorbing. Says Groft, "The 

entire garden essentially becomes a rain garden," collecting both rainwater 

and runoff from hard surfaces, and forestalling erosion and 

water wasting. The OvS rule of thumb, according to Groft, is that a 

lawn should be limited to "whatever the homeowners have time to 

mow with a push mower on a Saturday afternoon." And a modest 

lawn becomes simply another design element, a foil for the OvS signature 

borders and beds voluminous with perennials like black-eyed 

Susan, ornamental grasses, anise hyssop, sedum and fleece flower. 

The perennial material for the garden — comprised of water-wise, 

low-maintenance, butterfly- and bird-magnet plants, including a high 

percentage of natives — was selected not only for toughness but also 

for year-round interest (the homeowner even enjoys the "freeze-dried" 

look of her winter garden). The less cutting back and seasonal changing 

out of plants the better, since such routines require a lot of input 

(not only labor, but fertilizer and water) and result in a whole heap 

of garden waste, some of it too twiggy to compost easily. Once a year, 

in late winter or early spring, the Southampton garden gets a single 

serious haircut before new growth on perennials and grasses gets up 

and going. But the piles of trimmings don't wind up by the side of the 

road. They're shredded and composted for use as mulch later. 

Woody plants too were chosen for their easy care, including 

'Tardiva' hydrangea, Viburnum x pragense and Nandina, which are not 


in the heavy-pruning, meatball-shrubbery category, and trees such 

as Styphnolobiumjaponicum (formerly Sophora), ginkgo and natives 

like flowering dogwood and Magnolia virginiana. A buddleia planted 

just outside a kitchen window offers a butterfly- and hummingbirdviewing 

portal, with a stained-glass effect when backlit by the 

sun. It took some convincing, but the client also agreed to let the 

prerequisite privet hedge go undipped. It still forms a privacy screen 

from the neighbors, but instead of being tightly sheared, it has a 

natural look. And left unpruned, it flowers, attracting the notice of 

fellow Hamptonites who have never seen their hedges in bloom. 

As a ground-up project, with house and garden designed in tandem, 

Groft had the opportunity to work closely with architect Robert 

Lemmen of Lemmen Paul Associates to site constructed elements. 

For hardscaping, Groft kept it local and recycled, choosing New 

York bluestone for paving and crushed concrete rather than quarried 

gravel for pathways. Landscape architect and architect agreed to 

locate the garage separate from the house (the homeowner insisted 

that she didn't need an attached-garage "bat cave"), and the area 

between the two structures forms a cozy microhabitat near the 

kitchen — the perfect location for Groft to create an edibles garden 

of raised beds, which harmonized herbs, Swiss chard, peppers, 

and cherry and grape tomatoes with cutting flowers. 

To bring the element of water onto the site (the ocean being one of 

the obvious reasons people move to the Hamptons, though this property 

isn't ocean adjacent), Groft designed a small pool of aquatic plants

From left to right: Looking toward the car turnaround, 

crushed concrete offers a permeable, recycled surface 

for paths, here flanked by garlic chives and fountain 

grass. When not disturbed by splashing children and 

grandchildren, the swimming pool's still surface reflects 

exuberant plantings of Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail', 

a Styphnolobium japonicum tree, Rudbeckia, Pennisetum 

alopecuroides, Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' and 

Panicum virgatum 'North wind'. A small pool on the terrace 

hosts aquatic plants and is oriented so that summer's 

setting sun lights up the living room. 

just off the terrace outside the living room. Sited 

just so, the late-afternoon sun reflects off the water, 

casting a warm glow into the house. A swimming 

pool beyond, behind the garage (which doubles as a 

pool house), has a lap-pool area as well as a shallow 

wading pool for little ones. Groft designed the pool 

to fit easily into the landscape, surrounding it with 

lush plantings that are reflected picture-perfect in 

the water, at least when the grandchildren aren't 

splashing about. With the ocean only 600 feet away 

beyond the hedge and within easy earshot, sitting 

in a deck chair by the pool, the homeowner can 

feel like she's at the beach, enjoying the life of a 

Hamptonite, but with a natural twist, r 

CAREFREE ATTITUDE 

LET IT GROW 

Some gardeners have an itchy trigger finger on their pruners and hedge trimmers, 

fastidiously clipping shrubs and whacking at perennials as soon as anything starts 

to look less than perfect. But all this cutting produces waste, and the everythingmust-go 

approach deprives wildlife of food and cover. Consider keeping your pruners 

in the holster and letting nature take its course. With careful plant selection, the 

garden can strut its stuff in multiple seasons, and many perennials can be limited to 

a once-a-year buzz cut in late winter before new growth begins. 

KEEP IT LOW 

The less maintenance a garden requires, the less effort and expense, and the lower 

the impact on the environment. Choose plants well suited to the location, with minimal 

water needs, multiseason interest and pest-free durability. Continue to do all 

those smart gardener things: Get the soil in good shape at the start, compost organic 

waste, and mulch beds to keep moisture in and weeds out. Who doesn't love 

the idea of less work? 

DON'T MOW 

Lawns have their place, but it's no secret that big sweeps of perfect lawn are hogs 

about water, fertilizer and pesticides. Calculate how much lawn area you really 

need and stick to a minimum. Don't be a maniac about keeping it clipped into a 

flawless carpet; you can mow less frequently and the lawn can still look good. 

Some gardeners even take a "mow what grows" approach and don't bother with 

seeding, sodding, overseeding, etc. There are also lawn alternatives such as sedges 

and types of grass that require less maintenance than others. 


Ш 

у

4^ 

t ^ 

f* " BULLETPROOF PLANTS FROM THE OLD WORLD, 

SANSEVIERIAS ARE IDEAL FOR BEGINNING GARDENERS 

Ъ AND TOP-DRAWER DESIGNERS ALIKE 

STORY BY JENNY ANDREWS 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA STICKEL + JON WHITTLE

\ » ■ У 

\ 

л 4

Opposite: Sansevierias make ideal container 

plants, and here the contrast between goldedged 

'Futura Simplex' and almost-black 

'Nelsoni' makes for good patio companions. 

Though the thick rhizomes have been known 

to break pots, sturdy examples like the Low 

Tahoe Planters from Campania International 

should be up to the challenge. Below: An unusual 

species with speckled foliage discovered 

in the Congo, Sansevieria masoniana, has 

extremely large leaves — 8 to 10 inches wide 

and up to 4 feet tall. Right: Silvery 'Moonshine' 

reveals the adaptability of sansevierias to 

both in-ground and container culture. 

lant snobbery has a strong allure, with a certain 

smug satisfaction to be gained by inspiring awe and 

envy among fellow gardeners with tales of growing 

some obscure, persnickety plant. But there is power 

in simplicity and undeniable appeal in something being easy. The 

poster child for trouble-free gardening would unquestionably be 

Sansevieria, but these plants are also a class act, exemplifying 

the commonplace gone chic. Their combination of utility and 

sleek stylishness makes them the botanical equivalent of the little 

black dress. 

The most prevalent are Sansevieria trifasciata, commonly called 

snake plant, with horizontal bands of dark and light green, and its 

variety 'Laurentii', decked out with yellow edges. But these days 

there's no excuse in stopping there, with the assortment of short, 

tall, nearly black, thin-leaved, twisted, Luna-moth-green cultivars 

out there. When I heard that my friend and fellow writer Felder 

Rushing had an actual collection of sansevierias, I was intrigued, 

and my own little assemblage is growing. I'm now fighting the 

urge to become a fanatical collector. Apparently some of the more 

unusual forms are even bringing big bucks on eBay. 

The charm of sansevierias isn't lost on designers either. Twentyplus 

years ago, when Fort Lauderdale-based garden designer Luis 

Llenza began using them in his landscapes, there were only three 

types to work with. Now he has a much wider selection of varieties 

at his disposal, employing them as edging, groundcovers 

and anchors, en masse, in containers, for color, and as texture 

companions for agaves and grasses. He calls them "tough and 

edgy," favoring those with crisply defined coloring. Though 

51

52 

Though hardy outdoors to Zone 9, snake 

plants are familiar houseplants in much of 

the country, able to take low-light conditions 

and little water in stride. Below: The 

narrow verticality of many sansevierias 

makes them good choices for troughshaped 

pots, here 'Futura Simplex' in a Venetian 

Rectangle from Gainey Ceramics. Right: 

One of the hottest sansevierias on the 

market these days is S. cylindrica. Container 

from Target. Opposite: Recalling a time in 

midcentury, when sansevierias were the "it" 

plant of modernism, a Spindel planter from 

Greenform holds 'Silver Laurentii' encircled 

by 'Jade Dwarf Marginated', flanked by 

bright-orange chairs from West Elm. 

familiar to him since childhood, Llenza's design inspiration 

came from iconic Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle 

Marx, whose style translated perfectly to Llenza's native Puerto 

Rico. As Llenza says: "Marx showed what could be done with 

all these tropical plants, like sansevierias emerging from black 

Mexican beach pebbles. He really put them on the map." 

A group of 60 or so described species originating primarily 

in Africa, sansevierias hit the European scene in the early 19th 

century. As one of the few plants able to survive dim lighting and 

laissez-faire maintenance, they were popular houseplants with 

the Victorians, becoming ubiquitous living fixtures, from overstuffed 

English parlors to villa patios along the Mediterranean. 

In the mid-2oth-century, with the advent of modernism, 

they were remade, going from dust collectors to must-haves, 

deemed an ideal match for the trim, minimal style of contemporary 

architecture. 

But they are so ridiculously effortless to grow (the only thing 

easier is a plastic plant), that their popularity midcentury was 

not limited to modernism aficionados. Everyone had snake 

plants (also cheekily called mother-in-law's tongue), and pieces 

of them were routinely cut off and shared with neighbors, making 

them a classic pass-along plant. Today many people still 

refer to them as a "grandmother plant," their early memories 

of sansevierias connected indelibly with visits to Grandma's 

house and seeing snake plants on her front porch or in a window, 

parked on a pie tin among those other tough characters 

pothos, Swedish ivy and wandering Jew. 

For me, Sansevieria was an early initiation into the wonderful 

world of green leafy things. As one of the plants my mother, 

like so many other people, grew well, it was a steady bit of potted 

greenery about the house, and I remember the first time it 

flowered. I was mesmerized by the line of ants marching up the 

flower stalk, each freesia-fragrant little bloom glistening with a 

drop of nectar. It was such a remarkable event that my mother 

(an artist) immortalized our humble snake plant by painting its 

portrait, which she still has hanging on a wall in her house.

тС\ 

4 

- зхл 

.

Fort Lauderdale landscape designer Luis 

Llenza puts sansevierias through their paces, 

using them for a wide range of landscape 

needs, from groundcovers to edging to focal 

points. Opposite: Low-growing 'Futura Simplex' 

around a contemporary fountain, backed by 

tall S. thfasciata. Below: Snake plants are 

also ideal textural foils for other plants, like 

the dramatic swords of laurentii Compacta' 

(sometimes called 'Black Gold Extreme 1 ) 

woven among feathery muhly grass. Right: A 

heavily white-striped cultivar called 

'Bantel's Sensation'. 

There is even an International Sansevieria Society, with members 

from some 37 countries. Alan Butler, chairman of the society 

and a partner at Brookside Nursery, which specializes in sansevierias 

and other succulents, says the surge in sansevieria 

popularity is based on converging trends in architectural and succulent 

plants, and plants with low water needs, "which benefits the 

pocket as well as ecology." For Bill Boyd, owner of Boyd Nurseries 

in Loxahatchee, Florida, the big draw is their ease of culture, and 

he calls them a "guilt-free plant," citing that many gardeners feel 

like they've failed when a plant dies. The "sense of satisfaction 

and success" with sansevierias is essentially a given. 

Though sansevierias are the most undemanding of plants, 

surviving isn't the same as thriving, and if you want them to 

be in their prime, there are a few factors to keep in mind. Good 

drainage is paramount — these are plants that evolved in hot, 

dry locations. Butler says to water them very infrequently in winter 

and regularly in summer, but the drainage needs to be near 

perfect; overwatering is one of the only ways to kill a sansevieria 

(also, never watering it). And they don't like extended periods 

of cold, so in Zone 9 and warmer they can grow outdoors, but 

cooler than that and they're houseplants. While they can endure 

low-light conditions, they prefer bright, indirect light. Some can 

take full sun, with the risk that they can acquire a burned look. 

And though seemingly content to be pot-bound, their thick rhizomes 

can eventually bust through a container; fortunately 

dividing them is as easy as growing them. 

While their name is distinctly Old World (from Count Pietro 

Antonio Sanseverino, an 18th-century patron of horticulture in 

Naples), sansevierias are not only thoroughly modern, they're 

space age, having been named one of the best plants for cleansing 

indoor air of toxins in a NASA study — you might even see 

them tucked into a corner on a space station some day. After 200 

years of cultivation, their persistence has paid off, like the tortoise 

in Aesop's "The Tortoise and the Hare." Emerging from dark 

hallways and country porches, they've hit the catwalk, r 

SEE SOURCEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION, PAGE 88 

55

Designer Davis Dalbok strived 

for a diverse plant palette 

paired with nearly monochromatic 

hardscaping. Opposite: 

Dalbok and his client celebrate 

the completion of the two-year 

ject of building the garden. 

nake the lemongrass mar- 

Taste caterers

JALI FIItNIA 

dreamin 

DAVIS DALBOK AND AN EAST COAST TRANSPLANT 

RESPECT A CLASSIC EICHLER BUNGALOW AND COMPLETE THE VISION 

OF "LIVING IN THE GARDEN." NOW THAT'S WORTH CELEBRATING 

STORY BY MEGAN PADILLA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES CARRIERE 

57

DAVIS DALBOK is dressed in a pale lime-green 

suit, a lemongrass martini in one hand and gesturing with the other 

over a corner of this San Rafael, California, garden. "This area is all 

about stories in green with riots of color," says Dalbok. He's guiding his 

guests for their first look at the garden he recently completed for a dear 

friend. Dalbok's description could apply to himself: He's a passionate 

plantsman whose worldview embraces the colors of every continent. But 

here, the story he's set out to tell is one that is pure California. The setting: 

a midcentury Joseph Eichler house with the Lucas Valley foothills 

of Marin County in the background. 

The client is an easterner who moved west to pursue her ideal of 

California living. Her vision wasn't about beaches or endless sunshine, 

but rather to own one of the 1,100-plus modernist homes built 

by Eichler from 1949 until his death in 1974. "I wanted to live in the 

garden at every moment," she says, referring to the architect's signature 

seamless indoor-outdoor designs. 

Says Dalbok, "My aim was to provide her an infrastructure of hardscaping 

and plants that would sustain that look, but also be exciting." 

With a limited budget, it took Dalbok and the client two years to go 

from clods of dirt to cocktails and dishing with friends. Tonight they 

share the garden with friends for the first time. 

As guests begin arriving at the home this August evening, the first 

thing they notice is the harmony of the lines between the Eichler roofline 

and the fence around the front courtyard — all Dalbok — that retains 

the modern vernacular of the architecture. "I'm a firm believer in not 

losing the front yard — valuable real estate here in California — to the 

Left: The Lucas Valley foothills 

rise from behind the client's 

Joseph Eichler house; Dalbok's 

landscape design highlights its 

lines. A feathery Chinese windmill 

palm behind the courtyard 

fence softens linear elements. 

Above: Steven Schwager of 

Living Green gets acquainted 

with Joyce Rietveld. Opposite: 

The tabletop is a ceramic mural 

by midcentury ceramicist Edith 

Heath, whose nearby Sausalito 

studio is still in operation. Anchored 

in opposite corners are 

a bromeliad, Vriesia imperialis, 

and a pygmy date palm.

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street." To that end, he planned an enclosed courtyard that extends nearly 

to the street to give the client another private living space. "The milky 

Plexiglas used for the fence gave us that retro look. But what I really like 

about the material is that when the light is changing and the interesting 

leaf patterns are cast against it, it acts like a scrim." 

Dalbok and his client greet their guests from the front courtyard, 

where a ceramic mural-top table by Edith Heath — the midcentury 

ceramics maven whose Sausalito studio posthumously produces her 

legacy of tableware and tiles — takes center stage. The homeowner 

bought this, and one other mural that hangs on a fence in the rear 

garden, before she'd even found her Eichler house. "I knew they were 

key elements," she says. "Plus, my mother is an avid gardener and a 

ceramicist, and she encouraged me to come out here." Dalbok's exquisite 

tabletop decor of Chinese bonsai planters from his San Francisco 

showroom Living Green with succulents mixed in with brightly colored 

minerals and glass are arranged in containers chosen to reflect the 

colors in the mural, as are the table bases he selected: Chinese-made 

chocolate-gold colored terra-cotta glazed pots. 

With drinks in hand, the party moves to the side garden at the rear 

of the house — an L-shaped terrace in black-gray slate imported from 

Africa that wraps around Eichler's glass walls. "The first thing 1 said to 

my client was, 'Let's create a really big terrace that feels like an extended 

room off" the house,'" Dalbok explains as the waiter approaches with 

the first of three rounds of small plates. "I didn't want the patio to be 

too multicolored. This slate comes with some variation, but ultimately 

it provides a really nice background to set off the furniture, the plants 

and whoever is on the patio." 

Opposite: The modular sectional 

from Henry Hall Designs 

matches the lines of the house. 

Pictured at far right is Dat 

Pham of Living Green, who also 

worked on this project. Left: 

This grouping of containers anchors 

the L-shaped patio that 

wraps around the glass walls of 

the living spaces. Above: This 

chilled lobster salad was one 

of three courses, including a 

scallop carpaccio topped with 

Osetra caviar, created by Taste 

executive chef Chris Borges. 

Dalbok's relationship with Taste 

goes back 30 years.

Well said, considering the artfully designed food coming out of the 

kitchen on black and orange lacquer trays from the San Francisco catering 

company, Taste Catering & Event Planning. The company's credo 

is fresh, local and sustainable — and of course, delicious. First out is a 

chilled lobster with creamy mozzarella-like burrata cheese (a current darling 

of the Bay Area food scene) and tomatoes from Baia Nicchia Farms. 

Dalbok explains how his relationship with Taste goes back 30 years, 

when he first moved to the Bay Area and worked with Taste founder 

Timothy Maxson as an event designer. "I wanted to get creative with the 

food display, and 1 knew that Taste would be ready to play." 

As the party gets into its groove, guests settle into a low modular 

sofa where they rest glasses and plates on the ceramic-top table. Says 

Dalbok: "I wanted unique and edgy furniture that would reflect the 

look of the property and the garden — and be comfortable. The choices 

reinforce the color story in the garden: There's a lot of orange. And 

elements like the teak in the arms of the chaise longue carry over to 

the teak dining table." 

Upstage from the dining table — reserved for the evening's final act, 

dessert — is the other major design component. The slope directly off 

the back of the terrace combines herbaceous perennials and droughttolerant 

plants like the agaves and aloes. "That curvilicious bed acts as 

a counterpoint to the straight-line design of the patio," Dalbok says, 

attributing its shape to the ethos of Brazilian landscape-design legend 

Roberto Burle Marx. 

When reviewing his plant palette, Dalbok explains that he didn't want 

to stick to one look from one region. "I wanted it to be diverse and to 

Left: The giant mirror hung on 

the fence tricks the eye into 

thinking there's an entry into 

another garden room. Above: 

The works of Bay Area artists 

Marcia Donahue and Edith 

Heath accent the garden's 

colors and shapes. The Heath 

mural was purchased by the 

owner for this garden before 

she'd even found the house. 

Donahue's Burmese Temple 

Offering Bamboo is made of 

high-fired ceramic pieces handstacked 

on rebar. Opposite: Dalbok 

attributes this "curvilicious 

border" to his design inspiration, 

luminary Roberto Burle Marx.

f> 

r-^s^T-v *.■"- ■-■■

use the kinds of plants I felt like using. It could feel Asian in some areas 

(pointing to the varieties of Japanese maples) and Southwestern in others 

(as he waves across the many succulents)." He used grasses to unify 

the components. "I turned to John Greenlee, the original grass man of 

California, as an adviser to the project. I knew he would be able to suggest 

varieties that would create the effect I was after." For instance, the 

No Mow fescue. "I love the way it lies down and is shiny and creates a 

lush limey interspace, so you don't see any dirt. It also reminds me of 

the seagrass you see between the corals." 

As the party progresses, the guests move from the side garden, where 

the appetizers were served, to the rear of the L-shaped patio as executive 

pastry chef Yigit Рига begins crafting his artisanal spread on the dining 

table. He and Dalbok created a tableau of Cafe Brulot dark chocolate 

truffles interspersed with lime-green moss and various succulents on 

a contemporary mango wood sculpture by Dutch artist Carola Vooges. 

Pointing to the round tray, Dalbok comments: "I love concentric design. 

That's why I love palms and bromeliads." 

To fight the Northern California evening chill, Dalbok asks the 

caterers to brew some tea, and he delights in serving it himself in 

jewel-toned glasses from a teapot he's just brought home from 

Marrakesh. ("It's the teapot I've been looking for all my life.") His 

image is reflected in a massive mirror he's hung on the fence to create 

the playful illusion of an entry to another part of the garden. 

In this moment, his friends seated cozily in the oversize orange chairs 

and Dalbok playing host, it's impossible not to think just how good everyone 

and everything looks in this garden — just as he intended, r 

SEE SOURCEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION, PAGE 88 

Opposite: Individual shot 

glasses of strawberry-scented 

panna cotta with cantaloupe 

caviar line the dessert table, 

the final act of this garden's 

opening night. Left: The area 

of the garden that Dalbok 

refers to as "stories in green." 

Gravel and grasses are used 

to fill all of the interspace and 

unify the elements. Above: 

Elements from the garden are 

incorporated into every detail 

of this party, including the 

arrangement of the chocolate 

truffles created by executive 

pastry chef Yigit Рига. 

65

The jungle of Rio de Janeiro's hills 

practically cascades down into the 

magnificent pool and its pavilion. All 

of the fabrics in the open pavilions 

are blue and white. "It brings the 

ocean in," says designer Paulo Pratti. 

Sx^^^^S^ 

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"SEX

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'■Ли 

SOUTH OF THE FAMOUS IPANEMA BEA 1Ма1в»1 

)NG RIO'S HILLS IN THE TOWN OF LAR/UMJEIRAS, THI 

GARDEN IS A PRIVATE-PARTY ENCL/ 

^FAfixl 

TORY BY PAULA DE LA CRUZ ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMULO

таи^№*.-^ 

^ . 

hen Sao Paulo-based architect and landscape designer 

Paulo Pratti was hired to design the garden of this 

condo in Laranjeiras, some two hours south of Rio 

de Janeiro, he was inspired by the gardens of Burle Marx, a great 

influence on his work, yet he also visualized the cascading jungle 

of Rio's hills as a dramatic backdrop straight out of a Margaret Mee 

painting. In the world of the great English botanical artist who 

explored the Amazon region in the late-ig5os and ig6os, giant 

fuchsia blossoms erupt from tree branches in inky forests growing 

on river hollows. Mee, a great influence on Pratti, captures 

the elusive spirit of the forest and makes us want to get lost in it, 

even without mosquito repellent. The design fuses Marx's gardens 

with Mee's essence of the Amazon and hybridizes it with a pinch 

of Indonesian simplicity. 

After Pratti was hired to design the house and garden in 2006, 

his client asked him to look at the Four Seasons resorts in Bali for 

inspiration. The rooms in the home are built as open bungalows 

around an enormous g5,ioo-gallon swimming pool, which in turn 

cools the house in summer. This is not just a pool to be seen lounging 

beside wearing a tiny piece of stretchy material, without ever 

69

■ШШШНН 

70 

getting wet. It isn't only a pool where one glides like a swan and 

quickly comes out the other end. This is the kind of pool where Burt 

Lancaster would have thrived — think of Ned from The Swimmer 

— accompanied by many nymphets. Wooden bridges over the pool 

connect sleeping quarters with partying and lounging pavilions, 

making the estate "feel like a hotel or a club," as Pratti explains, 

"constantly filled with visitors." The latter part of this concept is 

most decidedly Brazilian. 

The sparing use of walls creates an almost osmotic exchange 

between the outdoors and indoors. Even the few surrounding stone 

walls of the main lodge are planted with micro-orchids in between 

the stones, as if the entire structure were overrun by nature. Beyond 

the pavilions, the more than 32,000-square-foot garden is predominantly 

green year-round, with touches of yellows and reds from 

bromeliads, and pinks and purples from Laelia and Cattleya orchids 

growing on trees and over stone walls. Many of these plants, including 

some of the tall queen palms, arrived by boat or helicopter, since 

the condominium "doesn't really have good road access," Pratti 

explains. To achieve true genius-of-place status, he partnered with 

Jose Vila, an area nurseryman with more than 30 years of experience 

%^J&3*t

An Indonesian daybed in the owner's 

private courtyard, also made of 

cumaru, with carvings in the legs. 

The openings are shaded with rolling 

bamboo screens. Opposite: A view 

of the lawn where guests gather 

around the open bonfire after sunset.

"was a design challenge," 

says Pratti; its 95,100 gallons of 

water are filtered with a copper 

system, and no chemicals. Opposite: 

A predominantly blue palette in a 

sala for meditation or for listening to 

Bossa Nova music.

V / 

growing regional plants, to plan the garden. Vila's passion for local 

flora is obvious, since 2,000 square feet of the garden is planted with 

species of Heliconia. Their hanging fire-red flowers also feed hundreds 

of hummingbirds and southern lapwings, which thrive in the 

pesticide-free garden. From the start of the project, Vila and 

Pratti's emphasis was on caring for the environment. The pool is free 

of chemicals, relying on a copper filter instead, and all lumber used 

in the house is repurposed cumaru, an alternative to mahogany. 

The centerpiece of the garden is an old Dracaena arborea from the 

house where the original owner's mother lived. When his mother 

MHHMHi 

■i ■^■■■1 

passed away, he brought it to his new home and placed it in a spot easily 

visible from the bungalows. But the most unexpected part of Vila 

and Pratti's design is a private garden with a daybed and magnificent 

pink bromeliads, set between the master bedroom and bathroom, 

which the owner alone can access. 

Some 900 feet from the edge of the property sits a white sandy 

beach and the Atlantic Ocean, in case the pool is not enough. And if 

walking seems too stressful, the house comes with a golf cart to move 

around the property — powered by solar energy, because Rio is all 

about the sun. it SEE SOURCEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION, PAGE 88 

73

■■ : -Же

signer маае Wijaya creates a romantic mini . 

pavilions around a dramatic water garden in Bali 

ORY BY JOANNA FORTNAM PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACQUELINE KOCH 

U f H a V

t 

^^^^^ he worldwide fantasy of a tropical garden comes to Earth 

in Bali, a land of emerald-green rice terraces studded with water temples 

and ribboned with flowers. In fact, the country's reputation as "Island 

of the Gods" has made Bali a destination for dreamers from all over the 

world. Made Wijaya, an Australian landscape designer formerly known 

as Michael White, is one who stayed. 

Wijaya describes himself as a "convert, a true believer," who has 

immersed himself in the culture of Bali and has traveled extensively 

throughout Indonesia for more than 30 years. Renowned for his richly 

decorated, lush gardens for many boutique hotels of Bali (The Oberoi, 

the Amandari), it was a natural next step for Wijaya to turn to the design 

of homes and gardens around the tropical world and for the international 

community in Bali. Villa Kirana brings together his strengths as 

a modern Western romantic and a local who understands the culture. 

The story of his involvement with Villa Kirana began in 2000, 

when an Australian couple who had lived in Asia for 25 years commissioned 

Wijaya to design a second residence on a ridge overlooking 

the Ayung river valley and rice fields. The couple, Patrick and Clare 

Alexander, who are also parents of two boys, teenagers at the time, 

were already fans of Wijaya's work. Their wish list — including a 

lush water garden, a dramatic classical Balinese garden and lots of 

Opposite: Looking from the warm-toned Java-stone and timber interior 

of the house, the central walkway frames a single Javanese jar, 

which forms the focus of an outdoor reception room with views south 

to the adjacent parkland. Above, clockwise from top left: Glistening 

water droplets on lotus leaves; a corner of the Japanese-inspired living 

room; a stone art piece from Sumba Island, East Indonesia, part 

of a children's board game similar to checkers. 

77

78 

Above, clockwise from top left: Stones such as tuft tufa, limestone 

and slate were used in the garden. The steep slope was extensively 

terraced, so pebbles were used on many smaller garden landings to 

present a cleaner, drier surface in this muggy mountain clime; spidery 

green dwarf papyrus mingles with purple-leaved Hemigraphis alternate; 

poolside is a row of Balinese foo dogs by renowned sculptor I Wayan 

Cemul. Opposite: The patio lounge chairs are by architect Ed Tuttle for 

the Sukhothai Hotel in Bangkok. The colored poolside building is built in 

the style of stilt houses from Terengganu, Malaysia. 

interesting garden elements — drew on his strengths. 

Wijaya had a starting point in mind: a project where he had created 

a garden for a striking home. "I always liked architect Arne 

Hasselquist's work in the Caribbean, particularly the David Bowie house on 

Mustique, which I thought was one of the loveliest tropical houses I had 

ever worked on. So I was at last presented with an opportunity to do a 

version of Hasselquist's Bowie house with its dramatic central water 

garden, cascading down to a fabulous view." 

An obvious template was the traditional Balinese mountain house with 

its ornately carved and decorated interiors and steep thatched roof. Says 

Wijaya, "Everyone loves the dryness of an elevated timber building and 

the privacy, as well as the coziness, of all the wood." But village homes 

not being suited to the needs of a contemporary Western family, he conceived 

the house as a mountain-style hybrid along lines recognizable from 

Balinese temples and palaces. Villa Kirana would feature many living-area 

pavilions around a central water garden with a wing for dining, a formal 

living and master suite, and a wing for the children and guests. The ultimate 

plan would flesh into a Pan-Asian-Indonesian-style mini-palace. 

The biggest challenge was the lack of space for such a grand scheme. 

Wijaya worked hard at selling the clients his strongest design move. "I 

had to convince them that when space is an issue, the answer is to have 

one big idea. My solution was the super-size water garden around which 

the house revolves. Clare thought it reduced rather than enhanced the 

'lush garden' part of the project wish list." 

For months the clients remained unsure about the size of the water 

feature, which cascades to meet a swimming-pool terrace. They feared it 

would dominate the design to the detriment of both house and garden. 

But the elements slowly came together. And in answer to the space problem, 

halfway through the job they bought a neighboring plot. This was

seamlessly incorporated into the garden and also allowed Wijaya to create 

a small rustic pavilion to function as a focal point in the landscape. 

Keeping the central water garden Chinese-style, focusing around 

water and stone, Wijaya gave the rest of the grounds a rainforest-jungle 

look. "1 didn't use only native plants, but restricted myself to mountaintropical 

palms and ferns and bamboos for the most part ... with 

plumerias and heliconias thrown in as accents," he says. This made the 

best backdrop for a collection of primitive art. Wijaya explains that it is 

the "placement of the artworks amidst a planting scheme that is romantic 

and poetic" that makes a garden Balinese. 

In this respect, the Alexanders benefited from Wijaya's travels throughout 

Indonesia. He led them to a collection of mountain Balinese (Stone 

Age) statues and objects, and a collection of primitive stone statuary and 

windows and doors from Eastern Indonesia, Sulawesi and Kalimantan. 

Besides being a beautiful setting for art and architecture, the house and 

garden are both used in an entirely contemporary manner. The garden 

has many breakout zones for al fresco entertaining; the cobbled arrival car 

court becomes a reception area for larger functions; the dining terrace off 

the main living room that overlooks the swimming pool is both cozy and 

generous, as it allows an almost grandstand view of the valley while still 

being a part of the close-compound nature of the Balinese-style garden. 

After so long in his adopted country, adapting East for West comes 

naturally to Wijaya, who is a full-blooded romantic, in love with "the 

world's most-gorgeous cultures," and he would never sidestep the 

challenge they represent. So, if you hadn't thought of modern gardens 

as romantic places, come to Bali. As Wijaya himself puts it: "Get 

your ya-yas out for God, who loves color and movement, and all things 

bright and beautiful in the garden. Amen." #■ 

SEE SOURCEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION. PAGE 88 

Opposite: View across the river valley from the entry porte cochere to a 

local Hindu temple set in rice fields and jungle with Villa Kirana's central 

water garden in the foreground. Above, clockwise from top left: A colorful 

lobster claw heliconia; poolside offers a grandstand view of the valley 

while still being a part of the tightly knit compound of the garden; bird 

sculptures from Sumba (pairs of birds are often found on important village 

and house sites on Timor and Sumba Islands, East Indonesia). 

81

groundbreaker 

JAMES CORNER 

A closer look at the avant-garde urbanist's forthcoming High Line 

STORY BY DONNA DORIAN 

IN THE FOREWORD TO JAMES CORNER AND ALEX MCLEAN'S agenda for the profession — one in which landscape architects, 

1997 award-winning book. Taking Measures Across the American working with architects, urban planners and ecologists, lead the 

Landscape, landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh found way in designing the city of the future. 

their ideas tantalizingly comparable in scope to Le Corbusier's call to It's a fascinating concept that the 47-year-old Corner — as the 

design buildings as reflections of the machine age. Like Le Corbusier, Chair of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania 

Corner is a philosopher of change, who urges us "to take the mea- School of Design and at the helm of his New York-based practice, 

sure" of "our collective inheritance" as we begin to design the Field Operations — is making real in a number of high-profile projpost-industrial 

city, to take the past with us as we move into the ects. This spring, the first major built example of his new agenda will 

future. Pushing aside landscape architecture's back-seat, anti-urban debut: the High Line, an abandoned New York City railroad viaduct 

tendencies, Corner makes a firm case for a much more ambitious remade into a grand, public promenade. As a cross between New 

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groundbreaker 

York's industrial past and a revolutionary 

synthesis of landscape architecture, 

ecology, art and urbanism, the High Line 

will amount to nothing less than a garden 

in the sky. 

While Le Corbusier found inspiration 

in the American grain elevator, Corner 

finds his in the vast inventory of large 

abandoned sites, including old factories, 

closed landfills, deserted ports and 

waterfronts, former airfields, and forgotten 

neighborhoods. Although the 

challenges of transforming these places 

are enormous — so far about 1 mile of 

the High Line's concrete bed has had to 

be removed so repairs and waterproofing 

could be done to the structure — Corner's 

post-industrial aesthetic is based on the 

reality that big urban projects require 

infusions of billions of dollars over ю 

or 15 years. In his eyes, this leads to the 

necessity of a flexible methodology able 

to go with the punches as things change 

and projects evolve over time. Unlike 

architects, who tend to think in terms of 

designed objects, landscape architects, 

like gardeners, capitalize on change to 

successfully grow and can therefore take 

on a complex range of issues and bring 

a lot to projects. He isn't interested in 

imposing a static image on a garden, 

park or cityscape. Instead he wants to 

grow them "to engineer a site as a selfsustaining 

ecosystem." 

Corner's approach will become clear 

enough to the millions who will soon start 

walking the High Line on Manhattan's 

West Side. A tight, linear, on-the-average 

30-foot-wide, 1.5-mile-long promenade, 

it features a primary walking path only 

8 feet in width. Unlike the Promenade 

Plantee in Paris — a much-heralded, earlier 

example of a viaduct translated into 

an urban park — the High Line makes 

no effort to repeat a traditional conversation 

between planting beds, pergolas 

and such. Instead, choreographed by 

Field Operations in collaboration with 

the Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf, the 

High Line will become home to a grassland 

matrix inspired by what had grown 

up through the cracks after the High Line 

closed to traffic in 1980. And while the 

Promenade Plantee masks Paris behind 

thickets of foliage, the skinny footprint 

of the High Line flaunts an ever-changing 

view of the back side of the city. In a 

sundeck area of the park, chaises open 

views of the Hudson River provide a place 

to stop and rest. A tunnellike passage will 

double as an exhibition gallery. There's even 

room at the park for small performances to 

take place. The combination creates a feeling 

that one is enmeshed in a landscape 

while simultaneously being part of the city 

surrounding it. 

If the High Line is New York's mostinnovative 

park since Central Park, Corner's 

program for transforming the Fresh Kills 

landfill on Staten Island into a huge recreational 

park is widely considered one 

of the most-forward-looking public-works 

projects in the global arena. When completed 

in 2031, it will also stand as the 

incarnation of what Corner calls "landscape 

urbanism" — a term that has become the 

battle cry for avant-garde landscape architects 

everywhere. Corner explains it "as a 

way of viewing the urban fabric as if it is 

a landscape. It's not just the green stuff in 

between — it's what happens when you 

think of it as everything." 

And there is a lot of everything at Fresh 

Kills. At 2,200 acres and 3.4 square miles 

— almost three times the size of Central 

Park — it was formerly one of the largest 

landfills in the world. Then as now, Fresh 

Kills, which derived its name from the 

Middle Dutch word kille, or riverbed, is part 

of one of the largest tidal wetland ecosystems 

in the region. Even after it was transformed 

into a landfill in 1948,55 percent of its area 

remained populated with creeks, wetlands 

and dry lowlands. 

The problems associated with the bereft 

site are common to landfills in general: lowfertility 

soil; lack of ecological diversity; 

leachate (a kind of "garbage juice," which 

must be extracted from the trash mounds 

and sent through a system of pipes and 

pumps to a cleansing plant); the complex 

infrastructure of the mounds that can't be 

altered; and the release and management 

of methane gases. It takes some 30 years to 

ensure a safe and clean environment. While 

some firms that entered the City of New 

York's International Design Competition 

in 2001 were stumped by the challenges, 

Corner fingered them as a means of releasing 

the site's extraordinary potential. 

In his "Lifescape" proposal. Corner 

made no apologies for the trash mounds. 

In fact, he looked at them as all-important 

dramatic features in the landscape and an 

essential aspect of the history of the site. 

To date, three of the six mounds have been

capped and their methane gas harvested to 

fuel 25,000 homes. Also integral to the new 

park is the natural water system, including 

the salt marsh once polluted with 150 

million tons of waste. Now cleaned and 

readied for kayaking and canoeing, the salt 

marsh and the winding network of creeks 

stand out against the wide horizon views of 

the huge, hill-like capped mounds of trash, 

taking on a stark, captivating beauty of what 

seems like an otherworldly moonscape. 

Today, the site is dominated primarily 

by two plant species — Iva frutescens, a 

multi-stemmed shrub found in marshes, 

and Phragmites australis, common reed, a 

6- to 12-foot-tall grass that has taken over 

wetlands. To address the problem, small 

communities of native flora will be planted 

that will steal enough sunlight to naturally 

eradicate the invasive species, becoming 

one of the many ways Field Operations 

will engage and direct natural processes. 

Plugs, whips and trees also will be planted 

to enrich the seed bank. 

With no perfect moment planned in 

its evolution, the park will become everchanging 

as meadows, grasslands, woodlands, 

designed landscapes and creeks 

become interspersed with event spaces 

— docks, ball parks, bike paths, bird towers 

and horse trails. Sanitation buildings 

Above: A modular pathway system of tapered 

concrete planks allows plants to push up at the 

edges, blurring the boundaries between hard, 

paved and soft, planted surfaces. 

will be rejigged into performance theaters. 

Barges that once brought in garbage will be 

transformed into floating gardens. And an 

earthwork, built from World Trade Center 

towers debris, will be formed into the shape 

of the towers resting on their sides in a wildflower 

field. The whole will offer a huge 

open space found nowhere else in New York 

City. Look for it soon: North Park, the first 

of five phases, is projected to open in just 

a year and half. Who knows, though, what 

will follow on the heels of the current fiscal 

crisis? Already some parts of the original 

plans have been scrapped due to complexity 

and cost. 

For all the unavoidable discourse 

and wow power that promises to emanate 

from the High Line and Fresh Kills, 

Corner is not particularly interested in putting 

forth yet another design aesthetic for the ages. 

Rather, his eagle eye stays focused on developing 

new methods and strategies to enhance 

dynamic relationships between the historical 

past, the ecological future and us — out of 

which will grow the green and smart landscapes 

of the post-industrial age. r 

THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY'S 

OPEN DAYS 

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PRESENT 

Open Days 

Awakening of the Garden Celebration 

Friday & Saturday, April 3 & 4 

A tour of Fordhook Farm's exquisite 

gardens in early spring. Participate in 

a seed sowing workshop, plant sale, 

guided tours, and talks by 

Simon Crawford and George Ball. 

Root Camp 

Friday & Saturday, May 8 & 9 

Workshops, lectures, and seed sales 

during the event will assist gardeners in 

constructing their own ornamental and 

edible gardens at home. Graham Rice 

and Rosalind Creasy featured. 

Midsummer Garden Party 

Friday & Saturday, July 10 & 11 

Hydrangeas will be the focus of the 

event during guided garden tours and 

a lecture by internationally acclaimed 

plant researcher Dr. Mike Dirr. 

Burpee's Harvest Festival 

Friday & Saturday, August 21 & 22 

A tomato tasting, lecture, guided 

tours, and a sneak peek at 2010 Burpee 

varieties. Gardener and cookbook 

author Laura Schcnone is featured. 

Autumn Garden Tour 

Friday & Saturday, Sept. 25 & 26 

Enjoy "summer's second number" with 

guided tours, a fall bulb/plant sale, a 

garden workshop, and lectures. The 

featured speakers for this event are 

Rill Miller and Jerry Fritz. 

All events are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Location: Fordhook Farm 

105 New Britain Road 

Doylestown, PA 

www.heronswood.com 

www.opendaysprogram.org

landscape 

NOW AND ZEN 

The Portland Japanese Garden continues its visionary path 

STORY BY TOVAH MARTIN ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA STICKEL 

SOME SEEK OUT THE PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN AS 

an oasis, it's true. For sure, Portland residents slip into the garden's 

deep-green embrace to escape earthly cares. And absolutely, the layering 

of deftly sculpted form and texture — of noble stone juxtaposed 

against curvaceously sculpted branches — is meant to draw you away 

from the mundane and material onto a higher plane. But retreat isn't 

all this place is about. 

The Portland Japanese Garden doesn't take the passive approach. 

Instead, active and present is how the garden hopes to interact with 

its public. Most notably, its newly appointed garden curator, Sadafumi 

Uchiyama, adopts an invigoratingly engaged stance. The creation of the 

garden curator position and Uchiyama's appointment in October 2008 

was part of the process by the Portland Japanese Garden to fulfill a cohesive 

vision for the garden. "Another name for my position," Uchiyama 

likes to say, "is 'the vision keeper.'" 

Part of what Uchiyama does is to define the garden and make certain 

that its integrity remains intact. But it goes deeper than that. Uchiyama, 

who has interacted with the garden since he moved to Portland in 1995, 

strives to hone how the garden speaks to its public. And he's hoping that 

the garden can communicate on a very down-to-earth level. 

So, rather than the typical intangibles connected with a Zen sort of 

space, Uchiyama talks in truisms. Though spirituality drips from every 


The Portland Japanese Garden offers visitors a range of venues to delve into 

its meticulous craftsmanship, from the Strolling Pond Garden with its Moon 

Bridge (above left), to the Flat Garden and its raked-sand "seascape" surrounded 

by plantings that highlight the four seasons (above right). 

bough in this 5.5-acre venue, discovering it is best done without too 

much prompting. Thus Uchiyama doesn't dive deeply into the garden's 

spiritual message when he speaks to visitors, and he skips suggestions 

of how you should react to the five meticulously manicured spaces that 

compose this landscape not far from Portland's more-concrete persona. 

Instead, he shares informed and insightful observations of how nature 

and plants interplay, and chronicles the duties of those who maintain 

the garden, challenging visitors to be attentive to the surroundings. 

Then he weaves that into the greater confluence of Japanese tradition 

before letting you loose to explore the landscape personally. And 

before you know it, you've found your own way to seeing the waves of 

the ocean carved in a black pine and the promise of eternal life in the 

trip of water over stone. 

When he discusses the garden, Sada Uchiyama often begins with 

the bears that were once a part of the zoo originally housed there, 

and explains how their former den is now a part of the waterfall in 

the Strolling Pond Garden. Which seems like a valid starting point to

chronicle the land's transformation through 

stewardship and craftsmanship to its current 

plateau of perfection. Originally, the garden 

was inspired by the Sister City program 

(Portland became the sister city of Sapporo, 

Japan, in 1959) and was the vision of the 

Japanese Garden Society of Oregon and professor 

Takuma Tono, who graduated from 

Cornell and then taught in Tokyo before 

returning to the United States, and was commissioned 

in 1963 to design and landscape 

the garden. The plan for the garden started 

taking shape in the early 1960s before construction 

began in 1965 and continued without 

pause until its full completion in 1990. What 

set the Portland Japanese Garden apart was 

its methodical installation. Other gardens 

were built fast and furious in a year, maybe 

two. But it took nearly 30 years to construct 

Portland's garden. During that time, a series of 

craftsmen journeyed from Japan and accomplished 

the gradual, systematic design. "The 

garden was so well integrated with a sense 

of the place and its natural environment," 

Uchiyama points out, "that no major grading 

was necessary." 

Continuity was critical, which is why the 

gardener craftsmen came for spans of two to 

four years and labored with head gardeners 

who remained for 30 years to oversee the overall 

vision. Throughout its lifespan, the garden 

has gradually knit together, always changing, 

but always answering to its founding principles. 

As Uchiyama likes to say, "a garden 

evolves, but its concept and design stay." 

As for the design, the Pordand garden is 

composed of the traditional elements typical of 

Japanese style and features five areas: a strolling 

garden with its characteristic zigzag bridge 

to deflect evil, a humility-reinforcing tea garden 

with a tea house in which the ritual tea 

ceremony is performed, a flat garden of meditative 

raked sand, as well as a sand and stone 

garden mirroring those found in Zen monasteries, 

and a natural garden which — unlike 

the other compositions — is meant to be experienced 

and perceived physically rather than 

beheld from a distance. Each transports you, 

but the broader lesson throughout is the interrelatedness 

of all forms in life. "It's a feeling of 

connection that we're trying to convey, and the 

garden is the means," Uchiyama explains. 

If the Pordand Japanese Garden's newest 

curator seems so comfortable with his craft that 

he expounds truths about existence, gardening 

and where those two concepts intercept while 

nonchalandy cradling pruners, that's because 

he was raised among gardeners. In Japan, 

Uchiyama's family has served the land as professional 

gardeners since 1909, and his own 

intensive field training began at age 10. As 

a result, he doesn't know the meaning of a 

summer break. But he also has an inherent 

knowledge of the meaning and associations 

behind the rhythms and customs of Eastern 

gardening. For a time, he rebelled, joining the 

Peace Corps just to get away. "I escaped the family 

tradition," he admits, but eventually returned 

to the fold, with a redefined approach. He likes 

to say that he's redrawn his understanding. In 

1988, after studying Eastern landscape architecture 

in Japan, he attended school in this 

country — earning a bachelor's and master's 

in landscape architecture from the University 

of Illinois — to learn the tenets of Western 

landscape architecture. From there, he was 

instrumental in the restoration of the 3-acre Japanese 

garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens in 

2002. As a result of a lifelong closeness with 

landscapes, Uchiyama is infinitely copasetic 

with the Portland garden and its maintenance, 

but never casual. 

Horticultural skill is paramount in this canvas 

of intricately juxtaposed lines and curves, the 

ambiance the result of rhododendrons pruned 

into sleek mounds that seem to be one continuous 

surface and pines painstakingly plucked 

of excess needles one by one at precisely a certain 

time. In Japanese gardens, the goal is "to 

distill the essence of each element into its natural 

form," and even stones and bamboo edging 

are treated as individuals. "Instead of standing 

like soldiers, wood pegs used to retain the edge 

of the pond are uneven, of different sizes and 

given different orientations." Uchiyama insists 

that a Japanese garden isn't only about techniques: 

"It's the unified vision." 

By heightening awareness of all the 

Portland Japanese Gardens' inner workings 

and by explaining its processes and roots, 

Uchiyama hopes to reach out to all who 

maneuver the steppingstones in its pathways 

and brush against the venerable sheared 

conifers. And time is a critical element here, 

as "the garden is enriched by the passage of 

time," according to Uchiyama. Although the 

Portland garden is mature by Japanese- 

American standards, it's merely in its 

adolescence in the greater scheme of 

Japanese gardens. "One hundred years is the 

Japanese standard for maturity," Uchiyama 

explains. "We're still giving the garden its 

flavor." As for Sada Uchiyama, he's in it for 

the long haul. "I know that things would 

and should change," says Uchiyama. "We're 

just beginning a long journey." /r

Endless I Summer* 

COLLECTION 

For your FREE eMagazine 

with the latest how-to 

0Ш 

gardening tips and to find a retailer visit: 

EndlessSummerBlooms.com/GD 

sourcebook 

FRESH CONTAINER Boyd Nurseries 

1 LOVE THIS PLANT (p. 20) Apenberry's (Wholesale only.) 

DWM/OPSISMACULATA Ceramic glaze container, $289 561-795-7773 

1 bought my Drimiopsis at Lowe's, Orlando, FL boydnursery.com 

surprisingly, so it pays to keep your 407-841-3088 

eyes open when shopping at local apenberrys.com Glasshouse Works 

garden centers and nurseries, but 740-662-2142 

mail-order sources are also a good DESIGN CONSULTANT glasshouseworks.com 

option. — JA Leigh Ann Murtha 

Robb & Stucky Interiors Sansevieria Thai 

Arid Lands Greenhouses Orlando, FL info@sansevieria-thai.com 

aridlands.com 407-352-2333 

leighann.murtha@robbstucky.net 

sansevieria-thai.com 

B8T World Seeds Stokes Tropicals 

b-and-t-world-seeds.com LOCATION 866-478-2502 

Residence by Irvin Construction stokestropicals.com 

Glasshouse Works Company Inc. 

740-662-2142 Lake Mary, FL OTHER 

glasshouseworks.com 321-832-1305 International Sansevieria Society 

Yucca Do Nursery 

irvinconstruction.com sansevieria-international.org 

979-542-8811 SNAKE BITTEN (p. 48) CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (p. 56) 

yuccado.com GARDEN DESIGNER GARDEN DESIGNER 

Luis Llenza Garden Davis Dalbok 

PLANT PALETTE Designs Inc. Living Green 

CALLA LILIES (p. 24) Wilton Manors. FL San Francisco. CA 

Calla lilies, both as tubers and cut luisllenza.com 415-864-2251 

flowers, can be found at a variety livinggreen.com 

of local sources, but below are a CONTAINERS 

few mail-order sources. Campania International FOOD 

(Wholesale only. Website has a Taste Catering 8 Event Planning 

American Meadows retail locator. Retail price varies San Francisco, CA 

877-309-7333 according to store.) 415-550-6464 

americanmeadows.com p. 50, Low Tahoe planters 

campaniainternational.com 

tastecatering.com 

Blooming Bulb FURNISHINGS 

800-648-2852 Gainey Ceramics Dunkirk 

bloomingbu lb.com (Wholesale only.) San Francisco, CA 

p. 52, Venetian Rectangle planter 415-863-7183 

Brent and Becky's Bulbs 800-451-8155 dunkirksf.com 

877-661-2852 gaineyceramics.com 

brentandbeckysbulbs.com Henry Hall Designs 

Greenform p. 59, Natalia sofa comes with a 

Flowerbud p. 53, Spindel planter two-seat and three-seat sectional 

(callas as cut flowers) 310-663-3995 with movable backrests, $14,400. 

877-524-5400 green-form.com (Accent pillows by Sunbrella not 

flowerbud.com included.) Natalia ceramic-top 

Jane Hamley Wells coffee table, $2,900. 

Holland Bulb Farms (To the trade.) p. 60, Flexy chaise with Batyline 

800-689-2852 p. 4. Euro3plast Reverse Vessel mesh seat, $3.800. 

hollandbulbfarms.com (click on "Collections" on website) p. 63, Fusion Collection teak and 

773-227-4988 marine-grade stainless steel. Dining 

Oregon Coastal Flowers janehamleywells.com table shown is 70 '/г inches, $4,800 

503-815-3762 (also available in 87 inches). Fusion 

flowersbutos.com Target Light chairs are stackable and come in 

(Container available in stores only.) three colors of Batyline mesh. 

Pacific Callas p. 52 $1.900. henryhalldesigns.com 

(callas as cut flowers and target.com 

plants) Grupo Kettal, of Barcelona 

800-533-8573 FURNITURE p. 61. Maia Collection lounge chairs and 

callalilyshop.pacificcallas.com Richard Schultz Design ottoman, by Patricia Urquiola. Three 

p. 55,1966 dining table and chair pieces shown are $6.076. 

Park Seed 215-679-2222 

800-213-0076 richardschultz.com A POOL BY THE JUNGLE 8 SEA (p. 66) 

parkseed.com GARDEN DESIGNER 

West Elm Paulo Pratti 

Van Bourgondien p. 53, Overlapping-squares chairs Sao Paulo, Brazil 

800-622-9997 888-922-4119 

dutchbulbs.com westelm.com HOLDING COURT (p. 74) 

GARDEN DESIGNER 

SWATCH WATCH (p. 36) PLANTS Made Wijaya 

FURNITURE Sansevierias can be found at local Bali, Indonesia 

RobbSStucky garden centers, but below are a few ptwijaya.com 

Double Adjustable Chaise by 

Lloyd Flanders for Robb S Stucky 

mail-order sources. strangerinparadise.com 

with Sunbrella cushion in Reel, Asiatica Nursery LIVING GREEN (p. 45) 

S2.599. asiatica@nni.com GARDEN DESIGNER 

Lumbar cushion stocked by Robb & asiaticanursery.com Eric Graft 

Stucky in Sunbrella Zen, $119. Oehme, van Sweden 8 Associates 

Garden Mosaic side table by Bob Smoley's Gardenworld Washington, D.C. 

Classic Elements, $799. 352-465-8254 202-546-7575 

robbstucky.com bobsmoleys.com ovsla.com

Viboove*, tko woM Ц GARDEN DESIGN 

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GARDEN DESIGN takes you behind 

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Viboove*, tko woM Ц GARDEN DESIGN 

71% 

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DIGITAL IGITAL4 Get it Now! 

GARDEN DESIGN takes you behind 

the scenes of great gardens with glorious 

photographs of extraordinary outdoor 

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in, plus advice for growing the hottest 

new plants.

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Simply fill out the attached card 

and return it to us. We'll handle the rest! 

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ART ACCENTS/ANTIQUES 900 

1. Birth of Venus. Contemporary cast 

stone sculptures for home, office, 

and garden. 

2. David Harber. David Harber's handcrafted 

and personalized sundials, 

sculptures and water features have 

worked their magic on fine homes 

and gardens around the world. 

3. Gardensia Archipelago Designs. 

Hand-carved stone pots, old basins, 

lanterns, Balinese statues, Buddha 

statues, recycled teak, bronze, 

architectural items and artifacts 

from South-East Asia. 

4. Haddonstone USA. Cast Stone, 

architectural cast stone and cast 

stone garden ornaments including 

balustrading, columns, porticos, 

door surrounds, steps... 

5. Kenneth Lynch & Sons. An Industry 

leader in providing site furnishings 

including statuary and fountains 

in cast stone, lead and bronze, 

weathervanes, sundials and park 

benches. 

6. Millstones.com. Millstones and 

Syrup Kettles. Authentic, Genuine, 

Old. 100 plus inventory in range of 

sizes for 20" to 60" in diameter. 

7. StoneForest.Functionalsculpture 

for the garden and bath, handcrafted 

in stone, copper and 

bronze. 

8. Tuscan Imports Inc. Importer of 

handmade Italian terracotta and 

lightweight poly planters. 

CONSERVATORIES/STRUCTURES 901 

9. Oak Leaf Conservatories. Bespoke 

hardwood Conservatories, 

Orangeries and Garden Rooms 

by Oak Leaf Conservatories are 

developed with classic proportions, 

empathy with existing architecture 

and attention to detailing. 

DECKING/PAVERS/TILE 902 

10. Belgard. Belgard© Hardscapes - 

distinctive pavers for unique patio, 

walkway, driveway and retaining 

wall designs. 

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY 

11. Eldorado Stone. Eldorado Stone 

is dedicated to creating The Most 

Believable Architectural Stone 

veneer in the World'". 

12. Hanover Architectural Products. 

Manufacturers of concrete 

unit pavers for architectural, 

commercial and residential ongrade 

and roof applications. 

13. oldcastle. Oldcastle is leading 

the way in new architectural 

landscaping products. 

Innovational. Progressive. Natural. 

Creative. Inspired. 

HOME FURNISHINGS 904 

14. Summer Classics. A manufacturer 

of fine garden furnishings that was 

founded on the principle of truly 

classic design. 

15. Sunbrella.Sunbrella® fabrics offer 

beautiful styling and legendary 

fade and stain resistance, making 

them ideal for awnings and outdoor 

furniture. 

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 905 

16. ZEN Associates, Inc. Award-winning 

design and build firm providing 

comprehensive landscape 

architecture, interior design, 

construction, and maintenance 

for residential and commercial 

properties worldwide. 

OUTDOOR KITCHEN/BBQ 906 

17. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. 

Designers and manufacturers of 

professional grade stainless steel 

gourmet grills and kitchens for 

outdoor living. 

PLANT 8 GARDEN PRODUCTS 907 

18. Bartlett Tree Expert. For allyourtree 

and shrub care needs, call the experts. 

19. Endless Summer® Collection. 

These remarkable hydrangeas 

will make your garden come alive 

with lasting color that blooms all 

summer long.Blooms on both new 

and old growth every year. Look for 

the blue pots at a garden center 

near you. 

20. Gardener's Confidence® Collection. 

The Gardener's Confidence© 

Collection... Welcome to a garden 

you can count on.® New for 2009, 

the Heaven Scent(TM) Gardenia. 

21. Proven Winners® ColorChoice®. 

Proven Winners ColorChoice 

introduces the first true dwarf 

buddliea, Lo & Behold Blue Chip. 

GARDEI N PREMIER RETAIL PARTNER LISTING 

ALABAMA 

Preasts Petals & Pottery (Fairhope) 

PH: 251-928-6073 

The Green House Retail Nursery & 

Landscaping (Loxley) 

PH: 251-9(34-5644 

www.thegreenhouseretailnursery.com 

CALIFORNIA 

Artefact Design & Salvage, Inc (Sonoma) 

PH: 707-933-0660 

www.artefactdesignsalvage.com 

Big Red Sun (Venice) 

PH: 512-480-0688 - www.bigredsun.com 

Burkard Nurseries, Inc. (Pasadena) 

PH- 626-796-4355 

www.burkardnurseries.com 

Gardenology (Encinitas) 

PH: 760-753-5500 - www.garden-ology.com 

Grounded Garden Shop (Encinitas) 

PH: 760-230-1563 

www.shopgrounded.com 

Intn'l Garden & Floral Design Center 

(ElSegundo) 

PH: 310-615-0353 - www.igarcencenter.com 

Marina del Rey Garden Center 

(Marina del Rey) 

PH: 310-823-5956 

www.marinagardencenrer.com 

PlantPlay Nursery (Carlsbad) 

PH: 760-730-0012 

v',\V',vpl:r.:il:iyr Jiseiycoir 

Richard Gervais Collection (San Francisco) 

PH: 415-255-4579 

www.rchardgervaiscollection.com 

CONNECTICUT 

Oliver Nurseries (Fairfield) 

PH: 203-259-5609 

www.oIivemurseries.com 

ILLINOIS 

Steel Heart, Ltd. (Harvard) 

PH: 815-943-3465 

www.steelheartlimited.com 

MICHIGAN 

Detroit Garden Works (Sylvan Lake) 

PH: 248-335-8089 

www.detroitgardenworks.com 

MINNESOTA 

Tangletown Gardens (Minneapolis) 

PH: 612-822-4769 

www.tangletowngardens.com 

NEW YORK 

Dimitri's Garden Center (New York) 

PH: 718-292-3338 

www.dimitrisgaraencenter.com 

Dodds and Eder (Oyster Bay) 

PH: 516-922-4412 

www.doddsandeder.com 

Evan Peters & Co. (Long Island City) 

PH: 718-349-7545 

www.evanpeters.com 

Martin Viette Nurseries (East Norwich) 

PH: 516-922-5530 

www.martinviette.com 

Muxworthy's Outdoor Furniture (Rochester) 

PH: 585-266-5590 

www.muxworthys.com 

Plaisirs du Jardin (Port Jervis) 

PH: 845-856-6330 

plaisirsdujardin@frontiemet.net 

OHIO 

Mohican Wind Harps (Loudonville) 

PH: 419-368-3415 

www.mohcanwindharps.com 

Windmill Farm Market (Springboro) 

PH: 937-885-3965 

www.wincmillfarmmarket.com 

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Athena Garden (Delmont) 

PH: 724-468-0063 

vvvvw athena garden.com 

www.diffordfrecericks.com 

Mostardi Nursery (Newton Square) 

PH: 610-356-8035 - www.mostardi.com 

TENNESSEE 

Urban Patio (Nashville) 

PH: 615-730-9764 - www.urbanpatio.com 

TEXAS 

Big Grass Bamboo (San Antonio) 

PH: 210-735-7999 

www.biggrass-bamboo.com 

Nelson Water Gardens & Nursery Inc (Katy) 

PH: 281-391-4769 

www.nelsonwatergardens.com 

The Arbor Gate (Tomball) 

PH: 281-351-8851 

www.arborEate.com 

WASHINGTON 

Bamford & Bamford Pottery (Tacoma) 

PH: 253-272-7244 

www.bambampots.com 

WISCONSIN 

The Wreath Factory (Plymouth) 

PH: 920-893-8700 

www.wreathfactoryonline.com 

INTERNATIONAL 

Atlas Pots (North Vancouver, 

British Columbia) 

PH: 604-960-0556 

ЛУЛУ tiUaspo;s.( он: 

Cameleon Vert (Montreal, Quebec) 

PH: 514-937-2481 

www.cameleorvert.com 

Garden Architecture and Design 

(Saskatchewan) 

PH: 306-651-2828 

wwwgaroenarchitectureca 

Kingsbrae Horticultural Garden 

(St. Andrews, New Brunswick) 

PH: 506-529-3335 

vvvwv kingsbraegarden.com 

Le Marche Vert Inc. (St. Saveur, Quebec) 

PH: 450-227-2775 

peterboxer@bellnet.ca 

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park 

(Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) 

PH: 345-947-9462 - www.botanic-park.ky 

Windergarden (Toronto, Ontario) 

PH: 416-766-1960 

www.windergarcen.com 

Call today to find out how to become a GARDEN DESIGN retailer and be included in this list of exclusive retailers. The GARDEN DESIGN Retail Program offers 

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For details call Mala today at 888-259-6753 Ext 4933 To find out more about our featured retailers visit www.gardendesign.com/newsstands.jsp

Schreiner's Iris Gardens 

Our family has been growing and 

breeding award-winning Iris since 1925. 

These hardy easy-to-grow perennials 

are available in a wide variety of colors 

and sizes. Find gardening inspiration in 

our new full-color Mini-Catalog... 

order now or visit us on-line. Located 

at 3625 Quinaby Road NE, Dept 70, 

Salem, OR, 97303. 

800-525-2367 Ext. 70 

www.schreinersgardens.com 

Vixen Hill Cedar Pergolas 

Vixen Hill has developed an extraordinary 

selection of pre-engineered cedar 

products. Modular cedar pergolas make 

ideal meeting points for public and 

private use. Available in custom sizes 

with an arbor or barrel roof. Order 

factory direct. 

800-423-2766 

www.vixenhill.com 

Floating Millstone in Syrup Kettle Fountain 

The 24" millstone is from Baxley, Appling County, Georgia; the 48" diameter 

unmarked Syrup Kettle is from Covington, Newton County, Georgia. Here two 

agrarian relics of the past are combined, both used at the harvest, a theme 

that gardeners love. At www.millstones.com, see over 80 genuine millstones 

and 50 original syrup kettles complete with provenance, 

dimensions, pictures and pricing. Start with the landscaping 

ideas (the photo album), and then move to the online catalog. 

404-310-6490 

www.millstones.com 

rnlllstonM.com 

Santa Rosa Garden 

Santa Rosa Gardens is a family-owned mail-order nursery located along 

the beautiful Gulf Coast of Florida. We specialize in Ornamental Grasses, 

but also provide a wide range of Perennial Plants, Ferns, Hostas, Daylilies, 

Flowering Bulbs, Tropical Palms, Aquatic Plants, Gardening Tools and Gardening 

Essentials, as well as Gifts for Gardeners. We invite you to browse our online 

catalog and sign up to receive our monthly gardener's newsletter. 

866-681-0856 ^ й ^ 

www.santarosagardens.com SAN I VT 

sales@santarosagardens.com ("\RI")I NiS 

Tuscan Garden Works 

Changing ordinary to extraordinary. 

GAZEBOS, ARCHES, BRIDGES, OUTDOOR 

FURNITURE, SWINGS, WINDOW 

TREATMENTS 

Authentic Old World custom designs 

to your specifications, using forging 

ovens, etc. All iron is powder coated, 

requiring minimal maintenance. Visit 

our website to view our catalog. 

800-698-0535 

www.tuscangardenworks.com 

TO ADVERTISE CALL 407.571.4966 

Witherspoon Rose Culture 

Witherspoon Rose Culture offers a carefully 

selected choice of premium rose 

bushes. Choose roses for hardiness, 

disease resistance, delicious fragrance, 

breathtaking beauty and novelty colors. 

Experienced in selling roses and caring 

for outstanding gardens since 1951, we 

are the experts. 

800-643-0315 

www.witherspoonrose.com

Walpole Woodworkers® 

High style. Low maintenance. No liner. 

Crafted in advanced cellular vinyl, an 

attractive wood alternative our window 

boxes are offered in many styles 

and sizes. Call for a free Selections 

catalog or see more than 300 outdoor 

products on our website! 

800-343-6948 

walpolewoodworkers.com/windowl 2 

"Everything But The Water" 

Pondbiz is a family operated business 

dedicated to providing the very best 

pond and water garden products at 

competitive prices. For all your needs, 

check out our huge selection of pumps, 

filters and aquatic plants at our website 

or Southern California retail store. 

866-766-3249 

www.pondbiz.com 

sales@pondbiz.com 

ASG Glass Tumbled Landscaping Nuggets 

100% recycled glass tumbled landscaping nuggets are a vibrant and colorful 

accent to any garden design. Made with US-sourced recycled glass, our array 

of colors add vibrance and panache to groundcover, water features, and fire 

pits. Mulch replacement with a weed barrier is our most popular maintenancefree 

application. Try our Caribbean Mix of light blue hues or our Sunshine Mix 

of oranges, reds, and yellows. We sell direct. Volume discounts are available. 

Samples are available. 

877-294-4222 

www.asgglass.com 

info@asgglass.com 

A5( 

Д1 at ou»

Transformation Butterfly 

Rachel Tribble's color infused paintings are a reflection of color, shape, and 

movement in nature. Her work is sought after by private collectors, Fortune 

500 corporations and fine retailers throughout the United States. Limited 

Edition Prints, Tiles, Outdoor Canvas Prints, Original Paintings and Commissions 

available. 

772-708-8400 

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Archadeck Custom 

Outdoor Living Spaces 

Love the home you're in. Start living 

outdoors - with custom outdoor living 

spaces from Archadeck. We're proud to 

be the world's favorite deck and outdoor 

structures builder for nearly three 

decades. 

Decks • Screened Porches • Outdoor 

Living Rooms • Sunrooms • Pergolas 

Call for your Free Design Consultation 

888-OUR DECK 

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Oakes Daylilies 

Your Trusted Source for America's 

Perfect Perennial! Choose from over 

400 varieties of hardy, easy-to-grow 

hybrid daylilies in a rainbow of colors, 

shapes and sizes. We send huge, 

freshly dug plants that are big enough 

to bloom the first year. Free full color 

catalogs are available. 

800-532-9545 

www.oakesdaylilies.com 

3 2009 Archadeck 

Bamboo Fencing & More 

Established in 1880, family owned and 

operated for 5 generations. Stock, 

custom, tropical or Oriental fencing. 

Bamboo poles, roof thatching and 

much more. Call us for free catalog or 

visit us on the web. 

800-4-BAMBOO 

www.bambooandrattan.com 

su2bamboo@comcast.net 

Protect & Beautify with 

Outdoor Lighting 

Affordable, custom outdoor lighting 

to enhance home security and safety. 

Eco-friendly low voltage systems 

illuminate with soft, warm glows of 

golden light. Call for your Free Preview 

and see your home temporarily lit 

at dusk or visit our website for more 

information. 

800-447-1112 

www.outdoorlights.com 

White Flower Farm - The Hummingbird 

Annual Collection 

Plenty of pink, coral, and red shades in this customer favorite catch the attention 

of hummingbirds and draw them to Fuchsia 'Billy Green' for a sweet reward. 

We also include long-blooming Begonia Dragon Wing IM Pink, Coleus 'Sedona' 

and 'Strawberry Drop', plus Ornamental Sweet Potato 'Margarita'. Visit our Web 

site to watch "How to plant the Hummingbird Annual Collection." Order item 

S87119,6 plants for S43.95 plus shipping. Please mention Source Code 9S932. 

800-503-9624 

www.whiteflowerfarm.com 


White Flower farm 

Wl НЛКГ YOU» GAROFN GROW

A Career in Garden Design 

Our unique, intensive, part-time Diploma Course in Garden Design teaches 

all of the key skills needed to become a professional garden designer. This 

nine-month course is led by award-winning, practising designers from the USA 

and UK who have over 50 years teaching experience. Starting in August 2009, 

Garden Design School opens its doors to the US. 

To join us for our Taster Day, May 29th 2009, at our Massachusetts training 

center (Tower Hill Botanic Garden), please contact John DeVore, Course 

Director, or visit our website and click on USA Diploma 

na 

Course. 

course. 

513-867-0437 

www.gardendesignschool.com 

Maine Millstones 

Add a real sense of history to your 

landscape. Perfect for fountains, patios, 

tables, pathways, doorsteps and 

focal points. These granite millstones 

are available in sizes from 16 inches to 

6 feet and are delivered directly to you. 

Check out our Website for other great 

garden art. 

207-633-6091 

www.mainemiUstones.com 

Musser Forest, Inc. 

Over 80 years of growing quality 

nursery stock including seedlings, 

transplants, and potted liners. 

Specializing in native plant material 

for reforestation, erosion control and 

wetland rehabilitation. Start your own 

Christmas tree farm with our northern 

grown, hardy trees! UPS delivery. 

800-643-8319 

www.musserforests.com 

info@musserforests.com 

Duracraft Planters 

Over 15 years of manufacturing fiberglass 

planters has shaped a product 

that combines design with ultimate durability. 

Our finishes are a gel-coat and 

unlike paint won't flake, peel or fade 

and contain genuine metal. All-weather 

construction and commercial-grade 

material ensures years of enjoyment. 

Classic, contemporary and custom 

designs available. 

800-790-8709 

www.myduracraft.com 

Courtyard Collection 

LatticeStix 

LatticeStix designs and builds intriguing 

lattice in 100+ patterns. Standard 

panels come in 12 sizes for fencing and 

landscape projects. Patterned lattice 

products include gates, framed screens, 

borders, trellis, arbors, and accents. 

LatticeStix' cedar lattice is built to last 

in the craftsman tradition using all 

wood joinery. Lattice reinvented. 

888-528-7849 

www.latticestix.com 

Delightful casting of Boy in Bronze. Charming at the edge of a pond or as a wall 

mount. Bronze cast of 16C French Church Spire as garden sculpture or inverted 

hanging from a tree. Stone casting of antique palm stump as side table or 

umbrella stand. Classic antique Regence Tray Table cast in stainless steel or 

bronze (close-up view). See measurements and other decorative items from 

this "Courtyard Collection" on our website which features in addition, furniture, 

prints and antique French Oil Jars. 

858-456-8723 

www.montecitodesign.com 

sales@montecitodesign.com 

TO ADVERTISE CALL 407.571.4966

--V - ■ 

New 19" cut, 750-watt 

' model is great for ' 

larger lawns up to 

1/3 acre. 

•^ш* 

48 lb. model is half the 

-weight of most gas mowers 

Neuton® Battery-Powered Lawn Mowers 

No gas! No oil! Neuton® Battery-Powered Mowers give you a beautiful, clean 

cut just like gas mowers do, but without all the hassle. They run clean and 

quiet, and start instantly with a gentle squeeze of the handlebar. So why 

continue to deal with messy, noisy, hard-to-start lawn mowers? Discover the 

joy of a battery-powered mower today: it's easier on you and the environment. 

Contact us toll-free for a FREE DVD and Catalog with complete details. 

888-213-2140 

www.neutonmowers.com 

New England 

Architectural Center 

"Timeless Beauty" of an era gone by. 

Harvested from New England streets, 

these vintage cobblestone and brick 

are hand crafted and one of a kind. Time 

worn, they lend themselves to a number 

of architectural applications. Driveways, 

walkways, the possibilities are indeed 

endless; the supply is not. Please visit 

our website for additional information. 

401-732-1363 

www.piecesofhistory.net 

peterghill02840@yahoo.net 

neuton 

Trellis Structures 

Trellis Structures designs and 

manufactures innovative custom 

solutions for pergolas, arbors, trellises 

and gates. A full complement of 

garden structures, made of the 

highest quality western red cedar, is 

also available in our catalog. Trellis 

Structures is known for it's exquisite, 

finely detailed products. Shown here: 

A 16-foot patio pergola. 

800-649-6920 

www.trellisstructures.com 

sales@trellisstructures.com 

Archie's Island Furniture 

Premium outdoor rocking chairs, 

Adirondack furniture and benches 

made with environmentally harvested 

Malaysian mahogany. All our furniture 

is finished with highest quality marine 

enamel paints and is available in 28 

stand-out colors. Custom commemorative 

plaques for all occasions. Call for 

details and a catalog. 

800-486-1183 

www.archiesisland.com 

Lush - Vibrant - Soothing 

Moss... 

Shipped dlrrrt McMsAcm.com 

Moss Acres 

The tranquil beauty of Moss... now a 

reality in your garden. We ship four 

varieties of live moss. Moss has fast 

become an increasingly desirable 

and low-maintenance alternative to 

grass lawns and conventional shade 

gardening. With Moss Acres, growing 

moss has never been easier! 

866-GET-MOSS 

www.mossacres.com 

GelPro 8 Anti-Fatigue Floor Mats 

As seen on HGTV, Food Network and Fine Living, GelPro № Mats are filled 

with a soft gel that makes standing on hard flooring comfortable. Available 

in designer colors, exotic textures and multiple sizes. Great for any cook, 

especially those with back pain or arthritis. Order today online or by phone. 

866-GEL-MATS (435-6287) 

www.gelpro.com 


GelPro 

0*t«-|||*d Anli-F*ti*u* Floor M«U

John Scheepers Beauty from Bulbs 

Bring the special beauty of bulbs to your family's garden from over 800 of 

the best fall-planting Dutch flower bulbs and herbacious peonies at the best 

prices. For larger quantities, contact Van Engelen (860-567-8734 or www. 

vanengelen.com), and for gourmet vegetable, herb and flower seeds, contact 

Kitchen Garden Seeds (860-567-6086 or www.kitchengardenseeds.com). 

Request your free catalogs today! Ad code: GD21. 

860-567-0838 

customerservice@johnscheepers.com 

www.johnscheepers.com 

Premium Elephant Ears 

Banana Plants & 

Crinum Too! 

Get great quality tropical bulbs 

and plants for every garden this year. 

Browse through our excellent selection 

of elephant ear bulbs in a variety 

of sizes. We also offer specialty 

elephant ears and banana plants 

growing in pots. Something for 

every budget! 

www.premiumelephantears.com 

cs@premiumelephantears.com 

John Scheepers 

Sturdi-built Greenhouse Mfg 

We've been making beautiful Redwood 

and Glass greenhouse kits in Portland 

Oregon for over 50 years. Each is 

customized with features and equipment 

to meet your unique gardening needs. 

Our greenhouses are shipped all over 

the U.S. Many greenhouse photos, 

information, and color catalog on web 

site, or call us. 

800-334-4115 

www.sturdi-built.com 

sturdi@sturdi-built.com 

Bamboo Fencer, Inc. 

Transform your back yard or garden 

into a calming oasis. Think bamboo! 

The ultimate "green" fence material. 

The Bamboo Good Neighbor Fence 

(made in USA), offers the best overall 

value in strength, durability, versatility 

and privacy. Visit us at our website for 

more information. 

888-381-3892 

www.bamboofencer.com 

Endless Pools, 

Swim at Home 

Swim or exercise in place against a 

smooth current adjustable to any speed 

or ability. Installed indoors or out the 

Endless Pool is perfect for swimming, 

exercise, therapy and family fun. 

Already own a pool? Ask us about the 

Fastlane®. Now add a swim current to 

any backyard pool! Request a free DVD 

and brochure today. 

800-233-0741 Ext. 6487 

www.endlesspools.com/6487 

Large-Scale Precast Concrete Pavers 

Create an elegant look with large-scale precast concrete pavers from 

Stepstone, Inc. With 20 sizes to choose from, Stepstone pavers are a 

perfect fit for hardscape or roof deck installations. Complete design 

specifications which can be downloaded in PDF or CAD formats. Call for 

color and finish samples. 

800-572-9029 

www.stepstoneinc.com 


STEPSTONE, INC

Julie Moir Messervy (right) 

designed the Toronto 

Music Garden (top) as 

an interpretation of a 

seven-part musical suite by 

Johann Sebastian Bach. She 

collaborated with cellist 

Yo-Yo Ma on the project. 

Above: She traces her love 

of landscapes to childhood 

explorations, discovering 

trilliums in the forest. 


on desi 

JULIE MOIR MESSERVY 

Form follows feeling in gardens designed to feed the soul 

A PROLIFIC DESIGNER OF BOTH PRIVATE 

and public landscapes (including the Toronto Music 

Garden), Julie Moir Messervy also loves to write 

and lecture about design. It's one way she wresties 

with concepts and coaxes them into shape. Her new 

book, Home Outside (The Taunton Press, 2009), 

presents design theory as well as practical advice. 

— VIRGINIA SMALL 

Q; How did you come to take an unabashedly emotional 

approach to designing landscapes? 

A: As a child, I spent a lot of time playing outside, 

building forts and making special places in mossy 

beds or under trees. I'd bury my nose in peonies and 

I studied trilliums in the forest. Being outdoors was all 

about feeling good. As a designer, I want each of my 

landscapes to feel just as special for my clients. For me, 

form doesn't follow function; form follows feeling. 

Qj Whafs your concept of "home outside"? 

A: Home is not just the house where you live, 

but also the entire landscape around the house. 

Basically, all the same things can happen outside a 

home as happen inside — you can play, eat, frolic — 

you can even tryst there! 

Qj So where do you start? 

A: I begin by analyzing the actual site and learning as 

much as I can about what the client's "ideal site" would 

be. Then I figure out one or more big moves that give 

me an organizing strategy for the design. Then I look 

for the desired level of comfort in specific outdoor 

spaces. For example, the front yard should ideally be a 

welcoming zone. If it does not feel welcoming, I look 

for ways to create a sense of comfort there. 

Qj What other types of spaces promote a sense of comfort? 

A: People like places to gather with family and 

friends, and these are often best close to the house. 

We also like getaway spaces, such as for a hammock, 

which can be farther from the house. 

Qj HOW does your training in architecture influence your 

sense of design? 

A: The same design principles apply to both buildings 

and landscapes. I take cues from the architecture and 

connect the lines or materials of a house with those 

around it. I create open-air rooms with some type of 

frame, but they don't always need to be symmetrical. 

Then I think about wayfinding and how to make it all 

feel part of a continuous, flowing whole.

NOT JUST ANY PLANTS ARE PROVEN WINNERS 

Buifdliea «'Blue Chip' ppaf, cbraf • LO & BEHOLD" Mature Height: 24-30" Mature Width: 30" USDA Zones 5-9 Best in Full Sun. 

While other plant brands may just repackage older varieties. Proven 

Winners® ColorChoice® plants are distinctive new varieties that 

make beautiful gardens easier. The professional horticulturists 

at Proven Winners carefully evaluate plants for qualities such as 

long-lasting color and easy care. We look for environmentallyfriendly 

plants, too - varieties that don't need a lot of spraying 

or special care to look great year after year. 

With its long bloom time and low-growing dwarf habit, Lo & 

Behold'" Blue Chip easily met our criteria. This dwarf buddleia 

blooms from mid-summer to frost without any deadheading or 

pruning. It's an environmentally friendly, non-invasive hybrid that 

attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. And since it's just 24-30" tall, 

even gardeners with tiny plots or container gardens can enjoy it. 

Choosing the right plants is our job. Enjoying them is yours. 

Find out more about Lo & Behold'" Blue Chip, including where to buy it, 

at www.provenwinners.com 

RW 

PROVEN 

WINNERS 

Easy to Grow, 

Incredibly Colorful 

Look for Proven 

Winners in the 

white containers.

Stone. The Foundation for Memorable Spaces. 

1.800.925.1491 WWW.ELDORADOSTONE.COM 

ELDORADO!» 

A HEADWATERS COMPANY

garden

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