garden

fresh
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
18 GARDEN DESIGN APRIL 09
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.