It has been great fun to go through the files of pictures I have from the Birmingham pot project. I am so glad I have these pictures. A garden is ephemeral at best; a container planting-yours for one season only. I am not going to talk about all of these pots I have done over the years-just picture them for anyone who never had a chance to see them. If you drove by them-here is a still image. I am up close to them in the designing and planting phase-not so much the grown out phase. But I did make an effort to photograph at 6am one Sunday morning every year in August, so I could see what had transpired. I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures as much as I enjoyed planting these pots.
The very best thing a body of work does for any designer is to permit and push them to whatever place lies ahead. I am happy to have had the opportunity to do them. I am casting at this moment a pair of Birmingham planters for a new project in Birmingham-this new work brings back memories of producing those pots so many years ago.
As much as I went over the design and the plant list, the very best part about these pots was how they grew out. I would be an idiot to suggest that the interaction of this inky fingers coleus and these few striking fingers of lime licorice was a finish I planned in advance. My plan-anything but what you see here. This mature pot is all about the nature of plant interactions, the nature of growing-nature.
This pot may be the closest I will ever get to fashion design. I will let this post go at that.
LOVE the Dinosaur Kale! Way cool!
Dear Dave, in my neck of the woods, we call it Nero di Toscano kale. I just planted it in the pots in front of the shop-much more to follow, yes? Deborah
I call it that also, especially when discussing it with a client, I sound appropriately erudite. :o)
I need never look anywhere else when I need planter inspiration! WOW!!!
Love the fashion design!
In the middle of summer I loved to take a walking tour of your containers and end with afternoon tea. The tea shops have gone and now your designs. Sad.
Always the containers were filled to over flowing. I marveled at the heigth and colors. Oh how I loved the colors. In one arrangement that I shall never forget, the container stood very close to a hydrant. The colors of the hydrant were included in the arrangement. Wonderful colors.
I miss them too. Thanks so much for your letter.
What a loss for the city of Birmingham! Gardening in the very hot and dry interior of California would require some plant substitutions; however, these still serve as great inspiration for scale, texture, and color combinations. Thanks again for sharing your favorites here…fabulous!
So lucky to live here and enjoy all your stunning creations, Deborah!