Archives for May 2014

The Window Box

I cannot remember what summer it was that I broke my leg, but I do remember being happy that it came after I planted the garden in front of the shop. In fact, I could have planted the window boxes dealing with a broken leg. Window boxes are at an easy height to plant, and of a scale to encourage and support any planting idea. The shop garden is not so complicated. A boxwood parterre, lots of gravel, and three big window boxes. The big window boxes are the star of the summer show. How I love planting those window boxes! I am a big fan of generously scaled window boxes. The planting is at counter height. Easy to plant. A window box is a cross between a container planting, and an in ground planting. There is more room and opportunity for a detailed expression in a window box than a container. A window box can be filled with the most compost rich and friable soil. I like planting with my fingers.

Planting annual beds in ground requires a lot of digging and turning with a shovel. The work of this is daunting. Real work. Sometimes annuals planted in ground at grade do poorly. Heavy clay soil, or sandy soil, can contribute to a poor show. I like bedding out for the summer with my choice of soil, great drainage, and a place to work that is elbow level. Planting in ground comes with a whole host of trouble. I like minimizing the trouble, and maximizing the opportunity. Big window boxes are my idea of a venue that affords lots of expression with not so much digging. I have seen plenty of window boxes that are 8″ wide, 4″ deep, and 18″ long. What does one plant in a box of that edited a dimension? Succulents are a good choice. But if succulents are not your style, make bigger boxes. I like window boxes that are wider than the window, deep enough to hold moisture for 2 days, and wide enough to plant plenty of plants.

Most commercially manufactured window boxes are made to sizes that fit UPS shipping requirements. What gardener wants to be limited by those dimensions? An investment in a custom sized window box will result in a lifetime of planting pleasure. The boxes at my shop are roomy. I would suggest that if you have a mind to invest in window boxes, go for roomy. Plants need a place to live. They do not so much mind being crowded by a neighbor. But they do need some space to put down their own roots.

You can see from this picture that my window boxes are wider than my windows. And wider than my shutters. In my opinion, whatever element is closest to the ground needs to be the widest and most visually sturdy element. A window box is a foundation which complements the window. Any planting box framing a window is an empire. Size those boxes accordingly.

The window boxes at the shop are of a size that enables me to explore an idea about color. A story about texture. These boxes, which have been my pleasure to plant for summer once a year, for 18 years, are little cities. The have a style. A language all their own. A particular set of rules. A commentary on design. A look. The day I plant them is a good day indeed.

The window boxes take on a life of their own, once I have planted them. They grow out, however they will. The best part of any planting is seeing how nature responds to my ideas. The big idea is to give every voice a chance. And chance what you will. A properly scaled window box means you have room to explore.

Shade window box

shop boxes

shop box

window boxes made to fit on a wall

window box planting

roof boxes

The roof boxes at the shop last year were as good as I could make them. All of my boxes provide me with a chance to grow a community of plants on to a greater visual good. Thinking about window boxes? Go long and deep. You won’t regret it.

Posted on: May 28, 2014 17 Comments

Filed Under: Detroit Garden Works, Summer, container planting Tagged With: window boxes

Shades Of Green

The success of this window box has little to do with the flowers. The color of the foliage is the story. The blue green foliage makes the carmine purple petunias pop. Though I have a big love for flowers, flowers come with green leaves standard issue.. As in pale green, medium green, dark green, yellow green, blue green, black green-you get the idea. Consider the leaf color when designing containers. A container garden is a landscape in miniature. When the spaces are small, every move you make matters. Every choice makes waves.

This container has nothing to say about flowers either. It has a lot to say about texture. It has even more to say about a particular shade of green. A great container is deliberate in exploring the relationships between all of the colors involved.

A succulent is not my most favorite plant. But this kind of green is available in few other plants. Not every plant in a container has to be a favorite. But every plant should be chosen for what it contributes to the mix.Grey foliaged plants can inform any color scheme. I am a big fan of the Cirrus dusty miller. The felted gray leaves look great with pink, yellow, purple , or white flowers. Gray green foliage in a container planting can cool off a hot color scheme. Interested in a cool and serene scheme? Choose cool green foliage over yellow green foliage.

I have never been so much a fan of gray in the landscape. By itself, gray recalls rainy days, and not much else. But gray foliage in combination with other flower colors shines. Gray green foliage and white flowers-classic. Gray green foliage and pale yellow-worth a look. Gray green foliage and red violet petunias-a happening. Gray, white and cool green-a tri-color container color combination is rhythmic.

Medium green is a workhorse of a foliage color.

Vinca vine is a most ordinary and widely available trailing container plant. Give it another look. This particular shade of green variegated with so pale cream yellow edges may endow your container planting with just the right shade of green.

dieffenbachia with white polka dot plant and lime licorice

Have a love for lime green? This shade of green is electric. Should you have the idea to make a big splash, lime green foliage will make your hot pink and orange flowers glow. An orange lantana standard will be lit from underneath, given an under planting of creeping jenny or lime licorice. or this crazy corkscrew rush.

The new growth of almost every plant in the spring is one shade of lime green or another. If you have a mind to celebrate the opening of the garden all summer long, lime green plants are happy to oblige.

pale green dieffenbachia will light up a shady spot.

lime green variegated potato vine sizzles.
lemon cypress

coprosma is a lime variegated plant grown for its glossy splashy foliage. it grows 2-3 feet tall, and will do in sun and part sun.

This dark foliaged dahlia has brilliant orange flowers.

See what I mean about green?

Posted on: May 26, 2014 14 Comments

Filed Under: container planting, Color Tagged With: foliage plants, green plants, variegated foliage

Tell The Story

Any seasonal planting begins with an idea. An organizing metaphor. That collection of ideas and the resulting metaphor makes for a story. A story you wish to tell with plants. Plants are one thing, but the plants you choose for a particular container should live together in a meaningful way. The design of in ground annual plantings and container plantings takes many formal design issues into account. Color, texture, mass, line-these are formal elements of design that apply to any creative expression. The deliberately chosen relationships between all of these elements tell a story.

Some containers I plant, the color is the story. Others, the texture and mass is the story. Others echo or repeat a story about loss, or love. Others recreate a moment from the past. Some stories are about joy. Those stories may be on fire. Some stories are pastoral, or a longing for another place and time. Other stories echo a family history. Another story may be about refuge. Some stories have to do with agriculture and farming. Important events have stories attached to them. Some stories are witty, saucy, or funny.

All of my clients have their own particular story. Their likes and dislikes. How they would choose to represent the beauty of a garden is particular to them. For those with whom I have a long history, I plant in service of what I know of their story. I may not be dead to right in every regard, but a client who returns year after year must feel that I hear them.

A plant is a thing of wonder in and of itself. But a great container planting is not a collection of plants. It is a community of plants that when planted in a confined space creeate visual and emotional meaning. This client likes green above all. She likes a planting which is serene and quiet. She likes the relationship between old plants of formal shape, and meadow like plantings which include lavender and other herbs. She likes plants that remind her of a conservatory, as in ferns.

This stone wall/planter has had a lot of things in it over the year. One year, Chicago figs. Another year, white nicotiana. This year we have sky blue Cathedral salvia, icicle helichrysum, variegated licorice, and strawberries.

This variegated boxwood also has variegated licorice, as it is near by. And the coloration of the leaves echo one another, and contrast in size and shape. The little pot-a single Spanish lavender plant.

The double ball boxwood topiary in the corner is quite old. The lavender topiary is new, and beginning to bloom.

The long troughs have a mixture of blue green leaved plants, and silver leaved plants.

The pool yard is a little less quiet. A duranta on standard is under planted with surfinia sky blue petunias, and artist ageratum. A rosemary topiary is under planted with a variegated sage. The center pot has 3 elegant feather plants, surrounded by lime green spikes and bicolor angelonia.

White lantana on standard, and polka dot plant. The low planters have green echeverias.

4 hanging baskets for the porch are planted with a white variegated plectranthus, and a gray plectranthus, mixed.

The far pots are planted with white mandevillea, and a host of attending white flowered and gray leaved plants.

The plant stand is planted with white caladiums, bird’s nest ferns, white non stop begonias, Jayde pepperomia, and maidenhair ferns. The big lead pot is planted with a single Kimberly fern. Very quiet, and peaceful. Hopefully the story of these containers is evident in all of the choices. We will see how it reads in August.

Posted on: May 23, 2014 15 Comments

Filed Under: Garden Design, container planting Tagged With: container planting design

Garden Design Magazine

The new Garden Design Magazine just came out. The original magazine, which was greatly appreciated by aficianados of great landscape and garden design, quit publishing a few years ago. The rights to the magazine were eventually purchased by Jim Peterson. What he has created comes from a vision all his own. The 132 page publication is more book than magazine. Everything about it is beautiful, including the paper it is printed on. If you have a strong interest in landscape and garden design, I would urge you to subscribe.

We have another reason to be thrilled with this premier issue. A feature article about my work, and the evolution of my group of companies, is a very special moment for me, indeed. Most important to me is being part of a group of great designers from all over the country whose work is detailed here. Thank you, Jim. If you are local, we do have copies available at Detroit Garden Works.