Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.9, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Deborah Silver & Co. Deborah Silver is an accomplished and experienced landscape and garden designer whose firm first opened its doors in 1986. ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://deborahsilver.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Sailing Close To The Wind](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sailing-close-to-the-wind/) - I recently ran across some pictures of holiday containers from the year 2000. The year 2000? I was faint with surprise. It is impossible to believe that we have just finished our 21st season designing, fabricating and installing winter arrangements in pots and containers, but indeed we have. I would have guessed we had 10 - [Sunday Opinion: The Peaceable Kingdom](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-peaceable-kingdom/) - We have had quite a run of unseasonably cold weather the past week - night temperatures in the 20's. The ornamental kales and cabbages that often persist without a blemish into December look wilted. I have reluctantly put away my tee shirts, and stacked up wool sweaters and fleeces in their place. The evergreens in - [At A Glance: The Winter Pots and Boxes: 2000-2021](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-winter-pots-and-boxes-2000-2021/) - 2000 To follow is a substantial run of pictures from my winter container arrangement archives-the photo collection and work dates back 21 years. I am as surprised to see this as you are. I did not think there were this many years and that much history-but here it is. I did not compare every picture - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/recent-work-6/) - What is to follow does by no means represent all of the winter and holiday container work that was done this season, but it's a start. It will take a few more posts to talk about them all. But I could not be happier for the incredible, thoughtful and memorable work of staff from Deborah - [Lighted Rings For Winter Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lighted-rings-for-winter-pots/) - The centerpiece for a winter container will be all the better with the addition of light. After all, we have 12 hours of darkness this time of year. Nothing warms the winter landscape like lights glowing. Years ago it was a source of endless frustration, trying to arrange and suspend incandescent light strings in the - [The 2021 Winter Pots: Take Your Pick](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2021-winter-pots-take-your-pick/) - Amassing a collection of beautiful materials for winter and holiday containers and home decor at our place usually begins at least a year in advance of the season in question. Behind the scenes, ideas are tested, and those great ideas become prototypes. Orders are placed from the prototypes, and manufacturing is based on orders taken - [A Pergola From Branch Studio](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-pergola-from-branch-studio/) - I am several years into a landscape project with great and ever so patient clients. In 2019 we removed their old dysfunctional driveway, regraded the entire front yard, and added back a new driveway and a landscape to go with. So far, so good. The back yard has been the subject of our efforts - [On The 4th Floor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/on-the-4th-floor/) - Detroit Garden Works has a milestone of note in its immediate future. It was the evening of the 28th of March in 1996 that we announced the opening of the shop via an evening reception to loyal friends, family, and clients of Deborah Silver and Company. That following morning, we welcomed anyone and everyone with - [Rise And Shine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/rise-and-shine/) - We designed and installed the landscape here in 2015, part of which included a large blue stone landing linking the driveway to the front door. I always appreciate the opportunity to design the hard surfaces at the front door. Too often the walk and porch are too narrow, and any steps too shallow. The front - [A Perfect Moment](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-perfect-moment-2/) - By late January, winter has an immutable grip on my zone. It's cold, but the cold is not the spirit breaker. Its the gray. All the imperceptibly different versions of gray. The massive and almost daily uni-cloud that covers the entire landscape from the sky on down. We have weeks and weeks of it yet - [At A Glance: The Lighted Rings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-lighted-rings/) - To follow is a visual collection of light rings which we have placed in winter containers over the past 15 years or so. This first picture is a detail of the last. The last picture features our current display of them at the shop. I am very pleased that adding strings of twig garland lights - [Good Bones](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/good-bones/) - The picture above was taken in the early morning of Jan 3, 2021. I remember waking up well before dawn to a landscape whose every surface was transformed by mounds of snow. Giant snowflakes floated downward on the still air like feathers, and stuck to whatever surface they touched first. The quiet was disconcerting. My - [Thirty Years](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/thirty-years/) - It was 30 years ago last night that Rob and I were hosting an opening preview celebration for Deborah Silver and Company's new venture - Detroit Garden Works. This brand new company would make fine, whimsical, intriguing, memorable and shockingly beautiful ornament for the garden available to keen gardeners of all persuasions. Ha. It - [The Grapevine Deer](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-grapevine-deer-2/) - It was a yearly thing at Detroit Garden Works - the arrival of the grapevine deer. The deer are no longer being made, but it is still worth the time and trouble to tell the story. In celebration, we outfitted a window box with all the fruits of the harvest. Cabbage, romanesco broccoli, lime green - [The Winter/Holiday Season at Detroit Garden Works](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-holiday-season-at-detroit-garden-works/) - After an intensely re-imagined and heartfelt few weeks, all of the materials new and old we have available for winter and holiday expressions have been unboxed and put on display at the shop. Heartfelt? We work our collective hearts out to provide our clients with materials that recall, honor and celebrate the garden at year's - [Danger Garden Part 2: White Nose Syndrome](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/danger-garden-part-2-white-nose-syndrome/) - Though many people abhor the thought or the presence of bats, gardeners and farmers know that bats in North America are our friends. They consume many many times their weight in insects-insects that devastate garden plants and crops. I am sure they have been a model for many a horror film character, but they actually are great - [Once A Year And This Is It](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/once-a-year-and-this-is-it/) - Once a year we have spring in Michigan, and this is it. Ha. Let that big talk on my part sink in a little. I am not at all sure we are having spring yet. Maybe what we have now is just a cold, rainy, and off putting version of pre-spring. Maybe I missed - [Vernissage Again](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-again/) - Sixteen years ago, on April 1 of 2009, I published a blog post, appropriately entitled "Vernissage". The title of the post was my very loose interpretation of the French word that refers to art openings. As much as the essay signaled the opening of my gardening season, it was a very special beginning for me. - [Vernissage 2020](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-2020/) - 11 years ago, on April 1 of 2009, I published my very first Dirt Simple blog post, appropriately entitled "Vernissage" The title of the post was my very loose interpretation of the French word that refers to openings. As much as it signaled the opening of my gardening season, it was a very special beginning - [March 29, 1996](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/march-29-1996/) - It was nineteen years ago tonight that Rob and I were hosting an opening party for Deborah Silver and Company's new venture-Detroit Garden Works. My landscape design/build firm, Deborah Silver and Company, was founded in 1986- 10 years before this special moment. Though the vast majority of my landscape design works since 1986 revolved around - [Do It Now](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/do-it-now/) - I usually write about hydrangeas in the late summer, when they are gracing most every garden in my zone with their armloads of marvelously frothy flowers. Ha. Hopefully that written description sounds just as extravagant as they appear in full bloom. This shrub, and all of its many iterations and cultivars, energizes and endows our - [Let It Be](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/let-it-be/) - As much as a landscape and garden evolves over time, the same could be said for a gardener. Those of us who garden probably don't give much time to that thought, as the process can take years and really never ends. No one becomes a gardener overnight. Just like a landscape does not come in - [Green Flowered Hellebores](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/green-flowered-hellebores/) - The herbaceous perennial helleborus is represented by 20 or so species. It is a member of the ranunculus family. This incredible picture of a flower of Helleborus Corsicus, from about-garden.com, tells the tale. Hellebore flowers are comprised of 5 sepals, which persist in fruit. The fact that hellebores emerge from the ground and bloom very - [Taking the Next Step](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/taking-the-next-step/) - It was not my intent to give the impression that the time it took to write my previous post was in any way comparable to the time it took to light up that first vintage steel hoop and end up manufacturing steel light rings. In face I want to discourage that interpretation. That post was - [Ringing In The 2025 Winter Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/ringing-in-the-2025-winter-season/) - It is probably close to 15 years ago that Rob wrapped a vintage steel tractor tire hoop with a string of incandescent holiday lights, and hung it in a tree. On a whim, I might add. A hank of ten ends jute attached to the top of the ring at one end, and a stout - [Gravel In The Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/gravel-in-the-garden/) - I have no idea what type of stone this antique English millstone was carved from, but I can attest to the fact that our skid steer could barely lift it. I averted my eyes when I saw the rear tires of our loader leave the ground. Stone is incredibly dense, and heavy. If this millstone - [Beauty](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/beauty/) - A client came in last week wearing a tee shirt that had the word BEAUTY printed across it. A few days later her Mom came in, wearing the same shirt. I have no idea as to the origin, intent or meaning of that word having been printed on that shirt. I did not ask. But - [The Garden Cruise July 23, 2023](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-cruise-july-23-2023/) - Detroit Garden Works hosted its first Garden Cruise to benefit the Greening of Detroit since 2019. I feel an intense satisfaction in being able to write that sentence. Perhaps some background for those readers who are not familiar with this event should come first. The Garden Cruise is a celebration of a lot of events. - [Survey Your Spot](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/survey-your-spot/) - To follow is the first in a series of a discussion of how I design. Maybe it will help you; maybe it will inspire your own process. If you are like me, you have a mortgage. With that, came a mortgage survey; you need to fish that thing out. This document shows how your house, - [Ready to Plan?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/ready-to-plan/) - What is it the right time for? That's simple-make plans. People are good at planning. We are actually much better at planning, than dealing with what we didn't plan for-so make use of what you are good at. We've all made grocery lists, given birthday parties, hosted holiday dinners, decided to have families, gone back - [At A Glance: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-work-6/) - We are just about halfway with our holiday and winter container work. To follow are some pictures of what work we have done-and an associated before photo that gives a little insight into the studio process. 9 people are involved in every project from the start to the installation. Enjoy some of the highlights of - [Lighted Steel Hoops](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lighted-steel-hoops/) - I don't remember how long ago it was that Rob began experimenting with attaching lights to steel forms, but I would guess it was at least 10 years ago. There was a series of steel augurs, wound with rope lights, and hung from stout branches in the linden trees. Any farm tool was fair game. - [A 2020 Winter Container: Start To Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-2020-winter-container-start-to-finish/) - Every winter container project presents its own unique set of challenges. Those challenges may relate to location, armature construction, materials or design. But getting the scale and proportion right is always the most difficult. A winter arrangement that is under scaled relative to the size of the intended container will always look out of proportion, - [The 2020 Winter Pots Part 1](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2020-winter-pots-part-1/) - I have been writing about the design, construction and installation of our winter pots in great detail for a good many years. I have done so for several reasons. First and foremost, I believe the transmission of knowledge and process is something every person should do, if they are able. I also think that our - [Fall Front And Center](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-front-and-center/) - Just think about it. The summer gardening season begins to wane, and every passionate gardener begins to fret. The letting go is not easy. I know I dig in my heels and ignore the obvious signs of the passing. Letting go is actually incredibly difficult. Just the thought that close to a year will pass - [The 2020 Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2020-hydrangeas/) - The hydrangeas in bloom this year have been beyond gorgeous. I have never seen them better, and I have been growing hydrangeas for a long time. The object of my affection and admiration are white flowering varieties that bloom on new wood. Blue and pink hydrangeas that bloom on old wood - this would be - [A Good Year For Zinnias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-good-year-for-zinnias/) - Planting the summer garden in front of the shop this year was more about less than anything. Every supplier of seasonal plants was inundated with customers from the very first hint of spring. Plants I had custom grown, labelled sold, and roped off for gardens to be planted in June were a constant target of - [Part 2: The Landscape To Go With](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/part-2-the-landscape-to-go-with/) - My last post dealt in detail with the process of relocating a driveway for my clients. It was a huge investment both in resources and time-from early spring until late summer. Good for me that my clients are incredibly patient people. The property features lots of trees of considerable age. There was no interest on - [A House On A Hill](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-house-on-a-hill/) - It's a rather quick and showy matter - to discuss container planting design, planting, and the eventual, and hopefully lush outcome. The satisfaction planting and growing them on is a pleasure of a single summer season. But landscape projects can consume months of work, and the progress can be slow. Any large landscape project that - [A Color Scheme](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-color-scheme/) - I like to cart watch. During annual planting season, I am interested to see what plants people choose. I try to imagine what it is they are going for, as evidenced by the plants in their carts. Light and airy? Tropically intense? Textured? Moody? Exuberant? I could spot Rob's cart in a greenhouse chock full - [At A Glance: In The Same Genre](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-in-the-same-genre/) - Rob has planted so many herb/flower and vegetable pots-to follow is a big selection that compliments my last post. Rob's genre-I like the sound of that. - [Sustaining](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sustaining/) - My apologies to all of you who read my essays. Two days ago, the server for all of our associated websites and this blog crashed. All is rebuilt now, but my latest post, this post named "Sustaining" was a casualty, but for the beginning two paragraphs. The original version cannot be restored. To follow is - [Sheared: Part Two](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sheared-part-two/) - Anyone who chooses to look up topiary plants of distinction on their computer will find no end of articles with pictures of grand gardens featuring breathtaking topiary plants. Many of them have been cultivated long enough to have acquired shrine status. The size and scale of many of these topiary plants is staggering, never mind - [Shear Pleasure: Topiary](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/shear-pleasure-topiary/) - Gardeners have been pruning plants just as long as they have been growing them. It isn't too hard to figure out why. A broken tree limb or dead cane on a rose needs to be cut off, as dead branches are just plain unsightly. A wild hair of a shrub branch hanging over the - [All Hellebores Great and Small](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/all-hellebores-great-and-small/) - My first exposure to hellebores was likely in the 1970's. Though gardening consumed every available moment and most of any available cash I had for plants, there were no hellebores in my yard. I could buy five other plants for the money it took to buy one hellebore. My Mom, on the other hand, being - [The 2020 Hellebores](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2020-hellebores/) - The hellebores do not have to compete very hard for my attention in the spring. They are just about the only perennial game in town come late March and on into April. I will admit I am out there searching for signs of them when the ground is still frozen solid. I am an enthusiast, - [From Nothing To Something](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/from-nothing-to-something/) - March is invariably the most desolate month of all in my garden. Everything sits in stony silence. The passing of the snow reveals a landscape sullen from months of cold. The straw colored grass is thin. Muddy dirt pools in those places where the grass succumbed. The stoic evergreens that have been unable to absorb - [Some Thoughts On Places and Spaces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-thoughts-on-places-and-spaces/) - What are we looking at here? Lacking any recognizable objects or context, it is tough to tell. As this is not a quiz, I will identify it. A 10 foot tall concrete block wall behind Detroit Garden Works, covered with the skeletal branches of Boston Ivy, has a hat of windswept snow. Behind and above - [Some Thoughts About Design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-thoughts-about-design/) - Late in December of 2012, we were gearing up to install the winter pots and lighting at Detroit Garden Works. Central to that display were 6 tall narrow concrete pots that had been fabricated at Branch. They were the devil to address, no matter the season. How so? Despite their height and heft, the top - [Do Not Go Gently](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/do-not-go-gently/) - No gardener in my zone goes gently into that night we know as winter. Should you live in Georgia or Tahiti, I imagine the garden goes on year round. I am sure come mid February, I will be longing for another place to be similar to the aforementioned. Those of us in northern zones dread - [A Reindeer On The Roof](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-reindeer-on-the-roof/) - Deer in the garden is a sore subject for those gardeners who are plagued by the destruction they wreak on every plant shrub and tree in the landscape. What they don't eat, they trample. They even rub the bark off of trees when they are rutting, for Pete's sake. Preventing deer from demolishing the garden - [At A Glance: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-work-5/) - To follow are some visual highlights of our winter work. I will not fault anyone who cannot wade through them all! My group produced a prodigious amount of work the past five weeks, and I am pleased that every winter project we had is finished. We are better than halfway through the Detroit Garden Works - [A Lighted Winter Arrangement](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-lighted-winter-arrangement/) - A request to turn a limestone fountain into a container for the winter is not the usual thing, but why not? The dimensions were not overwhelmingly large. Nonetheless, 45" by 45" is a lot of territory to cover. The real test would be producing an arrangement of sufficient size to be properly proportional to the - [A Tree Of A Different Sort](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-tree-of-a-different-sort/) - Not every holiday tree necessarily needs to sport needles, and have a cone like shape, does it? We did have a request from a client for an alternative and more sculptural version of the traditional lighted tree. I was happy to oblige, given that senior Branch Studio fabricators Sal and James indicated they were willing - [Flip The Switch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/flip-the-switch-2/) - Our winter/holiday installations take place during the day. During regular business hours. But we do endow most every project with some night light. As much as we dare provide for. We guess as best we can about the placement and intensity of light in the winter containers. They provide both container and landscape lighting. Our - [Winter Pots For Ms. H](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-pots-for-ms-h/) - Every project we do for the winter season begins with a good deal of discussion. The winter containers for Ms. H is the subject of a particular discussion. That astonishing level of discussion on her behalf is simple to understand. We have a big love for her. This year, we had two issues to address. - [At A Glance: More Garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-garlands/) - If you have been reading this journal for a long time, you may see pictures you have seen before. I find that looking at older work always has a purpose. What you would not want to repeat is obvious, but some work stands up fairly well to the passing of the years, and is worth - [A Holiday Garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-holiday-garland/) - A holiday garland over the front door or mantel is undoubtedly a special yet familiar expression of the joy marking the turning of the season from fall to winter. Representing equal parts pageantry, goodwill, and a love of nature and natural materials, a garland is a hand worked expression of the garden appropriate to display - [Day And Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/day-and-night-4/) - My post from November 11 concerning the construction of centerpieces for winter pots included this picture of Sal finishing the job of strapping very tall red twig dogwood branches and red berry picks to a tomato cage. It was obvious that a centerpiece of this size was destined for a very large pot. The substantial - [The Winter Pots: A Visual Tutorial](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-pots-a-visual-tutorial/) - To follow is a visual tutorial, from start to finish, of how we construct winter and holiday arrangements. We do rely on the armature for both fresh, dried, and faux stems and branches provided by dry floral foam. Once we create forms for a client, those forms are used for a good number of years. - [The Winter Pots: Constructing A Centerpiece](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-pots-constructing-a-centerpiece/) - A customer in the shop yesterday remarked that the beauty of a winter or holiday container begins and ends with gorgeous fresh cut branches. I am inclined to agree. Our first delivery of fresh cut branches arrived just in time for our winter open house weekend. The tall sized second year red twig dogwood that - [Berried Treasure](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/berried-treasure/) - It is not hard to believe that we will be beginning our winter and holiday containers and decor in another week or so. The past 10 days have been an intense effort to unpack and display in the shop all of the materials Rob purchased almost a year ago for this season. Our kickoff open - [Hoop It Up: Lighting The Winter Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hoop-it-up-lighting-the-winter-landscape/) - The benchmark of our winter and holiday season is the seasonal lighting made available at Detroit Garden Works. Any current year's collection becomes available towards the end of October. We measure all else we offer for winter gardens to clients by the effort we make to have something of value available to light the landscape. - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/recent-work-5/) - We have but a few fall container projects yet to plant. It takes about 6 weeks to do them all. We have landscape projects that are on going, but planting up containers is a part of our service that we take seriously. The conversation generated with clients over containers is an important one. If I - [14 Hands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/14-hands/) - A designer emailed me around 11 one morning last week to ask if we could select 10 large pots, fill them for fall, and deliver them downtown the following morning. Of course it would involve making some changes to the plans we had for the day - that was the easy part. What would be - [41 Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/41-pots/) - We have a few clients with large numbers of containers to plant. We were scheduled to switch over the summer season to the fall for one of those clients. We removed all of the summer plantings, potted up the topiary plants that would be stored until next season, and replanted for fall. 41 pots and - [At A Glance: A Collection of Fall Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-collection-of-fall-pots/) - To follow is an embarrassing number of pictures of fall pots from previous seasons. For those of you who have seen some of these before, I hope seeing them a second time is warranted. I actually like to look at all the fall container pictures as I am about to start the current crop of - [Decoration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/decoration/) - What is decoration? The dictionary says it is something that is added to something else to make it more attractive. As awkward as this might sound, I think this sums it up rather well. It is indeed a certain special and personal something added to an ordinary something. Others say it is the act of - [Water In The Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/water-in-the-garden/) - I suppose there are those moments when rain in the garden means trouble. A windy and strong downpour can knock the peonies and the delphiniums to the ground. Heavy rains can weigh down the flower panicles of hydrangeas in full bloom. A tree hydrangea whose flowers are stooped over from heavy rain - I avert - [Flowers For A Wedding](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/flowers-for-a-wedding/) - When I was young, I did a fair number of weddings. The cut flower part, that is. It is a job for a young person. It is a do it right and do it now situation. Bridal floral work come in all sizes and shapes, but all of it comes with a substantial dose of - [August](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/august-2/) - Did I spend weeks designing and specifying plant material for the shop garden this past February? No, absolutely not. I rarely think about the shop plantings until our work for clients is coming to a close. That means that I scout what seasonal plant material is still available in late June or early July. I - [The Landscape Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-landscape-finish/) - I have written a number of posts about this very special project that has taken better than a year to complete. I have saved the landscape finish for last, as that part had to wait for the walls, terraces, stairs, driveway and pergolas to at least be underway before we could begin. A close friend - [Cultivating Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/cultivating-hydrangeas/) - Hydrangeas of varying types have to be the most widely grown summer flowering shrubs of all. How so? The numbers of cultivars bred from the species serrata, macrophylla, paniculata, arborescens, anomala (climbing hydrangea) and quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea) surely number in the hundreds. The numbers of those hybrids and cultivars commonly available for sale are staggering. - [The 2019 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2019-garden-cruise-2/) - The twelfth Garden Cruise was surely one of our best ever. The hot weather broke just in time, the rain was minimal, the gardens looked great, and our after tour reception was a summer delight. The best news was the fact that we raised more for the Greening this cruise around than ever before. Dave - [Pruning The Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/pruning-the-boxwood-2/) - The day that Melissa and her crew comes to prune my boxwood is my favorite day of the gardening year. First and foremost, their pruning is extraordinarily true and square. So precise. It takes a while to set up all of the level lines that will serve at a cutting guide. But beyond the string - [Planting The Summer Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-the-summer-pots-2/) - The day I go home to plant my pots for summer is a happy day indeed. I like planting my containers at home. But more importantly, it means that all of my client's pots are done. Being last in line has its advantages. There is time to mull over a scheme. Having scouted and purchased - [The 2019 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2019-garden-cruise/) - On Sunday July 21, Detroit Garden Works will host its 12th Garden Cruise to benefit the Greening of Detroit. If you have never taken or heard of our tour, it began in 2009 when I became a member of their board of governors. Not being one to happily participate in meetings and such, I decided - [Cornus Kousa](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/cornus-kousa/) - From the Missouri Botanical Garden website, read the following about the kousa dogwood. "Cornus kousa, commonly called Kousa dogwood, is a small, deciduous flowering tree or multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows 15-30’ tall, with a vase-shaped habit in the early years but eventually maturing to a more rounded form. Bloom occurs in late spring. The - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/recent-work-4/) - We have been planting container projects daily, one after another, since May 15. With time outs for cold, and torrential rain. I do not ever remember a season quite like this one. Very cold night temperatures, cloudy skies and relentless rains have been the order of the day. A client remarked that we have had - [Planting The Summer Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-the-summer-pots/) - The opportunity to suggest a collection of pots to a client is pleasure indeed. We looked at lots of them, but she kept coming back to these Belgian stoneware pots. This was no surprise, given that the architecture of her house is contemporary. And dramatic. The roof combines a large curved window with strongly angular - [Choosing Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/choosing-containers/) - Strictly speaking any object that can hold soil and permit water to drain away constitutes a container. The choices are infinite, really. A container planting that considers the size, shape and style of the container as an essential part of the overall effect is especially beautiful to my eye. A choice of container represents a - [The Summer Container Plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-summer-container-plantings/) - The demand for landscape design and installation has been one after the other this spring. I am sure you can tell, given how few and far between my posts have been of late. Our persistently chilly weather has given way to some gardening friendly weather. Suddenly, the summer container planting season is here, and my - [The 2019 Tulips](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2019-tulips/) - A few days ago I drove to Metamora to see a client. For those of you not in my area, it took over an hour and a half to make the trip out and back. I only saw tulips blooming in one place that entire trip. A group of 30 or so bright peach tulips - [A Blast From The Past](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-blast-from-the-past/) - Anyone familiar with my garden knows I am a fan of evergreen plants. That makes sense. I live in a gardening zone notorious for its lengthy off season. Not only are our winters long, but our early spring and late fall can also be cold and anything but green. So I grow yews, and arborvitae, - [The Cloister Style Pergola, Part Two](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-cloister-style-pergola-part-two/) - You may not have read in November of last year a post about a landscape renovation that we have had underway since June of 2018. A part of this project in process involves the design and fabrication of a large scale cloister style pergola. The story behind the design and fabrication? Click here for the - [A Spring Mix](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-spring-mix/) - We plant loads of containers in April in celebration of the spring season. The length, depth, and breadth of that planting is informed and driven by those materials available that can tolerate the chill. Farmed twigs are shipped to us in early spring and late fall. They provide mass, volume and height to our container - [April 2, 2019](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/april-2-2019/) - What was noteworthy about this past Tuesday, the second of April? We planted containers and flower beds at 5095 for spring, 3 weeks earlier than last year. Our first spring planting. The morning was decidedly chilly, but the afternoon was sunny and warm. I could not have been more pleased or content to be outside - [Planting Spring Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-spring-pots/) - My penchant for planting containers for spring is based on several factors. At 30 years old, it seemed like an infinite number of springs were ahead. If I skipped planting fall bulbs, or spring pots, or a rose or a tree, there would always be next year. Or the year after that. In a blink - [Spring At Detroit Garden Works: An Addendum](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-at-detroit-garden-works-an-addendum/) - As I was writing about the spring opening of Detroit Garden Works, it occurred to me that what the shop does best is reflect the taste and sensibilities of a wide range of gardeners. I have Rob to thank for that. Many years ago I made a landscape design call to a client whose house - [The Cotehele Holiday Garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-cotehele-holiday-garland/) - Courtesy of an article in the holiday issue of the British edition of Country Living, I became acquainted with a National Trust property in England known as Cotehele. The property features a rambling stone manor house built in the 14th and 15th centuries, on 1300 acres of property. It is one of the oldest and - [Spring, Detroit Garden Works Style](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-detroit-garden-works-style/) - Rob decides when we will have spring. Ha. He knows just like every other gardener that the arrival of spring is attended by many false starts and deceptive signs. And at just that moment when you feel you might black out from the last of the miserable weather, nature switches on the light. But when - [At A Glance: The Library](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-library-2/) - My last post about the restoration of the paper mache cherubs included the above picture. The cherubs aside, I had a number of comments about my library, and requests for more information about it. As the last time I wrote about it was in 2009, I think it is fine to address it again. I - [A Belated Valentine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-belated-valentine-2/) - I suspect it has been better than 10 years ago that Rob bought a small collection of oversized kraft paper mache cherubs that had been used for display at a holiday vendor showroom, and had them shipped to the shop. He asked me if I was interested. Yes I was. The purchase cost was nothing. - [Survival](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/survival/) - Several weeks ago my neighborhood in Michigan featured a weather extravaganza of substantially below zero temperatures with wind chills approaching -30 degrees, followed promptly by several days in the fifties. Astonishing, this. Nature is as extraordinary as it is unpredictable. Though I have observed and taken note of natural phenomena over a lifetime of seasons, - [The Light Rings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-light-rings/) - If my memory serves me correctly, it was 7 years ago that Rob wound strand lighting around a few vintage wagon wheels, and suspended them from the ceiling of the shop for the holidays. I doubt they were on display for a week before the lot of them was purchased by an enthusiastic client. Over - [Cinderella](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/cinderella/) - A client asked of we would be able to light a pair of London Plane trees that we planted on either side of her driveway near the road - for the winter season. Of course I said yes. But I should back up. To say that we planted them warrants further explanation. I asked Ralph - [The Winter Ahead](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-ahead/) - We finished the last of our winter container work this past Friday, January 4. The pots on my driveway were the very last of the late work. I do not mind that dead last slot. We have a long winter ahead of us. If I am ready for what Michigan winter weather has to dish - [New Year's Day, 2019](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/new-years-day-2019/) - Dear friends of mine dress their home and table for the Christmas holidays in a way that never fails to astonish and delight me. I have written about their holiday at least three times before, but I knew this year would be special. They spent the last two Christmas holidays visiting family in the US - [Winter Window Boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-window-boxes/) - A good many posts ago, I described a window box as a hybrid vehicle. It is generally more expansive than a pot, but smaller than an in ground garden bed. A window box is an above ground defined space which is large enough to thoroughly explore an idea, and small enough to finish every square - [From Start To Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/from-start-to-finish/) - Once in a blue moon we have a client who decides to buy new pots in December. The process from purchase to finish involves a series of steps, the first of which is the placement. Installing pots in a bed, rather than on a hard surface, is not all that usual. But in this case, - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-recent-work/) - All of my group has been fabricating and installing at a breakneck pace since early November. That intensity has its ups and downs. By the end of a six day week, we are all tired. But the best part of an intense season are those great ideas that emerge. Design and fabrication is a big - [At A Glance: The Installation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-installation/) - Those flame willow forms set in mountain hemlock from my previous post proved to be too tall to transport in our box truck. Of course they were. The destination pots are 42" in diameter. There is only one chance to get the scale and proportion right, as none of these materials will gain in size - [A Construction Plan](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-construction-plan/) - A pair of simply wrought steel cone forms can provide a sturdy armature for no end of garden projects. That precise form is orderly and pleasing set in a garden where chaos usually reigns. Any lax growing perennial or annual vine would appreciate its stability and strong shoulders. Another summer version features planting at the - [Flip The Switch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/flip-the-switch/) - Designing and installing containers for the winter season is very different than planting containers in any other season. Notably, nothing grows in a winter container. Though most of our materials are naturally growing materials, they are rootless. Cut branches, greens, berries and seed pods will be the same size, and occupy the same space - [RED](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/red/) - There is nothing that provides a better shot of B-12 to a winter landscape than some red. And no material provides that color better in our zone than red twig dogwood. Some of the newer hybrids, such as "Cardinal" have an even lighter and brighter red than the dark red of the species. I love - [At A Glance: The Yellow Twig Winter Installation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-yellow-twig-winter-installation/) - The previous post was all about the construction of a winter arrangement for a pair of pots and a sizeable planter. To follow are pictures of that installation. This is a look see post. I do not much see the need to write any more than what I have already written. Except to say that - [Fabricating Arrangements For The Winter Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fabricating-arrangements-for-the-winter-pots/) - It is indeed that time again. This past Friday we swept out the garage at Detroit Garden Works, and set up our fabrication shop. The most useful and best part of the shop is its heat. Warm space to work makes for good and thoughtful work. So does good materials. Rob works his heart out - [Part Three: The Pergola](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/part-three-the-pergola/) - If you have been reading this series of posts, you will recall that my landscape design called for a rectangular cloister style pergola to be built off my client's sun porch and garage. That shape was dictated by an L shaped space established by the sun porch, and the long back side of the garage. - [The Holiday/ Winter Preview Party 2018](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-winter-preview-party-2018/) - Rob and his group did an incredible job of getting the shop turned over to the holiday and winter season to come. I know there are those that are grumpy seeing this in what rightfully is the fall, but it takes many days and many pairs of hands to get this all ready. Our one - [The Schematic Plan: Part Two](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-schematic-plan-part-two/) - As promised, here is part two of the story of this landscape installation. The limestone terraces and wall caps were next up. I am very fortunate to have a stone mason that is as capable of building walls as he is installing flat work. That is not always the case. I suspect all of the - [Part One: A Schematic Plan](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/part-one-a-schematic-plan/) - A great client with whom I have a close relationship called more than a year ago to say she had bought a new house. Her last house was built from the ground up on a lake property we landscaped five years ago. I never imagined there would be a second project. This new land locked - [The Branch Studio: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-branch-studio-recent-work/) - It has been a while since I have written about Branch, so to follow are some snapshots of recent work. Pictured above is a 12' wide by 8' deep rose arbor. rose arbor from the side Custom made fountains with custom powder coat finish rectangular fountains in place Jackie box with a polar finish custom - [The Branch Studio In Philadelphia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-branch-studio-in-philadelphia/) - Jackie A is the outside sales manager for both Detroit Garden Works, and The Branch Studio. If you have ever inquired about getting a light hoop shipped out to you, or a custom pergola built, you have probably had occasion to talk with her. A talented landscape designer in her own right, she has a - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/recent-work-3/) - One of my crews has been planting fall containers full time and just about non stop for going on a month. I suspect we will be able to finish up by the end of this coming week. I am pleased that the warm weather has finally retreated. Really? Great seasonal container design is all the - [The 2018 Pumpkins](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2018-pumpkins/) - No fall garden journal of mine would be complete without a discussion of the pumpkins. Not just any pumpkins, but those especially beautiful and select fall fruits that Rob cuts and brings to the shop for sale in October. He is most assuredly an aficionado of this iconic sculpture of the fall season. Were you - [The Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-finish-2/) - All that work early last week in preparation for the installation of a group of pots planted for fall came to the following. I hope you enjoy them. Our fall container season will pick up steam from this point on, as will the fall landscape and garden. Looking forward to it. - [The Prep](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-prep/) - As busy as we have been with landscape installation projects, we have a full roster of clients for whom we do fall container installations. We are happy to oblige. I understand wanting to change the pots out for the season to come. A summer planting that has declined, or not done well, or which has - [In Consideration Of All Of The Views](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/in-consideration-of-all-of-the-views/) - Creating beautiful views in the landscape is an important component of good design. Those views are not exclusive to the outdoors. The frames around windows and glass doorways provide an ideal opportunity to create interesting views of the landscape from inside out. This is the most compelling reason there is to avoid foundation plantings that - [Growing On](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/growing-on/) - Picture this, from fifteen years ago. Nicole and Ross had a mass planting of yews original to their house right up against the foundation of the right side of the house, and enclosing the front porch. They had gotten large and leggy, as yews frequently do. The house has a distinctively low and wide profile - [One View At A Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/one-view-at-a-time/) - The rear south side of this yard is the last leg of the landscape renovation that has been going on here for a number of years. It is a good way to work-tackling one view at a time. The time to let the landscape speak back is time well spent. It is very hard to - [Designing With Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/designing-with-hydrangeas-2/) - Lots of gardeners in my zone has a love affair going on with hydrangeas. As well they should. They are rangy growing shrubs that deliver a heart stopping show of big luscious blooms from early to late summer, provided they get some regular water, and a decent amount of sun. It is that easy to - [The Wilson Foundry and Machine Co](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-wilson-foundry-and-machine-co/) - Rob recently posted a photograph to his instagram of the urns and planter boxes in the front of my house. You can see that photo here: Rob's instagram page A reader asked for more detail on those urns, and the story behind them. You can barely see one of the four in the right hand - [A New Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-landscape/) - A client who built a new house was not so enamored with the landscape that resulted. I understand that what it means to be in that spot, as I have watched it happen plenty of times. Building a new house calls for lots of decisions, and incredible focus. The decision making on the landscape for - [Up On The Roof](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/up-on-the-roof-2/) - Those of you who make a practice of visiting Detroit Garden Works are aware that we have planter boxes on the roof. Eight rectangular heavy gauge sheet metal boxes span the entire width of the front of the shop. Designing and maintaining the planting for those boxes is a challenge. The weather conditions up there - [The Summer Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-summer-containers/) - By no means have I had a chance to go back and look at all of the container projects we planted in late May and June, but I have had a chance to see a few. The season so far has been very friendly to the tropical plants. I am referring to the heat, of - [Home For The Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/home-for-the-garden-cruise/) - Our 11th annual Garden Cruise this past Sunday July 15 was a success in a number of ways. We sold a record 405 tickets, and hosted 150 people at Detroit Garden Works for our after tour bites and beverage reception. The fine dining part of that reception was engineered and presented by Toni Sova, the - [2018 Garden Cruise Tomorrow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/2018-garden-cruise-tomorrow/) - I have seen every landscape and garden that will be on our tour tomorrow which benefits the Greening of Detroit. They are all very different, and all very strong. To follow are 19 good reasons why the this 11th Garden Cruise is worth taking. The 20th, and most important reason, is that all of the - [The 2018 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2018-garden-cruise/) - When one of my dearest friends told me that he did not know we would be sponsoring an 11th garden cruise this year, I took that as a sign that I needed to step up and spread the word that we are indeed sponsoring a cruise this year. I did feel last July that having - [Bedding Out](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bedding-out/) - Bedding out annual plants was a seasonal planting practice very popular from the late 1860's until the turn of the century. Victorian gardeners, particularly of an English persuasion, reveled in planting seasonal and tropical plants in intricate patterns in ground resembling rugs. Or clocks. Or other objects and events. Or giant shapes all of one - [A Few Thoughts On Turning 68](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-few-thoughts-on-turning-68/) - June 15th was my 68th birthday. I had never intended or planned to be 68, but there it was, and here it is. I will admit the idea and the reality of it stung some. Turns out I did not have to go that milestone alone. Rob and I have worked together 26 years, meaning - [Carry Over, Carry On](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/carry-over-carry-on/) - Once the winter weather moderates, one of the first things on my mind is planting containers for the new season. In the spring, I can work the soil in a container long before an in ground garden is ready for my feet, or my shovel. That spring container will celebrate that early chilly season, until - [The Branch Studio Prototype Sale](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-branch-studio-prototype-sale/) - If you read this journal regularly, you know I own a fabrication company known as The Branch Studio. We manufacture garden ornament, boxes and pots for the garden. We also manufacture custom steel ornament, pots and fountains for private clients and designers nationwide. This weekend, Rob has organized a sale of Branch prototype pots at - [At A Glance: Green Schemes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-green-schemes/) - We are better than halfway, doing our summer container installations. More on that later. - [Bold Or Bashful?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bold-or-bashful/) - Designing great container plantings asks for thoughtful decisions about lots of visual issues. A container is a landscape in miniature. Every design issue that manages to get addressed in such a confined space means that container will satisfy the viewer on multiple levels. Superb container plantings are layered, organized, and deliberate. I greatly admire container - [Spring Flying By](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-flying-by/) - It seems ridiculous to be talking about spring container plantings when our current 80 degree temperature is expected to soar into the 90's over the new few days. But better an ephemeral spring than none at all. April was a very tough month. Scary freezing temperatures and snow hovered over the entire month. Planting this - [The Big House](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-big-house/) - A Michigan spring is a big fluid situation. We have cold days and cold nights. We have hot days and freezing nights. Every day is a new weather drama, with a new cast of characters. We have a glass roof over one room inside Detroit Garden Works. Once we start buying in seasonal and tropical - [Early May](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/early-may/) - Our bitterly cold and record breaking April gave way to an early May that has been too warm, too windy, too rainy and very stormy. Of course it has. Every plant that hunkered down in April was shoved into bloom and leaf by unseasonable heat. This is anything but a cool and slowly evolving spring. - [Some Good Reasons To Plant Pots For Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-good-reasons-to-plant-pots-for-spring/) - Our spring has been an exasperatingly wintry sort of gray and cold. April has been a last of the winter month. But today April 30th, we have blue skies. That blue is a giant step towards spring. Every gardener in my zone is on that plane that promises to leave our wretched April weather behind. - [Planting Containers For Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-containers-for-spring/) - Our local newspaper recently confirmed what all of the gardeners in my area already knew. One would have to go back 134 years to find an April as cold as the one we have just lived through. Who knows what gardeners did in 1887 given their blisteringly cold April. I am cautiously optimistic that better - [Who Can Take It?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/who-can-take-it/) - Who can take it-this vile April weather? Mother Nature has been lavish with the bitter cold, snow, wind non-stop since last November. Today, we have significant icing on her cake. Everything outdoors is coated with it. 340,000 people in Michigan have no power. It is even too icy to walk out and take pictures. I - [Vernissage, 2018](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-2018/) - Nine years ago, on April 1 of 2009, I published my very first Dirt Simple blog post, appropriately entitled "Vernissage". As much as it was the commencement of my gardening season, it was a very special beginning for me. I published on this date the first journal style blog essay focused on garden and landscape - [A Pruning Strategy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-pruning-strategy/) - The best time to prune deciduous shrubs is whenever you have the time available to prune. But no doubt some pruning dates are better than others. Late March is the perfect time time in my zone, provided the ground is dry enough be walked on. The bare branches make it easy to spot what is - [The Maddening Middle Of March](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-maddening-middle-of-march/) - The middle of March-would that I could sleep it off. March is still winter in Michigan. It is 30 degrees during the day, and can be in the teens at night. Like it will be tonight. Every gardener in my zone is marching to a tune that plays the following refrain over and over again-the - [The Snow March First](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/march-first-snow/) - It is not so noteworthy for us to have a snow the beginning of March. Though every gardener in Michigan is winter weary, we know March is not a spring month. It is the last of the winter blast month. So a forecast for snow did not get my attention. What did get my attention - [Coming Home](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/coming-home/) - Rob shops on and off all year long, but in the month of September, he shops in Europe and the US, traveling just about full time. Months ahead of the fact, he is shopping for the spring season to come. Last year's extended shopping trip was to France. Suffice it to say that he landed - [Bringing The Outside In](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bringing-the-outside-in/) - Given that the inside and outside are very different places to be, it is no surprise that designers who are equally at ease whether inside or out are the exception rather than the rule. I know a few, and I admire them for their ability to move from inside out and back in again without - [The Amaryllis Crop](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-amaryllis-crop/) - February in a northern garden designer's life ought to be snoozy. 25 years ago, my landscape design work finished up in mid November, and did not resume until the snow and cold looked to be waning the following March. I can't remember what I did with those winters now, so it couldn't have been much. - [Buds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/buds/) - You know it is the dead of winter in Michigan when the garden is a place to long for from afar. Most of my garden views now are through the windows. Not that I didn't plan for good views from inside, but the sheer thrill of a landscape is being in it, or experiencing it - [On The Water Today](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/on-the-water-today/) - On the water today is a 40 foot container's worth of goods for the garden that Rob bought in France last September. Some of what he bought is either antique or vintage. Other things are new. He buys what he treasures and can't bring himself to leave behind. I like that about him. Our shipping - [Snow Glow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/snow-glow/) - Blue skies and fluffy clouds the likes of which are pictured above are a rarity in a Michigan January. It is a bleak time of year, featuring uniformly gray-sky days, a lengthy twilight, and long ink black nights for what seems much longer than a month. February will bring more of the same. If this - [A No Plan Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-no-plan-landscape/) - Several years ago I had a request from a new client to plant her pots. We obliged. I could not help over the course of a few seasons to take note of the landscape. Her front door had a very tall, substantial, and fairly elaborate porch roof. That porch roof and upstairs balcony was a - [Noxious Cold](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/noxious-cold/) - Like a good bit of the rest of the US, we were invaded by a particularly noxious and extreme cold usually confined to the northern polar regions. Fierce winds usually keep that cold where it belongs, but on occasion, that cold travels our way. In early December it became apparent that we had bitterly cold - [Okra Pods](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/okra-pods/) - We were able to finish all of our 2017 projects last week, save one, by last Thursday afternoon. That final project needs a decent sized block of time, so we will do it this coming week. This meant there would be time for me to get some pots done at home. Finding materials would be - [More Of The Winter Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-of-the-winter-work/) - Every Saturday from the first week in November until just before Christmas, I pose a question to my landscape crews. The closest answer to the right answer wins a cash prize. The prize money goes up as the weeks go on-as well it should. The work of doing holiday and winter containers, lighting, and holiday - [Merry Christmas From Milo](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/merry-christmas-from-milo/) - The work run up to Christmas this year had its ups and downs. We were fortunate to have a good many great winter and holiday container and decorating projects. That every one gets done one thoughtful stick at a time means each project takes whatever time it takes. Though we were at it 6 days - [A Winter Tale](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-winter-tale/) - Our winter installations have been accompanied by better than 12 inches of snow in the past week. The snow came on top of several week's worth of bitter cold weather. I am surprised to have this much snow and bitter cold in mid December, but so be it. Fortunately most of the construction for our - [The Finishing Touch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-finishing-touch/) - The moment I saw this winter project, I knew a lighted garland wrapped around the front door surround would bring all of the winter elements together. A garland attached to that limestone surround some 25 feet off the ground that would describe the entrance to this home is the stuff of fairy tales. I told - [Hooping It Up](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hooping-it-up/) - If you've frequented Detroit Garden Works during the winter/holiday season in the past 4 or 5 years, you've seen Rob's light rings. Inspired a number of years ago to wrap a trio of vintage grooved wagon wheels with string lights, he went on to design and have manufactured steel hoops specifically engineered to light the - [At A Glance: Holiday Garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-holiday-garlands/) - To follow are pictures of garlands we have installed at one time or another. Why so many pictures? I like them. I treasure making them. I like that no matter how different they may be, each and every one celebrates the home and garden. It is just that simple. Winter garlands ward off the winter. - [Holiday Garnish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-garnish/) - A holiday garland is an especially festive and personal garnish to an outdoor holiday display. There are few parameters and no rules about what constitutes a garland, but for the fact that it has length and continuity such that it can hang from something. A garland does for a winter garden what a vine does - [A Holiday Color Scheme](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-holiday-color-scheme/) - Client's routinely ask me for things I would never think of. That is just one of a hundred reasons why I like having clients. People know what they like, and they will tell you, if you ask the right questions. This client is hosting a holiday event tomorrow. She called me well in advance to - [The Details](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-details-2/) - Better than twenty years ago, before a cell phone had been invented or a world wide web established, I would drive Rob to the airport for a buying trip to Europe. In those days we could have a cocktail in the lounge, and I could accompany him all the way to the boarding chute for - [Winter Red](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-red/) - Our second winter/holiday project comes with a story, just like our first. If you were to ask how I schedule all the work, I am sure I would hesitate before I answered. There are many factors, some involving the availability of materials and other logistical issues. But personal issues for clients play a big part - [The Beginning of the Winter Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-beginning-of-the-winter-season/) - Our winter/holiday season began the moment that our cut greens arrived. Why so early? The daughter of a long standing client is to be married this Saturday the 18th. Lots of family and friends from places far away will be attending. I promised that her winter pots would be done before the first of their - [The Holiday Preview 2017](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-preview-2017/) - I am chagrined, but not surprised that I have not managed to put up a post in the past 10 days. I have been racing against a November 9th deadline to transform Detroit Garden Works from the fall to the holiday winter season. No one disputes that signs of the winter and holiday in late - [The Boston Ivy, 2017](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-boston-ivy-2017/) - Once a year, usually when we are at our peak of fall color, I try to write about the Boston ivy that covers a neighboring 100 foot long wall parallel, opposite, and next door to Detroit Garden Works. In the early days of the shop, that originally giant cream colored concrete block wall towering over - [Can This Marriage Be Saved?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/can-this-marriage-be-saved/) - Gardeners have a complicated relationship with their gardens. The balance of power goes back and forth, much like any other serious relationship. A treasured plant/child that fails to thrive-whose fault is that? Exasperation is as prevalent as passion over a garden. A death in the garden, as in a major tree, is tumultuous, and instantly - [At A Glance: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-work-4/) - Plenty of fall containers got planted this past week. In looking over all the pictures, it is obvious that the star of the show (after Marzela, of course) is the story of the leaves. Ornamental cabbage and kale are known for their substantial leaves. This container is a mass of different types of large blue - [Fall Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-planting/) - If you garden in southeastern Michigan, your garden is drenched. We have had the kind of steady hard rain spanning a good many days that I call mushroom rain. I see them popping up everywhere. I am not complaining. We have had a very dry summer, and a hot and dry early fall. The cabbage - [Bred In The Bone](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bred-in-the-bone/) - Though we have had a long string of warm days, the fall season is well underway. For Rob, the first whiff of fall means it is time for him to seek out and assemble a striking and unusual collection of pumpkins and gourds that will enchant gardeners who frequent Detroit Garden Works. Though it might - [Fall Favorites](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-favorites/) - Fall is a favorite season. I like reflecting on all the efforts made in the garden imagined in the winter, begun in the spring, and realized during the summer. Once the fall arrives, there is the beauty of the harvest to be appreciated. There is an entire season of hard work that is coming to - [Planting Fall Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-fall-containers/) - Our summer gardening season begins to wind down in September. Come Labor Day, change in the air. That change is refreshing and energizing. Towards the end of the month, the watering on the summer containers becomes a full time job. All of the soil in the containers is shot through and thoroughly congested with roots. - [The Best Of The Last](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-best-of-the-last/) - I am most pleased to report that a good many of the clients for whom I plant containers in all four seasons are telling me they are in no hurry for fall pots. I am sure our late summer heatwave plays no small part in this. Nonetheless, when I see summer containers continuing to thrive - [How Long Will It Last?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/how-long-will-it-last-2/) - How long will it last? This question applies to no end of various and not necessarily garden related situations. To follow are just a few of those topics. How long will these things last? A moss basket, a new refrigerator, a manicure, a bad cold, the flowers on the hellebores, a fancy bar of soap, - [The Garden And Plant Show At Kasteel Hex](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-and-plant-show-at-kasteel-hex/) - Rob is part way through his annual sojourn to Europe, shopping for the spring of 2018. He does all of the buying for Detroit Garden Works. He does an incredible job of making our shop the place for serious gardeners to shop for whatever they need, or might fall for. He procures ornament, tools, pots, - [Lay In Some Lavender](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lay-in-some-lavender/) - Our early September has been surprisingly chilly. As in 48 degrees early this morning. My tropical plants in containers look insulted by the turn of events-both at home, and at the shop. I am not especially ready to give up my summer containers. I regret any face off with nature, as 100 percent of the - [The Last On The Limelight Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-last-on-the-limelight-hydrangeas/) - Given that close to 7000 gardeners have read my last post on hydrangeas in the past few days, I am encouraged to write again. I went back out last night to rephotograph my hydrangeas with a specific purpose in mind. How do I site them in the landscape, and how do I take care of - [Hydrangea Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hydrangea-time/) - I am somewhat embarrassed about how many posts I have devoted to hydrangeas over the past 8 years. Probably too many. The varieties, the care, the pruning-I have covered this shrub as if I were a preteen age groupie. I am embarrassed about my love for the whole lot of them, but so be it. - [The Garden In August](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-in-august/) - I have a hot mess of a perennial garden at home. I have tinkered with it for 20 years, and it still is a hot mess. Not that I mind the mess. Minding a garden is an ongoing experience like no other. The moves I have made towards a reasonably good design are as follows. - [Welcome Home, Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/welcome-home-boxwood/) - My last two posts about this project might make you suspect that my primary interest in this landscape has to do with hard structures. Not so. The hard structures just need to be installed first, as they set the grade and determine the location of all of the plantings to come. I can move a - [The Stonework](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-stonework/) - Once the pool construction detailed in my last post was in a reasonably finished state, a substantial amount of stonework would be required to finish terracing this steeply sloping yard. The drop from the pool terrace to the lower terrace is about 5.5 feet, meaning stairs would be necessary to access the lower level. A - [A Schematic Plan](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-schematic-plan/) - Some landscapes not only require drawings, they require multiple drawings. My initial meeting with these clients was in March of this past year. They had had a mind to renovate or remake every inch of their home and landscape. My initial visit revealed little in the way of landscape, beyond a random collection of neglected - [Drawing Landscape Plans](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/drawing-plans/) - You may surmise from my last month's worth of posts that all I do is plant containers. Ha! Nothing could be further from the truth. I do make a specialty of container plantings in late May, June and early July, but first and foremost I am a landscape and garden designer. That work occupies the - [The 11th Garden Cruise Club](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-11th-garden-cruise-club/) - Our tenth garden cruise to benefit the Greening of Detroit was this past Sunday. As usual, I spent the day at home. My garden is on tour every year as I so enjoy meeting and talking to everyone who stops by. And I enjoy talking to those people who have taken our tour year after - [At A Glance: More On The News From Branch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-on-the-news-from-branch/) - The Stuart garden dining table was so many years in the making. To see that table in production is a dream come true. I am a designer, first and foremost. To see a design come together and get built is what keeps me designing. I am very lucky to have a steady stream of clients - [The Stuart Garden Dining Table](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-stuart-garden-dining-table/) - Though I have not posted in a good while about the Branch Studio, their work has been newsworthy. Every week they are shipping out stock and custom made steel ornament for the garden. It has been an incredibly busy season so far for them. Stock? Branch manufactures a stock line of garden boxes, pergolas, and - [Planting Containers In June](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-containers-in-june/) - Waiting to plant seasonal containers until the soil and night temperatures warm up in our zone is an idea of considerable merit. For those of you that read this journal regularly, you already know my point of view. Here me out, again. If you are a client, you have heard me talk about how the - [The Garden Cruise, 2017](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-cruise-2017/) - This coming July 16th will be the 10th year that Detroit Garden Works and Deborah Silver and Co have sponsored a tour of our landscapes and gardens to benefit The Greening of Detroit. The tour is a fund raiser for an organization behind which we put all of our weight. The Greening of Detroit? From - [At A Glance: Rob's Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-robs-pots/) - To follow is a very lengthy collection of photographs of Rob's container plantings, but I think the numbers are justified, considering how beautiful the work is. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. French fountain planted with fernsgold sage, gold marjoram, and a glass float lavender and violas; lettuceWasabi coleus, pinched into a - [The Plantings At The Shop](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-plantings-at-the-shop/) - No matter how many container plantings we do in a given year, planting the shop for the summer is a given planting. I put this close to home project off until the great majority of our clients are planted. Some might think that I take the winter to plan what I will do in the - [A Plant Collection](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-plant-collection-2/) - The past 9 days have been a grueling blur. Once I establish a rhythm, I plant by instinct. I trust my first thought more than the thoughts that come later. I don't really have time to second guess my decisions, so I don't. I cannot imagine how my crews must feel. I feel certain that - [At A Glance: Good And Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-good-and-green/) - lemon cypress and scotch moss tree ferns, caladiums, and bird's nest fernspepperomia Jayde, variegated boxwood, lemon cypress white mandevilleas wasabi coleus and variegated licorice white topiary fuchsia and Victorian parlor ferns window box with lavender, angelonia, silver dichondra, and so on green and white caladiums eugenia topiaries underplanted with cirrus dusty miller and silver dichondra - [Sizing Up The Situation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sizing-up-the-situation/) - We are a good week or so into our container planting season. The location of the planters or the light and available water drives the selection of the plants. Sizing up the situation is key to successful container plantings. This pair of planters are tall and wide, as they needed to be, placed in front - [What Will You Plant?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/what-will-you-plant/) - I did plant my first container project last week for a client who had an event, and was willing to take the risks associated with planting in cold soil. Planting for an event means I use the largest and most established plant material I can, in hopes that the shock of cold soil and cold - [Budding](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/budding-2/) - Don't take your eyes off of May. You may miss a fleeting moment that will not be available to see again for a very long time. Nor will next spring look quite like this one. This spring moment is a unique moment. Enjoy this spring like it is the only one you have ever experienced. - [Mind Your Freeze and Queue](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mind-your-freeze-and-queue/) - I have had this photograph saved on my computer for so long that I no longer remember where it came from. If this is your photograph, please email me and bawl me out for posting your picture without attribution or permission. But I will take the chance, and post it anyway. Why so? It illustrates - [Spring Beauty](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-beauty/) - Once our season finally and resolutely turns away from winter and embraces spring, there is enough fresh heaven to make any gardener's heart beat faster. The early blooming ornamental trees light up the springtime sky with masses of flowers overhead. The flowers of the magnolias, crab apples, cherries, apples, and dogwoods bloom with abandon.The lime - [The Saucer Magnolia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-saucer-magnolias/) - The saucer magnolias are in outrageously heavy bloom everywhere I go, and everywhere I look. They are over the top beautiful this year, much to my delight. They ornament the spring blooming landscape in a way no other flowering tree could hope to rival. Every saucer magnolia in bloom now I can spot from better - [At A Glance: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-work-3/) - spring boxes featuring lavender around a fountain blue eucalyptus porch planted for spring fresh cut pussy willow at the front door window box pussy willow and pansies oval urn spring pot mixed cool wave trailing pansies purple and white yellow pansies and yellow/violet bicolor violas blues and purples blue and lemon pansies, with cream yellow - [The Little Things](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-little-things-2/) - Early spring in my zone is anything but a 128 piece brass band playing at full tilt. That brass band blaring part will come in May, but April is notable for its quiet moments. Those plants that foretell the spring to come are looking very good right now. That they dare breach the comfort of - [Some Very Good Reasons To Plant Containers For Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-very-good-reasons-to-plant-containers-for-spring/) - Our early spring season has been notable for its soaking and relentless rains. Daily rain. As in "don't go out without your muck boots on" rainy. And "don't even think of stepping into the garden" rainy. The boxwood pictured above are slated for an early landscape installation. They spent the winter indoors, in the building - [Vernissage 2017](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-2017/) - Eight years ago, on April 1 of 2009, I published my very first Dirt Simple blog post, appropriately entitled "Vernissage". As much as it was the ordinary beginning of my gardening season, it was a very special beginning of my writing a journal style blog focused on garden and landscape design. To date I have published - [Delightful Plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/delightful-plants/) - Our perennial plant specialist David G drove the sprinter to Pine Knot Farms to pick up a large order of hellebores for our March hellebore festival. I wrote about that trip last week. David is a very serious and enthusiastic hort head - this is just one of many reasons why he is a treasured - [The Hellebores In March](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-hellebores-in-march/) - What's better than waiting out the end of the Michigan winter is a road trip to Pine Knot Farms to pick up a collection of hellebores. After some discussion with Dick Tyler, I placed an order, and our David drove our sprinter there to pick them up. Pine Knot Farms has been breeding hellebores for - [March 1](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/march-1/) - Detroit Garden Works retreats into a semi-closed state from January 15 until the first of March. During that time we do repairs, repaint, clean, and rearrange. An over simplified outtake on of law of nature we call entropy posits that everything tends to fall apart. Anyone who has ever had a garden, a washing machine - [The Winter Landscape: Plant Hardiness](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-landscape-plant-hardiness/) - Plants are very specific about what soil, light and water conditions they need to thrive. Any gardener who has moved a sulking plant around 3 or 4 times before striking pay dirt understands this. It is simple to spot a plant that is unhappy. Figuring out the cause of the trouble can be tough, as - [Ornament In The Winter Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/ornament-in-the-winter-landscape/) - Though a landscape that is striking in all of the seasons largely depends on the confluence of a great design, interesting hard scape and thoughtful choices of plant material, I would venture to say that ornament in the landscape plays an especially vital role in our winter. The plants are welcome to be the star - [The Winter Garden: From Inside Out](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-garden-from-inside-out/) - It stands to reason that the winter landscape should provide interesting views from indoors. Even if you are a dedicated a snow boarder, snow shoe-er, skier, snow man builder, or dog walker, there are those winter days that keep everyone wanting to be indoors. The landscape view out the windows needs to be a view - [The Winter Landscape: Gray Days](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-landscape-gray-days/) - Michigan winter weather can be fiercely inhospitable and miserably cold, but the vast majority of the days will be some listless shade of gray. As in garden variety gray, moody gray, or good and plenty dreary gray. Giving a name to the gray of the day is where we are at. For the past week, - [The Winter Landscape: Evergreens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-landscape-evergreens/) - The role played by evergreens in the landscape could hardly be overstated in northern climates. The deciduous plant material in my landscape will finish their annual shedding come the end of October or the beginning of November. It will be another 6 months before I lay eyes on an emerging leaf. That is a long - [Saving The Best For Last](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/saving-the-best-for-last/) - My designing life may have been consumed with finishing up as many of our landscape projects as possible, and dealing with the demands of our holiday and winter container work, but the garden has never been far from my mind. Every day, as I am loading up the corgis in the morning, or preparing for - [The Holiday At Home](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-at-home-2/) - The holiday season is a very busy time for us. This work is different than landscape and garden design, but not unrelated. The winter work does not revolve around the plants. It revolves around people. For that reason alone, I greatly enjoy it. I am party to a lot of holiday celebrations. Families. Children. Community. - [Winter Ready](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-ready/) - We finished our last winter installation this Tuesday past. A client who is out of town on holiday did not mind if her winter pots did not get done until after December 25th. Her home is now winter ready for her return. Yesterday we finished the winter pots at the store. So we are ready - [Gifts For Gardeners](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/gifts-for-gardeners/) - At this time of year I get a lot of queries from wives, husbands, associates, children and friends about what would be a great gift for the gardener in their life. I do the best I can to answer those questions. I can be good, and I can be off. Just saying that my gift - [The Work Of The Week Of December 12](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-work-of-the-week-of-december-12/) - holiday garland snowy entry winter arrangement in a lead egg cup contemporary arrangement 2 pots for winter winter arrangement with eucalyptus, tiger branches, and green spruce contemporary winter pot arrangement with curly copper willow, camellia branches, and mixed greens 4 pots for winter pots at the sidewalkgreen and white garland contemporary arrangement of twigs and - [The Gift Of The Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-gift-of-the-season-2/) - Those of you have have read this journal regularly over the past 7 years probably recognize my landscape at home. I post pictures of it often, as I find that almost every issue that concerns, delights, or challenges me as a designer are right there brewing in my own back yard. Most every day, I - [The Week Of December 5](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-week-of-december-5/) - Be forewarned, there are an astonishing number of pictures about to come your way. Last was a very busy week for us. But for the pictures, it would all be a blur. My crew is great about photographing everything. They pictures of last years work help inform the work we are doing now. Smart phone - [On Their Own](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/on-their-own/) - I posted some time ago about the landscape I designed for my clients who live in a rural area outside Ann Arbor. They edited and installed that landscape on their own - to everyone's great satisfaction. I was happy indeed that they took my plan to heart, and edited it to reflect their point of - [Red And Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/red-and-green-2/) - The combination of red and green at the holidays is bound to elicit some yawns or boos from those who would suggest there are more innovative and creative color combinations a gardener might pursue. I find fault with this idea. Color combinations in and of themselves do not suggest traditional or contemporary. Color is a - [Start To Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/start-to-finish/) - I have posted several times about a landscape project that was designed in 2015, and finally finished earlier this year. It was one of those rare moments when establishing a rapport with a committed client is instantaneous, and has staying power. The opportunity to work with them came courtesy of the Art-Harrison Design Studio. Arturo - [Putting It All Together](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/putting-it-all-together/) - We are in the thick of the winter container gardening season. The shop sees to stocking and restocking great materials, which means that the landscape company has a shop full of cut greens, berries and picks in addition to fresh cut branches from which to choose. Those clients who choose to have us dress their - [Cut Branches For Winter Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/cut-branches-for-winter-pots/) - I have said many times over the course of the 7 years that I have been writing this blog - no northern zone gardener needs to close up shop with the first really hard frost. We can appreciate the season, we can be inventive, and we can defend ourselves against the long dark time. A - [Luminous](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/luminous-2/) - I have had numerous emails and calls about the holiday and winter lighting available at Detroit Garden Works. To follow is a a quick look at some of the different types of lighting that we have available. We do manufacture light rings from steel, as hoops that can be hung in a window, or a - [Night Light](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/night-light-3/) - The late fall, winter, and early spring in my zone occupies a solid 6 months of every year. For gardeners, this amounts to being occupied by an army of unfriendly conditions. The cold, the quiet, the somber color of the landscape, the desertion of the birds, the leafless trees, the snow, and the sunless skies - [Holiday Preview 2016](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-preview-2016/) - The kick off for the Detroit Garden Works holiday preview weekend is tonight. I have spent most of the last 2 weeks helping to get the shop ready for our only evening event of the year. It is a party for all of those gardeners who shop here, and help keep our business going. We - [The Trees In The Neighborhood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-trees-in-the-neighborhood/) - My neighborhood is like countless others all across this country. Rows of homes bisected by a road. It is an older neighborhood, dating back to the 1930's. The size of the right of way trees speak to that age. The right of way? The ROW is that strip of land between the sidewalk and the - [A Belated Glance At Halloween](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-belated-glance-at-halloween/) - I know this post is 4 days after the fact. So sorry for that. I rarely am able to write a post in one sitting. Photographs for a post may take plenty of sittings. I hope late is better than never! I do so enjoy the Halloween holiday, so I am writing belatedly. It would - [The Boston Ivy, 2016](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-boston-ivy/) - I have been writing about the Boston ivy growing on the walls of the buildings surrounding us for a number of years. A storage business put up buildings all around Detroit Garden Works many years ago. Some of those buildings proved to be on our property after an as-built survey. We settled the problem amicably. - [So What Do You Do With A Pumpkin?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/so-what-do-you-do-with-a-pumpkin/) - Rob has made 3 epic pumpkin and gourd buying trips in the past 3 weeks. Epic, as in 8 hour trips to pumpkin hybridizers within 80 miles or so in every direction of our shop. Epic, as in the relationships he has cultivated with growers who specialize in these fall fruits. I am sure the - [Part 2: The Drive Court](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/part-2-the-drive-court/) - My last post about this project centered around a winding and and most beautifully curvy driveway, and the landscape views proposed by that drive. The major portion of the landscape, including this driveway, was designed with an informal and park like atmosphere in mind. It features a collection of specimen trees, each one placed individually. - [Up And Down The Driveway](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/up-and-down-the-driveway/) - In November of last year, I wrote about the challenges posed by refurbishing a landscape while a new driveway was under construction. GP Enterprises managed to plant a number of big trees, including European green beech, tricolor beech, Norway spruce, fastigiate hornbeam and sweet gum, with a digger truck - as the old driveway was - [All About The Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/all-about-the-boxwood/) - My clients own a contemporary home situated on a compact property in an urban neighborhood. The house (not visible in this picture) sits a good three feet above the sidewalk. Though I had helped with the landscape design in immediate proximity to the front door, an L-shaped planting of yews mirroring the sidewalks of their - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/recent-work-2/) - Though we were focused on finishing a landscape project last week, we did manage to get some of our fall container plantings done. Though I have said it before, I will say it again. A celebration of the season at hand in containers is an opportunity to make an expression of the garden that is - [Beautiful Materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/beautiful-materials-2/) - A project in the garden asks for a lot of everything from a gardener. An interesting concept, and a design that clearly communicates that concept comes first. Anyone who has grappled with a design project knows how much work goes on behind the scenes. An idea about how to accomplish that design - an approach - [Planting Containers For Fall](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-containers-for-fall/) - If you read this journal of mine regularly, you know that in addition to my passion for landscape design, I am a devoted fan of planted containers. Part of that attraction has to do with an interest in the containers themselves. Whether it be an antique urn, a mid century concrete planter, or a re-purposed - [Letting Go](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/letting-go/) - By mid September, change is in the air. As much as I would wish that the summer would persist past Labor Day, it never does. The summer season falters right on cue. The blazing heat generated by the summer sun is waning. The sun is lower in the sky. The garden is cooler. The night - [A Different Direction](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-different-direction/) - A few years ago I made my first visit to a large rural property outside Ann Arbor. It was very early in the spring. My clients had built a house very much of their own design. My first impression? An American farmhouse with a decidedly contemporary twist. Plain, but plain in a visually strong way. - [Early September](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/september/) - Come September, there are sure signs that the garden is waning. The day breaks late, and the dark comes earlier. The sun is lower in the sky, and is beginning to cast those long shadows that foretell the coming of fall. Though our weather is still firmly entrenched in a summer long pattern of hot - [A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-rising-tide-lifts-all-boats/) - I don't recall the topic under discussion, but at one point Buck said to me, "Well you know, a rising tide lifts all boats". That got my attention, as I had never head this expression before. From Wikipedia, " The aphorism "a rising tide lifts all boats" is associated with the idea that improvements in - [The Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-hydrangeas/) - Sometime between mid July and mid August, the Limelight hydrangeas come in to bloom. It is a moment worth waiting for. The fast growing large leaved plants bloom profusely on the current year's growth. They are easy to cultivate, asking for not much more that some decent light and some regular water. The spectacularly large - [Covering The Ground](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/covering-the-ground/) - Not every plant in the landscape is the star of the show. What constitutes the star of the show, and whether you need one in a landscape is a subject for another post, but suffice it to say that if a design is deliberately composed around a center of interest, or constellation of interests, that - [The Gift Of Shade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-gift-of-shade/) - Large growing trees, commonly known as shade trees, take a lot of time and space to achieve a mature size. They need to be carefully sited, as they will eventually tower over a good bit of the square footage around them. The maples that many cities planted at one time or another in the tree - [A New Landscape In Detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-landscape-in-detroit/) - Our garden cruise July 17 raised $14,470.00 for the Greening of Detroit. Nine years of tours means we have raised $107,500.00 in support of their mission; I could not be more pleased about that. One of the landscapes and gardens on tour this year is a project we have been working on for several years. - [2016 Garden Cruise Today](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/2016-garden-cruise-today/) - Our 2016 Garden Cruise is today from 9-4:30. The weather looks like it will be perfect. Partly cloudy, and 84. A last minute decision to take the tour is easy to arrange. Call Detroit Garden Works at 248 335 8089. We can take your credit card info, and email you the ticket and map. Just - [A Change Of Grade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-change-of-grade/) - Up and down is a concept that seems simple. Understanding what it takes to go uphill or downhill in a landscape is not so obvious, or simple. Rest assured that your instinct that level ground is stable, usable, and easy to negotiate is correct. Some hilly or steep properties ask for several flat levels, with - [Independence Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/independence-day/) - The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I like the story of how America came to be independent. I like anyone who has a mind to think and act independently. I like even more that I live in a culture that places a premium on freedom. That freedom came and continues to - [Making An Entrance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/making-an-entrance/) - There have been times when I was concerned about making an entrance. The opening party for Detroit Garden Works in March of 1996 - I fretted for weeks about my outfit and shoes. Would my choices be good enough for that entry? Momentary or event driven entrances are just that-momentary. I am sure the only - [At A Glance: A Gorgeous Entrance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-gorgeous-entrance/) - My clients in Ann Arbor have an entrance to their front door that stops me in my tracks. Per my request, they sent pictures. The proportion and scale is unusual and striking. There is plenty of room for Banjo on the generously scaled steps. Banjo helping to make an entrance This entrance is all of - [The 2016 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2016-garden-cruise/) - For those of you who are not aware that we sponsor a garden tour every year to benefit the programs of the Greening of Detroit-here are the details. The Greening of Detroit is an organization that has been planting trees, teaching good environmental practices, hiring young people with poor prospects for summer jobs to water - [Too Hot](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/too-hot/) - A very long run of blisteringly hot days is tough to cope with in mid June. No person or plant is ready for July weather this early. The elegant feather plant, a native of Texas, is wilting in this container. We have lots of seasonal and annual plants in small containers at Detroit Garden Works. - [The John Davis Roses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-john-davis-roses/) - One of the many benefits of planting summer containers for a client that has had a landscape and garden designed and installed by us is the chance to see how that landscape is growing on. This client is 45 minutes away, so my visits are not all that often. I will drive out whenever there - [Green And White](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/green-and-white/) - Green and white in a container garden can be spectacular. I have more than a few clients who request this cool and collected color palette. Summer in the mid west can be cruelly hot. A white garden always looks cool and crisp; white shrugs off the heat. White flowers read well from a distance, and - [Early June](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/early-june/) - As much as I treasure the spring season, early June is a garden moment like no other. Every tree and shrub is in full leaf, and growing apace. Just about every perennial is not only growing, they are making plans to bloom. Even my hardy hibiscus show signs of stirring. The garden is action packed. - [Some Like It Hot And Dry](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-like-it-hot-and-dry/) - Choosing plants for summer containers can be complicated, especially if you are as serious about them as I am. I have to be serious, as I plant them professionally for a wide range of clients. But lacking any clients, I would still be serious about them. They are seasonal expressions of the landscape confined - [The First Container Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-first-container-planting/) - Every year, the prospect of having a full roster of container gardens to plant makes me want to black out. I spend the first three weeks of May utterly certain that I cannot plant one more pot. That I am out of ideas. Luckily, time passes by, and and I start shopping. A client I - [May Days](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/may-days/) - If you are a gardener in my zone, there is nothing quite like the experience of May. The winter lets go reluctantly. Early March was warm and friendly. Late March, April and the first two weeks of May were chilly enough to put on a jacket, and zip it up. When I went to work - [More Reasons To Plant Containers For Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-reasons-to-plant-containers-for-spring/) - Planting containers for spring is a great idea. To follow are some of my favorites. My recommendation for containers this 17th of May in Michigan? Do not be thinking coleus, New Guinea impatiens, begonias, licorice in any of its forms, sweet potato vine, cannas - the list of summer container tropical that do not tolerate - [Planting Container Gardens for Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-container-gardens-for-spring/) - Yesterday morning dawned very windy, very rainy, and very cold. This is entirely normal for Michigan in mid-May. What gardener is surprised by this? All of us. Once Mother's Day comes and goes, all of us expect that the time to plant summer containers is nigh. Nothing could be further from the reality. Spring in - [Vernissage 2016](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-2016/) - Seven years ago, on April 1 of 2009, I published my very first post entitled Vernissage. As in a beginning-not only of the gardening season, but a beginning for my writing. How pleased I was to have a a forum for my gardening journal! I revisited and revised this first post in 2010, 2012, 2014, and - [Grape Hyacinths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/grape-hyacinths/) - In my opinion, a drift of grape hyacinths in full bloom is one of spring's crowning moments. They may be small, but they pack a big visual punch. The muscari group is one of the most charming and most reliable of all of the small spring flowering bulbs. The tiny corm, planted only 3" below - [Galvanized](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/galvanized/) - Every winter, the Branch Studio fabricates a new fountain or two. Some years that fountain is classical in form. Classical garden fountain style interpreted in steel interests me, and our clients. Our fountains come ready to fill, plug in, and turn on. There is something about water in the garden that enchants, so I like - [The New Berger Picard In The Neighborhood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-new-bergere-picard-in-the-neighborhood/) - Last November Rob drove to Roanoke Virginia to meet and pick up his intended-an 8 week old Berger Picard puppy. Berger Picard? Berger means shepherd in French; Picard refers to the Picardy region in France. One of the oldest of all the French herding dogs, the Berger Picard was almost driven to extinction by the - [A New Gravel Driveway](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-gravel-driveway/) - I admire people who buy old homes, and sign up for all that it will take to renovate them. That is a huge commitment in every regard. An undertaking such as this demands lots of time and even more patience. I cannot imagine the expense. This gorgeous English Tudor style home is 95 years old. - [Hellebore Hardy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hellebore-hardy/) - Would that every plant in my garden could be hellebore hardy. Hellebore hardy? Hellebore hardy is that state of plant being which is as tough as nails, bud and bloom hardy, every day in hostile weather, as in every crappy spring wild card day hardy. We have had crazy cold and blustery weather the first - [Detroit Garden Works 2016 Spring Fair](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/detroit-garden-works-2016-spring-fair/) - Detroit Garden Works will be hosting its annual spring fair tomorrow and Sunday. We are particularly fond of that time when winter is just about over, and a new gardening season is about to begin. Spring is the puppy season of the garden. Once the landscape and garden plants break dormancy, everything grows grows so - [Part 2: The Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/part-2-the-landscape/) - The previous owners of this property had done some work on the landscape. Notable were the evergreens planted one after another, in zig zag rows, on the long sides of the lot. I understand the need to create privacy, but that can be accomplished in a number of ways, not all of which involve a - [Part 1: The Mud And Guts](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/part-1-the-mud-and-guts/) - You may remember my post late last fall about the installation of 33 pinus flexilis. These trees were 10 feet tall, and had 36" diameter root balls. We had to push them uphill with the help of an electric pallet jack, as the new driveway was not ready for vehicular traffic. The driveway you see - [The Easter Rabbit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-easter-rabbit/) - My first Easter with Buck produced a giant pink stuffed rabbit. It was an Easter gift to me. It was spectacularly big and fluffy, and would have made a quite charming addition to a nursery-a nursery of the baby human sort. I was a little taken aback, but I did not want to appear - [Thinking Spring: The First Of The Small Flowering Bulbs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/thinking-spring-the-first-of-the-small-flowering-bulbs/) - The first spring flower in my garden is always a snowdrop, but the crocus are never far behind. This year, they are early. I suppose an unusually mild winter and a decent string of warmish days account for that. Last year, spring begrudging arrived in late April. My crocus had barely been in bloom a - [The Hellebore Festival](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-hellebore-festival/) - Hellebores are the mainstay of the early spring garden in my zone. The plants themselves feature leathery foliage that may persist throughout a mild winter. The flowers come first, on leafless stalks that emerge from the ground in late March and early April. Once the flowers have matured, the new leaves sprout. They range in - [Favorite Perennials: The Daisies](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/favorite-perennials-the-daisies/) - It is no accident that the subject of the painted floor at the shop is bellis perennis, or English daisy. Daisies are a favorite perennial plant of mine. Bellis is the original plant to which the name daisy was applied. This daisy spread throughout Europe and eventually made its appearance in North America. The yellow - [Opening Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/opening-day/) - It was the middle of January that we began repairing and repainting Detroit Garden Works. It was a long process which got finished just two weeks ago. The building dates back to 1940, so with age comes some maintenance. We had issues with the roof, and some deteriorated sections of our concrete block wall that - [Some Details On The Floor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-details-on-the-floor/) - The first order of business is to thank each and every one of you who took the time to write a comment on my post about the finish of the floor. It was an extravaganza of a day for me! I had no idea so many of your comments were forthcoming, but how I loved - [The Finished Floor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-finished-floor/) - I did fine tune that painted grass rug day before yesterday. The paint stick that Buck made for me made that grassy style painting possible. The bamboo has a lot of flex. All I needed to do was stand up, dip my stick into the paint that had been thinned to a loopy consistency, and - [The English Daisy Lawn](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-english-daisy-lawn/) - Daisies? I have always liked them. They are easy going and companionable in the garden. They are not fancy. They are sunny and friendly. A bunch of daisies relaxing in a vase is a sure sign of summer in my zone. They are sturdy plants, meaning they are willing growers and easy to care for. - [Garden Design Magazine 2016](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-design-magazine-2016/) - Detroit Garden Works has been on hiatus since January 15. Anyone who comes to our door is welcome to come inside, but most of what there is to see now are the repairs we've made to our old block walls and roof, the new paint throughout, and clean surfaces all around. What Rob has selected - [Be Picky About Perennials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/be-picky-about-perennials/) - I know the title of this post sounds heartless, but there is no need to plant every plant you can find in your garden unless you are young, you want to learn by doing, and you have acreage. If this is not your situation, there is nothing wrong with being choosy. The fact of - [Mind Your Manners, Please](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mind-your-manners-please/) - thekatiepippel.wordpress.com Some plants make me want to grab them by the scruff of their unruly stems, and lecture them about the importance of good manners. Why is that? I have been gardening long enough to be sensitive to plants whose habits in the garden are unsociable.. Making a garden grow is work. How satisfying it - [The Collection](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-collection/) - I will admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed constructing this collection of winter wreaths. That they will be boxed and packed away until next fall does not bother me in the least bit. There will be a season for them-to come. Making them for a time yet to come has made me think about how - [Making It Personal](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/making-it-personal/) - This January, I am spending some time making wreaths. I did not have the time for it in November or December, but late is better than next year. I enjoy all manner of making, whether it be a garden, a garland, a flower arrangement, a container planting, a drawing of a landscape design, or the - [At A Glance: The Holiday At Home](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-holiday-at-home/) - My holiday at home came very late in December. I do not even think of decking out my own home for winter until all of my work is done. That only seems fair. Buck and I are both used to the last minute nature of our holiday. This December 23rd, I was so glad to - [Flipping The Switch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/flipping-the-switch/) - The beginning of the winter season is marked by the scarcity of daylight. By mid December, it seems like it is dark most of the time. Winter days are likely to be gray days. It is no wonder that outdoor lighting is a hallmark of the holidays. I have always thought that holiday lighting is - [New Year's](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/new-years/) - Christmas came and went, without the shop being fully dressed for winter. We had an incredibly busy season - that work has to come first. No one knows that better than I. But I have a love and a mission for making sure that our shop delights the eye of any gardener face to face - [Nearer To The Last](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/nearer-to-the-last/) - My entire crew was in today, after a 4 day Christmas break.We had a few late request winter container projects to do. They dove into the work, like they always do. We were down to the very last bits of the hundreds of cases of greens we had delivered in November. The day they arrived, - [The Next To The Last Of The Winter Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-next-to-the-last-of-the-winter-work/) - A lot of work got imagined and fabricated in this garage in the past 6 weeks. A big landscape project that needed Dan and his crew ran late - as in until December 23. This made me send an SOS to Buck December 1-would his fabricators be able to lend me a hand? Lend me - [Red and Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/red-and-green/) - Popular wisdom says that red and green is the traditional color scheme for the Christmas holidays. Maybe it is. The December landscape in my zone is notable for its evergreens, and deciduous plants that bear red fruit. There are many theories about how those colors came to be associated with Christmas-most of them reference practices - [Festive, Please](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/festive-please/) - We do have clients who approach the holiday season with gusto. Projects like these come with a big dose of celebratory feeling attached. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of it all - I enjoy it. Not all work is work. Some work is satisfying enough to call it fun. The - [A Collection Of Cones](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-collection-of-cones/) - These bleached pine cones that so enchanted me this season sparked an interest in the cone world. Although pine cones are as familiar to me as the back of my hand, I realized that I did not know so much about them. These woody structures house the reproductive mechanism of a conifer. The female pine - [The Pine Cones](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-pine-cones/) - Every holiday and winter season presents material that quickly becomes a favorite. My favorite this year? Giant bleached pine cones from Spain. Don't ask me the species-I do not know. They could be Ponderosa pine cones-but do Ponderosa pines grow in Spain? I can't answer that question, but I can speak to the incredible beauty - [At A Glance: Other Garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-other-garlands/) - This is a very big porch, that features a pair of large Branch boxes. Lacking a garland, this front door would look uninviting. A front door that makes a strong welcoming statement at the holidays is a front door that anticipates holiday gatherings between family and friends - that front door says come inside! A - [The Garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garland/) - A handmade holiday garland is a labor of love. There is so much involved. Expect to need lots of zip ties, and nimble fingers. I do buy my mixed fir garlands already made up, at my local farmers market. But that length of cut boughs all strung together with twine is just the beginning. We - [At A Glance: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-work-2/) - gray sticks, sparkle picks and lavender eucalyptus 4 pots for the holidays and winter plum eucalyptus and lime berry picks light ring on a stand/base that is covered with branchy twigs red and purple for the holidays a pair of winter pots contemporary winter pots twigs, pods and noble fir garland and pots hanging baskets - [The Installation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-installation/) - I am always appreciative of how much of the construction of the winter pots we are able to do in the shop, once we get to the installation phase. The greens for this oval bronze container had been stuffed into a form several days ago. We try to be very accurate about the size of - [Constructing The Winter Centerpieces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/constructing-the-winter-centerpieces/) - Setting the centerpieces in winter and holiday pots has the same procedure, whether we have small or big pots to fill. The centerpiece often involves fresh cut branches that have considerable weight. The vertical element in a winter pot needs to stay vertical all winter. This large bunch of red twig dogwood been secured with - [Constructing The Winter Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/constructing-the-winter-pots/) - If my last post was convincing enough to make you entertain the notion of filling your pots for the winter, you might appreciate a description of our process. Every pot begins with dry floral foam. I cannot really explain how liberating it is to have foam, and not soil as a medium, except to say - [The Case For Planting Winter Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-case-for-planting-winter-pots/) - I wrote the following article for the December issue of the Michigan Gardener Magazine. For those of you who do not have access to this magazine, I thought I would reprint the article. Few moments are as daunting to a gardener as that moment when it is apparent that the gardening season is coming to - [Planting the Pines](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-the-pines/) - My last post about the 34 limber pines had to do with getting them off a truck, and transported some 450 feet up hill to the place where they would be planted. The first set of 14 Vanderwolfs would be planted around this generator. Building codes in this community specifies that a generator must be - [The 2015 Winter/Holiday Preview Party, Part 2](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2015-winterholiday-preview-party-part-2/) - When I wrote yesterday about how Detroit Garden Works only hosts one evening event a year, I had no idea of what was to come. I had gone home after a long day of tuning up the shop to collect myself, and get dressed for our holiday open house. It was no problem that I - [The 2015 Holiday/Winter Preview Party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2015-holidaywinter-preview-party/) - I have long been of the mind that the gardening season can thrive during the late fall and can not only endure, but robustly represent a gardener's point of view throughout the winter months. The stakes are high. The winters in my zone can be fierce. The skies are an unvarying shade of gray for - [A New Driveway](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-driveway/) - Every landscape project presents its own particular set of challenges. In the ordinary course of events, the planting of a landscape comes after the installation of the hard structures. A new house has to be designed, built, and close to a finish, before the landscape installation can begin. Hard structures in a landscape renovation refers - [The Boston Ivy 2015](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-boston-ivy-2015/) - A two story high concrete block wall of a storage rental business sits right about on the west lot line of the Detroit Garden Works property. It goes on and on, and sky high, for 120 feet. When the building went up some 15 years ago, I was unhappy about that 2400 square feet of - [Building The Lucerne Pergola](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/building-the-lucerne-pergola/) - Phase 1: Design, engineer, and build Once Buck had my sketch for the pergola, there were a lot of drawings that would need to be done. The CAD drawings would indicate the angles, the rolling radiuses, and the exact sizes of every piece of steel that would be necessary to fabricate the piece. Buck constructed - [Planting A Tree](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-a-tree/) - The very first tree I ever planted was a gingko. My Mom and I, with not much discussion or ceremony, planted 10 seeds in small plastic pots. As I was probably 7 years old, it never occurred to me to ask where she got the seed. As she was a fairly reserved parent, there was - [At A Glance: Fall Containers, Old And New](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-fall-containers-old-and-new/) - rainy fall daya centerpiece fall container in cream and blue a trio lavender and orange wood tubs Sunny fall day weedy centerpiece lots of bittersweet grapevine and gourds broom corn and eucalyptus low bowl steel topiary forms black millet A note of caution. If you like weeds in your fall containers, cut them, and place - [A Fall Container Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-fall-container-planting/) - Our fall container plantings are underway. It is not always easy to convince a client that planting for fall is a good idea. In Michigan, there is this psychological perception that the spring and the fall are short seasons, and the summer and winter are long. It may feel that way, but all of the - [The Hybridizer](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-hybridizer/) - Every gardener at one time or another comes in contact with plant cultivars introduced as a result of the painstaking work of someone who breeds plants. Bressingham gardens in England has a group of fine perennial plants marketed under the aegis of Blooms of Bressingham. There are countless other individuals who have devoted themselves to - [Early Fall](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/early-fall/) - The beginning of the fall season is a beginning to treasure. All of the hard work growing from the spring through the summer of comes to fruition. Literally. The tomatoes ripen. The farmers market is bursting with racks of brussel sprouts, giant rosettes of cabbage, and fresh and fragrant onions. Home vegetable gardens yields such - [Picture Taking, Garden Making](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/picture-taking-garden-making/) - I have been tinkering some with taking pictures with my new iphone 6. I am not very technically inclined, meaning I have always used a cell phone as a phone, and not much else. But this phone is capable of facilitating communications of all sorts, and in very sophisticated visual ways. The photo feature produces - [Monday Opinion: Labor Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-labor-day/) - More than once have I had reason to expect that the warm and sunny momentum established by my summer season would blast by Labor Day in a hot fit of defiance. Given that the forecast for today is 90 degrees, might Mother Nature forget that today is Labor Day? Every year I hope nature will - [Landscape Under Construction](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/landscape-under-construction/) - A long time has passed since I first laid eyes on this lovely old home in Detroit. Dating back to the 1920's, all of those beautiful details built in to homes of this era were intact. The front door has a gorgeous hand carved limestone surround. The brickwork and slate roof are sensational. Gorgeous bones, - [Open and Closed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/open-and-closed/) - A few weeks ago I had an email from a gardener in Connecticut. She was interested in a Hudson fountain cistern from Branch for her garden, and wondered if I could consult with her about the proposed landscape, and size of the fountain. I am reluctant to take on a design project from far away. - [88 Degrees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/88-degrees/) - Though our summer has been mostly moderate and regularly rainy, we are in the throes of a hot spell. It is hot enough to make working in the garden a sweat fest. Oh yes, the hot days have gone on for a while. If I can't be outside at 6am, I would rather wait until - [August](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/august/) - By the time August comes around, I am ready to take a vacation from the work of my garden, and just enjoy it. In May I might renovate a spot that has gotten a little tired or overgrown. I added a new strip of pachysandra this year in the fountain garden. The yews have grown - [Those Other Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/those-other-hydrangeas/) - My previous post about hydrangeas was narrow in scope. Annabelle hydrangeas, or hydrangea arborescens "Annabelle" are commonly known as smooth hydrangeas. Their giant spherical flower heads are identifiable from a block away. They have an annoying tendency to flop over. Like peonies, their giant flower heads can topple an entire stem in a strong storm. - [Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hydrangeas/) - No discussion of a summer landscape in the mid west is complete without a a discussion about hydrangeas. Simply said, a hydrangea is a large leaved blowsy shrub noted for its spectacularly showy flowers. I should preface my remarks about hydrangeas with my point of view about shrubs in general. I am keen for any - [The Garden Tour](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-tour-2/) - Our garden tour to benefit the Greening of Detroit was a successful event. We sold 278 tickets, for both the tour, and the tour and reception. We raised close to 13,000.00 for the Greening. This may not seem like so much, but over the past 8 years, this amounts to 97,000.00. We have been persistent - [The Finished Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-finished-landscape/) - This post is the last in a series of three about the renovation of a landscape. The fences and gates were finished just in time for our garden tour last Sunday. It is remarkable how much they contribute to the landscape. Though I say the landscape is finished, of course there are spots that could - [At A Glance: Scenes From The Installation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-scenes-from-the-installation/) - To follow are some pictures that detail the landscape renovation process for the property I wrote about yesterday. In establishing privacy close up on the terrace, and screening the generator from view, a new home was created for the lead fountain. a scheme for the garage wall that involved centering the existing trellis, and adding - [The Renovation Of A Small Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-renovation-of-a-small-landscape/) - Last September I consulted with a client who had just purchased a jewel of an old home on a small property. Extensive renovations to the interior were just about done. The existing garage had been enlarged, and a living space above it has been added. The neighborhood is lovely. All of the homes are in - [On Tour Tomorrow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/on-tour-tomorrow/) - I was in the garden early this morning. Early enough that the dew still covered every surface. The agreement to be on a garden tour is just the beginning. Of course you want every moment in the garden to mean something, and make a good case for that meaning. The planning starts months ahead, long - [At A Glance: Moments From Previous Garden Tours](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-moments-from-previous-garden-tours/) - To follow are some pictures from previous garden tours. Enjoy them. cutting garden a bowl garden front yard landscape side yard landscape a rose garden contemporary landscape garden in the front yard sanctuary garden pergola garden pots on the steps firepit Rob's garden view from the second floor a cutting gardenpots on the driveway Fountain - [The 2015 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2015-garden-cruise/) - Every year since 2008, Detroit Garden Works and Deborah Silver and Co have jointly sponsored a garden tour to benefit the programs of the Greening of Detroit. This non-profit organization is devoted to promoting healthy urban spaces through green initiatives. In more concrete terms, they have planted 89,000 trees in the city of Detroit since - [At A Glance: 6 Weeks Later](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-6-weeks-later/) - On June 1, my landscape superintendent Dan and I walked through a project we had been working on since mid April, and decided we were done. A whole lot of work got done in those 6 weeks. To follow are pictures of how that project looked this morning, 6 weeks later. And following this, the - [A New Landscape For An Old Property](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-landscape-for-an-old-property/) - Last August I had the opportunity to consult on a landscape renovation for a lovely house and property dating back to the 1920's. The current owners added a sizable addition to the back of the house, solved many of the problems that old houses are heir to, and had redone the interior to suit them. - [At A Glance: More Silvery Leaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-silvery-leaves/) - [Silver Leaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/silver-leaves/) - Cynara cardunculus, or cardoon, is also known as an artichoke thistle. It is a member of the sunflower family, and is native to Mediterranean climes. The giant coarse toothed leaves are architectural in form, and incredibly dramatic. A lot of that drama comes from the fact that those leaves are a very bright silvery gray. - [Spikes And Such](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spikes-and-such/) - I plant lots of seasonal containers for clients every year. This season has been particularly intense and compressed. Cold nights plagued our area until the very end of May. The week before Memorial Day, we had nights in the 30's. I was wringing my hands at the prospect of getting out to plant so late, - [The Landscape at 3 Years](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-landscape-at-3-years/) - The very best part of doing containers for clients at the last of a landscape installation for a new house is the chance I might be able to to come back the following year. The opportunity to come back means I can watch, and be part of how that landscape settles in and prospers. The - [A Little Sizzle, Please](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-little-sizzle-please/) - The last two weeks, and the next two weeks, are what I affectionately refer to as hell month. I am designing containers and shopping just about non stop. My crews grab hold of the rope. I print pictures and add notes-scribbled very early in the morning. They scoop it all up, and make it happen-day - [May Rain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/may-rain/) - We have had an astonishing amount of rain in the past three weeks. Steady and generous rain. Lately that rain has been accompanied by very warm temperatures. Timing is everything-as someone once said. I am watching what regular spring rain and a little heat is meaning to my plants. All of my evergreens, shrubs and - [Out Planting Today](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/out-planting-today/) - I did my first summer container planting today. The fact that it was Memorial Day is appropriate. Michigan is not reliably frost free until the end of May. Just last week we had temps in the 30's on 2 nights-this is typical. I hung back from planting until now. Seasonal plants, which are invariably tropical - [Friday Night Opinion: Horticultural Hostility](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/friday-night-opinion-horticultural-hostility/) - I make a point of publishing essays that focus on all the good that gardening provides. Why wouldn't I? I do believe that gardens are good for people, and the act of gardening is even better. Reading about gardens and gardening is an excellent pursuit. Looking at gardens is like looking at at a sculpture - [Spring Pruning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-pruning-2/) - Every plant in the landscape will better realize its potential if it is kept properly pruned. A shrub that is kept pruned will respond by being densely twiggy-a strong branch structure is essential to good health. Plants that are pruned in such a way that every branch gets its fair share of light and air - [The Spring Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-spring-garden/) - Despite a run of very warm weather, and the tomato plants I have seen sitting outdoors for sale, it is still very much the spring season here. One of my favorite things about gardening in the mid west is the fact that the seasons change. I like all of them. Spring is a special favorite, - [At A Glance: A Spring Evening In The Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-spring-evening-in-the-garden/) - Have I ever seen Howard lie down in the bed next to the fountain? Of course not. Did Milo feel compelled to follow suit? Of course. They insisted it was all in good fun. hmm. - [Tulips For Mother's Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tulips-for-mothers-day/) - The tulips at the shop have been evolving over the past 3 weeks, when the first of them came into bloom. How appropriate that they are usually about in full bloom on Mother's Day. My Mom would have loved it, and photographed them over and over again. I came in early today, so I could - [Designing Summer Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/designing-summer-containers/) - Eric Hofley, owner and publisher of Michigan Gardener Magazine along with his brother, Jonathon, published a rather lengthy article of mine about designing summer containers. The article just came out a week ago in their May issue. If you are local to Detroit Garden Works, you are welcome to come in and pick up a - [At A Glance: Spring Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-spring-containers/) - Spring containers are just one of a thousand reasons this season is such a delight. - [What A Difference A May Day Makes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/what-a-difference-a-may-day-makes/) - It seems barely 10 days ago that the main attraction in my garden was the snow. After 10 days of 65 and 70 degree weather our spring is coming on strong. It is astonishing how quickly the plants are responding to the heat. The spring flowering annuals are putting on weight every day. The maple - [32 Degrees At Night, And Holding](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/32-degrees-at-night-and-holding/) - I see a few signs of spring. The crocus have come and gone. The magnolia Stellata is in full bloom, weeks behind its usual appearance. The grass is greening. The trees are budding out. A few forsythia are blooming, halfheartedly. Their flower buds hated the intense cold of this past winter. There are daffodils and - [Planting Pots For Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-pots-for-spring/) - I have been planting spring containers for over a week now. Of course the earliest pots had the biggest restrictions as to what plant material will tolerate the chill. No one wants to haul their pots into the garage every night that the temperatures threaten to be below freezing. But every gardener is ready and - [The Tulipiere](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-tulipiere/) - Last fall, a friend who had business in Amsterdam wrote me that he had gone to a shop specializing in handmade Delft china. They made vases in sections, which when assembled, would provide a striking display for tulips. From Wikipedia: "A tulipiere or tulip-holder is an ornate vessel in which to grow tulips, and is - [A New Relationship](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-relationship/) - In July of 2004, I bought 7 acres of land which was home to a pair of buildings totaling 30,000 square feet. The buildings, used in the past to service trolley cars and tricked out vans, had been unoccupied for years. My favorite part was the meadow-7 acres of weeds rippling in the breeze that - [The Penny W. Stamps Lecture Series: Louis Benech](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-penny-w-stamps-lecture-series-louis-benech/) - Are you familiar with the Penny W. Stamps Lecture series which take place at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor? If you are not familiar with the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan, their mission is simply as follows. On September 20th, 2012, our School officially became the Penny W. - [Vernissage 2015](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-2015/) - Six years ago today, April 1, 2009, I published my very first post. How pleased I was to have a a forum for my gardening journal! I revisited and revised this post in 2010, 2012, and 2014. To follow is this year's version of the essay Vernissage. Strictly speaking, the French word vernissage refers to the opening - [Checking In To The Grumpery](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/checking-in-to-the-grumpery/) - The month of March in Michigan always manages to test the good nature of the most graceful and exuberantly positive gardener. The bitter last of the winter is still firmly entrenched. It is 20 degrees, with snow flurries today. It will be 14 degrees over night. I don't know why these buckets of cheerfully fake - [The Collectors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-collector/) - I may not know all of their names, but I recognize their faces. Those people for whom the world turns on an axis determined by a garden, a landscape, or a property - firmly entrenched at the center of their universe. That landscape may be a dream, or a work in progress. It is most - [Awash In Hellebores](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/awash-in-hellebores/) - I am embarrassed to complain, given what the people in Boston have endured this winter, but I will say it. We have had a long tough winter. We had the better part of Boston's snow last year. This year, no heart or record breaking snow, but plenty of snow nonetheless. The snow I could plow - [The Landscape At Lee Hill Farm](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-landscape-at-lee-hill-farm/) - I have a very good friend, Susan Cohan, who also happens to be an extraordinarily talented landscape designer. Her firm, Susan Cohan Gardens, is based in Chatham, New Jersey. She is well educated in the arts and design. Her history is varied, and rich. Mind you, this previous bit does not in any way address - [The Envelope, Please](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-envelope-please/) - Over the past few weeks, I have spent a lot of time shoveling out my office. I needed a shovel! Suffice it to say that I went over every square inch of my office in person, with the idea that I needed to sort through and clean up. Some plans from 20 years ago did - [The Herding Dogs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-herding-dogs/) - No discussion of sheep farming would be complete without a big nod to the dogs. A flock of 1100 sheep, living on hundreds of acres of hilly land, would be next to impossible to handle without herding dogs. There comes a time when those sheep have to come in. The ewes are about to have - [Easegill Head Farm, Cumbria](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/easegill-head-farm-cumbria/) - I suspect it is a rare person who looks for and finds a place to work while they are on a trip, but but nothing surprises me to find out what constitutes a holiday for Rob. Easegill Head Farm in Cumbria belongs to a family that raises sheep. They have a guest cottage available for - [Scotland In February](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/scotland-in-february/) - Rob likes to get away for a few weeks in the winter, before our garden season starts to stir. His choices are always interesting. They never involve a warm or tropical place. A decision to visit England's lake district in Cumbria, Wales, and the Isle of Skye in Scotland sounded lovely-but in February? There were - [Breaking Out The Redheads](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/breaking-out-the-redheads-2/) - We are having a run of astonishingly cold weather, as in -12 degrees this morning. Cold weather is fine by me, as long as I can keep my feet warm. In weather like this, I roll out the redheads. Basspro makes these socks (in the USA I might add) for people who are outdoors in - [English Stoneware Garden Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/english-stoneware-garden-pots/) - Anywhere in the world where garden pots are made, there are stoneware pots being made. As noted in the post on Belgian stoneware, the stone like quality of the pots has to do with the mineral content of the clay, which when fired at very high temperatures, becomes very hard, and impervious to frost. The - [A Snowy Interlude](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-snowy-interlude/) - As near as I can tell, we had 16 inches of snow fall yesterday. Actually, it didn't really fall-the wind blew it every which way. It started out slow, but it was steady. At 5 pm yesterday, I had decided the weather forecast people had been outwitted by Mother Nature once again. We had some - [Belgian Stoneware](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/belgian-stoneware/) - Rob has been shopping in Belgium for at least 15 years. He has a considerable affection for the topography and natural landscape, as it reminds him of Michigan. The garden ornament has a solid and unaffected feeling about it. Many of the things he buys there have their roots in agriculture-cisterns, troughs, and the like. - [Complicated](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/complicated/) - This past fall I had a call from a great client from years ago. They bought a new house- recently built, and close to finished on the inside. The outside revealed a large piece of property with dirt as far as the eye could see. The contractor on the house recommended a landscape architect-a landscape - [A Quick Look At Some Stick Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-quick-look-at-some-stick-work/) - A client who calls for work after the holidays is unusual, but we were happy to oblige. We had materials, and there are months of winter yet to come. They had purchased these large scale contemporary birch faux bois concrete planters from Branch over a year ago. The landscape is dominated by a single river - [Back From Atlanta](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/back-from-atlanta/) - Shortly after the holiday season comes to a close, Rob and I take a trip to Atlanta to shop for the holiday to come. This might seem like less than a treat, to have the holiday go on until mid January-but I like the timing. What just transpired at Detroit Garden Works is still fresh - [Time To Read](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/time-to-read/) - I always buy myself a few books at year's end. My library is big enough that friends and family are afraid they might duplicate what I already have. Worse, they fear buying a book that isn't of interest, or is off point. I am not offended in the least. Choosing a book for me is - [The Holiday Dinner, 2014](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-dinner-2014/) - For the past several years, I have posted pictures from a holiday dinner hosted every year by 2 very good friends. They both have careers in the arts and are keenly interested in design. They have a collection of ornaments amassed over a period of many years. They have strong ties to French art and - [Last But Not Least](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/last-but-not-least/) - We did finish the majority of our winter and holiday work 2 days before Christmas. That meant we had a little time to lend a hand to Rob. Like anyone in a holiday design related business, putting together a holiday home comes last. It was looking like he might run out of time. That would - [And To All A Good Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/and-to-all-a-good-night/) - As it was 47 degrees last night, hauling a tripod around to take pictures in the dark was a breeze. No coat, hat or gloves. The time? 7pm. I am happy to have the light. Buck came along. We share the garden all summer long. We just share it in a different way now. Happy - [Home For The Holiday](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/home-for-the-holiday/) - I know my work season is coming to a close when I am able to do my pots and front door for winter. I had a chance to take Rob over there this morning to see them. My crews-busy with the year end details. The trip to the front door was a pleasure for me. - [Winter At The Shop](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-at-the-shop/) - The day we finally get to doing the roof and window boxes at the shop for winter is usually the day after we get the winter and holiday work done for our clients. Though we have a few bits and pieces that need attention tomorrow, our work is finished. The winter wrap for the shop - [A Very Merry Celebration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-very-merry-celebration/) - Rob has lots of clients for who he designs and constructs holiday and winter arrangements. Most of them feature light in one form or another. One particular client that with whom he shares a great rapport contacts him in early November every year about a holiday scheme. They are thick as thieves for weeks, planning. - [At A Glance: Recent Winter Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-winter-containers/) - A lot of work has been done this past week. Seeing this group of pictures, I am pleased that each one has a presence all its own. In showing the draft of this post to Rob, he asked me to click on the first picture, which opens that picture in a larger format, with the - [Michigan Holly](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/michigan-holly/) - Ilex verticillata is a deciduous holly that goes by many common names. We call it Michigan holly, or winter berry. They say it is fairly easy to grow, but my my experience was not that successful. It is easy to spot when Michigan holly is thriving. The branches are loaded with dense clusters of bright - [Sunday Opinion: Good Hands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-good-hands/) - Watching this garland go up yesterday, it occurred to me that the real story of our holiday landscaping is about the people who make it all happen. Rob, Sunne, Monica, Christine, Shannon, Scott and Margarita make sure that Detroit Garden Works is stocked with every material we might need. From fresh cut great quality greens,branches - [All Natural](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/all-natural/) - A client whose exuberant husband was campaigning for more in the way of holiday decorations outdoors had only one request. All natural materials, please. Garlands comprised of fresh fir, grapevine, tallow berries, pine cones and magnolia are as natural as could be, and fit right into an existing landscape. All of the materials came originally - [Day And Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/day-and-night-3/) - Day and night get equal play in our zone this time of year. There is no need to convince you. The dark and the cold is obvious to any gardener within range of my zone. Winter and holiday containers can help mitigate the down and dormant garden. Whatever you create in the way of winter - [Lighting Winter Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lighting-winter-containers/) - The most obvious sign that winter has arrived is the coming of the dark. By 5pm, our natural light is waning. If I leave work at 6pm, it is dark outside. If I leave home at 6am, it is dark. The dark and the cold can weigh heavily on one's spirits. No wonder that many - [The Holiday Outdoors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-outdoors/) - As much as I like representing the holiday season in the garden, I like getting ready for it in the garage. Our garage space is large; we can set up a pop up fabrication shop that even Buck would like. The approach to the work comes first. It is key to doing a job efficiently, - [Sparkle, Anyone?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sparkle-anyone/) - My first introduction to sparkle may have been a dress my Mom wore to a New Year's Eve party at the Whitney in the 50's. The fabric was woven from metallic thread in white gray and black. The dress was shimmery. At some point I would have seen a sequined ball gown, or black patent - [At A Glance: One Stem At A Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-one-stem-at-a-time/) - All of these winter containers came to be, one stem at a time. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy the process. one glass drop at a time. Lots of the pots pictured above were done by Rob. I learned from him how to slow down, and work one stem at - [One Stem At A Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/one-stem-at-a-time/) - Some winter containers ask for a centerpiece. Small containers may not have room for lots of materials in them, stuck one stem at a time. A centerpiece only occupies a few inches of space in a container - the bamboo pole and all that is attached to it, driven down into the soil, provides all - [Freezing Weather](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/freezing-weather/) - Our recent weather has been much more like January than November. Day time temperatures the the 20's, and night temperatures in the low teens does not mean we postpone our winter container work. Even if we could, there isn't any need. If the prospect of doing winter container arrangements is leaving you cold, perhaps some - [Holiday Tables At Cranbrook](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-tables-at-cranbrook/) - For 39 years, the Cranbrook Auxiliary has raised money for the restoration of both Cranbrook house and the gardens via the Holiday Tables event in late November. This year, 18 designers spent the day yesterday decorating their tables for the holidays. I did a table for them at least 10 years ago. A good friend, - [The Materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-materials/) - Let's suppose you have a great collection of materials. A truckload of one gallon pots of wildflowers. 50 perennials of 5 kinds in the trunk. 2 flats of groundcover. 10 flowering stems from the garden asking for a vase. A palette loaded with brick. 5 yards of compost. A box of tulip bulbs. A small - [The Stick Crop](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-stick-crop/) - The most glorious color award in the landscape must surely go to the fall season. From the asparagus to the sweet gums, color is in the air. The green of the evergreen shrubs and trees is all the more intense by contrast with the colors sported by the leaves of deciduous plants. Once those leaves - [At A Glance: Detroit Garden Works Holiday](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-detroit-garden-works-holiday/) - For everyone who lives too far away to visit, to follow is a collection of pictures of the shop decked out for the winter and holidays. The snow this morning-appropriate to the occasion. Decorating the shop for the winter and holidays? All the work of it is all the fun of it. - [Season's End](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/seasons-end/) - The close of the gardening season is coming up fast. This means I am trying to finish four landscape projects before the coming of the cold closes me out. An old client with a new project-just today we decided to push the envelope. There are bulbs still not in the ground. Garden cleanups not finished. - [Late To The Party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/late-to-the-party/) - Few months in the garden in Michigan can rival October. The changing of the leaves on the trees and shrubs saturates the garden with color from top to bottom. I would not say that we are having a peak color year. The factors that influence fall color are many. Factoring every variable in does not - [At A Glance: The Malvern Autumn Show](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-malvern-autumn-show/) - The following are Rob's pictures from the Malvern Autumn Show in England, one part of which was the National Vegetable Society's Midland Branch Championships. Every flower vegetable and egg - exhibition quality gorgeous. - [Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/recent-work/) - Fall is an incredibly beautiful season in Michigan. The sun low in the sky, and the morning fog makes every color intensely saturated. The leaves changing electrifies a fall palette of color in the landscape in a way that no flower could hope to achieve. The sugar maples are brilliantly fiery; the hydrangeas are a muted - [The Engineering](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-engineering/) - Don't ask me for the particulars, but I do recall seeing a spot on television recently featuring lots of young people studying engineering. Engineering? It never seemed to me that a career in engineering was anything but sleepy-just one short step up from accounting. But these young people had solving the problems of the world on - [Winter Protection For Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-protection-for-boxwood/) - Boxwood is one of the most versatile and robust growing evergreens available for planting in my zone. There are a number of great cultivars. Green Velvet matures at 3' by 3', and keeps its great color all winter. Green Mountain is virtually identical to Green Velvet, but grows to 4' tall by 3' wide. Buxus - [The Weather](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-weather/) - What's your weather like today? Mine is cool and rainy, punctuated by torrential downpours of short duration. Two days ago the temperature was above 80 degrees by late afternoon. The forecast calls for 48 degrees tomorrow, and 39 degrees tomorrow night. The transition between summer and fall is marked by moody weather. There will be - [At A Glance: A Collection Of Fall Containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-collection-of-fall-containers/) - bok choy, violas and pansies eucalyptus, broom corn, cabbage, and kale bleached sticks, eucalyptus, green and white pumpkins and gourds chrysanthemums and pansies striped gourds white pumpkin with white cabbage in a bushel basket flame willow a mix of fall materials striped pumpkins and squash on grapevine fall pots with big pumpkins and gourds burdock - [Fall Container Plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-container-plantings/) - Though most of my work involves landscape design and installation, I have a big love for container plantings. They can be different every year - what a relief to let go of something that didn't work out so well. Best of all, they can be planted for every season. The beginning of any new - [A Landscape For A Gardener: Part 4: The Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-landscape-for-a-gardener-part-4-the-finish/) - [A Landscape For A Gardener: The Plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-landscape-for-a-gardener-the-plants/) - The focus of the landscape in the rear yard was and still is the pond. The informally planted pond gardens, surrounded by old scotch pines and punctuated by a small barn, look and feel as though they have reached a mature state of natural equilibrium. I am not fooled. A devoted gardener created this garden, - [A Landscape For A Gardener : Part 2: The Dirt](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-landscape-for-a-gardener-part-2-the-dirt/) - By the final months of 2013, the sidewalk was nearing completion, the driveway base got poured, the curving front courtyard wall and pillars for the cast iron fence were complete. The iron work-yet to come. At least we were past the point of contractors parking in the front yard. It is next to impossible to - [A Landscape For A Gardener: The Structure](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-landscape-for-a-gardener-the-structure/) - This landscape project took a little better than two years to build, from start to finish. We planted new pots on the rear terrace for summer, in mid August. A client who is an avid gardener and naturalist with a large piece of property decided to take down her home of many years, and build - [A Favorite Client](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-favorite-client/) - It isn't hard to identify the favorite clients. The work you do for them-they appreciate it. They are not afraid to ask you to detail every step you went through to arrive at a recommendation. Once you provide all of the details, they respond, kindly. They think over everything you say, carefully. Better, yet, they - [A Path To Somewhere](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-path-to-somewhere/) - This terrace sits a number of steps above the surrounding landscape and garden. I would guess the terrace sits almost 3 feet above the ground plane. There are plenty of places to sit. Lots of chairs with plump cushions make this experience of the outdoors comfortable. I would choose being outdoors above any other place - [Sunday Opinion: Aging Trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-aging-trees/) - A good client has lost 6 very big and very old trees in the terrible storms we have had this season. The damage to her landscape is considerable. The remaining old trees in the same proximity look lonely, and off center. She is asking me what to do. I haven't answered her yet, but she - [At A Glance: Labor Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-labor-day/) - window box with lime alocasia Belgian stoneware planted with Persian Shield, polka dot plant, and King begonias pink dahlias, Persian Queen geraniums, and petunias white dahlias, blue salvia, angelonia, showy oregano, frosted curls grass, and petunias shade pot black and limewindow box shade pot window boxes at the shop boxwood, silver shield plectranthus, and variegated - [Limelight Hydrangeas In Bloom](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/limelights-in-bloom/) - I know this is the mid westerner in me talking, but is there any shrub more widely hybridized and marketed and eventually disappointing than the hydrangea? I can barely keep up with the new cultivars. Some are blue. Some are blue and pink. Some are red. Some claim to bloom all summer. A list of - [Mixed Greens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mixed-greens/) - My summer driveway garden has only one flowering plant-a white sunpatiens with a variegated leaf. Lots of them. I am astonished at how well this plant has performed, given less than ideal sun, chilly temperatures, and relentless rain. The plants have grown at an astonishing rate, and shrug off troublesome weather. The Japanese beetles did - [At A Glance: A Run Of Cold And Rainy Weather](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-run-of-cold-and-rainy-weather/) - We have had a long run of cold and rainy weather. As in overnight temperatures in the high 40's and low fifties, and close to 6 inches in one day, last week. I don't think the pink fittonia has grown an inch. However, this variegated tradescantia is really thriving-the color is so beautiful. It almost - [Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/out-of-sight-out-of-mind/) - I have searched the picture files of my home garden in vain for a recent picture from just this angle. I have plenty of pictures of the ferns on the lower level, the staircase to the rose garden, the boxwood flanking the stairs, and the fountain. But nothing regarding how this change of level was - [Off The Beaten Track](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/off-the-beaten-track/) - Every gardener is used to seeing containers placed on hard surfaces. On either side of a front porch. On a set of steps or walkway. On a terrace. But containers can fit right into a spot in the landscape. We have worked in several places this week where containers were placed in the midst - [At A Glance: Walkways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-walkways/) - gravel walk walk parallel to the drive stone walkwaygravel and stone limestone slabs wood walk old brick walk concrete aggregate walk gravel walk and terrace combination blue stone and limestone gravel walk stone on the diagonal cobblestone walk stone walkway random flag walk blue stone and granite setts grass walk - [A Walkway](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-walkway/) - Most landscapes have walkways of one sort or another. It is a vehicle by which people are able to get from one place to another. Anyone who has even bought a pair of shoes or a car knows that there are vehicles of all different sorts. This particularly long and thin property has been owned - [A Watery Grave](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-watery-grave/) - I am sure you remember the astonishingly cold and lengthy winter past. The fallout from that winter was severe. So many plants damaged, or killed outright. Trying to catch up to the repair and replacement, given that it was well into April before anyone could work the ground, has been a daunting task. That cold - [At A Glance: Gray Leaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-gray-leaves/) - silver cascade dusty miller silver king begonias sage victorian rosemary topiary and silver falls dichondra helichrysum icicles silver king begonias, watermelon pepperomia and pink polka dot plant- Persian Shield in the center centaurea gymnocarpa, cirrus dusty miller, and silver licorice White caladiums and silver king begonias silver king begonias-several varieties silver king begonias silver king - [A Small Property](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-small-property/) - A small property is uniquely suited for the creation of a landscape that can be fully charged with an atmosphere and aura all its own. In a small space, every gesture is deliberate, apparent, and personal. Nothing escapes a keen eye. The scale of a small space is a scale a single person can easily - [At A Glance: Cafe Au Lait Dahlia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-cafe-au-lait-dahlia/) - In early June, I published an essay about the garden to come in the front yard of Detroit Garden Works called "Color Scheming". A dahlia named cafe au lait I had read about on Gardenista had gotten my attention. It did not take long for me to decide to organize and design the entire garden - [Learning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/learning/) - Lots of people ask me about how I work with color in the garden. How I decide on a color scheme for a container. I have tried to write about my process, but I always have the nagging feeling that the discussion falls short. Frustrating, this. Though I know that any creative process cannot be - [The 2014 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2014-garden-cruise/) - Since 2008, Detroit Garden Works has sponsored a garden tour the third Sunday in the July to benefit the programs of the Greening of Detroit. They have been planting trees, holding classes, and sponsoring urban farms in our city for going on 25 years. In the past 6 years, we have raised over 70,000.00 for - [At A Glance: Great In The Shade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-great-in-the-shade-2/) - So many choices. - [Big Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/big-pots/) - I am usually done planting containers by the 4th of July. This year, a very late cold spring meant my container plantings have gone late. Thankfully most of these late plantings are for clients who had containers planted for spring. Today we planted 21 very large containers for a commercial client. As much as I - [The Driveway Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-driveway-garden/) - I have a whole lot of landscape surrounding my driveway. Why so? I drive up and drive out of it at least 2 times a day, maybe more. There are plenty of other places in my garden that I see only intermittently. An example that explains how frequent visitation drives design-see the following. As my - [The Deck Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-deck-pots/) - Every year I think I will be able to finish planting annual containers for clients before the beginning of July. Beginning of July? I do have clients who plant their pots for spring-they have no need of a summer planting until late June. There are some clients who call the first week of June for - [Roses On The Mend](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/roses-on-the-mend/) - Once the piles of snow melted this spring, the rose news was not so good. All of my roses were holding onto their dead leaves for dear life-as if our terrible winter caught them completely off guard. This scene just about broke my heart. A good part of the heartbreak was the uncertainty about the - [Monday Opinion: When I'm 64](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-when-im-64/) - When I am 64-that would be yesterday. How is being 64 going so far? Sunday had to be one of the most beautiful June days in recent memory. 78 degrees, and breezy. Delightful. I put my feet up, whenever I could. No worries-I took the time to enjoy the day. I have sketchy plans for - [Still Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/still-spring/) - As I am writing this, the temperature outside is 54 degrees. This morning, I woke up to 49 degrees. Why do I think this is news fit to print? A 54 degree daytime temperature is a spring temperature. Should you be thinking that summer has arrived in Michigan, I would ask you to think differently. - [At A Glance: Great In The Shade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-great-in-the-shade/) - Those gardeners who have containers in shady spots have lots of options. So many plants appreciate and thrive out of the glare of the sun. Begonias, calocasias, both the lime and variegated licorice, creeping jenny, creeping Charlie, nicotianas, pepperomias, Persian Shield, coleus-the list is long. To follow is a list of my favorites. The pink - [Luminous](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/luminous/) - So many clients and customers of Detroit Garden Works are stymied by their shade. Shade containers don't blare like a brass band. They are reserved. No doubt a shade container garden does not have dahlias, zinnias, geraniums or heliotrope on a to plant list. But shady conditions mean that lots of interesting and subtly - [Color Scheming](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/color-scheming/) - Some gardeners come to a scheme for planting annuals based on favorite colors, or color combinations. Others like a certain style of planting. Others focus on the size of the flowers, or the color of the leaves. The best plantings involve scheming on as many different levels as possible. I plant the annuals in front - [At A Glance: Favorite Annual Plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-favorite-annual-plants/) - Planting the annuals and containers is a very exciting time-and an exhausting one. So in lieu of writing, I thought to just post some pictures of my favorite annual plants. What makes them a favorite? This glowingly green Janet Craig dracaena will thrive in very low light. The Vista series of petunia is very vigorous, - [The Window Box](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/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 - [Shades Of Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/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 - [Tell The Story](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/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 - [Garden Design Magazine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/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 - [At A Glance: Pots And Plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-pots-and-plantings/) - To follow are some pictures of pots and their plantings that, to my eye, work well together. See what you think. This basket has geraniums, trailing verbena and mini-petunias. Silver foliaged plants-the names I do not remember. bird's nest fern and lime selaginella-club moss. Hosta and baby tears nicotiana mutabilis, purple dahlia, nicotiana alata lime, - [Who's Choosing Whom?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/whos-choosing-whom/) - Shopping for anything is one part fun, two parts research, and 5 parts anxiety. The anxiety is the toughest part. Is this avocado ripe enough to serve tonight? Will these tennis shoes be comfortable? Will this washing machine handle all of my needs? Is this tennis racquet appropriate for my level of play? Will I - [A String Of Cold And Rainy Days](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-string-of-cold-and-rainy-days/) - We have had quite a string of rainy days. Rainy and cold, every day. Thunderstorms and the downpours to go with. It is plainly too wet to plow. The only gardening we are doing is in containers. Water logged soil can have every last bit oxygen squeezed out of it by foot traffic. Or a - [A Painterly Mix Of Tulips](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-painterly-mix-of-tulips/) - Anyone who gardens has a fascination with what I call living color. The red of tulip is a much different kind of red than red represented by paint. Color infused by life and light is a special kind of color. It is no wonder that flowering plants are prized by gardeners. Given the winter we - [At A Glance: Popping](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-popping/) - Spring is popping! Our landscape is finally beginning to green up. The living color - whether it be green, yellow red, or purple - what a relief. spring pots clematis Belgian fence section tulips at the shop on the driveway calendulas spring window box spring pots planted galvanized tub the nursery area spring flowers Boston - [Mother's Day, 2014](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mothers-day-2014/) - We have had enough warm weather for any gardener to begin to sort out the landscape disaster at hand, courtesy of our 2013-2014 winter. As the weather warms, it becomes clearer what is surviving, and what will not. Evergreens pruned after August 1 show plenty of damage. Late season pruning may look smart, but it - [The 2014 Espaliers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2014-espaliers/) - As long as I am on the topic of pruning woody plants, I would like to devote a little time to a discussion of espaliered trees. An espalier is any tree which has been trained to grow in two dimensions. Espaliers can have great height, and great width, but with next to no depth. They - [Pruning With A Purpose](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/pruning-with-a-purpose/) - Pruning woody shrubs, when done properly, is good for the plants. Cutting out dead or diseased branches helps to preserve the overall health of the plant. Branches that cross over one another may damage the bark of both branches. Damage to the bark of a woody shrub is an invitation to insects and disease. Thinning - [Naturally Pruned](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/naturally-pruned/) - If you live in my zone, nature has beat you to the spring pruning. Shrubs weighed down by heavy snow loads have broken branches. Boxwood exposed to winter winds, extreme cold and snow loads show die back to varying degrees. Any ivy that has climbed into a tree or up the side of the - [At A Glance: Lots Of Spring Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-lots-of-spring-pots/) - To follow are too many pictures of the spring pots we have planted up at the shop. But too many pictures of plants growing and blooming is just what I need right now. On this 18 foot antique Scottish railway bench, a collection of little mixed spring pots. Ever since the day years ago that - [A Miserable Affair](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-miserable-affair/) - The boxwood hedge in front of Detroit Garden Works has been there 17 years. This collection of buxus microphylla koreana were Canadian grown. They had grown to a fairly uniform 3' tall, and are every bit of four feet wide. Though their winter color was decidedly orange, they were hardy as could be. Just - [Spring For Some Color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-for-some-color/) - Our spring so far has been cold. As in damp April 42 degree cold. I spent the day outside with my crew today-I am chilled all the way through. Of course I expected a stellar spring, given the extreme length and depth of our winter. Silly, that. Our spring is hung over in the - [The Bad News](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-bad-news/) - Every warmer day, there are new signs of the damage sustained in the landscape from our once in better than a lifetime winter. The news is discouraging. Any gardener who has zone 5 or 6 plants in their landscape is feeling the side effects of a zone 3 or 4 winter. I do not know - [Early Spring Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/early-spring-planting/) - Planting containers for early spring has its pleasures and its pitfalls. The overriding concern is always the cold. We planted containers for a client in downtown Detroit Thursday and Friday of last week-a dicey move, considering the overnight temperatures were very cold. One night-22 degrees. How to best avoid cold damage in early spring is - [At A Glance: The Branch Fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-branch-fountain/) - To each and every one of you who left a comment about this new fountain from Branch, my sincere thanks. It was a sculpture that was months in the making. So much conversation. So much thought. So many members of the Branch group stepping up. All of us fell for this fountain. We are pleased - [The Branch Fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-branch-fountain-2/) - Winter at the Branch Studio is a gritty affair. The building is too large and drafty to heat to any decent level. Everyone over there lives in their insulated carhardts, boots and leather gloves-amongst a whole host of other gear. The wind makes the doors rattle like crazy. Enter if you dare. There is nothing - [The Spring Fair](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-spring-fair/) - Detroit Garden Works hosted the first day of its annual spring garden fair yesterday. In 2010, we decided to sponsor a spring fair for a a few good reasons. Rob has shopped overseas for Detroit Garden Works for 18 years. In fact, we just had a container from Belgium arrive a few days ago. In - [Sure Signs Of Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sure-signs-of-spring/) - I have had some signs of our very early spring. Piles of snow in April. Hellebores encased in ice. Yews whose foliage is bright orange from exposure to cold, wind and salt. White leaved tips on boxwood tell the same tale. Broken and smashed boxwood-those people plowing snow for days and months on end hardly - [Moss It](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/moss-it/) - The signs of spring in my area are still few and far between. I do have a few crocus just coming into bloom now - in April, for pete's sake. My garden cannot be cleaned up yet, as a layer of ice still covers most of it. I have winter pots still so frozen in - [Abscission](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/abscission/) - The leaves of trees and woody plants are solar cells that convert the energy from the sun into food that enables a plant to grow and sustain itself. This is a gardener talking-not a botanist. I observe that once a leaf is no longer able to perform its job, that leaf is shed from the - [Vernissage](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vernissage-2/) - Five years ago today, April 1, 2009, I published my first post. To follow is a reprint/edit of that post, entitled "Vernissage". Strictly speaking, the French word vernissage refers to the opening of an art exhibition. I learned the word recently from a client with whom I have a history spanning 25 years. This speaks a lot to - [18 Years](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/18-years/) - 18 years ago, on March 29, Rob and I were hosting a party to celebrate the opening of Detroit Garden Works. My landscape design and installation firm was the ripe old age of 10. I had always had a dream of a place where clients could find beautiful and intriguing objects to ornament their garden. - [Seeding Sweet Peas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/seeding-sweet-peas/) - Could there be any fragrance more enchantingly reminiscent of spring than from the flowers of the sweet pea? "High Scent" is a cultivar of sweet pea known for its fresh and sweet scent. Sweet peas, indeed. The creamy white flowers are edged in pale lavender. Divine. Like edible peas, the plants are vining, and grow - [A Sunny Window Sill](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-sunny-window-sill/) - I was shocked to see that a post I wrote just about this time last year featured the same dirty snow and cold temperatures we are having right now. It's easy to forget that as a winter month, March can be only slightly more moderate than February. As a spring month, it is stingy with - [Our Hellebore Festival](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/our-hellebore-festival/) - The Helleborus Festivalis starts at Detroit Garden Works at 9am tomorrow-sharp. What has taken months to put together is just about ready for the curtain to rise. Rob has done his usual incredible job, sourcing interesting hellebore cultivars of size and in bloom for our gardening clientele. The resident greenhouse frog approves of our case - [Sunday Opinion: A New Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-a-new-season/) - Even though our winter has a grip on my landscape I can barely comprehend, I am thinking about how it feels to be poised on the cusp of a spring season. Every season has its memorably quiet or triumphant moments, and its disasters. I remember a bygone season in lots of ways. Who came when, - [Helleborus Festivalis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/helleborus-festivalis/) - Detroit Garden Works plans to hold its first ever spring festival the weekend of March 21, 22, and 23. We are calling the event the Helleborus Festivalis, in celebration of one of our most favorite spring flowering perennials, the hellebore. Rob has spent weeks traveling to and ordering from nurseries all over the US - [Going For The Record](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/going-for-the-record/) - Really? I didn't really believe the forecast for 8 inches of fresh snow and 40 mile an hour winds, but that forecast proved dead to right. The snow started about 7am, and never let up until the afternoon. Long about 11:30 we were experiencing blizzard conditions. Then the wind. Howling winds, for Pete's sake. If - [At A Glance: What's Growing On](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-whats-growing-on/) - pot of crocus hyacinths and muscari hellebore cyclamen green hellebore potted hyacinths yellow hellebore crocus opening spotted hellebore - [Culture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/culture/) - Don't let the title of this post make you think I am all in and over my head. I have no plan to discuss culture, as in the cumulative arts and intellectual achievement of a neighborhood or nation or region or era. I would be over my head. I am interested in culture as the - [Potting Up](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/potting-up/) - Our winter is stuck on repeat like a CD playing with a giant gouge-is it not? If only nature would choose to bring this song to a close. If only the channel would change. OK, I realize the timing of the change of the channel is out of my control. The only thing keeping me - [Hellebores: Recent Forms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hellebores-recent-forms/) - I have only been growing helleborus orientalis in my garden for 10 years or so. Why I was so late adding them to me garden is a mystery. Perhaps they were done blooming by the time I started haunting nurseries for plants. I may have missed them. Perhaps the time it took a hellebore to - [The 2014 Gardening Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2014-gardening-season/) - Though nature had no plans to attend the opening of Detroit Garden Works today for the 2014 gardening season, the robins in the tree next door are here right on schedule. Rob says they look to be the fattest robins ever. I personally think they have their feathers fluffed out to the max-trying to defend - [A Rude Awakening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-rude-awakening/) - Our winter, which shows not one sign of abating, has been our snowiest and coldest for 20 years. My landscape has rarely been subject to temperatures below zero - never the extreme below zero numbers that have been routine this winter. A worst case winter like this is bound to have consequences. I fear the - [A Belated Valentine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-belated-valentine/) - I did have Valentines flowers to arrange and deliver Friday, most of which got away from me before I could photograph them. But the process of arranging gave me some time to think about them-the flowers, that is. In the dead center of February, in the middle of a too cold snowy and icy winter, - [At A Glance: Leaf Deprived](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-leaf-deprived/) - The Michigan landscape has a decidedly arctic look to it right now. I thought these pictures might be a comfort to leaf deprived northern gardeners, myself included. Strobilanthes is commonly known as Persian shield. asclepias incarnata, orange sedge, and verbena bonariensis calocasia, coleus, creeping jenny and scotch moss (sagina) plectranthus, dusty miller, and barbed - [Freezing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/freezing/) - Freezing is a state (presumably, a transitory state) to which I am reluctantly becoming accustomed. Freezing temperatures are the order of the day. Freezing-what is that, exactly? Water which is subjected to temperatures below 32 degrees transforms from a liquid state to a solid. We commonly call frozen water ice. We have ice - [Boxwood Obliteration Warning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/boxwood-obliteration-warning/) - My friend Michael wrote me yesterday that the National Weather Service should have issued a "boxwood obliteration warning" along with all of their other communiques on our endless string of winter storms. I perfectly understand his irritation. We have had storm after storm, layered between bouts of very cold temperatures. This means the snow is - [A Big Loss](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-big-loss/) - Small yards-don't most people have them? I would not ever describe my property in terms of its acreage. I have a city lot, 105 feet on the short side, and 125.76 feet on the long side. I am a steward of 13,230 square feet. One city lot and a half. Just to put this in - [At A Glance: Snow Down](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-snow-down/) - How are the corgis coping with forty some inches of snow? Famously. hardy souls, aren't they? - [Say It Ain't Snow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/say-it-aint-snow/) - In Detroit, 49.3 inches of snow have fallen so far this winter, more than the full season average of 42.7 inches, and there are at least two months left in winter. Detroit is seeing its snowiest January on record: Detroit has received 31.3 inches so far this month, breaking the old record of 29.6 inches - [Thursday Opinion: A Life Of One's Own](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/friday-opinion-a-life-of-ones-own/) - A few days ago, the feature on my blog which sends emails to subscribers to alert them to a new post went haywire. Subscribers were getting emails every few hours, most of which were for posts I had written years ago. I was appalled. People who subscribed to Dirt Simple were getting spammed. The blog - [The Shape of Things to Come](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-shape-of-things-to-come/) - As Susan Cohan, a very talented and skilled American landscape designer would say, a great landscape design is about making a space work. It works for the client. It works for the plants selected. And it solves problems. No where is that more evident than designing for a very small space. A very small property - [Sunday Opinion: Scale And Proportion](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-scale-and-proportion/) - Whenever Buck does a CAD drawing for a project, or an object, he includes a drawing of Man 01. For those of you who do not do design drawings on a computer, CAD stands for computer assisted design. This line drawing of a man who is 6' tall is stored in his computer as a - [Mighty White](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mighty-white/) - My landscape is mighty white right now. We have already had better than twice the snow we had all season last year, and this is just mid January. I was so surprised that we got another 3 inches of snow yesterday. Have we not had enough? Who thought we needed more than the 16 inches - [The White On The Way](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-white-on-the-way/) - Has the thought of spring crossed my mind yet? Oh yes. The fierce cold, the heavy snow and the ice of the past 3 weeks has made it easy to daydream about spring. Better than 30 years ago I was able one October to buy five acres of rolling land (burdened with an utterly dysfunctional - [More On White: Milkweed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-on-white-milkweed/) - This photograph from Wikipedia speaks volumes to the importance of the milkweed. Asclepias tuberosa is a favored nesting site for the Monarch butterfly. At summers end, the wild plants we have growing at the shop will be covered with their larvae. The Monarch larvae feed on these leaves. The butterfly weed is a favored host - [White In The Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/white-in-the-garden/) - My current garden is all about the snow, and not much else. 16 inches of snow has managed to turn everything in the landscape ground plane into a collection of wind whipped white blobs. On the roads, dirty white. In the shade, blue white. In the sun, blinding white. It's enough white to keep me - [White Christmas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/white-christmas-2/) - Christmas was two weeks ago, but just today I got the pictures from a special Christmas dinner. Very close friends serve a Christmas dinner to friends that is as much a visual as a culinary happening. I am always interested to see how they design their holiday fete. Given that almost everything in my world - [At A Glance: 16 Inches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-16-inches/) - The biggest snowstorm that I recall was in December of 1974. I was 24, and living in Ann Arbor. Some 20 inches fell December 1 and 2. Just like any other 24 year old, I was determined that no weather event would put a crimp in my plans. I still remember that drive on I-94 - [Snow Day And Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/snow-day-and-night/) - The pictures recovered from my iphone of the rose garden in June a few days ago were indeed a pleasant interlude. However, the winter season is all over my garden. Buck says we have 10-12 inches already on the ground, and our heaviest snowfall is yet to come. Overnight, another 6 inches. I have not - [Coming Up Roses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/coming-up-roses/) - It was 9 degrees below zero when I drove to work this morning. I could tell. The crunch of the snow underfoot was deafening. I had to keep blinking to keep my eyelashes from freezing to my face. Though I had all manner of winter gear piled on, my face stung from the cold. The - [At A Glance: And To All A Good Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-and-to-all-a-good-night/) - New Years evening, January 1, 2014. - [The Edge](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-edge/) - We are on the edge of the end of a year. The furthest edge. In just a few hours, that year will be part of the past. There will be discussion-a retrospective. Some memories will be sentimental. It is easy to remember the roses, and gloss over the beetles. We are likewise on the edge - [The 2013 Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2013-garden/) - It doesn't seem possible that almost 365 days have gone by since I took this picture in January of 2012. I recollect that we had almost nothing in the way of snow cover last winter; this modest January snow was a welcome relief from the winter grays. But what interested me most was how the - [Merry Christmas, Luca Della Robbia style](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/merry-christmas-luca-della-robbia-style/) - An Italian sculptor named Luca Della Robbia produced many charming works in glazed terra cotta from 1400-1475. Many of his plaques featured frames depicting fruits and vegetables. This style of decoration still persists centuries later, in a style of Christmas decorating known in this country as the Williamsburg style. Someday I would like to go - [Winter's Icy Grip](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winters-icy-grip/) - A week ago, both my garden and I were laid low by nature's icy grip. Steady rains over several days and declining temperatures resulted in a rare late December ice storm. My garden was spared the worst of the storm, which mostly laid waste to landscapes north of us. I was not so fortunate. I - [In The Pink](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/in-the-pink-2/) - The dark days are here. The needled foliage of the yews are not spring or summer green. They are black green. The colder the weather, the darker the color. By contrast with the snow, the boxwood foliage is dark too. I don't mind it, really. Not now. But as the winter drags on and on, - [At A Glance: More Holiday Garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-holiday-garlands/) - It's December in the garden. Time to hang it up. - [The Holiday Garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-garland/) - Constructing evergreen garlands is not a job I would tackle. I buy them already made from Dan Prielipp at my local farmer's market. He makes them up thick for me from a number of species of fir boughs. A 50 foot length is incredibly heavy. So much wood in those boughs, and so much water. - [Late In The Week: Nature](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/late-in-the-week-nature/) - Thank heavens that the garden has gone to sleep. What I have had to do this year to keep my perennials happy-lots of time and effort. I have old maples with girdling roots, and Princeton Gold maples, arborvitae, and boxwood that need yearly pruning. Big branches of my clematis succumbed to wilt. The roses-I have - [Tuesday Opinion: Rhythm](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tuesday-opinion-rhythm/) - Someday I will plant a giant circle of deciduous trees. Or a square. or a rectangle, or an irregularly shaped enclosure of trees. Most of the trunks will be too close together. There may be one entrance, which is also an exit. There may be an entrance and a separate exit. There may be one - [At A Glance: More Warm For Winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-warm-for-winter/) - purple and lavender Dressing a fountain for winter finished arrangement Francesca del Re terra cotta pot ready for winter winter white blanket of noble and silver fir collection of winter pots lead egg cup curly copper willow and oregonia red bud pussy willow, mixed greens, fan willow, and purple eucalyptus The Avenue diner in Royal - [The Garden In December](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-in-december/) - Every gardener's circumstances are different, but our December is notable for the coming of the cold. No matter what year it is, my plan for the holiday and winter garden at the shop has to include an element that is warm. The lighting is warm. Sparkly or reflective materials can be warm. The sentiment of - [Shimmering](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/shimmering/) - It doesn't take much to add a little holiday shimmer to a winter container arrangement. Anything that sparkles is very festive. Sinamay is polyester fabric that can be found shot through with metallic threads. It holds its naturally curvy shape no mater the weather. Not great with swags and bows? This material does the work - [At A Glance: The Wreath Details](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-wreath-details/) - It does not matter whether you are stitching a quilt, designing a garden, composing a song, painting a picture, or writing a book-the creative process is a very special state of mind. I don't know that I could describe it very well, except to say that the moment when all of ones every day cares - [Making A Holiday Wreath](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/making-a-holiday-wreath/) - Wreath making is one of the great pleasures of the holiday season. Relative to other holiday decor projects, a wreath is small. A 30" wreath will amply fill the space on a front door. A 30 " diameter evergreen wreath can be decorated with all kinds of materials. A collection of pine cones or wood - [Sunday Opinion: The Leftovers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-leftovers/) - Thanksgiving dinner at our house always means lots of leftovers. Buck's style of cooking has its roots in his Texan background. When he cooks, he cooks for the many. That is his idea of hospitality-more than plenty to eat. Though our dinner was limited to the two of us, he cooked a huge pan chock - [The Details: A Story Board](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-details-a-story-board/) - Part 3 of my tutorial about the construction of winter containers has to do with bringing the special details to life. Evergreens stuck into a foam form the base of the winter container. A structure upon which to build. A centerpiece, no matter whether it is tied up tight and of a piece, or stuck - [The Center Of Interest: A Short Story](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-center-of-interest-a-short-story/) - One way to organize a creative winter garden expression is to decide on a center of interest, and design every other element to celebrate that one big idea. If you have a mind that your winter pot needs a centerpiece, I have some suggestions about the construction. Let's assume that you have built a foam - [Sticking It: A Foam Story](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sticking-it-a-foam-story/) - Our late fall weather took a nose dive a few days ago. Just yesterday, it was 15 degrees when I came into work. Bitter cold like that over a period of time can make any soil left in a container turn rock hard. I have had gardeners in, wondering how they will get their winter - [At A Glance: Evergreen Branches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-evergreen-branches/) - concolor fir, and coned spruce branches coned spruce boughs German boxwood in a 25 pound case Long needled pine magnolia grandiflora incense cedar English variegated boxwood Silver fir Little leaved magnolia wreath 30" tall Little leaved magnolia bunches Port Orford cedar white pine, and coned spruce Douglas Fir berried juniper I would guess that I - [All Mixed Up](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/all-mixed-up/) - Gardeners routinely mix plants and design elements up in the landscape. They favor this soil mix over that one. They mix all kinds of fertilizer from manure tea to fish emulsion. Hybrid plants suggest a mix of that gene pool with another. A mixer suggests a party attended by people from very different points of - [Holiday Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-garden/) - It is no secret that I enjoy decorating the garden for the holidays. The gardening season has come to a close-there are reasons to celebrate. I am not watering, grooming, transplanting, replacing, pruning or fertilizing. This is a long way of saying I have respite from the chores that make the idea of a good - [Up On The Roof](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/up-on-the-roof/) - Reader Dianne commented on this blog yesterday that she always wondered how people installed holiday decorations that would stay put. We wonder that same thing on occasion. Few buildings come outfitted with hooks and screws especially installed to make a holiday decorating scheme easy to install. We had but the most sketchy plan to install - [An Approach To The The Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/an-approach-to-the-the-work/) - Every holiday expression asks first and foremost for all of the senses in concert with an active imagination. Once the design presents itself, the next move is to design the construction. A project in its imagined state can be described with a pencil and a piece of paper. A gesture. A project under construction has - [The Dogs At Chase Tower](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-dogs-at-chase-tower-2/) - My company Detroit Garden Works is in the garden ornament business. We buy and sell ornament for the garden - new, vintage, and antique and repurposed, from sources in the US and Europe. What is a garden ornament? Any object deliberately placed in a landscape or garden. This definition would include pergolas, sundials, sculptures, bird - [Stick Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/stick-work/) - Mid November is a good time to be planning what you might do to interpret the garden and landscape for the holiday and the winter. Early is the best time to get going on a scheme. The most compelling reason has to do with weather. The past few years, our late fall was very - [At A Glance: Late Fall](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-late-fall/) - maples shedding bleached maples leaves maple leaves Japanese maple in late November Gingko and hydrangea parrotias pear tree pear espalier Venus dogwood old oak snow today - [Leaf Me Alone](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/leaf-me-alone/) - Why is it that the moment you want something the worst is that very moment you are destined to loose it? I mourn the loss of the leaves, come fall. It is the end of a story that has unfolded over many months. Once the plants have leaved out in the spring, we are - [Stick Week](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/stick-week/) - The lion's share of what we offer gardeners for winter and holiday pots and decor are fresh cut natural materials. The fall harvest includes any natural material which is a celebration of the garden, and a feast for admiring eyes. Just today we took delivery of this load of fresh cut birch poles in three - [The Holiday/Winter Preview Party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holidaywinter-preview-party/) - Detroit Garden Works throws one evening party a year. It is, in part, a thank you for all of the gardeners that have or have a mind to shop with us. It is, in part, the opening night of our winter and holiday season. It is, in every regard, a party. We serve great things - [Sunday Opinion 24 Hours Late: Fall Back](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-24-hours-late-fall-back/) - When I opened my eyes this morning, my first thought was that today was the day I needed to fall back. Fall back, as in daylight savings time. I think the big idea is to save, preserve, or otherwise ensure more daylight by changing the time. So when I woke up at 5am old time, - [More Fun Than I Bargained For](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-fun-than-i-bargained-for/) - I will confess that I look forward to Halloween. Though it is first and foremost a low budget fright night celebrating demons, devils, and the walking dead, it is also a garden party. The worst horror for me-after the harvest, the garden season is done until next year. Halloween, by contrast, is an angst free - [At A Glance: Peonies In Bloom](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-peonies-in-bloom/) - All of the pictures in this post came from companies in the US and Canada that grow peonies for sale. Interested in adding some to your garden? My local nurseries sell well rooted peonies in pots in the spring, but if you are interested in a specific cultivar, you may need to order from a - [Planting Peonies](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-peonies/) - Once the fall sets in, I focus on all of those plants that favor a fall planting. Of course the spring flowering bulbs are routinely planted in the fall, but right now I am thinking about peonies. I have had a big love for peonies my entire gardening life. At one point early in - [Fall Is For Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-is-for-planting-2/) - I like planting in the fall. The weather is cooler, and the rain more reliable. The work of it seems easier. Some plants are not so happy with a fall planting. I like to delay planting beech, birch, magnolia and dogwoods until the spring. Other species readily transplant in the fall, when they are - [Sunday Opinion: Keeping America Beautiful](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-keeping-america-beautiful/) - Keep America Beautiful is an organization which has been devoted to promoting the idea that a clean environment is a beautiful and healthy environment since 1953. The original group of business people and public figures had the idea to link the private and public sector in a campaign to stamp out littering. If you - [At A Glance: Cold And Rainy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-cold-and-rainy/) - rained out. - [Making A Lot Of Little](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/making-a-lot-of-little/) - An old client bought a new house. The landscape out front was not so swell-I am sure you can see an overgrown and poorly tended collection of plants that have no relationship to each other. A great landscape needs to respect, enhance, and challenge the space and the architecture. Not to mention the need for - [The Morning News At Branch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-morning-news-at-branch/) - bon voyage. - [At A Glance: Good Looking Legs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-good-looking-legs/) - Charisse planter box legs-boxes from Branch French rose tuteur with seat orangery box legs A herm of Pan featuring one leg Rustic faux bois planter box legs big legs scrolled steel chair legs antique gothic style steel planter legs no legs Dutch painted teak garden lounge chair legs Buck's pergolas on their way to Florida - [Waning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/waning-2/) - The pumpkins on the stairs flanked by my summer containers -visually jarring. Different seasons with different plant vocabularies are duking it out. The past 3 weeks has been the best weather we have had all summer. I haven't taken these two pots apart, as I can't get by the foolish hope that they will finally - [Fall Fete And Fandango](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-fete-and-fandango/) - Every year we place pots outside the Community House in Birmingham in celebration of their Our Town Art Show and Sale. This event is not only an art show, it is a fundraiser. The money they raise goes to support any and all of their community outreach programs. We are not only happy to lend - [A Topiary Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-topiary-garden-2/) - I have been planting pots for this client since 2005. He really enjoys his garden, and I look forward to planting for him every year. As for the landscape, it was not my favorite. A circular drive court was planted round about with ink berry. Over the years, the ink berry died out in patches, - [At A Glance: The Details](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-details/) - The pictures of the details of the construction of these massive pergolas is not just for our records. We will send a complete set of pictures to the contractor who will be charged with assembling the structures once they get to Florida. Though I have described this Branch project yesterday with few pictures and few - [A Structure](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-structure/) - Every project, no matter whether it is big or small, begins with that first step. I had several months of communication via email from a design firm in Florida. Could we build a pair of large scale pergolas for one of their clients? The emails flew back and forth regarding the design and dimensions. 8 - [The Pumpkin Patch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-pumpkin-patch/) - The pictures from Rob's trip to the pumpkin patch are eloquent in their description of the change of the season. The pumpkins and squash are brilliant in their mature coloration. The fruits of the harvest are juicy and robust. At the same time that the pumpkins are coming into their glory, the vines that nourished - [Sunday Opinion: A Life Span](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-a-life-span/) - Everything in the garden has a lifespan. This is a polite way of saying that every living thing lives their life, and eventually dies. The redwood trees in California, and the old yews in England, among other ancient plants, are prized by many not only for their size and shape, but their astonishing longevity. The - [At A Glance: Brown](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-brown-2/) - [Generous](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/generous/) - Though we have had some very warm weather lately, our the fall gardening season has begun. There are telltale signs. Shorter days, a decidedly cooler quality of light, and the the chilly mornings are all signs that summer is coming to a close. But the end of summer is by no means the end of - [A Case For Planting Containers For Fall](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-case-for-planting-containers-for-fall/) - Our summer season has not been so friendly to those of us who garden in containers. All of the tropical plants in the containers despised the cold, and the relentless rain. Why do I even plant tropical plants in my containers? Annual plants bloom, set seed, and die, over the course of one season. - [At A Glance: Putting One's Best Foot Forward](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-putting-ones-best-foot-forward/) - In the world of garden ornament, a container which sits on a foot is known as an urn. A foot? The rare hand carved French urns pictured above have feet. The foot is that piece which holds the body of the pot aloft. Off the ground. Imagine these pots sitting in a garden without the - [Monday Opinion: Sharing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-sharing/) - Gardener/readers write me on and off, astonished about the degree to which I am willing to share my knowledge and process. Why wouldn't I? I was raised to believe that sharing with others was good. If you are like me, you grew up with a Mom who encouraged sharing. Share a toy. Share you seat - [Leaves Other Than Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/leaves-other-than-green/) - Leaves other than the the color green can be cause for excitement. The vast majority of garden plants in my zone are green, as in garden variety green. Not that I object to that. Green leaves are not simply green. They have size, mass, texture, contrast, surface, shape and form. An all green scheme explores - [At A Glance: Landscape Materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-landscape-materials/) - A multi-story building downtown at 1001 Woodward had an entry plaza that I would call chilly and uninviting. Bedrock Realty, the new owner, has an idea to warm things up. Kelly Deines of Rossetti Architects asked if I could put together a landscape that would include 2 pair of our espaliered arbors. We were happy - [A Hot Mess](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-hot-mess/) - Sunne works at Detroit Garden Works. Though her given name is Carolyn, everyone knows her as Sunne. There is an obvious reason for that-she has a very low key and very positive aura about her. It takes a lot to disturb her sunny disposition and manner. She is also known for special way with words. - [At A Glance: The End Of August](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-end-of-august/) - green garden boxwood boxwood hedge stitched together with potted boxwoods window boxes with grapes, scented geraniums, figs,mint, parsley, and showy oregano lavender and Cuban oregano Bird's nest fern and bicolor torenia window box Chicago fig and variegated sage panicum seeding boxwood topiary cassia, green and gold plectranthus, and yellow scaevola - [Grading The Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/grading-the-garden/) - The internet has made it possible to see landscapes and gardens from all over the world. 19th century English gardens. Gardens of the Italian Renaissance. Landscapes indigenous to the south of France. Contemporary landscapes in Holland, Brazil, and California. Ancient landscapes in Mexico and Egypt. The moon? It has a landscape that has been recorded. - [At A Glance: The Elements](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-elements/) - earth earth earth earth earth air air air and fire air fire fire fire fire fired earth water water water water water earth and water - [The Landscape Plan](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-landscape-plan/) - In September of last year, a plan for a pool, pool house, and landscape was approved and awarded a permit to build. Those drawings, and the concept for the pool house-time consuming to produce. There are ideas, drafts, and more drawings. There are lots of meetings. A client, with a Capital C. An architect. A - [Designing With Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/designing-with-hydrangeas/) - The last two posts focused on the cultivation of hydrangeas. In short, what hydrangeas are available, and under what circumstances do they perform. Most of them are easy to grow, and willing. Some are marginally hardy. Some are not at all hardy in my zone. Some represent better than others. Growing hydrangeas is a much - [Other Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/other-hydrangeas/) - There are lots of other hydrangea cultivars available besides Limelight and Little Lime. I would have no problem growing this electric blue Dutch hydrangea, but it is only available to me as a cut flower. My zone is noted for its unspeakably cold winters. Hydrangeas that would prosper in California or Virginia would sooner or - [Limelight Hydrangea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/limelight-hydrangea/) - The photograph above has been repinned from my pinterest page, 10 times more than any other image I have ever posted. I understand the sentiment behind that. This cultivar of hydrangea paniculata, Limelight, bred by a Dutch breeder whose name is little known, and marketed solely by the patent holder, Spring Meadow Farms, is is - [At A Glance: Looking At The Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-looking-at-the-landscape/) - My life revolves around designing the landscape. Designing a landscape asks for 10 parts skill, and 110 parts observation, and 1100 parts intuition. I would go so far as to say a great landscape design requires 110,000 parts history and memory. It may require an additional 1,100,000 parts, contributed by nature. My interest has - [The APLD International Design Conference](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-apld-international-design-conference/) - Not familiar with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers? This is taken verbatim from their website: The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) is an international organization founded in 1989. Our mission is to advance the profession of landscape design and to promote the recognition of landscape designers as qualified and dedicated professionals. APLD - [The Roundabout](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-roundabout/) - Big houses on very small properties-a given, in urban areas. A very small property that is hosting a very large house presents a special set of design considerations. The entire space is instantly visible. This makes it very difficult to create a sense of mystery, or discovery. There are few opportunities to create "rooms", each - [The Dogs At Chase Tower](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-dogs-at-chase-tower/) - We were back downtown for our third installation for the Bedrock Realty Company in Detroit. Today's venue-the Chase Tower. The loggia in front of the building has lots of great seating in bright colors, and enormous low white polystyrene planters loaded with King Kong Coleus. Bedrock Designer Kelly Deines from Rossetti Architects had the idea - [Garden On Tour](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-on-tour/) - The prospect of having ones garden on tour is equal parts excitement, and dread. I know. It is my job early each season to persuade 6 gardeners, most of which are clients of mine, to open their garden to visitors. The fact that every ticket dollar goes to benefit the programs of the Greening of - [The Greening Of Detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-greening-of-detroit-2/) - I am writing this post, knowing that Kevin Orr, the emergency city manager of Detroit, filed for bankruptcy on behalf of our city this afternoon. I have lots of thoughts and feelings about this-like anyone else who has a long standing relationship with Detroit. My first reaction- grief. A city that once thrived is facing - [The Music In The Background](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-music-in-the-background/) - I have devoted several posts to Branch in the past week. Over the winter, we designed and made a catalog detailing all of the products we made. I had the idea to introduce our made in America ornament for the garden to a broader audience. I felt we were ready. The past 10 years has - [At A Glance: Recent Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-recent-work/) - This has been a very busy summer season for Branch. To follow, pictures of a few of our early summer projects. How pleased we are to have clients in our area. And clients afar- northern Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, New York City, Long Island, California, Virginia, Louisiana, and Oregon. This project in Grosse - [The Branch Catalog](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-branch-catalog/) - Last fall I contacted Jonathon Hofley, owner of Motor City Publishing, about doing a project for Branch. He has handled all of the print advertising for Detroit Garden Works, from the first day we went into business. He is responsible for everything we do to speak and spread our story-from inserts in the New York - [Branch? Buck?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/branch-buck/) - The Branch Studio-in business for ten years now. The first year, we made faux bois garden ornament and furniture-in the garage at Detroit Garden Works. Our first year in business-pretty quiet. We had the winter season to design, experiment, and build. None of us had any idea where our passion for ornament for the garden - [At A Glance: Petunias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-petunias/) - What brings a hot summer day to mind quite like a petunia? I love the simple shape, the vibrant colors, and its robust habit of growth. They grow companionably with other annual and tropical plants. They are not in the least bit demanding or troublesome to grow. Petunias even smell like summer. Why are they - [The Fourth Of July](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-fourth-of-july/) - My fourth of July was a holiday of an unusual sort. We installed and planted 9 steel Branch planters at two commercial locations in downtown Detroit. The decision to install on the holiday made sense to us. This is a hopping busy place during the week. There are thousands of people who work in this - [Four Years Later](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/four-years-later/) - Six years ago I submitted landscape plans to a client with an island home. Five years ago, they brought the property next door, and added on to their existing home. Four years ago, we installed a landscape per a second plan. This property was 75 minutes away from us. Despite the difficult logistics, we did - [Sunday Opinion: Until It Hurts](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-until-it-hurts/) - Garden? Landscape? These are single words which describe what I call a big fluid situation. A landscape and garden design is utterly dependent on a series of conditions that is not always so easy to make sense of. A design I love may not enchant a client. A tree, shrub, or perennial may not like - [At A Glance: Olive Jars](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-olive-jars/) - I would not begin to presume to write a scholarly essay regarding the history of the process of extracting olive oil from the fruit of olive trees. That history is long and involved. Both the fruit, and the oil, have been agricultural staples dating back 6000 years. Suffice it to say that I have read - [The Spheres For Thomas Hobbs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-spheres-for-thomas-hobbs/) - Thomas Hobbs and his partner Brent Beattie own and operate a nursery in Vancouver British Columbia called Southlands. I first became aware of their nursery via an article in Gardens Illustrated magazine years ago. As this publication only rarely features gardening places and people outside of England, I knew this place had to be extraordinary. - [The 2013 Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2013-garden-cruise/) - I am a member of the board of the Greening of Detroit. Michael Willoughby, an architect of note in my area, persuaded me to join their board 6 years ago. I am 100% behind the work they do. This organization, some 23 years old, plants trees, sponsors urban farms, and teaches both young and old - [At A Glance: In And Out](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-in-and-out/) - [Pruning The Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/pruning-the-boxwood/) - The day the evergreens get pruned at the shop is one of my favorite days in the gardening year. Mindy from M and M Flowers comes with a crew; they make a day of it. The first order of business is the discussion. Are we pruning as usual? Is there perhaps a new shape or - [The Pots At Home](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-pots-at-home/) - The last 2 weeks have been wicked busy. Several extensive landscape projects swung into high gear, at the same time I began planting containers and annual gardens. There are but 10 of us that produce all of the work. We have done 67 annual and container gardens, with 6 more to go. One landscape project-a - [More Romance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-romance/) - I spent the better part of the day planting containers for a client who engaged me to design and install the landscape for her new lakeside home-last year. Most of what I saw in ground today is a year old. I was more than happy by what I saw. I credit the degree to which - [True Romance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/true-romance/) - My landscape and garden occupies a lot and a half in a very urban setting. Pontiac, Michigan, to be exact. I do not have a villa in the south of France, or in Italy. I do not live in California, or England. I am the head gardener for a small property in the upper midwest. - [At A Glance: Two Clematis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-two-clematis/) - [More Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-planting/) - Yes, we are in our second week of planting containers and annuals for summer. Lucky for me that lots of containers to be planted is my idea of a very good time. The fact that this client prefers a primarily green planting means there is opportunity to explore the more subtle design elements such as - [At A Glance: Blooming](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-blooming/) - Detroit Garden Works is ablaze with blooming plants-mostly of the annual and tropical variety. We do offer specimen boxwoods, dwarf apple trees, fig trees, blueberries, and espaliers. But the blooming plants get a lot of attention. Blooming lantana and abutilon standards. Great ferns. Bay laurel standards. We had lots of gardeners shopping for plants. - [A Day In The Life](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life-2/) - This day was a something of a blur. A new house needed sod. A pair of annual plantings in a far away location needed to get finished today, as tomorrow is a set date for another planting. Three major plantings in one day-we worked it out. Steve's landscape crew filled my pots, and planted the - [Drenched](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/drenched-2/) - The past few days have been all about the rain. Torrential downpours. Wind, thunder-unsettled weather. I don't know how many inches of rain in all-but I think it was a lot. In the past week we have had 24 degrees overnight, and 88 degrees during the day. In my neighborhood-three phone poles blown over. Frost, - [At A Glance: Memorial Day Weekend](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-memorial-day-weekend/) - We did start our container plantings last week-tentatively. I was not planting coleus, begonias, lantana, basil, sweet potato vine, caladiums, angelonia, and a whole host of other plants with zero tolerance for cold. Just two days ago, the temperature at 5:30 am-34 degrees. whoa. A friend at the farmer's market told me she lost half - [A Few Thoughts About Color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-few-thoughts-about-color/) - Given that there are 3 primary colors, and three secondary colors, and infinite possible combinations and permutations of those 6 colors, makes the topic of color a big one. Have you ever tried to pick a color for a room from 10,00 paint chips? I will admit I buy a lot of quarts to - [A Dirty Little Secret](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-dirty-little-secret-2/) - Many years ago I had the side of the Detroit Garden Works box truck identified by the phrase "dirty little secret". We are a shop that specializes in ornament and fine plants for the garden. Our shop location is in an out of the way manufacturing district. Seventeen years later, we still routinely give out - [Planning The Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planning-the-pots/) - Reluctantly, I planted my first pots, this past Friday.. I was reluctant, as the overnight temperature was 46 degrees. At 9am, just 52 degrees. But this particular client spends most of the summer on the east coast. She needs an early planting, so I am happy to oblige. She knows there could be damage - [At A Glance: Enjoying The Spring Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-enjoying-the-spring-season/) - strawberries and phlox espaliered apples spring pots dogwoods and azaleas spring basket tulips spruces and hellebores bok choy late tulip new hosta leaves - [Flowers For Cutting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/flowers-for-cutting/) - I arrange lots of cut flowers for clients intended as Mother's Day gifts. It may be old fashioned or expected, but I do believe the gift of flowers or plants is so appropriate for a Mom. My Mom was a scientist. Her view of the world had to do with experiments, statistics, dispassionate reasoning and - [Monday Opinion: Freezing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monda-opinion-freezing/) - Our weather forecast called for 27 to 33 degrees overnight Sunday. The prediction for 33 degrees is for downtown Detroit-my yard is 30 miles due north. I must have stared at the Accuweather frost zone map for at least 15 minutes. It appears that my yard is in the center of a frost warning zone - [At A Glance: In Bloom](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-in-bloom/) - spring basket apple tree parsley, pansies and alyssum crab apple spring container planting redbud swiss chard, pansies and alyssum tulips in the pink galvanized trough May blooming lavender redbuds - [The Magnolias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-magnolias/) - In most every year I have written this blog, there is an essay about magnolias. I have a big love for them. The flowers are dramatic and showy-I so welcome a gesture of this magnitude after a long winter. A good bloom is never a certainty. They bloom early in my spring-which also means they - [The Impatiens Dilemma](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-impatiens-dilemma/) - I have a big love for all of the annual plants that are available to augment my garden. Many of them come from tropical climates. One of the most popular annual plants of all time is impatiens walleriana. This plant grows readily in the heat, and covers itself with self cleaning flowers in a wide - [The Spring Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-spring-season/) - It's hard to pick a favorite, but the spring season has an aura like no other. Any plant, whether it be a tree or summer flowering shrub, a bulb or a perennial, responds to nature's call to break dormancy, and grow. From the biggest maple to the smallest hepatica, the plants are growing. There is - [Sunday Opinion: White Bread](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-white-bread/) - White bread-I am sure you know what I am talking about. That bread that is made from wheat flour from which the bran and the gram has been removed by milling. Not Italian peasant bread. Not French baguettes. Not 6 grain whole wheat bread. Not rye or pumpernickel. Not panetta, or flatbread, or pita - [At A Glance: Spring Purple](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-spring-purple/) - pansies rhododendron Forest Pansy redbud in bloom, from Brooke Run tree farm violas grape hyacinths and clear sky pansies primula denticulata purple hyacinth Queen of the Night tulips anemone blanda purple, from Wikipedia mixed sweet alyssum primula obconica pjm rhododendron palibin lilac pulsatilla vulgaris, from wikipedia. So many pictures of purple spring flowers! I think - [Fenced](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fenced/) - A fence is a garden structure that is easy to identify. A fence is a vertical element in a garden that separates one space from another. Twin fences with soil piled in between is an effective noise barrier. How so? Only soil absorbs and blocks sound. Plants and single layer fences do nothing to mitigate - [Dinner In The Granary](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/dinner-in-the-granary/) - To follow is a photo album from friends who hosted a formal dinner party last weekend in their granary. A granary is an outbuilding, a small barn if you will, ordinarily used to store grain. In England, granaries are commonly set on stone piers known as staddle stones. These elevating piers make it next to - [Garden Designer's Roundtable: Transitions](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable-transitions/) - Transitions broadly refer to change. A change in status, as in child to teenager. as in working person to retiree. As in winter into spring. The moment in the garden which is neither winter nor spring, neither summer nor fall, neither fall nor winter-these are transitory periods. Change of any kind implies challenge and uncertainty. - [The Crocus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-crocus/) - I've been told that our spring season is lagging behind the norm a good 3 weeks. Every gardener I talk to is sick and tired of the winter that will not let go. I was dressed to the nines today-meaning my winter coat, hat, and gloves. Last year, at this time, we were 4 weeks - [At A Glance: Budded](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-budded/) - black hellebore clematis linden branches a pear tree palibin lilac yew magnolia stellata rhododendron Carefree Beauty rose Scabiosa crocus magnolia stellata dogwood - [B Is For Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/b-is-for-boxwood/) - Regular readers of my essays know I have a big love for boxwood. This fairly small and very dense growing evergreen shrub is as versatile as any plant it has been my pleasure to plant. It is tolerant of a wide variety of soil conditions, and it is quite shade tolerant. Its natural growth is - [Sunday Opinion: The Plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-plants-2/) - My enchantment with plants dates back so long I can hardly remember how it started. To the best of my recollection, a brief residence in North Carolina after I graduated from college got me interested in orchids. Who knows what prompted that. A plant at the grocery store checkout counter-it could have been. Within just - [Yellow Hellebores](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/yellow-hellebores/) - Pictures of the yellow hellebores, as promised. Helleborus hybridus with red flares. As this strain is seed grown, each plant has individually marked flowers. The yellow color is pale-but definitely yellow. I couldn't resist-I had to have this one. - [At A Glance: Arrowhead Alpines](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-arrowhead-alpines/) - The plants Joseph brought from Arrowhead Alpines-I could not take my eyes off of them. To follow-a small sample of what he brought for the fair. The pale yellow hellebores - this was a first for me. They are so beautiful! The plants are well grown. How unusual they are is completely enchanting. All of - [Rain Or Snow Or Cold Or Shine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/rain-or-snow-or-cold-or-shine/) - Milo spent the entire weekend of our 2012 spring fair at the gate, saying hello. We started hosting a spring fair 3 years ago, after Rob had the opportunity to attend one in Italy. We invite growers and nursery people in our community to bring plants and sell them. Everyone is encouraged to bring a - [Resources](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/resources/) - I envy new gardeners, just starting out. There is so much information available to new gardeners, via the internet. Have a question? Want an opinion? Want a reference? Want a list of places that sell clematis? Want a stone supplier? Need a landscape designer? Need a garden center near you that sells trees? mulch? - [Spring Pruning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-pruning/) - The day you put a plant in the ground is the first day of a relationship. If you plant cosmos, that relationship constitutes one season. If you plant a tree, that relationship might survive for generations. If you plant shrubs, you could have a good many years of pleasure ahead of you-provided you prune. Woody - [At A Glance: Easter Sunday](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-easter-sunday/) - [Pruning Trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/pruning-trees/) - There are plenty of reasons to prune. The branch of a tree, shrub, or rose may be dead, and need removal. It may be growing across the sidewalk, and need some heading back. An old lilac may be blooming only at the top, 15 feet above ground, and need rejuvenation. Branches of shrubs that cross - [Garden Designers Roundtable: Mistaken](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable-mistaken/) - The topic for the Garden Designers Roundtable-mistakes. I appreciate the timing of this topic, as blunder season is just about here. I invariably misinterpret nature's intent with regard to spring. I am sure that spring has arrived, always weeks in advance of the real thing. I am anxiously poking around, looking for the crocus and - [Sunday Opinion: The Narrative](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-narrative/) - The posts of the past several weeks have a theme. The winter season is holding on for all it's worth. Don't believe me? We have snow in our forecast for the next 2 days. My last post, entitled "Holed Up" garnered a comment from Tara Dillard. She is a person I have never met. She - [Holed Up](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holed-up/) - I expected to feel exasperated-but this scene made me laugh. The cut pussy willows are representing for all the world as if it were spring. At their feet, the remnants of hard packed snow and frozen ground tell a different story. Though it is late March, our weather is quite February-like. This is the late - [At A Glance: Perspective](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-perspective/) - [Budded](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/budded/) - If you garden, March is an acutely disappointing month. If March feels like an illness to you, it is. That late winter gardener's fever--entirely predictable. The hope that spring is almost here when it is in fact many weeks away-a normal symptom of said illness. Once March arrives, no matter what constitutes likely and reasonable, - [The 2013 Espaliers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2013-espaliers/) - It is no secret that I am very fond of espaliered trees. Espaliers? These are trees or shrubs which are pruned to a 2-dimensional shape. Though the practice dates back many centuries, a French monk, Fr. Legendre, published a book in 1684 entitled "Palmette Legendre". He detailed his method for drastically pruning fruit trees so - [Monday Opinion: What Time Is It?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-what-time-is-it/) - Daylight savings time means that Sunday March 10th was a day with only 23 hours. One would think that anything planned for the day could easily be accomplished in 23 hours instead of 24, but you decide. Howard showed up bedside at 5am like he always does, but it really was 6 am. He and - [At A Glance: Another Walk Through](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-another-walk-through/) - I did have requests for more pictures of the shop as it looks right now. aa aa We've had a few warmer days-how great it will be to finally get outside to work. - [Winter Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-green-2/) - The color green has not nearly so much significance to a gardener as living green does. I have never taken the time to record how many different plants I have on my property, but suffice it to say that there are lots. Each of the plants have a certain shade of green associated with them. - [Sunday Opinion: March Madness](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-march-madness/) - March madness has a meaning in popular culture that dates back to the 1940's. For those of you who do not follow basketball, March madness refers specifically to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) college basketball championships. Most of these championship games are played in March, and followed with astonishingly reverential and lively interest. Steve, my landscape superintendent, does - [Spring Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-season/) - My spring gardening season starts the same day every year. The shop closes except by chance or appointment January 15 of every year. The by chance or appointment part is code for "we do not keep the heat or lights on much, and we are in the inventory, repainting, cleaning and unpacking things for spring". - [The Garden Designer's Roundtable: Romance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-designers-roundtable-romance/) - What makes for a romance? An attraction that cannot be denied. An attraction that evolves from the excitement generated by the hope that a relationship might lead to a steadfast commitment. The romance suggested and generated by the possibility of love-who hasn't experienced it? Gardeners romance their gardens-meaning they seek to establish a relationship with their environment, their love of - [Paint](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/paint/) - Paint is one of the most versatile and accessible of any decorative material. Though cave paintings were done centuries ago, the first patent in the US for paint available in a can was granted in 1867. Early paint was composed of many different materials and colorants, suspended in a medium which would make the color - [Austere](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/austere/) - Austere would not describe me or my taste. I am very attached to my pink Ugg slippers, left on the radiator all day, and again overnight. Barefoot in the house- morning or evening- in February? Not likely. The radiator in the kitchen hall is host to either my slippers, sneakers or boots-round the clock, all winter long. I have - [Ornamental](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/ornamental-2/) - An ornament is anything which enhances the appearance of a person, a place, or an object. A gorgeous piece of vintage Miriam Haskell costume jewelry can dress up a simple black dress. Christmas decorations collected over a lifetime ornament a tree, and the family traditions that come with the celebration of a holiday. Hand screened en grisailles wallpaper from - [Blanketed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/blanketed-2/) - I know how deep the snow is the moment the corgi legs disappear-8 inches. The snow we had last Friday-as you can see, just about 8 inches. A decent show. Not at all like the overwhelming snow dumped on the northeast. If you are digging out of 18 inches or more, you have my concern and sympathy. However, our modest - [Beautiful Materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/beautiful-materials/) - Regrettably, there are no plants in my life right now. I think the high temperature for the day was 18 degrees, and the ground is covered in snow. Not that I mind this-it seems so normal and ordinary. I don't do much in the way of plants to help my situation. I will admit to an - [Italian Terra Cotta Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/italian-terra-cotta-pots/) - There are few objects in the gardening world with the iconic status of a clay pot. The phrase terra cotte can be literally translated from the Italian as "fired earth". Clay is a type of dense mineral soil characterized by a reluctance to drain, and a sticky texture. Never mind the science-every gardener knows what it is - [At A Glance: A Winter Party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-winter-party/) - I so welcome a chance to do cut flower arrangements for a party in the winter. Flowers-who would elect to do without them! At the moment, I am a gardener without a garden. This means I am wringing my hands over the dormant season. I welcome any chance to step out of the gray. This occasion-a 70th - [Shades Of Gray](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/shades-of-gray/) - We are firmly entrenched in the gray zone now. It's February in Michigan. Just about everything is one shade of gray or another. The gray skies, dirty snow, salted surfaces and relentless cold-an off key ode to gloom. The trunks of the trees, the bare branches and the remains of the perennial garden have taken on that gray cast. Relentless rain and - [Winter Rain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-rain/) - Michigan is in the middle of several days of rain. This in and of itself is not particularly remarkable, but for the fact that it is the end of January. Winter rain in zones where the ground freezes is just cause for alarm. Our frost is not so deep this year-15 inches down into the - [Tuesday Opinion: Tolerances](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tuesday-opinion-tolerances/) - Tolerances in industry refers to the tolerance for error. (please tolerate this overly simplistic and largely uniformed discussion of industrial tolerances) Parts manufactured for a coast guard cruiser have to be as close to dead to the right size as any manufacturer can make them. A government contract may demand parts with a tolerance of .0001-one one thousanth - [At A Glance: A Blanket Of Snow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-blanket-of-snow/) - [Vineyard In Winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/vineyard-in-winter/) - Tuesday's post for the Garden Designers Roundtable on inspiration was a longer than usual post for me. Why? The topic of inspiration is of serious interest to any professional designer- that includes me. Without inspiration, design is pedestrian. Plodding and sleepy. Solid and exciting design doesn't appear with the wave of a wand-even after years of experience designing. Every new - [Garden Designers Roundtable: Inspiring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable-inspiring/) - I bought this poster of an 1805 pen/ink/watercolor and graphite work by William Blake at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in 1968. I was 18, and in New York to see the Broadway production of ”Hair”-if you don’t know what that was, you’re just too young. The poster has been in my - [Monday Opinion: Diversion](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-diversion/) - January is by no means my most favorite month. Being outdoors requires a level of intestinal fortitude I just don't have. I dislike the cold. I dislike the garden- dead to the world. I hate the relentless gray. My spirits can be the same color as that sky-gloomy. A little self-made diversion can help. The first step is to alleviate that - [Notes From A Hort Head](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/notes-from-a-hort-head/) - Good friends came to the shop late in the day a week ago Saturday-they had a mind to shop our sale, and go to dinner afterwards. We liked the idea. They bought a round of handmade Italian terra cotta pots, given our once a year sale. What would they plant in them? Boxwood, and more boxwood. - [Detroit: 138 Square Miles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/detroit-138-square-miles/) - I have been on my usual January buying road trip with Rob for the past 10 days. The Suburban has 1600 new miles on it! We got home at 6:30 last night-what a relief. For sure, there is no place like home! It was very cold this morning. The leaves on the rhododendron outside my home office window-drooped - [The Upgrade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-upgrade/) - Doesn't everyone hold tight to a good thing, the moment they are sure that perfectly good thing is firmly in hand? I can tell you this much about Howard. He is very shy. Strangers, and strange situations scare him. He hates having his picture taken. He lives under my desk, until the shop closes. In much the same spirit as - [At A Glance: Christmas Dinner](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-christmas-dinner/) - My good friends host a Christmas dinner that is so beautiful, I cannot help but want to share their pictures. The biggest change this year-a Christmas tree fashioned from tree branches from their own property. The Branch trees this holiday season at the shop were an inspiration-I liked hearing that. On the unusually deep window sills, fresh fruit and vegetables. Tall - [Monday Opinion: Inside Out](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monda-opinion-inside-out/) - For the past three years, my sister in law Tine has sent me a Christmas ornament of the Eiffel Tower. That is, she sends the same ornament, every year. I don't really know who makes them, or where she buys them, but I choose to believe she buys them in Paris, and brings them home for me. This may - [Garden Moments 2012](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-moments-2012/) - What are great garden moments? The shock of realizing after the first snow in January that the garden is entering its black and white phase-like it or not. I cannot really explain why this constitutes a great moment-it just is. A great moment could be as short as the blink of an eye, or as long as - [Let It Snow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/let-it-snow/) - Snow-just what is it? Water, high in the atmosphere freezes, forming very small ice crystals. These ice crystals, in the form of individual snowflakes, fall to earth, blanketing your garden and mine with a white granular substance we call snow. Frozen rain, if you will. Ordinarily, I am not a big fan of the snow. It is cold. It - [Christmas Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/christmas-day/) - [At A Glance: Christmas Eve](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-christmas-eve/) - [The Holiday Inside](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-inside/) - Rob's branch trees have intrigued me for a number of years-I had to have one this year. These branches came from some remote location where he walks Larry. It was more than a few trips dragging these a quarter mile out of the woods. That alone would be enough to make them precious, but the color - [The Holiday At Home](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-at-home/) - I am so close to being home for the holidays. The whirlwind of winter and holiday containers, holiday and winter lighting, the the late landscape installations, and cut flowers for parties came to a close yesterday afternoon. How I like the energy and enthusiasm that describes busy-this year was exceptionally so. The change of the seasons is - [The Garden Designers Roundtable: Cheap And Chic](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-designers-roundtable-cheap-and-chic/) - I am sure I have read countless articles entitled "Cheap and Chic"-as if cheap and chic were truly a believable or desirable place to be. I favor cheap if it doesn't look and act cheap-no further explanation is necessary here. A vast planting of hellebores looks fancy, whether it came from seed, or from giant one gallon pots. As - [At A Glance: Simple Ingredients](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-simple-ingredients/) - I am almost done with the holiday and winter work. Sometimes some of the best comes at the last. These pots could not be simpler-sticks and lights. - [Dark Days](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/dark-days/) - Light is such a powerful element in the landscape- critical to the well being of plants and people alike. The story of how light from the sun reaches the earth is astonishing. But more importantly, light is life giving, and life sustaining. There would be no garden without it. No wonder that at that time - [More On Winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-on-winter/) - This past week was devoted to getting a lot of clients ready for the holidays and the winter to come. Every client's take on the season is different. How I love that. Every project we do involves different materials, different emphasis, different style, different execution. There are those landscapes that are very spare-they ask for - [Festooned](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/festooned/) - A festoon is a decorative chain or strip hung between two points-this I relay to you from the dictionary. The holiday celebration provide plenty of encouragement to drape, swag, run, attach, and hang garlands-both inside and out. A garland can be a wreath-hung on a door. Or placed horizontally over the top of a birdbath. Or over the light fixtures at - [The December Better Homes And Gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-december-better-homes-and-gardens/) - February last, Jane McKeon, garden editor at Better Homes and Gardens called-would we be available to host a photo shoot of my winter containers? Why wouldn't we? Better Homes and Gardens reaches an astonishing number of homes all across the US. Even better, they have been publishing, and encouraging great design for many decades. BHG came - [At A Glance: More Holiday Wreaths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-holiday-wreaths/) - I suppose I could have exercised a little restraint in the numbers of pictures that are posted here, but this time of year, who wants to edit? - [A Holiday Wreath](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-holiday-wreath/) - A wreath is first and foremost an expression of unity. No matter the materials used or style, every wreath begins as a circle. A circle is a complete, continuous, and visually satisfying form. That decorated shape displayed at the holidays expresses the sentiments of the season, as well as a point of view about beauty. This simple grapevine - [The Garden Designer's Roundtable: Plants and Memory](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-designers-roundtable-plants-and-memory/) - A memory can be triggered by many things. The smell of lilacs in the spring. The fragrance of a rose. A mass of daisies, blooming. Plants that bring memories flooding back to me mostly have to do with my mother's garden. Roses-oh yes, so many roses. A gingko tree, grown from seed to - [Sunday Opinion: The Outer Limits](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-outer-limits/) - There are lots of things a competent garden or landscape designer can accomplish for a client. Another pair of eyes, and a fresh point of view is usually a good idea. What else does a good designer bring to a project? The willingness to listen, and hear. A working knowledge of design. An ability to conceptualize. Familiarity and experience growing a - [At A Glance: Other Holidays](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-other-holidays/) - 2003 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 - [The Shop Winter Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-shop-winter-garden/) - The shop landscape is very simple. A rectangle of boxwood set in a generous plane of decomposed granite, a pair of Techny arborvitae bookends, and a pair of lindens is about all there is. These plants, almost 20 years old, occupy a modest percentage of the overall space. This means there is room for a temporary, ephemeral, and seasonal - [Giving Thanks](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/giving-thanks/) - Though my 8th grade American history book ascribed the first Thanksgiving holiday to the Pilgrims for the bounty of their harvest in 1621, many cultures celebrate some version of Thanksgiving. Sometimes referred to as a harvest festival, a great crop yield meant food would be available for all during the winter. I cannot imagine being responsible for - [Homing In On Winter: Part 2](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/homing-in-on-winterpart-2/) - Growing amaryllis in glass jars on a window sill is one way to keep the spirit of the garden going on in the winter months. That said, gardeners like me are hard to persuade. Those who insist that the garden is over at that moment we have a hard frost are selling their - [Bringing The Garden Indoors: Part 1](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bringing-the-garden-indoors-part-1/) - I am no fan of plants in the house. Once the gardening season comes to a close, it is a relief not have to worry about keeping plants alive. Plants inside the house-what could possibly be more unnatural than that? Would I really subject a perfectly well meaning and decent plant to the dry heat and - [Say Good Bye](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/say-good-bye/) - Don't you despise it-saying goodby? Finishing a good book is a mixed blessing. As much as the resolution of the story is eagerly anticipated, the closure is tinged with regret. That experience has regretfully come to an end. How many times did you read all of the Wizard of Oz books, hoping for yet another sequel? - [The Grapevine Deer 2012](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-grapevine-deer/) - We have offered these life size grapeview deer sculptures at Detroit Garden Works for many years now-I never tire of them. Unlike the deer that can devastate a bed of hostas, or chew the bark from treasured trees, these deer sculptures are beautiful in almost any landscape or garden. On the inside, they are heavy gauge welded steel - [At A Glance 2: The Inside](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-2-the-inside/) - Ou holiday/winter open house started this past Thursday evening, and is just about to close today. To the many people who came both to visit and shop, many thanks. For those of you too far away to visit, I hope these pictures give you some idea of how the place looks. old willow stump and brown flocked - [At A Glance: The Outside](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-outside/) - outside the shop in November fall pots and twig pumpkins rustic painted deer fall branches and winter greens light rings with raffia light covers table with a concrete squashed sphere base and cottonwood slice top rustic painted steel Nativity branches and greens How different the shop looks, now that we are heading towards winter. - [Concrete](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/concrete/) - Concrete is a material one sees everywhere in the landscape. Ubiquitous, this workhorse of a material. Driveways, parking lots, commercial buildings, house foundations, bridges, walkways, wall foundations, -the list of landscape features that rely on concrete for strength and durability is long-as it should be. Reinforced concrete is incredibly strong, and durable. Concrete as a finished - [Winter Preview](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/winter-preview/) - The close of the gardening season in late fall means the winter gardening season is not far behind. The winter season at Detroit Garden Works had a very simple beginning 10 years ago. Why does any gardener need to look at and live with empty pots all winter? We began slowly, with a selection of coppice wood - [Coppice Wood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/coppice-wood/) - Coppicing is a traditional method of producing long straight woody stems by cutting a tree or a shrub back to the ground. Many varieties of woody plants respond to this drastic treatment with vigorous growth-from the ground. Coppice wood was used to provide firewood in European countries where the number of trees were vastly outnumbered by a - [Gray Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/gray-day/) - The fire that was our fall has burnt itself out, but for a few embers here and there. Those embers are largely the heat that is generated by passionate gardeners. The plans to plant bulbs. How to store the cannas. What they feel they must try-next season. A new house requiring some semblance of a landscape before the - [Halloween Light](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/halloween-light/) - The new landscape lighting got done just in the nick of time-for Halloween. What a difference it made! Little kids in costumes with skirts ands pants that were extravagantly long could negotiate my steps with ease. Those with big wigs, masks, elaborate costumes, and knit caps to ward off the cold, had some light to help them get - [At A Glance: The Boston Ivy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-boston-ivy-2/) - September 2 October 14 October 18 October 14 October 20 October 21 October 21 October 22 October 28 - [Putting Your Foot Down](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/putting-your-foot-down/) - Advising people about pots and containers for their homes and businesses has been part of my job for going on 17 years. Those same 17 years have put me in contact with a vast selection of antique, vintage, modern and contemporary containers from many different periods and countries. Does this make me an expert? - [The Garden Designer's Roundtable: Danger Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-designers-roundtable-danger-garden/) - There is danger lurking in every garden. It doesn't take much of a brush with poison ivy to sideline the most passionate gardener. A horde of angry bees can do the same. The leaves of tomatoes and datura are poisonous-never mind the mushrooms that spring up here and there. But given my zone that features a long and - [Monday Opinion: The Editors In Chief](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-the-editors-in-chief/) - Editing is a very important element of design. Given a manuscript for a book, an editor may make suggestions about how to distill the message by editing the text. An idea which takes too many loose and wandering paragraphs to fully explain will only appeal to the most devoted and hard working of audiences. Ideas that are simple and well crafted get attention. - [At A Glance: Fiery](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-fiery/) - [100 Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/100-boxwood/) - Concerning my schematic plan from yesterday-my clients one comment was that I needed to add 100 boxwood. All of said 100 boxwood will be in pots. The placement and configuration of 100 pots of boxwood every spring will be the first work of their gardening season. They will haul them out of storage on a huge dolly (which they - [The Schematic Plan](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-schematic-plan/) - What I call a schematic plan is another way of saying master plan. A guide for the development of a landscape. Clients who have an interest in a plan that they can work towards and implement over time always interest me. A landscape of note implies a long term committment-gardeners willing to go that route - [Lighting The Side Yard](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lighting-the-side-yard/) - I really don't have a back yard. My property occupies a corner. A front, on two sides-that is a corner lot. I am sure that lack of a private back yard influenced the original design and configuration of my driveway. Made of brick, (I have replaced the deteriorating original brick with concrete brick) it is incredibly wide at the - [Lighting The Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lighting-the-landscape/) - The landscape lighting I have at home was confined to some path lights along my front walk-nothing else. The path lights had all but disappeared into the boxwood, given how much it has grown since those lights were installed. In the summer, it is easy to see and navigate the steps coming up to the - [Buck's Charisse Box](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bucks-charisse-box/) - I am so very pleased that one of our Branch boxes is featured in an article written by Marian McEvoy in this weekend's Wall Street Journal. Even though I have already written about it on the Detroit Garden Works facebook page, there is a story behind the design, development and fabrication of a container for a garden that might - [October Light](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/october-light-2/) - The picture I took of the sky this morning does not really capture that glowing gold and pink light that warmed everything in the landscape it touched. October skies have those moments that can take your breath away. This beautiful light blew in like a sudden squall-I could see it would not last long. The field next door was - [Thinking Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/thinking-spring/) - The last two nights have been astonishingly cold, considering it is early October-not early November. This morning, my brown sweet potato vines were limp-the effect of too much cold, and gravity. The summer season is indeed coming to a close. Most of my pots have been cleaned out. The olive tree and rosemary have been repotted, and have been brought into the - [At A Glance: The Shop In October](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-shop-in-october/) - Wow-how the time has flown since the spring! If you are too far away to visit Detroit Garden Works, these pictures might give you an idea of how it looks in the fall season. pots planted for fall materials from the garden for the fall season the last of the espaliered lindens showing fall color very - [The Nature Of Color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-nature-of-color/) - Color, and color relationships, have interested me for a long time. I wore a chartreuse green crepe dress to my junior prom in 1967-no kidding. As chartreuse was an unusual color choice for a high school eventy in 1967, that dress did stand out-as did my date's red face. I still remember how mortified I was, given the contrast - [Classic](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/classic/) - Classic-this word suggests those design details that withstand the passage of time. A classic suit, a classic black dress, a classic room- each is timeless. Satisfying and visually meaningful , no matter the era. A landscape design that is classic gives no hint of its age or period. These extraordinary designs in no way reflects a trend, or popular opinion. They - [Sunday Opinion: Research](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-research/) - If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? Albert Einstein There are no end of quotes attributed to Albert Einstein that have to do with mystery, intuition, music, knowledge, curiousity, God, and nature. This is more than I would have expected from a physicist. But he was much - [At A Glance: Fall Flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-fall-flowers/) - roses from Buck - [Shop Your Own](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/shop-your-own/) - Once the summer garden wanes, every devoted gardener is looking to extend their expression on into the fall. Why wouldn't they? The alternatives are not pretty- sulking is not a good look. I understand that the love for the garden is not something that be turned on and off, like water from a spigot. Fall containers - [Fall Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-pots/) - Yesterday's post was much about construction details. Any arrangement that is not solidly put together, or any planting that is not planted properly, will always have that hasty look. I am a fan of any big and serious effort. Lucio and Angie put these centerpieces together. They have a gift for proportion. Their construction is stellar. - [Garden Designer's Roundtable: The Details](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable-the-details/) - When I first met Buck, he was head of technical design at Rossetti Architects. Though his usual gig involved sports stadiums and office buildings, he had designed, and was project managing a very large and involved residential project-some 5 years in the building. I had occasion to meet him, as I was responsible for the design - [At A Glance: First Signs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-first-signs/) - last rose of summer pumpkin "Long Island Cheese" ornamental kale pumpkin in the gourd patch fall container planting gourds and pumpkins ornamental kale pansies fall container materials carving pumpkins broom corn twig pumpkins fall pots - [The Super Nova Stage](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-super-nova-stage/) - In 1996, I had a shop devoted to fine and fabulous objects for the garden- newly opened for business. Of course I had lots of ideas, not the least of which was a scheme for a landscape out front. Gravel paths, and a slew of buxus koreana from Canada. Marv Wiegand gave me 6 months to pay for these - [Sunday Opinion: Guaranteed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-guaranteed/) - A garden comes with no real guarantee of success-just like everything else in life. Gardeners buy plants-some work and take hold, some fail. Some succumb to poor placement. Some lack for water too long, and die. Some rot and keel over from too much water. Some cannot handle that once in ten years and especially vicious winter. Some - [At A Glance: Light On A Slant](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-light-on-a-slant/) - The 2012 fall equinox falls of September 22 this year. At that time, the sun is crossing the celestial equator, and the days will start to get shorter. As the sun igoes lower in the sky in the northern hemisphere, it illuminates everything it touches on a slant. Beautiful light, this. grass amphitheatre next to the last - [Breaking Ground](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/breaking-ground/) - Theodore Roethke is one of America's most respected poets. He was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1908, to German immigrant parents-Otto Roethke and Helen Heubner. His parents were market gardeners, and owned and operated 25 acres of greenhouses with Theodore's uncle. Much of his childhood was spent in those greenhouses. His second book, "The Lost Son", contains several - [Growing Topiary Plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/growing-topiary-plants/) - I had so many calls, emails and comments about the topiary nursery in my previous post- wow! I could thank you for that attention, but it wasn't me who grew those plants. It is a very special person with an extraordinary and singular vision. People with vision-there is always something worthwhile to take from their efforts. His - [Those Who Grow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/those-who-grow/) - I fancy myself a gardener. That is, my life revolves around making things grow. A landscape design evolves from an idea, to a schematic plan, to a garden that gets planted. Once it is planted, there is a gardener who will see that it grows. A small tree grows up, and creates an atmosphere all its own. A perennial garden takes - [Grass](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/grass/) - Lawn grasses and short growing green plants that spread and blanket that ground-love them. I like how restful their uniform surface is to the eye. I like how they hug and describe the sculpture of the ground beneath them. They make a fine surface on which to play croquet or throw the ball to the dogs. Grass makes a cool cushiony spot for - [At A Glance: Great Veins](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-great-veins/) - Nervure-so you know this word? I didn't either, until I started reading about plant veins. A nervure is a vein, or a rib. The veins, or ribs of a leaf, support the tissues that comprise a leaf. The ribs can be vascular bundles-meaning that they transport vital materials from one place to another. The science - [A Small Space](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-small-space/) - Everyone is plagued by it. An awkward or small space. The space that is what is left over after the invention of a more important space. A closet, or a kitchen cabinet that is deeper than your arms are long, or way over your head. The airspace underneath the stairs that asks for a piece of - [Bold And Beautiful](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bold-and-beautiful/) - I cut this picture out of a magazine years ago-would that I could say I had designed this. White washing tree trunks has its roots in agriculture. Lime wash was used to prevent sunscald on ornamental and fruit trees. Grape vines were frequently lime washed to discourage fungal problems and pests. Kaolin, a type of clay used as - [Monday's Strictly Opinion: Angie's Theory](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mondays-strictly-opinion-angies-theory/) - Bear with me, as I am about to post for the umpteenth time about proper watering. I have just cause-most problematic issues I am dealing with now regarding the landscape have to do with water. A scheme for watering the plants has been the hottest topic of our season, given the high heat, and the utter lack of rain. I - [At A Glance: Home On Sunday Morning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-home-sunday-morning/) - The last two weeks have been incredibly busy and demanding. Multiple plans needing tuneups sufficient to submit to planning boards for permit review. A drawing for a fence for permit review. Landscape plans for a new house just about finished. A detailed proposal for a large garden sculpture. Big problems with drainage needing a big plan of - [Growing Begonias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/growing-begonias/) - Growing begonias-why do so many of my clients feel that no matter how much they love the gorgeous blooms and foliage, prove unwilling to plant them? Who knows where the idea came from that large flowered begonias like shade, and lots of water. Herein lies the difficulty. Popular direction can be anything but accurate. Begonias actually like some - [One Man's Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/one-mans-garden/) - We had dinner over the weekend a the home of a good friend. Barry Harrison is a design principal with Art-Harrison, a interior design studio well known in my area. In addition to their interior design practice, they manufacture a line of fine furniture. Each piece is meticulously hand crafted and carved from fine hardwoods. Interested - [Too Much Water](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/too-much-water-2/) - My garden is beginning to get that weary look. Late August, there are usually subtle signs of the garden winding down. Evergreens in my zone routinely slow down and eventually quit growing in August. They take a long time, preparing for the dormant winter season. This year, the extreme heat and drought have taken a special toll. The - [Good Grooming](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/good-grooming/) - Successful container planting depends as much on the maintenance as it does on the design. Though I do have clients that never touch their containers once they are planted, I find that gardeners who look after their containers enjoy them more, and enjoy them longer. If you have kept up with the need for water, - [Sunday Opinion: Fragrance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-fragrance/) - My sense of smell is put to shame by my corgis. These dogs know that someone will be walking by-5 minutes in advance of the event. When they are shrieking and howling, I know something is about to happen. Their noses warn me in advance. My sense of smell is much more after the fact, and pedestrian. - [At A Glance: Repeat After Me](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/repeat-after-me/) - container planting with repeating elements planting in rows Limelight hydrangeas and boltonia repeating container planting mass of picea mucrunulatum and hellebores variegated Krossa Regal hosta drivecourt enclosed by yews drive edged in yews and boxwood boxwood planted repeatedly panicum virgatum and verbena bonariensis repetition brick, boxwood, baltic ivy-and chanticleer pears - [Breaking Some Eggs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/breaking-some-eggs/) - An old client with a new house-it happens on occasion. As I have lived in the same house for going on 18 years, I did not envy them this change. The old house and the new house are quite similar in size-not so the property. They exchanged a very large, expansive, and private property for a city sized - [Brown](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/brown/) - Unless we are talking about compost, brown in the summer landscape is usually a sign of trouble. Brown grass is grass in need of rain. That cinnamon orange color means the yew is stone cold dead. Burnt brown leaves on a shade tree can mean a lot of things-none of them good. Brown blotches on the - [Monday Opinion: The Dreaded Gaposis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-gaposi/) - Gaposis? Though it isn't a real word, it describes a spot I've been in all too many times. It is not too tough to figure out what it means. A gap is an opening, or space. Does not everyone remember that look, having lost a front baby tooth? So embarrasing, that gap. The Cumberland Gap is - [At A Glance: Plants And Planters](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-plants-and-planters/) - steel planter vintage French wine barrel Italian terra cotta pot and plinth ridged concrete pot Italian terrra cotta ribbed concrete bowl planter limestone urn terra cotta basketweave box terra cotta long tom terra cotta planters steel boxes terra cotta boxes - [Sun Parasol Mandevilleas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/suntory-mandevillea/) - The family of plants known as dogbane includes a genus of very handsome plants known as mandevillea. Mandevillea is a vining plant native to tropical climes-in central and South America. Michigan in no way resembles the tropics, but this vine is willing to perform here during the summer. Older forms of mandevillea, including the - [Time For The Limelights](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/time-for-the-limelights/) - Summer blooming hydrangeas appeal to almost every gardener. Each flower head is substantial. Comprised of hundreds of tiny florets, a single cut stem is a bouquet that celebrates the beauty of the summer season. One shrub in full bloom delights the eye. There are no end of cultivars-some white, some pink, some blue on occasion. They - [Monday Opinion: Disappointment](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-disappointment/) - If you garden, disappointment comes calling on a regular basis. Plants fail to perform as advertised. Violent rains flatten the delphiniums just as they are about to come into bloom. Japanese beetles are poised to devour every rose-and I mean every rose. An old and treasured lavender inexplicably gives up, and dies. A stone pot cracks, and goes over. Driven - [At A Glance: Light And Dark](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-light-and-dark/) - [Boxed In?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/boxed-in/) - A rectangle is an easily recognizable 4-sided shape. Like circles, ovals, triangles, and parallelograms, they define or outline a geometric shape. This lovely home could be easily be sketched on a piece of paper by connecting a series of rectangles, triangles, squares and ovals. Every one of these basic shapes is created by the lines that enclose, or define it. A linear representation - [One Thing At A Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/one-thing-at-a-time/) - Anyone who owns a home knows that house take lots of time effort and money just to maintain the status quo. Upgrading to a new air conditioning system, springing for a new refrigerator, or replacing a hot water heater that has leaked all over the basement is all the more unsatisfying-can you imagine hosting a dinner party so - [The Garden Designer's Roundtable: Sculpture In The Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-designers-roundtable-sculpture-in-the-landscape/) - This month's topic engaging the Garden Designers Roundtable-sculpture in the landscape. Like any form of art, what constitutes sculpture is in the eye of the beholder. An ancient tree, or a specimen espalier can be a sculpture. An uprooted tree stump, a geode, sculpted soil seeded with grass-I am very democratic when it comes to what - [Tour Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tour-day/) - Our 5th annual Garden Cruise to benefit the Greening of Detroit was yesterday-all day. I was relieved that the sky was overcast, and there was a breeze to go along with those temperatures in the low 90's. I had gone to the farmer's market on Saturday-I like to do some cut flowers in my yard, - [The Fifth Annual Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-fifth-annual-garden-cruise/) - Should you be so inclined, you can get up tomorrow, and go. Our fifth annual garden cruise-a tour we sponsor to benefit the Greening of Detroit, starts at 9, and ends at 4:30. We put on a reception afterwards-a light supper, summer style beverages as in gin and tonics, and French white wine, and the - [Summer Whites](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/summer-whites/) - I I have planted many a white annual or perennial garden for a client. White and summer-made for each other. White reflects heat and light. It looks cool and crisp in the hottest weather. Anything white looks freshing. Too sophisticated for sweat. These boxwood spheres got a little dress up from some Lamium White Nancy and - [Sunday Opinion: Reactionary](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-reactionary/) - Two weeks ago I got a haircut-just this side of a military buzz cut. I was reacting to the intense heat and the lack of electricity. I just needed to get that hair off my face, and my neck. This past week, that reactionary buzz cut was still soaking wet, every day, all day long. My point? Reacting - [The CC Rule](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-cc-rule/) - I have a young and active client with three very active children. Her daily schedule makes mine seem sedate. She ferries kids, entertains friends, and maintains very active family relationships. When I can catch up to her, she is strong minded and decisive about a beautiful landscape. Every year we do something. We did plant a run of - [Sunday Opinion: Powerful](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-powerful/) - Having just worked through 10 days of scorchingly and witheringly high heat, and gone home to a house without power for almost 5 days, I have the following observations. Power is a word that has lots of meanings and plenty of nuance. Now that I have my power back-meaning my electrical power- I was able - [At A Glance: Back Up And Running](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-back-up-and-running/) - This was a scene from my neighborhood 5 days ago. Incredible, the force that could snap off a tree this size. Extremely high temperatures were accompanied by strong storms, high winds, and torrential rain. Adding to the weather misery-a power outage that went on for days. We spent our evening hours in the fountain, cooked on the grill, - [Nicotiana Fete And Fandango](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/nicotiana-fete-and-fandango/) - Being ever so fond of all of the cultivars of nicotiana, I planted the boxwood parterre in front of the shop this year with a mix of 3 kinds. Nicotiana "perfume white" is short growing, and as fragrant as the name suggests. Nicotiana alata white is a taller, lanky growing nicotiana with larger and more widely - [Delivering The Fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/delivering-the-fountain/) - A client who had looked a long time for a fountain fell hard for Buck's contemporary steel creation. I ws more than a little surprised, considering her more traditional taste in garden ornament. But she was certain that this fountain was the perfect choice for her garden. The job of transporting and setting it in place fell - [What's Rob Been Up To?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/whats-rob-been-up-to/) - What Rob has been up to involves some steel, some shade plants, and the airspace. Before I say more, I should make it clear that I have always detested hanging baskets. I would only purchase one to plant in a container. Under no circumstances would I hang pots of plants in the air. Why anyone - [Sunday Opinion: Effort](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-effort/) - I have been on the business end of a hose recently for what seems like a lifetime. A lifetime? Not really. The extremely hot weather Mother Nature has thrown my way simply means I have had to make an effort. Certainly an extra effort. Anyone who gardens knows that preparing soil for new roses requires great effort. Cooking - [Some Like It Hot](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/some-like-it-hot-2/) - The blisteringly hot and persistent heat of the past week has made many a gardener, and the above pictured corgi, miserable. Howard, who would not set foot outside the door if he thought he would get his feet wet, had an alternate plan for yesterday. Strong winds were pushing water over the coping of my fountain. He doesn't look - [More From Buck, At Branch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-from-buck/) - tall lattice boxes tall lattice box oil derrick topiary towers oil derrick topiary towers, finished steel planter boxes steel planter box, planted planted steel planter box steel pergola and planted tall Jackie box steel fountain cistern. The steel grid positioned near the top of the water level is a safeguard- given very small, and very - [What's Buck Been Up To?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/whats-buck-been-up-to/) - If you read this blog regularly, you know that I have a company, the Branch Studio, whose sole mission is to design and fabricate ornament for the garden. It is a small company, but it produces some very beautiful pots, sculpture, pergolas-and fountains. The opportunity for me to design garden ornament, and get it fabricated for specific - [Garden Designer's Roundtable: Speaking Of Texture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable-speaking-of-texture/) - Texture refers to the quality or nature of a surface. Any surface. The texture of a marble sculpture might be described as smooth and voluptuous. A china plate has a hard and shiny texture that repels water. A lake might be as smooth as glass one day, and choppy the next. A woven fabric can be nubby and open textured, - [Leaves Other Than Green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/leaves-with-color/) - Just like you, I understand that the green color of leaves has everything to do with the presence of chlorophyll. There are those dark green leaves. There are those lime green leaves. I want to say the amount of chlorophyll governs the appearance of that green, but I may be making that up. Some plants have leaves - [Rebecca Salomen Witt](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/rebecca-salomen-witt/) - Rebecca is the commander in chief of the Greening of Detroit. Should you be unfamiliar with this organization, they sponsor some 1500 urban farms in the city of Detroit. In the past 21 years, they have planted 70,000 trees-every year, year after year. They teach a variety of classes from growing herbs for tea- to - [The 62nd Birthday](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-62nd-birthday/) - Pruning. As in Mindy, who owns M and M Flowers with her sister Melissa, sent her crew to prune the boxwood and Techny arborvitae at the shop, on June 15, my birthday. If you pruned your boxwood in early April, ahead of that string of killing frost nights in late April, I can only say that better things - [Closer To The Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/closer-to-the-finish/) - If you read this blog regularly, you may recall we started building a vegetable garden for a client about 6 weeks ago. A lot has gone into that project, but finally the physical structure was at a stage where we could plant. The first to be planted was a collection of 5 espalier fruit trees. A - [The Last Day Of My 61st](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-last-day-of-my-61st/) - By coincidence, Melissa from M and M Flowers came to do her yearly pruning on the boxwood on the last day of my 61st year. As this is just about my favorite day of the gardening year, I felt my previous year was coming to a close in a way that made me very happy indeed. - [A Day In The Life](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life/) - I am still out with my crew planting the flowers non-stop. It will be close to 80 projects, once all is said and done. The work of getting ready to plant is grueling-the design, shopping, loading, unloading, emptying out old soil and adding fresh. A good many of these jobs take upwards of 5000 pounds of soil. Every - [Contemporary Container Plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/contemporary-container-plantings/) - I do have clients whose taste in furnishings, art, architecture, design, and landscape is thoroughly contemporary. Thoroughly contemporary? What that means exactly is subject to endless discussion and interpretation. But I find as long as I devote the lion's share of my attention to form, shape, mass, volume, color and texture in a simple, even austere way, I - [Green And Graceful](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/green-and-graceful/) - My work life from 4:30 am until 6 pm every day this time of year is all about planting the containers and annual flowers. Lots of them, for lots of clients. The 90 degree weather we had a few weeks ago has eveything believing that the summer season is already half over. The weather is perfect and warm-where are - [So So Ho Hum Roses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/so-so-ho-hum-roses/) - I don't really know why I would post about my roses at home right now. Except that I seem to be wanting to whine about them. Humor me, please. There is nothing to talk about, really. That April frost that wiped out 12 trees worth of magnolia buds went on to wreak havoc on the rose - [The Caliente Geraniums](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-caliente-geraniums/) - I am sure you can tell from the dearth of posts this week that I am in the thick of the spring planting season. Every year at this time I have the opportunity to experience in fresh detail the meaning of the word seasonal. Though I have a number of landscape projects underway, and the - [Monday Opinion: Memorial Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-memorial-day/) - There are those landscapes which are nothing like mine or yours. Nothing like a botanic garden, or a city park. Nothing like a dairy farm, or an orange grove. Nothing like a national park, or nationally protected land. Nothing like the Chelsea Flower Show. Nothing like gardens which are protected by the National Trust, nothing like - [Memorial Day Weekend](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/memorial-day-weekend/) - Both of my crews combined yesterday to plant annuals in containers and in the ground at one of our big jobs. We finished up about 3:30. It was the consensus that my pots could be brought out from the garage, and filled with soil-an end of the day job. I was delighted with the offer. - [Planting The Annual Flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-the-annual-flowers/) - I plant better than 80 annual plantings every year. Some are as simple as a pair of pots on the front porch. Others involve multple containers, and in ground planting. I enjoy each and every one of them. That said, the work of this chases me from late May until the end of the first week of - [A Formal Vegetable Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-formal-vegetable-garden/) - Every now and then I have a call for a formal vegetable garden. By this I mean a garden with a formal layout and structure. These clients wanted raised beds for their vegetables for several reasons. They liked the idea that they could tend the garden easily. They liked the idea that the soil mix would be - [The Clematis On The Bench](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-clematis-on-the-bench/) - My garden is a fairly quiet affair, as evidenced in my Roundtable home garden/tour post yesterday. A garden that provides sanctuary is of interest to me. But as structured as my landscape is, there are those unexpected moments. When I drove up yesterday, Buck had the fountain jets turned up full blast. Those columns of water sparkling in - [Garden Designer's Roundtable: Take The Tour](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable-take-the-tour/) - This is my first time posting as a member of the Garden Designer's Roundtable. Every month, a group of landscape and garden designers from all over the US and Britain post on a single, mutually agreed upon topic. This month-a discussion of our own personal gardens. I live in an urban neighborhood first established in the 1920's. My - [Container Garden Design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/container-garden-design/) - Every move you make in a garden has to start someplace. Some activities begin for everyone in the same place. Should you decide to run a marathon, there is a starting gate and a finish. If you are designing a container garden, it's your choice where to begin, and where to end. The inspiration for - [The Photographs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-photographs/) - You may have noticed that this website has a new format. Indeed it does. My big interest in updating the blog was that the photographs would be bigger-better. Clearer. I am no different than most; say what you will, but show me a picture. A photograph communicates in a graceful yet direct way. The picture of this - [Which Ones?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/which-ones/) - It is just about time to plant containers. Last night's overnight temperature of 41 degrees proves that it is still spring in Michigan, but every gardener in my zone is busy planning for their summer season. More than any other time of year, gardeners who have decided they want new or more pots are popping the question-which ones? Which pots - [Monday Opinion: Mother's Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-mothers-day/) - Mother's Day falls in early May, just as the garden and their gardeners are waking up and working hard bringing on the new season. Like tens upon thousands of countless other kids, I was brought up, nurtured, and loved by a very special Mom. By this I mean a parent whose unconditional love helped me to be. A Mom - [At A Glance: Early Purple](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-early-purple/) - purple pansies Cathedral Sky Blue salvia lavender bicolor violas and lettuce lavender lisianthus lime leaved coral bells and lavender streptocarpus wisteria Blue Moon Opal Moon escheveria, angelina, and sweet alyssum lavender clematis purple pansy mix spring planting carmine pansies and alyssum purple violas and angelina purple columbine - [A Vase Full Of Flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-vase-full-of-flowers/) - I would imagine that there are lots of gifts, in the form of cut flower arrangements, exchanging hands today. Though a vase full of flowers is a traditional Mother's Day gift, it is a thoughtful and appropriate choice. In the interest of keeping those fresh cuts fresh as long as possible, I take the time to - [They Don't Like Me](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/they-dont-like-me/) - I shouldn't take it personally. They don't like much of anyone who gardens in my zone. Why should they? If you look at a map that details where rhododendron catawbiense in native, you'll see the Appalachian mountains from West Virginia extending as far south as Alabama. I do not garden in the mountains, nor - [Spring Frost](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/frost/) - There may have been little in the way of winter weather in my zone, and the 80 degree days we had in March were disturbingly unusual-but the winter weather we have had this spring has been devastating. Every bloom on twelve magnolias in my yard-and lots of other yards- was summarily frosted off at the end of March. OK, - [The Details](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-details/) - As I have written before, my job for a client is best described as a conceptual plan. A schematic plan. A few broad strokes, an idea. All of the details, which make a landscape project, are all about a relationship. The strength of a designer/client relationship makes all the difference in the world. My client was discerning, - [Coming To A Close](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/coming-to-a-close/) - I have written about this lakefront landscape project several times before. We have been working on it since last September. All of last October and half of November was a wash-literally. The relentless rain made it impossible to work there. In late November we finally began planting the evergreens. We managed to finished by the holidays. After - [Lots Of Property](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lots-of-property/) - This piece of paper does little justice in describing the size of this property, but perhaps if I say that every square inch represents 400 square feet, you will get the idea. Transforming what was a field with an occasional box elder, lots of buckthorn and plenty of quack grass into a home with a landscape - [Monday Opinion: Depth](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-depth/) - From Roy H Williams: "According to String Theory, what appears to be empty space is actually a tumultuous ocean of strings vibrating at the precise frequencies that creates the four dimensions you and I call height, width, depth, and time." I know, it takes time for a sentence like this to sink in. Should you - [At A Glance: The Other Version Of This Sunday Morning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-other-version-of-this-sunday-morning/) - We had temperatures in the upper twenties last night-my butterburrs at home, and the tulips at the shop, were not very happy. oh my We ran the irrigation, in hopes that only the surface water would freeze, and not the flowers. The first rays of the sun started melting the ice. Frozen tulips-not such - [At A Glance: Sunday Morning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-sunday-morning/) - Sunday morning before the shop opens is a favorite time of mine. For those of you who live too far away to visit, to follow is what we are looking like the end of April. vintage English urns on plinths mid century French garden chairs new fountain from Branch Do you have time to play - [Other Pairs Of Hands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/other-pairs-of-hands/) - Two clients, gardening partners, purchased a vintage ranch home on a substantial piece of property a few years ago. After spending a lot of time renovating a backyard landscape and pool, they were interested in tackling the front yard. They called me to consult. They had the original landscape plan-I am guessing it dates back to - [One Pair Of Hands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/one-pair-of-hands/) - I have plenty of clients who like to do their own gardening-LW is one of them. How she finds the time, I have no idea. She is a PPWC-a professional person with a full time job who by the way has children. I greatly admire this kind of determination to garden. Why would a - [Tins Crates Baskets and Tubs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tins-crates-baskets-and-tubs/) - The little and special plants that mark spring containers-how I love them. I love the tubs, pails, baskets and crates that make great homes for those little and special spring plants. I did post some of these pictures on the Detroit Garden Works facebook page today, but I couldn't resist posting them here. These spring container - [The Thousanth Post](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-thousanth-post/) - Everyone who commented on the occasion of my thousanth post-I appreciate all of you. My very sincere thanks that you read what I write. The people who read help me to fuel up; every regular reader provides to me the energy that encourages me to write tomorrow. It is as simple as that. My point, perhaps not so clearly expressed, is - [Many Thanks To Gretchen](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/many-thanks-to-gretchen/) - For several days I have been fretting about this blog post. This particular blog post-my thousanth. What would I write about? Granted this blog is a journal of sorts, about the day to day, or what is on my mind. Or some design issue or plant I think might be of interest. But should the thousanth - [At A Glance: More Spring Plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-spring-plantings/) - Blue in a Michigan garden? That would be blue pansies and lobelia. OK, there are some true blue delphiniums, and cornflowers to come later on. But if you have a big love for blue, express yourself now. Bright yellow and dark purple pansies, orange grass, and cream stick stacks-a spring wake up call. Creme brulee - [One Thing After Another](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/one-thing-after-another/) - One thing after another usually refers to a string of events you'd rather do without. The story of the tulips at the shop this spring sure started out that way. They broke ground and grew as if they were possessed in March. Alarming, this. Though no one believed the hot weather would stay on, the tulips - [Spring Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-planting/) - I enjoy doing spring plantings for my clients. It gives me a chance to get into the garden early, and assess how everything fared over the winter. This winter was a breeze, but for a cruelly early break in the weather in March. It remains to be seen how Michigan's fruit and berry crops will - [Shoots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/shoots/) - New shoots emerging is one of spring's most exciting moments. A decision is made to break dormancy, and grow. A new shoot can be a leaf, or a stem or a flower. I imagine those elongated shapes makes quick work of pushing through the soil. These Sum and Sunstance hostas are grown under a number of - [From Winter Into Spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/from-winter-into-spring/) - This past winter, and what we have seen of spring so far has been a roller coaster. Not so cold, very hot, freezing cold again-up and down. The 2012 season so far-dicey for planting outdoors. The below 30 degree weather-just too cold. But at last we are planting spring containers-how I love to have - [Years Later](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/years-later/) - I have mixed feelings about going back. One would like to think that a landscape would grow and go on once planted, but that is rarely the case. I side with Henry Mitchell on this. He says there are no beautiful old landscapes. Beautiful landscapes are a result of the intensive care of the present. - [At A Glance: Spring Garden Fair](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-spring-garden-fair/) - Our spring garden fair weekend is just underway. We invite nurseries and growers in our area to come and set up for the weekend, and sell their plants. After all, the best part of spring is the garden coming back to life. If you are in our area, stop by. The fair is loads - [So Sunny](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/so-sunny/) - There was a time when I had no affection or interest in yellow. This was so many years ago I cannot remember the reasons why. When I came to my gardening senses, I realized that yellow is a good symbol for sunny. The color reads clearly from a distance. And it is the first cousin of the - [Garden Designers Roundtable](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-designers-roundtable/) - Garden Designers Roundtable The Garden Designers Roundtable was established in December of 2009. A group of well known garden designers who write from across the US and in Britain post on a topic relating to landscape and garden design every month. I was very pleased to have been asked to guest post with this group last year, - [Sunday Opinion: The Plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-plants/) - The heart and soul of any landscape is the plants. As much as I love a fine bench, or a great galvanized tub, or my edger strip that keeps weeds out of my beds, or my deck with its comfortable chairs, or my tools, or my granite mulch, or my fountain, the really important news is - [Mulch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mulch/) - What exactly is mulch? Well nothing much relating to gardening falls under the heading of "exactly", but in general mulch refers to a covering applied to the surface of the soil. It might help to think of it as a blanket. The blanket on my bed keeps me evenly warm throughout the night. The key - [Leaf Magazine Spring Issue](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/leaf-magazine-spring-issue/) - As my landscape superintendent was on holiday this past week, my time was largely devoted to my crew. But I finally had the time to read through the second issue of Leaf Magazine. This digital magazine is the brainchild of Susan Cohan (noted garden designer and author of the garden blog Miss Rumphius Rules) and - [Dirt](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/dirt-2/) - I have been told that dirt is what gets picked up by a vacuum cleaner, and soil in a medium in which to grow plants. Semantics aside, I prefer the word dirt. What is under my fingernails, and inside my socks is dirt. That dried material on the end of my spade or on my trowel - [Sunday Opinion: Vernissage](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-vernissage/) - Three years ago today, April 1, 2009, I published my first post. To follow is a reprint of that post, entitled "Vernissage". Strictly speaking, the French word vernissage speaks to the opening of an art exhibition. I learned the word recently from a client with whom I have a history spanning 25 years. This speaks a lot to the - [At A Glance: Fresh Faces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-fresh-faces/) - clear sky pansy "Primrose" blue pansies with dill, thyme, chives, and alyssum mixed whiskered violas clear sky blue pansies bicolor violas, yellow pansies and red twig dogwood spring window box detail yellow violas violet and lavender violas violas, grape hyacinths, black twig dogwood, and lettuce citrus mix pansies spring planting with yellow twig, prairie willow, nemesia, - [Flowering Trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/flowering-trees-2/) - Every spring, I swing by my Mom's house last house. She died in 2002-so yes, this yearly visit is a pilgrimage of sorts. I had occasion to visit a regular client in the same neighborhood about what we would do this year, so I drove through the neighborhood. The landscape looks entirely different than when - [Lights Out](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lights-out/) - I planted a magnolia not unlike this one for a client 25 years ago. She called to tell me it was in full bloom-would I care to come take a look? Did I mention it was in full bloom in March, due to a jet stream anomaly? Needless to say, I did not make it - [Fending Off The Freeze](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fending-off-the-freeze/) - By the time I publish this post about fending off a hard freeze, it will be too late to be of any help to anyone. I do not blame myself. I have no insider information regarding the weather. Nor do I have a vote in the nature congress. A greatly talented gardener/writer from Kansas who - [Sunday Opinion: Heart And Soul](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-heart-and-soul/) - I am reluctant to have plants at the shop too early in the spring. As Rob has said, it takes mother nature a long time to make up her mind to commit to spring. I hate to see plants damaged by frost. We do have a green space of sorts where we can stash plants during inclement weather. I cherish that - [At A Glance: Thought We'd All Drop By Early](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-thought-wed-all-drop-by-early/) - The European ginger sprouting in mid March is a bit of a shock. I would say this is definitely 3 weeks earlier than usual-maybe 4 weeks early. Clematis sprouting in mid March? Unexpected. Unusual. Ok, no kidding-astonishingly early. Roses leafed out in March Delphiniums making an appearance in March Very dry winter. Cracked earth in - [Easy Does It](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/easy-does-it/) - If you are experiencing a spring astonishingly fast forwarded as I am, you have a garden usually sleepy in mid March that is marching dramatically on to a drummer you have never met before. I am struggling to keep up. I have 2 areas in my garden devoted to the cultivation of hellebores-why wouldn't I? Their leaves are evergreen until late winter. Their - [Permanent Structures](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/permanent-structures/) - Most landscapes have basic structures, as in driveways and walkways. This under construction landscape project features site specific architectural elements that address certain needs. The lower portion of this steel fence will soon be hidden by a row of yews matching the lakeside planting. This fence and gates enclose a dog run, and were specifically designed to - [Structuring Perennial Gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/structuring-perennial-gardens/) - Structured perennial gardens-the phrase is something of a contradiction in terms. Perennials die back to the ground with the frost, and do not reappear in my zone until 6 months later. Certain perennials, such as asparagus, butterfly weed, some ferns and grasses have a strong winter presence as their stems dry and persist. Some gardeners leave their - [Leafy Structure](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/leafy-structure/) - Leafy plants, more formally known as deciduous plants, are essential to a great landscape. Though evergreens can provide a certain kind of dense and geometrically gratifying presence in a landscape, deciduous plant material have a textural contribution all their own. I designed and planted this landscape many years ago. Four English oaks, some 14 years later, now provide - [Structure From Evergreens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/structure-from-evergreens/) - The structure afforded from evergreen plantings is never more apparent in my zone than in the month of March. Debris litters the ground in the garden, no matter the quality of my fall cleanup. The hydrangea heads have been blown off their stems by gusting winds. There are places where the visuals are not the - [Structure In The Landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/structure-in-the-landscape/) - Structure can refer to anything that gets physically and tangibly built. Familiar structures are houses, bridges, amphitheatres, pergolas, and bus stop shelters. This may be just me talking, and not the dictionary, but structures imply strength and durability. An igloo is a structure that is very durable and liveable in the appropriate climate. A - [The Most Daunting Day Of The Year](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-most-daunting-day-of-the-year/) - Was this the most daunting day of my gardening year? Absolutely not. A landscape dusted with fresh snow can be lovely. As much as I dislike the garden going to sleep, fresh snow on a landscape that has structure from evergreens, the trunks of trees and the branches of deciduous shrubs is beautiful. This snow in - [Passover Tables](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/passover-tables/) - We do cut flowers and props for weddings, parties and events on occasion. I particularly enjoy creating a landscape to celebrate a specific moment, and that moment only. A beautifully imagined and executed event enchants the eye from that first moment, and can provide a framework around which great memories are created. A good client participates - [Lily's Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lilys-pots/) - Next week I will be giving a talk to 50 members of a local garden club. I am happy to speak to any group free of charge, provided they come to me. It is an easy matter for me to show pictures from my computer, or from a book in my library. My closet is a - [Helleborus Orientalis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/helleborus-orientalis/) - Rob bought a slew of greenhouse grown hellebores in 8" pots for our opening last weekend. They were absolutely stunning. Beautifully grown plants were loaded with flowers and buds coming on-much like the plants in my garden in mid April. Hellebores are one of my most favorite perennials, for reasons not limited to their breathtaking flowers. - [March Opinion: Gunning It](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/march-opinion-gunning-it/) - We had so many gardening friends stop by over the past 4 days in celebration of our 2012 opening. I will admit I was beyond delighted. Lots of our regulars responded to our spring call. Thanks to Susan Pollack at the Detroit News, who wrote and published about our opening on Friday, we had lots of new people. - [The 2012 Espaliers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2012-espaliers/) - What would spring be without some fabulous plants on order? The garden shop is a garden shop-not a full service nursery. We have neither the space nor the inclination for that. But I do like to carry specialty landscape plants, plants of distinction, and great plants for containers. My love for espaliers dates back to - [Spring Fete](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-fete/) - Jenny did get a chance to take a few pictures at the beginning of our 2012 preview party last night. Perhaps some of them will at least give a feeling for what the shop looks like the first day of the gardening season. I hate for anyone who couldn't be here to miss out on the - [Packed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/packed/) - Have I mentioned that the shop is reopening tomorrow afternoon, March 1st, at 5? We dial down January 15th-this means we are open by chance (which is every day) or by appointment. How so? It takes 6 weeks to clear everything out of the shop, clean like crazy, and repaint. In February we had 2 containers - [Through The Lens Part 3](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/through-the-lens-part-3/) - I heard from Bob Stefko a little while ago-he checked out Dirt Simple for the first time. He liked the snapshots I took of him working-I like that. He did admit that the cold made this shoot a real challenge. Funny how this made me feel better. After a 12 hour day on Saturday, he and - [Through The Lens, Part 2](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/through-the-lens-part-2/) - Yesterday's photoshoot took 12 hours. I was relieved to hear Bob was as tired as I was, at the end of the day. We parted ways at 6:45 pm, with a plan to meet at 6:30 am this morning. I was 5 minutes late-I was relieved he was not yet there. Three of the - [Through The Lens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/through-the-lens/) - If you think the lack of posts in the past week means I must be on some late winter road trip, you are close to right. The vehicle pictured above is not mine loaded with luggage-it belongs to Bob Stefko, a free lance photographer based in Chicago. Better Homes and Gardens sent him over to photograph - [Christmas In February](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/christmas-in-february/) - At the end of the first week of January, I reluctantly took the Christmas light garlands draped around these pots down, and put them in storage. After all, the holidays were over. This year I was especially reluctant for the holiday season to end-we had had no snow. Though the temperature was chilly, we - [Tuesday Opinion: Computer Trouble](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/computer-trouble/) - Late last week it was my unfortunate experience to have my email account hacked. My shock and displeasure with the situation mattered not one bit. That everyone whose email address was stored in my contacts was contacted with an annoyingly irritating email asking for help was embarassing in the extreme. That all of my email contacts, and all of - [At A Glance: Shipping The Eagles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-shipping-the-eagles/) - If you read this blog regularly, you may remember that I wrote a month ago or so about the sale of a pair of 18th century cast iron armatures which at one time were part of a pair of hand wrought and cast iron fully feathered eagles. I was told they graced the roof of the Palais - [Finished Fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/finished-fountain-2/) - The welding studio has been busy the last 3 weeks. Buck had a special order for a fountain, and a matching urn for a client in California, and a destination in Fort Worth Texas. The sheer size of the fountain meant the base and scuppers needed to be very strong, and the steel thick and - [Up and Down](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/up-and-down/) - The installation of a landscape for a new house is a lengthy process, as it needs to be. Though some disciplines cross over, there will be the excavators, the rough carpenters, the plumbers, the inspectors, the finish carpenters, the gutter people and the air conditioning techs, the kitchen designer, the pool and spa people, - [The Little Things](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-little-things/) - The more time I have to spend with these new French glazed pots, the better I like them. These were made at one of the few potteries in Anduze still hand throwing, or rope throwing, their pots. These pots rank among the best quality available in handcrafted French pots. Originally produced to provide homes for citrus trees, these pots have - [Tuesday Opinion: Longing For Snow?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tuesday-opinion-longing-for-snow/) - I would never had imagined that I would be longing for snow, much less writing about it-but here I am. Frankly, I feel cheated that the season which I dread the most vaporized. Picture me sputtering! The bitter cold and snow is inconvenient and irritating, but it can be beautiful. I have not one picture of - [At A Glance: No Snow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-no-snow/) - It has snowed twice this winter. One furiously windy and brief snow the end of January. And four inches, a couple of days ago. Do I miss this? The lack of snow, and the warm weather has been great-but unnerving. If I ever experienced a winter like this, it was too long ago to remember. - [Spring Thaw](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/spring-thaw/) - My March issue of Better Homes and Gardens arrived yesterday-as did the most bitter cold, windy, and snowy weather that we have had all winter. Things even out, don't they? In early May of last year, the magazine send a crew out to Detroit Garden Works to shoot pictures of our spring container plantings-for this March 2012 issue. Rob - [A Particular Planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-particular-planting/) - A friend much more tuned into the 21st century than I let me know that this container planting of mine from 2005 was getting considerable interest via Pinterest. Pinterest? I was curious. Based on my recent research, Pinterest is an on line venue by which anyone, any invited anyone, can post images they fancy, in personal albums organized by - [Rural France: The Gates And The Doors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/rural-france-the-gates-and-the-doors/) - This week is all about the garden-French style. Our first container stuffed full of glazed French terra cotta has been unloaded. Our second container sailed through customs, and will be delivered Friday morning. Though we represent the garden as expressed in many countries and periods, our spring will equally celebrate French garden style. Our first container of - [Zinc](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/zinc/) - Courtesy of Wikipedia, zinc is a metallic/chemical element-the 24th most abundant of all of the elements as detailed on the periodic table. It is an essential element to human health. But its largest use by far and away is as a coating on steel which resists corrosion. These watering cans are made of sheet steel, - [Sunday Opinion: Garden Making](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-garden-making/) - I know have I made more than passing reference to how a great garden makes beautiful music. There are those natural notes volunteered from the birds, the water running, the bees, the kids, the thunder, the conversations with friends, footsteps crunching on the gravel, a shovel sinking deep into the soil. There is rhythm and beat supplied by the repetition of - [At A Glance: Planted French Glazed Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-planted-french-glazed-pots/) - planted 2005 planted 2007 2011 cassia in a French pot, 2007 2006 2008 2001 2003 2001 2006 2011 2007 2008 2008 2001 2006 2007 2008 You may feel exhausted after looking at this many pictures of plantings in French terra pots, but it would be tough to exhaust the possibilities for planting them. - [First Container From France](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/first-container-from-france/) - Our first container from Rob's orders in France this past September today arrived this morning around 9. Though we have imported close to 50 containers (a container being a steel box 40 feet long, by 10 feet wide, by 10 feet tall) over the past 15 years, I have yet to get over the thrill - [Northwest Flower And Garden Show](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/northwest-flower-and-garden-show/) - I had a call last week from Bruce Bailey, the owner of Heavy Petal Nursery in Washington. He is one of a group of featured speakers at the seminars which will be offered at this year's Northwest Flower and Garden Show. This is a very well respected and well attended event. Their seminars will be given by - [French Terra Cotta](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/french-terra-cotta/) - I had notice from my customs broker today that the first of our two containers from France is in customs. This is such great news. This July 2010 photograph by Bertrand Kulik of the Eiffel Tower during a storm perfectly describes my anticipatory excitement. French garden design, French garden pots-what is not to like? Rob's trip to France was - [Sunday Opinion: Apple-icious](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-apple-icious/) - I will admit to more than a little long standing prejudice against Apple. Years ago, I tried diligently to get Rob interested in the computer. How about a PC, I asked. Unlike my project specific large slotted screwdriver, or my trowel, a computer enables a person to engage in a universe of activities only limited by one's ability to ask - [At A Glance: More Normal](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-more-normal/) - [Rob On The Road](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/rob-on-the-road/) - I have no complaints about the weather here. The temperatures are steady right around 32 degrees. Today we have had light wet snow, party sunny skies, heavier snow and firece winds, and sun-depending on when you are looking out the window. But I am a little envious of the picture Rob took outside a flower - [Seeing The Light](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/seeing-the-light/) - Lighting the landscape is not my forte. Everyone does a better job of it than I. Fortunately for me, the light lingers in the summer. All it takes for Buck to abandon the yard is the warning buzz from one mosquito-he is through with the garden once it gets dark. When I am working the landscape season, I am up - [New Dirt](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/new-dirt/) - It is a much easier job to keep Milo clean than the shop. Once he dries, the dirt falls off. Once a month, he gets the works from Lexi from the Aussie Pet Mobile. The shop, however, is 10,000 square feet that is likely to get very dirty-daunting, this. My work life grew out of a love for dirt. The - [At A Glance: Brown](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-brown/) - Boston ivy in January repainting the shop new paint rim of 19th century antique English cast iron urn new paint grapevine deer shop wrecked grapevines and wagon wheels tall space milkweed seed pods Belgian hazelwood twig planter boxes - [Level](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/level-2/) - The winter is a perfect time to discuss what goes into a coherent landscape plan. If you have a mind to make some changes, plan now. Draw now. Search for the right clematis now. Read the seed catalogues now. Be ready, when the season turns. A hard and thoughtful look at a landscape now is perfect-most of all - [Buck At Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/buck-at-work/) - Buck has been plenty busy at Branch. What exactly are you looking at here? This is a fountain urn commissioned by a client in California for a project in Texas. This fountain has a bowl assembly and a base, designed and specified by the landscape architect on the project. Buck stacked the two pieces upside down, to check - [A Tree Farm](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-tree-farm/) - Many farms lie fallow over the winter. If I am shopping for trees, winter is prime time. Evergreen trees are especially attractive in northern landscapes, as we have as much winter as we do any other season. Rows of them, lined out like crops, are beautiful to see. It is easy to see the strength of the - [Travel](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/travel/) - Travel is a well known noun that people recognize. Travel take us to new places, new experiences. Travel enables us to reconnect, visit friends and colleagues. Travelling is a verb that suggests what it means to go away from home, and rethink. When I want to move away from all that is familiar to me, I travel. - [On The Road](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/on-the-road-2/) - Rob and I are on the road for a bit, shopping. The best part-seeing landscapes I have never seen before. I am thoroughly enjoying the change of scene. My access to the internet is intermittent, and I do not have the ability to post any pictures while I am away from home. A little peace - [Encircled](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/encircled/) - This garden was designed and planted by Mien Ruys-I do not know the year. Her life-1904-1999. She was a formidably talented landscape architect and garden designer in the Netherlands. Her father ran a well known nursery specializing in perennials. Her extensive knowledge of horticulture is obvious in her work. Though she is not well known outside - [The Garden Obelisk](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-obelisk/) - A classic obelisk, as exemplified by the ancient Egyptians, is a narrow tapering four sided affair whose top is pyramidal. Ancient obelisks were usually carved all of a piece. The obelisk known as the Place de la Concorde was one of a pair given as a gift from Egypt to France the the late 1820's. This single piece of red granite some - [Zero At The Bone](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/zero-at-the-bone/) - The first week of January for me is all about a certain dormancy that comes with the finality of season coming to a close. If you are old enough to have fallen asleep in front of a tv, and woken up the static that came after the day's programming was over, you get the idea. My pause button is - [Budded Up](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/budded-up/) - I was in bed long before midnight New Year's Eve. I never worry that the new year will get held up at the checkpoint unless I am watching. Buck and I had a quiet dinner. I turned in early; that sleep was deep. Did anyone enlist my help or interview me about the a year coming - [Ms. Indie](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/ms-indie/) - I had a visit from a very old client, and a great friend yesterday, December 30. We have known each other a very long time; we have a relationship that has endured. She is self effacing to a fault, and equally independent in her thinking and her gardening. This is a long way of saying we - [The 2011 Garden: 24 Moments](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-2011-garden-24-moments/) - I took this photograph in January of 2011. How different my garden looks today. In fact, my garden looks different most every day. I tried very hard to pick only one picture to represent the garden each month-that was too much pressure. Given that I have 23 pictures dead ahead, I will quit typing, but for this. - [A Last Look](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-last-look/) - winter containers with flame willow and bleached leaf stems lacquered birch twigs and lavender eucalyptus curly flame willow and aouthern magnolia stems boxwood pyramid stone mason's Christmas gift to his wife winter arrangement with mixed eucalyptus holiday front door red twig dogwood and Michigan holly holiday packages wrapped by Jenny - [Next To The Last Look](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/next-to-the-last-look/) - I finally got back to check out and take pictures of the last of the holiday and winter work we did this season. Some time and the dispassionate light of day can reveal a detail not quite right, but by and large I was happy with what I saw. This contemporary version of the traditional red and - [An Addendum To That Celebration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/an-addendum-to-that-celebration/) - This Christmas tree decorated with vintage ornaments, garland, and tinsel is stunning. Their living room, a discussion between the austere and the abundant. Treasured topiaries made an appearance for Christmas, set in the windows. Their packages are wrapped as beautifully as their table is set. They are simple, elegant, and lavish, all at the same time. Their - [A Christmas Eve Celebration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-christmas-eve-celebration/) - You may recall a post I wrote just before Christmas entitled "Gifts That Gardeners Give". I pictured a wreath I had made as a gift for two very good friends. They live on and love a big wild piece of property in what I call "the country". They were very enthusiastic about the gift-enough so - [Holiday At Home](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-at-home/) - The Christmas holiday at our house is a low key affair-we like it that way. I worked Christmas Eve in the shop until 3 with Jenny. I wrapped a few last packages in the laundry room. I was more or less ready for our celebration by 7. A very leisurely evening was capped by homemade soup and - [White Christmas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/white-christmas/) - Ten years ago the stars aligned such that I was alone for Christmas. My only family, a brother and sister-in-law, had plans to go to the Caribbean for Christmas. I could hardly blame them-they live in Colorado. JoJo and BabyHead, my cats, both lived at the shop; we decided to spend the day together. Miraculously, - [Full Circle](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/full-circle/) - Yes, this is the third time that I am writing about the light rings. I think I have good reason. Any design idea begins in a seed-like form. There are no specifics or details-just the idea. That idea has to grow, develop, and mature. Any design idea that that annoys me by the third pass, I - [Topiary Forms In Winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/topiary-forms-in-winter/) - Yesterday's dawn was wet and foggy. Beautiful weather like this is rare here in late December. That fog was making the visual most of Rob's light rings. Formally drawn and constructed geometric shapes are so compelling in the landscape. A circle has no beginning or end; it is complete. It is a very stable shape; - [Gifts That Gardeners Give](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/gifts-that-gardeners-give/) - I did write this past Sunday about gifts for gardeners. Anyone expecting a list was surely disappointed. Anyone who knows, lives with, or is a child, parent, friend or spouse of a gardener-I hope you were amused. They are hard to buy for. This is not confined to gardeners alone. Anyone with a passion for anything - [Home At Midday](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/home-at-midday/) - I had occasion to be home during the day today for the first time in weeks. This time of year, I usually leave for work in the dark, and come home in the dark. My work for the season is finished. This means I have some time I can call my own. While Steve was finishing up the very last of the - [Home For The Holidays](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/home-for-the-holidays/) - I finished the last of this season's landscape work, and the holiday decorating today. This feels really good. Tomorrow and Wednesday my crew will sort out a few minor glitches (this has mostly to do with errant timers, and a centerpiece that needs extra special reinforcement against a windy location) and put the shop yard - [Sunday Opinion: Great Gifts For Gardeners](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-great-gifts-for-gardeners/) - Though I own a shop devoted to everything garden, I would not advise a gift for the garden tended by that passionate gardener on your list. Though you may already be rolling your eyes skyward, I have ample evidence and experience in this regard-on both sides of the aisle. Just yesterday an older gentleman came in the shop looking for - [At A Glance: Wrapping Paper](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-wrapping-paper/) - vintage Hallmark holiday wrapping paper holiday wrapping paper copy paper, paper wrapped wire, paper coaster, and branch rounds manila envelope, red jute twine, recycled holiday bits handmade pastel paper, paper roses grocery bag, jute twine, wired florist's picks, red beaded wire bit copy paper, scraps of watercolor paper and chartreuse copy paper, dry cedar foliage - [The Holiday Landscape: Design Details](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-landscape-design-details/) - Any design - whether it be landscape, garden or holiday design - pertinent to the front door involves much more than the door. A front door comes with a house, that has a certain shape and size. That door comes with a stoop or porch. There is a walkway that gets you to that - [The Eagles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-eagles/) - Some years ago I ran across an extraordinary pair of hand wrought and cast iron armatures resembling birds. I must have come back and looked at them 4 times, before I approached the dealer. He told me he believed they had been eagles, gracing a building in Paris. He went so far as to - [At A Glance: December 16, 7am](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-december-16-7am/) - Steve and I both get here before daylight, so we can talk about the work for the day. This morning was no exception. That red coat of his looked great. I was out photographing our holiday decor, now that everything is finished. Rob is a little tired of me telling him how much I am enjoying this, - [The Hats](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-hats/) - The last of the holiday celebration in front of the shop had to do with what Rob calls the hats over the windows. They actually seem more like eyebrows to me. Last year we hung burlap drapes over them. Given our dead meadow weeds holiday theme, I thought a weedy hat might add a certain finish to the - [Shop Light, Shop Bright](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/shop-light-shop-bright/) - Today was one of my most favorite days of the gardening year. I never know what day that will be-that is part of the excitement of the event. What event? My crews get most of the last of the landscaping work, and the winter and holiday pots finished. One moment later, they swarm the shop, intent on getting - [Happy Holidays From Richard K](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/happy-holidays-from-richard-k/) - Five Golden Rings Richard K has been reading Dirt Simple for some time now; I know this, as I hear from him from time to time. A committed gardener and reader from Cypress, Texas. This past summer I got the chance to meet him in person-he was in the Detroit area on business. What - [At A Glance: Monday Morning, 7 AM](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-monday-morning-7-am/) - [The Week In Wreaths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-week-in-wreaths/) - Between Steve and I, two crews, and some help from Jenny, Scott, and Julie in the shop, we installed 15 projects this past week. One crew came in Saturday, yesterday, to do my pots at home, and start the holiday display outside the shop-where they got the energy to do this, I have but one idea. They - [The Fireplace Mantel](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-fireplace-mantel/) - Have you ever? This fireplace, with its painted surround and mantel is like nothing I have ever seen before. The wood panel on top of the mantel, with its elaborately detailed carved vignette soars better than 14 feet above the mantel. I would guess the entire fireplace tops out at more than 20 feet. A new client wanted - [What's Good About This?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/whats-good-about-this/) - These pots are a bit of a bedraggled mess, but there are some good things about them. It is proof positive that we have 4 seasons, each of which lasts about three months. I planted them the end of September- that makes this planting just shy of three months old. This client got a - [Happy Anniversary, Delphine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/happy-anniversary-delphine/) - I read Paradis Express regularly. Delphine Gitterman writes this blog-she truly loves anything and everything relating to the garden. She doesn't write so much. She publishes lots of pictures. We have become fast friends, via an internet that permitted us to talk, and get to know one another. She lives some 40 miles north of Paris; - [The Holiday Tree](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-holiday-tree/) - The history of the Christmas tree is long, and well documented. How amazing-people from very different backgrounds and points of view bring a tree indoors, for the holidays. As a landscape designer, this process not only interest me-it enthralls me. A decorated Christmas tree is one of the most iconic holiday expressions imaginable. My late season - [Holiday Red](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-red/) - Everyone reacts strongly to color-I am no exception. I am not crazy about red in the landscape. I design with red foliaged trees and shrubs on rare occasions. Something or someone has to nudge me in this direction. I am a card carrying advocate of green. All kinds, shades, and manner of green. In summer container gardens, red can be ruthlessly overbearing. - [Ruching The Sinamay](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/ruching-the-sinamay/) - Ruching the sinamay-what does this mean? An explanation is to follow. I am convinced that there are those select and gifted people who can make beautiful bows, swags, and riffs, graceful gestures with fabric and ribbon, and then there is the rest of us who are all thumbs. As I know I belong to the all thumbs group, I - [The Right Scale](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-right-scale/) - Few things are harder than working at a proper scale. Constructing anything at the right scale-whether it be a landscape, a garden, a swath of groundcover, or a holiday window box, getting the project scaled properly is directly related to the level of confidence one feels taking on the project. What do I mean by this? - [The Woolly Birds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-woolly-birds/) - I have a client that sends a number of my holiday wreaths as gifts every year. The wreaths themselves are handmade by a local nursery. I decorate the lot of them. Monica orders all of the boxes, JP drops off the cards, Jenny prints out all of the UPS labels; Pam and Salvadore wire the - [Fungus: A Fairy Tale](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fungus-a-fairy-tale/) - I am as tired and headachy as you are about trying to put together a holiday season inside and out, so I thought I might write about a different topic. What about the garden? I have a dead willow in the back of the property being colonized by bracket fungus. Fungus? Any gardener's relationship with fungus is a potentially stressful - [Special Thanks](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/special-thanks/) - family family far away friends more friends furry friends feline friend flowers - [Thanksgiving Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/thanksgiving-day/) - I got an email today from a reader who lives in Williamsburg about their special way of decorating for and celebrating the holiday season. She had no idea that pictures I saw 10 years ago of the wreaths, swags, garlands, and lighting at Williamsburg transformed my ideas about how to decorate for the holidays. I do - [Holiday Decorating](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/holiday-decorating/) - Yesterday was my first indoor holiday installation. A client with an event coming up the first week of December wanted the bones of her holiday decor in place before Thanksgiving. This pair of topiaries began with moss mat glued over foam cones. The spiral garlands of reindeer moss, accompanied by a delicate silver wire garland took some time and patience to glue - [The Glamorous Bits](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-glamorous-bits/) - I had a comment some days ago from a reader named Carol. She wondered if I could talk about some ideas for adding some glamorous bits to winter containers. Ilex verticillata, or Michigan holly, is my first choice for a glamorous addition to a winter container or garland. That said, I find the berries on - [Sunday Opinion: Not One Minute To Spare](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-not-one-minute-to-spare/) - A landscape company in another state rang me up last week. They do a lot of commercial landscape design and installation. They have a big maintenance division. They do holiday decorating for commercial clients on a big scale. They just purchased a 16,000 square foot building which will better enable them to handle this holiday business-that's how - [At A Glance: Woodland Style](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-woodland-style/) - [Good Ingredients](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/good-ingredients/) - I am not a cook. I am not especially fussy about what I eat. I like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. I am happy with a tunafish sandwich, or a burger. I like whatever Buck fixes. Milo and Howard have eaten the same brand of kibble every day for 7 years-I am just about - [Gorgeous Greens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/gorgeous-greens/) - So many of the materials used at the holidays are harvested from the landscape. Not my landscape, mind you. My evergreens grow much too slowly to be trimmed for holiday greens; the one spruce on my property was limbed up at least 12 feet before I moved in. But there are places where the boxwood flushes - [How Long Will It Last?](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/how-long-will-it-last/) - How long will it last? This question is asked of me many times over the course of the gardening season. The questions come in many forms. The summer season is so short-can I plant my annuals the beginning of May? How long will the annual plants bloom? What perennials bloom all summer long? What perennials bloom - [Glass](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/glass/) - I am always surprised when gardeners express reluctance to use glass in the garden. It is after all a natural material-sand, melted. Will it break? All of the windows in my house survive all kinds of weather. My Suburban has glass windows, and mirrors. I have installed mirrors in gardens on occasion. Once you insure that no water - [At A Glance: Holiday Open House](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-holiday-open-house/) - Many thanks to all of you who came by this weekend. - [Light Up That Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/light-up-that-night/) - My garden is poised to take a three month sabbatical - Bon Voyage, dear garden. This state of affairs is sad enough, but there is more. Michigan has the dubious distinction of being one of the cloudiest, greyest, gloomiest and darkest states in the union. We rank right up there on that list of most consecutive - [Day And Night](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/day-and-night-2/) - The shop this time of year is one of my favorite seasons-but that did not happen by accident. For years I would watch the good gardening days winnow away, and dread the coming of the dark. My late fall activites would center around cleaning up, putting away, cutting back, protecting-preparations for the desolation to come. I - [Warm And Woolly](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/warm-and-woolly/) - Clients are calling about their winter pots, and holiday decor-that season is coming up fast. How to express all of that is a big topic of discussion. Having installed winter pots and decorated inside and out for the holidays for the better part of 25 years, I can attest to the fact that there - [Monday Opinion: Daylight Crazy Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-daylight-crazy-time/) - Steve walked in at 7:17 this morning, and asked how long I had been up. Since four am-just like him. Turning the clock back one hour seems simple enough. What I once did at 10 am I can just as a easily do at 9-right? Not exactly. Getting up at 5 am is routine for me; - [At A Glance: Fan Willow Branches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-fan-willow-branches/) - Spring container planting with fresh fan willow Winter containers with fan willow - [Big Stalky Stems](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hollow-stalks/) - My friend and great gardener RB brought these to me this afternoon; I could not resist photographing them. I knew right away what they were, but I could not believe their extraordinary size. They are hollow stalks; this picture I took of the interior wall. This picture of the bottom was taken from the top. - [Twig Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/twig-time/) - Our leaves are finally beginning to turn color, and drop. Or drop without having turned color at all, as the case may be. The grape leaves on the fence were beautiful this morning, with the sunlight coming through. Once the leaves have dropped, our landscape is much about the twigs, the trunks, the branches and sticks. This spot - [Heart Felt](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/heart-felt/) - Though I have landscape projects still underway, a lot of my attention is focused on the shop. Our yearly holiday open house is but one week away. Why early November? We stock materials for winter and holiday pots-that season is but one breath away. We have clients planning parties, or having company for the holidays. We like - [First Frost, From Rob](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/first-frost-from-rob/) - Rob has several compelling reasons to be out early-Larry is one of them. His year old standard schnauzer is turbo charged. The look on his baby face is always some version of "what are we doing next?" A great and beloved dog can make for a little life changing-just ask Rob. Big open fields at - [This Year's Ghoulishness](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/this-years-ghoulishness/) - This year's Halloween was slow early on, but picked up speed later. I closed the door at 8:20, with 2 of the 40 pounds of chocolate we had bought left over. A good time was had by all, myself included. There were lots of hellos, Happy Halloweens, and thank you's-the kids were great. - [Carving Pumpkins](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/carving-pumpkins/) - Every year I carve some pumpkins for a few clients. I do not do anything fancy, nor do I use any tools but for a floral knife, and a drill. A drill? They are great for drilling eyes. I do get mildly grumpy about hauling pumpkins up my back stairs to my carving station in the kitchen-but all - [At A Glance: The Boston Ivy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-boston-ivy/) - June August mid October mid October mid October mid-October late October late October late October - [Pink Frosting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/pink-frosting/) - Rob and I had a contest going on by 8:45 this morning-he sent me his photographs of the effects of the first frost-and I showed him mine. We were both out early; it was 29 degrees, and there was plenty to see. I told him my pictures were better-but that is not really the truth. His - [Earthbound Farms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/earthbound-farms/) - Rob took 5 days off last week to take a little holiday in California. Every holiday for him is at least partly a busman's holiday. A busman's holiday? This refers to people who do much the same sort of thing on their vacation that they do at work. The reference speaks particularly to a bus driver who takes - [Letter From Cice](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/letter-from-cice/) - Cice comments on my blog posts now and again. The day she decides to write is always a good day. Her latest in response to my post "Fall Color" is too good not to publish. I think she expressed far better than I about the gift that is the fall. "deb……i too would love the day off - [Fall Color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-color-2/) - It interests me that the phrase "fall color" brings such specific color to mind. The color I associate with spring-the yellows of daffodils, and the blues so specific to pansies is quite unlike the color I see in the landscape this time of year. I got to work just before dawn this morning; the sky at - [Apprehension](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/apprehension/) - A customer came in today, faulting me for a lack of materials for the Halloween holiday. It could be she was right. I have no materials that are overtly aimed at the Halloween holiday. But I believe a thrillingly scary Halloween display is more about the presentation, than the materials. Any material can be scary, given the right - [Mystery Mum](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mystery-mum/) - My next door neighbor has the most beautiful pair of chrysanthemums planted around a tree in her tree lawn. Every year, the end of September, it begins to bloom, and goes on blooming for weeks. I never see it get any care or water, and I am sure it has been there 6 years. There has been no - [At A Glance: Milkweeds Seeding, Fleeing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-milkweeds-seeding-fleeing/) - ff - [Near To The Last Of The Lead](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/near-to-the-last-of-the-lead/) - I sold this lead fountain cistern 3 days ago. Stunning-isn't it? I so clearly remember a constellation of feelings regarding its purchase, some years ago. I was afraid to commit so hefty a chunk of my budget to one ornament. I was equally afraid not to commit to it; I am in the business of making first - [Drenched](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/drenched/) - There is no other word for it-my world is drenched. We have had steady rain 4 days out of every seven the last few weeks. We may have as much as 2 inches of rain before this day is over. No doubt this is wreaking havoc with the fall landscaping season. Too wet to plough describes the situation - [The Process](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-process/) - A thriving shrub rose loaded with flowers is one of the best parts of my June garden. This June I had roses better than any other year I can remember; they were glorious. The shapes of the fragrant blooms are beautiful. The foliage was lustrous and healthy. But the real story of a rose is told over - [Monday Opinion: Courting The Muse](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-courting-the-muse/) - I have a very dear friend whom I have known since my early twenties. We have shared a very on and an extended off, and then intensely on again relationship- over a good many years. She is an artist, and a very fine one at that. No one would argue that point, but her. We - [At A Glance: Nicotiana In October](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-nicotiana-in-october/) - [A Busy Week](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-busy-week/) - We had gusty winds today, sun and stormy clouds alternating, and cool temperatures. It seems like it rains every fifteen minutes-for days on end. Our weather is beginning to act like fall. I am not sorry for this really. It makes all of the plantings I did this week seem appropriate to the season. Rob found - [Tulip Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tulip-time/) - I have not lost my marbles, thinking about tulip time in October. This is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs. My supplier sent me 22 emails today regarding the details of the UPS shipments of my bulbs. I plant lots at the shop. I plant for clients too. I wish I planted more. It is very - [The Finish](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-finish/) - I wrote about Buck's steel fruits and vegetables the end of September. They have since been filed smooth, and had a finish applied that will keep them from rusting. He spent the day today building plywood crates so they can be shipped to Orillia, Canada, for a library/market square that is under construction. They will be - [Tie It All Together](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tie-it-all-together/) - I am a fan of string, twine, thread and rope. This is a material that helps with no end of chores in the garden. The English adore twine; Nutscene is a company in England that makes string. This jute string comes in a can-just like the label says, it is pliable-meaning it will not damage tender stems. - [Monday Opinion: The Speed Of Light](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-the-speed-of-light/) - Somewhere last week I read that there may be a particle that moves faster than the speed of light. Be assured that I did not read this in some well regarded physics journal-this was in the news. I am not a scientist-I am a gardener, an afficianado of the natural world. I do not have a PhD in biology, - [At A Glance: October Orange](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-october-orange/) - handmade terra cotta flower pots from Whichford, England vintage Dooney and Bourke handbag fall color Metasequoia Glyptostroboides flower arrangement for fall wedding fall color Boston Ivy fall flower arrangement with dry kiwi vine Halloween display with pumpkins and romanesco broccoli fall color Himalayan white barked birch pumpkin on a gourd bed bittersweet berries - [Late Blooming Perennials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/late-blooming-perennials/) - Some gardeners have to pick there moments. A spring wildflower and bulb garden highlighted by hellebores, perhaps. Or an early summer rose and delphinium fest. Does a late summer garden suit you better? Are your pots your passion? If I were retired, had a garden the size of Sissinghurst, and an garden staff, I might could have - [In Anticipation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/in-anticipation/) - This client has a very distinct point of view about what she likes, and a sincere interest in the landscape. She is a young person with a flock of young kids-how she manages to even think about it surprises me. What we do for her is very low key and simple. The hydrangeas on standard - [Walking The Field](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/walking-the-field/) - I would bet that if I organized and offered a shopping trip with Rob, it would fill up in an instant. There would be a waiting list. He has an eye for where to go, what to see, and what to commit to that interesting and beautiful. His less obvious searches includes sifting through the debris and dried materials that - [Monday Opinion: Expertise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-expertise/) - Someone once said that the definition of an expert is someone from out of town. I prefer local, if that works. I have several clients with conservatories that were made in England, and shipped over. Crews came with those structures, to install them. They were truly beautifully made; the installations superb. But as with a furnace, - [At A Glance: Dutch Blue Hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/dutch-blue-hydrangeas/) - I did some cut flower arrangements for a client last week; she likes blue. I thought blue hydrangeas might be just the thing- but I was not prepared for these. This is a Dutch blue florist's hydrangea-wow. I cannot imagine a hydrangea this color in the garden. It seems like this shocking blue would be very - [Fall Color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fall-color/) - The phrase fall color usually refers to leaves that color up. The gingkos go gold, and the sugar maple leaves turn the most amazing shades of yellow, peach, orange and red. But there are those late blooming plants whose flowers are richly saturated with color. Jewel like-as in the wine red and lime green of amaranthus caudatus Fat - [The Lattice Box](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-lattice-box/) - Lattice refers to overlapping strips of wood or metal joined on the diagonal. That placement produces diamond shaped air, or empty spaces; the steel or wood forms a continuous series of X's. How hard it is to describe in words a shape any gardener would instantly recognize in the garden. Lattice patterned fence panels, screens, and trellises have graced many - [Broom Corn Shocks](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/broom-corn-shocks/) - Given Michael's comment about the centerpiece in the pots I wrote about yesterday, maybe I need to expand a little about broom corn. I wrote about it in great detail a year ago-type "broom corn" into the search line of this blog, if you are interested. The porch pillar in this picture has been completely engulfed - [Constructing The Centerpiece](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/constructing-the-centerpiece/) - No matter what season is in question, a centerpiece in a container planting can organize the planting, and enrich the visual experience. Fall in my zone means a limited selection of plants grow at a vastly reduced rate. My summer pots have nicotiana mutabilis topping 6 feet now-none of my fall plants will grow like this. I have - [Buck's Fruits And Vegetables](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bucks-fruits-and-vegetables/) - A Canadian city north of Toronto is in the process of updating its library and landscape. They have devoted some of their property to the development of a space suitable for a farmer's market. I suspect they are interested in the library being a community center of sorts, which will attract lots of visitors-for lots of - [Sunday Opinion: Starting Over](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-starting-over/) - Needing to start over is one of my least favorite states of being. I would do just about anything to avoid it. It is a tough go to face down a chunk of time, a lot of effort and materials that got paid for- invested in a plan that comes to no good. A discouraging turn of events - [At A Glance: A Saturday In September](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-saturday-in-september/) - [Yard Dog](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/yard-dog/) - If you garden, I am sure you understand what it means to be a yard dog. You dig the dirt, turn and spread the compost, wheel the mulch, prune the shrubs, drag the hose to the thirsty tree, plant new plants, divide old plants, pull the weeds, rake the leaves, and then start all over again. All of the - [Fabulous For Fall](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fabulous-for-fall/) - I think my summer may be over. Though Buck and I are still cruising the garden every night, we have broken out the fleeces, and jackets. As loathe as I am to give up my summer, the fall season has its charms. I had best get ready to be charmed-the fall is here. I am - [Black Leaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/black-leaves/) - Plants with leaves a color other than green-exotic. I have never counted the numbers of plant species in my yard, but every one of them has green leaves. In my green world, a red/black or purple/black leaved plant would most surely be exotic. That exotic quality attracts attention. The numbers of urban properties featuring a Bloodgood Japanese maple somewhere in the landscape - [Sunday Opinion: Making It Work](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-making-it-work/) - I have a new client-a daughter of an old client. She is a young person, with children. She has a fairly large property in a really nice neighborhood; she has lived there 6 years. They have ripped out some things. They installed a really nicely done terrace in the back-that took a big chunk of - [At A Glance: Drawings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-drawings/) - [Loud And Clear](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/loud-and-clear/) - Airy and wispy container plantings are not for everyone. Furthermore, there are some places that they simply don't work. These planter boxes sit on the wall enclosing a parking lot of a restaurant only a median away from a busy four-lane road. The speed limit is 45mph; the noise is deafening. In the 2.5 seconds it takes - [The End Of An Era](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-end-of-an-era/) - People make changes in their landscapes for lots of reasons. For some, it may be the end of the trampoline era. Kids need space to play, and entertain friends. This need can be the organizing metaphor of a landscape. I have lots of clients with mini-soccer fields, trampolines, play sets, tree houses, picnic tables, basketball - [The Home Stretch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-home-stretch/) - I have not kept up as well as I would like with my spring plantings, but I am happy to report that this planting has prospered, and seems to be handling the fall well. I have not been here since late June, so I know this planting has been looked after. I had the chance to - [Monday Opinion: The Drawing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-the-drawing/) - No matter how well I communicate an idea about a landscape to a client, I need a drawing. The drawing is a bird's eye view of a property which in no way communicates the sculptural volumes that might bring an idea to life in a dimensional way, but it formalizes my thinking. It helps me explain - [At A Glance: A Certain Dahlia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-certain-dahlia/) - Michael and Mattias came Saturday for the presentation of their landscape master plan. There was very intense conversation for two hours. But they thanked me in advance; the meeting was preceded with a half dozen white eggplant, and a half dozen red peppers from their garden. Ant the most amazing dahlia bloom is has ever been - [Night Light](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/night-light-2/) - Rob has been putting in some very long days. He doesn't quit until the daylight is gone. He sent me an entire group of pictures about his 9 o'clock dinner hour. Rural France is not in any way lit like my neighborhood at night. The light is intense, but just every so often. The dark is punctuated by the occasional light. - [Patine Ancienne](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/patine-ancienne/) - Rural France is home to many artists who make garden pots. Each one has their own style and finishes, most of which are based on designs and shapes dating back to the 18th century. Detroit Garden Works will have a substantial and wide ranging collection of French terra cotta come spring. This has everything to - [A New Brick Walk](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-brick-walk/) - In 2004 I bought 7 acres of land that was home to a pair of 15,000 square foot industrial buildings. One of the buildings is home to all of the landscape vehicles, machines, tools and materials. The other is a place where we fabricate ornament for gardens in a variety of media. It was a - [Sunday Opinion: The Changing Of The Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-changing-of-the-season/) - Every year I tell Buck with great confidence that I will keep my summer season going past Labor Day. I watch the weather-especially the night temperatures. I water like crazy-all of my completely root bound containers need water daily. We just had a 4 day spell of temperatures in the 90's-one day we soaked the roof boxes - [At A Glance: Late Summer Yellow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-late-summer-yellow/) - [The Making Of The Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-making-of-the-pots/) - What I know about making terra cotta pots wouldn't fill a teacup, but I have pictures. These first four are from a book Rob bought for me in France 15 years ago. "Terres Vernissees" by Christine Lahaussois and Beatrice Pannequin is an overview of the art of French glazed ceramics dating back to the 16th century. This method of - [Especially For You, Mathias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/especially-for-you-mathias/) - I have clients in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michael, and Mathias. I am due to make a landscape design presentation regarding their property September 10. It has taken 18 months to get to know one another, and set a firm date. Michael has a Renaissance sensibility. He can hold his own about farming, romance, music, culture, gardens, a passionately - [Petunias Popping](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/petunias-popping/) - I was asked recently if I had any tips for growing great petunias-this from Ann who writes the Plumsiena blog. If you have not read it, give it a try. I enjoy her point of view. But back to the petunias; my first tip-if you love petunias, keep growing them until you get the culture down pat. I - [Airy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/airy/) - I greatly admire any expression that is airy, artless, graceful, breezy, unstudied, beautifully accidental or subtle- underwrought. What do I admire this? I greatly admire that which is the most difficult for me to achieve with a planting. Luckily, I have help from the plant kingdom. I have never loved the look of hosta flowers. - [At A Glance: Making Changes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-making-changes/) - This client added a roof over her front door in 2005. Since then, the front door plantings have been different every year. What can be seasonally changed in a landscape is part of my enduring interest in gardening. 2006 2007 2008 2009 This front door got a new walk, and an updated landscape in 2006. It - [6:56 AM](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/656-am/) - Rob's plane headed for Paris took off from Detroit at 3:30 yesterday. At 6:56 am our time, he was about to land in the south of France. This picture-via his iPhone. This view of the coastline-magnifique. I am sure he has plans for the rest of the day that do not include sleep. Shopping like this is not - [Bon Voyage, Monsieur Rob](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/bon-voyage-monsieur-rob/) - Rob flies to Paris today on the first leg of a three week shopping trip for Detroit Garden Works. Having not shopped in France for a few years, he is very keen to make the trip; he has been planning it for weeks. Once he made a list of the places he wished to visit, Julie and - [Fencing For Privacy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/fencing-for-privacy/) - I would say relatively few of my clients fence for privacy. Most gardeners would choose plant material to screen untoward views. if they had the chance. But very small urban properties-mine included-do not have the luxury of space. This client designed and had built a fence which would afford him some privacy from neighbors very - [The Garden Gate](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-gate/) - Every landscaped space has an entrance. That entrance may be physical, as in a path or stairs that lead the eye, and inspire the feet. Some entrances are strictly visual. A large open space without a visual cue about how to enter and where to go may seem muddled. A landscaped space running the depth of a property - [Sunday Opinion: The Sky's The Limit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-skys-the-limit/) - I have never been asked to undertake a landscape or garden project where the sky was the limit. Do I regret this? In theory, it all sounds good-a design project from my heart, head and hand, given the chance to soar without any need for fuel, wings, wind, or approval. This thought might, for a moment, be thrilling. Let's - [At A Glance: Dream Cruise Today](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-dream-cruise-today/) - The 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise is today. It is the world's largest 1 day automotive event, drawing over a million visitors, and upwards of 30,000 classic cars. I went early this morning. It's a happening, yes. - [Peak Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/peak-season/) - The containers on my deck have grown like crazy in the past month-we are approaching peak season. The weather has been perfect; most days have been sunny. Even so, we have had night temperatures lately in the 60's. There are signs of summer's end, as much as there are signs of summer's peak. Though I - [Finished Fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/finished-fountain/) - I wrote a post earlier in the week about painting a fountain; this was the last step in the renovation of this space. This was the look in 2005. Once the fountain painting was done, we painted the interior of the pool with black pool paint. The water plants came last. - [That Plastic Grass Sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/that-plastic-grass-sculpture/) - What lies behind ball number 3? I could write a novella about this client, but here is the short version. She has kept me on the edge of my design seat for better than 10 years. By this I mean she encourages me to be the best I can be. Her point of view takes unique and - [Sunday Opinion: The Horseradish Plant](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-horseradish-plant/) - Years ago Buck made a tentative inquiry about whether there might be room in the garden for a horseradish plant. Just the thought of it made me shudder. This weedy, fast growing, wildly spreading nigh on to invasive plant's main claim to fame is its fiery tasting, stinking roots. I know, this sentence needs editing, but I just need to - [At A Glance: Rosemary](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-rosemary/) - [A Good Grass Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-good-grass-day/) - Not every day do I need to look at a drift of hellebores blooming, or a yellow magnolia in its glory. I don't always require a succession of perennials, blooming. Some days are just much simpler than that. My grass gets cut on Fridays. Some Fridays I barely notice. Some weeks the weather has been wet, and - [Painting A Fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/painting-a-fountain/) - I placed this 19th century American cast iron fountain in a client's existing terrace pool 6 years ago. Last fall, she was ready for a change. A rectangular pool much larger than the original circular pool was installed, and a steel surround was built to finish that new pool. The overgrown boxwood was removed, and additional stone was - [Limelight Time](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/limelight-time/) - You have heard plenty from me over the past few years about hydrangeas. OK, I am crazy about them. I am reluctant to address the topic once again-but the summit of my summer is all about the coming of the hydrangeas. Hydrangeas figure prominently in any American garden. I do not plant Annabelle hydrangeas anymore. Their ball - [At A Glance: The Shop Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-shop-garden/) - The gardens at the shop? What fun! Coming up on the middle of August, so much color. - [The Front Yard](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-front-yard/) - Whew-what a busy week last week. A project that needs my hands on attention was punctuated with three landscape design presentations. I did work both days of this weekend, as today I am scheduled for jury duty. This is a first for me; I have no idea what to expect. Except that I am committed - [A Green Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-green-garden/) - I have never had the discipline to plant my containers with green plants. I am soft in the head about flowers, and color. Every year I think about greening it, after which I invariably buy pink or orange or carmine flowered plants. I have been planting containers that feature the color green for this client a long time. This years - [Too Much Water](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/too-much-water/) - I knew from the start that the installation of this landscape would prove difficult. The property on the whole drains poorly at best. The soil is very heavy clay; parts of the property would hold water for weeks in the spring. It is not as if I were hoping for the best; an extensive - [Monday Opinion: Cool](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/monday-opinion-cool/) - The word cool suggests plenty. Cool may imply chilly temperatures in the fall, or early spring. Cool might just as easily be an apt adjective for an unexpected design solution, a truly original landcape design, that product or place which is hip, current, timeless, or easy to fall for, no matter the time or circumstance. Cool might be an entirely involuntary expression - [At A Glance: Eccentric](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-eccentric/) - [Trees For Very Shallow Spaces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/trees-for-very-shallow-spaces/) - I have written about espaliered trees before. Proper pruning is an important element of good garden maintenance. But espalier-making is the intersection of the science of how things grow with the art of gardening. Interested in a little something about that history? Search the post Palmette Legendre for my short take on the practice of growing trees in two dimensions. The - [Trees For Big Spaces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/trees-for-big-spaces/) - There are those trees that grow to an astonishing height, width, and girth. The dawn redwoods in California-they are legendary, given their enormous size and age. In Michigan, we have giant beech and maples in our climax forests. The biggest trees I have ever seen in person are in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Even - [Trees For Tight Places](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/trees-for-tight-places/) - Any landscape is predicated on a finite amount of space. A property could be described by a certain amount of square footage on the ground plane. A landscape is comprised of lots of different elements, the largest of which would be the sky. Next up, the trees. I suppose a small urban property could be forested like - [Sunday Opinion: Participation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-participation/) - In my opinion, participation should be a recognized Olympic sport. Just like you, I have watched the gymnasts push strength and flexibility to astonishing limits. The skiers hurtling down steep slopes that would scare me half to death-how do they do this? The swimmers gliding through water as if it were air, at record breaking speeds. The - [At A Glance: A Good Day For Photographs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-a-good-day-for-photographs/) - [Had I But Four Square Feet...](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/had-i-but-four-square-feet/) - Alice Harding, whose book "The Peony" is a classic on the subject of growing peonies once remarked, "Had I but four square feet of ground at my disposal, I would plant a peony in the centre, and proceed to worship." My sentiments exactly. But there are other plants that might make muster in my four - [Orangerie Boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/orangerie-boxes/) - Should I be in the mood for some lemons, limes or oranges, there's a grocery store nearby that has them available year round. Not so, in 15th century France. Once citrus made an appearance in France, the only way to make them regularly and reasonably available was to grow the trees. Between 1684 and 1686, an - [A Little Sass With All This Sizzle](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-little-sass-with-all-this-sizzle/) - Usually I am a landscape and garden designer; this week I have been a prop delivering a steady stream of water at the shop, for clients, and at home. Proper watering in extremely high heat can be tricky. Annabelle hydrangeas, for example, wilt down at the the slightest provocation on a hot day. This makes sense. Their leaves are - [The Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-cruise-3/) - I will admit to being a little tired today-the garden tour is an all day affair. It happened to be conducted in 93 degree heat-but I am happy to say we had a great turnout. The gardens to the last looked fresh and well tended. The annual plants are thriving on our heat. I did - [At A Glance: Company Coming Today](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-company-coming-today/) - Can you tell I am excited for the day? - [Garden Cruise Tomorrow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/garden-cruise-tomorrow/) - A few years ago this client in Dearborn put her garden on the garden cruise we sponsor every year to benefit the Greening of Detroit. If you are not familiar with the Greening of Detroit, in the past 21 years, they have planted thousands of trees, sponsored hundreds of urban farms, and made respect for the environment - [Another Perennial Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/another-perennial-garden/) - I did plant a second perennial garden this week-however many days ago I posted about the prep. Steve did a great job of prepping the soil-we usually add plant mix, a mix of topsoil and compost- to garden soil. I like perennial beds to be pouffy. Crowned in the center. So many perennial plants are extremely - [More On Perennial Gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/more-on-perennial-gardens/) - This past Sunday, my opinion post had much to do with my 16 year old Hicks yews, failing. This current northside view of my house makes me wring my hands. Five old and very tall yews died-I had to remove them. For years they screened the view to my kitchen door from the street. The densiformis yews - [Perennial Gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/perennial-gardens/) - This client has an older landscape which is truly lovely. The trees are maturing; the shrubs are well established. The property is large, and entirely private. This boxwood bed featuring a lovely antique sundial we did for her several years ago, but the majority of the landscape was done by someone else. Whomever did the landscape - [The Garden Cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-cruise-2/) - This coming Sunday is our 4th annual garden cruise. Detroit Garden Works sponsors this event, so that all of the proceeds from the sale of the tickets goes to benefit The Greening of Detroit. This organization has been planting trees, and sponsoring urban farms and educational programs in the city of Detroit for the past 21 years. I - [Sunday Opinion: Little Luxuries](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-little-luxuries/) - An older garden is bound to have problems. The maples in my tree lawn all have girdling roots that are beyond surgical repair. Probably maple trees that grow to this size never should have been planted here- sandwiched in between the sidewalk and the street. I am guessing they were planted forty years ago; at that time, girdling - [At A Glance: Dog Days](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-dog-days/) - Rob has put a great collection of vintage and contemporary concrete garden dogs together. This live wire is all mine. - [Susie's Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/susies-pots/) - Making a move to renovate a landscape usually begins with some fairly compelling idea. Who would take on the mess and expense, unless there is some imagined outcome that will make for a decidedly better experience? As much as my daily routine has to do with tearing up people's yards and putting them back together - [Container Plantings For Shady Places](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/container-plantings-for-shady-places/) - No shady spot need be a sleepy spot. The combination of these old red spikes and variegated licorice entirely satisfy my eye. The dark purple blooms on the tibouchina-astonishing. White caladiums and a white fuchsia on standard-pale colors are great in the shade. I take no credit for these containers-my client keeps them beautifully. A window - [Hooray For Shade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hooray-for-shade/) - Shady garden spots have that quiet and peaceful feeling about them-but that does not mean they have to be to uneventfully green. Sum and Substance hosta is notable for its lime green color; that bold chartreuse looks like someone turned the lights on. Container plantings in shade can have just as much punch. This pepperomia is a vibrant - [Finishing Up](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/finishing-up/) - I have been working steadily on the landscape for this client for the past 6 years; every year we have done something. The driveway garden we saved for last. Her youngest daughter loves basketball-we could not take the driveway mounted basketball hoop down until she was ready for college-Jenna has just moved out. The concrete driveway was almost 30 - [Coming Along](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/coming-along/) - How I enjoyed my fourth of July holiday. The weather was perfect-partly cloudy, and not too hot. With only one annual planting left to go, I had time to catch my breath, and tinker in my own yard. My container plantings are coming on just fine. As usual, I planted caladiums in my planters on the - [July 4th](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/july-4th/) - The last stop, on my 4th of July holiday overnight? A visit to the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners Michigan. Don't forget, Buck was on this trip too. As any machine that moves and moves fast is of great interest to him, our friends knew he would really enjoy it. I am a Detroit girl, - [At A Glance: Ensata Gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-ensata-gardens/) - The first time I ever visited Ensata gardens in Galesburg Michigan was 27 years ago. I was 34. My dear friend Denise was pregnant with her child Jacob-who by the way has been married 3 years now, and is about to buy his first house. I was fiercely obsessed with gardens, and had all the energy to go - [Before And After](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/before-and-after/) - Some of my before and after projects are about such fine tuning, that you have to be there to see it. This landscape is so dramatically rearranged, you will have no problem sorting it out. This mid 1960's modern ranch, belonging to a young couple with small children, had been gutted, remodelled, and added on to in the - [Love That Lime](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/love-that-lime/) - A client who saw the Princeton Gold maples-all 14 of them-in my yard, decided he had to have them. Bravo, I said. Mind you, they are not a tree for the faint of heart. Their lime green leaves are visible for blocks. Love that lime, or grab your sunglasses and wince-these maples make a - [Mad For Orange](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/mad-for-orange/) - Though the annual planting at the shop this year was inspired by a client's planting of Orange Punch cannas, I owe part of my infatuation with orange this year to Margaret Roach. She published a picture of this potunia "Papaya" on her blog- www.awaytogarden.com ; it did indeed look delicious. I knew if anyone was growing - [At A Glance: Pruning The Boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-pruning-the-boxwood/) - Mindy from M and M Flowers sends a crew every year in late June to prune the boxwood garden in front of the shop. Pruning day is a really big deal; I make sure the spring growth is totally flushed out before I ask her to prune. This is a big job that takes a lot - [The Natural Order Of Things](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-natural-order-of-things/) - I had a client in the store a few days ago, needing some help with planting a pair of containers. She told me she needed a thriller, some fillers, and some spillers for her pots. ??? I was at sea. This sounded like some popular container composition slang; I asked for an explanation. The explanation - [The Forecast Is For Rain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-forecast-is-for-rain/) - Our forecast has been, is, and will be for rain. We have had lots and lots of it. Three or four storms every day, and then all night long-these weepy skies are in a holding pattern right over the top of us. Last night was the first time I have been able to get into the - [Dahlia Hypnotica Lavender](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/dahlia-hypnotica-lavender/) - Plenty of fine garden plants have Dutch breeding in their history; the hypnotica series of dahlias is no exception. I happen to be a fan of dahlias. I haven't the patience for the giant varieties, even though their flowers are breathtaking. The big dahlias-the subject of another essay. I like the smaller growing dahlia plants - [A New House](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-new-project/) - I have a client with a new house under construction. Now that the structure is out of the ground, I wanted to see the property. We have had what is starting to feel like endless rain-the construction site of course was mud and more mud. But that doesn't faze me much-I am too busy looking - [Planting For Events](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-for-events/) - We do plenty out of the ordinary garden plantings- given a special event. Planning outdoor parties, and timely planting for outdoor parties don't always go hand in hand. Whenever a client asks for white tulips blooming for a mid-May outdoor wedding reception, I sigh. Try as I may, I am no better at predicting when the Maureen tulips will be - [A Favorite Day](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-favorite-day/) - It could be my most favorite day of the gardening year has nothing to do with me. In early summer every year, Melissa comes to prune, weed, and otherwise do whatever my garden needs to look great. She and her sister Mindy run a business-M and M Flowers. Their company ought to be named M and - [A Deep V](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-deep-v/) - My neighbor down the street has quite the landscape going on. I stopped by yesterday when I saw she was in the front yard working. I told her I really liked the garden. I will say she did not quit edging and weeding while we talked-how like a gardener. But I do think she was - [Leaves With Largesse](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/leaves-with-largesse/) - My spring season has been notable for heavy and regular rains. Every leaf seems twice its normal size, and twice as juicy. As a result, I have been thinking about leaves with largesse-those leaves that reward a gardener's eye with their generously scaled appearance. Plants with big leaves always catch my eye; I love lush in - [The Garden Cruise 2011](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-garden-cruise-2011/) - There are but 10 annual plantings left to go this season-I am very happy to be on the far side of what is the most intensely felt and most rigorously engaging part of my gardening year. I did have a client tell me yesterday that it was too late for me to plant herb pots for them. For - [A Little Change](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-little-change/) - A little change can turn out to be a very big change. See what I mean? Scale, volume, shape, mass and porportion-these elements are so important to good design. - [Orange Punch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/orange-punch/) - The idea for the 2011 annual gardens at the shop started with these pots at a client's house. I did not plant these-I was there consulting on another matter entirely. I was so struck by how beautiful the orange cannas were-the flowers reminded me much of a clivia. She told me she got them from Telly's Greenhouse; - [Tuesday Morning Opinion: A Member Of The Choir](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tuesday-morning-opinion-a-member-of-the-choir/) - Sunday is a short work day-the shop is open 12 to 4. Most Sundays I book landscape consults in the morning-most people work, and weekends are easier. I do not do evening consults. Buck and I need some time together every day. Evenings, Buck and I, and the corgis have a routine that I treasure. So I - [The Roses In June](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-roses-in-june/) - The thought of June inevitably brings roses to mind. How I love them. The shapes and fragrance are like no other flower. That said, there is no other flower could possibly be as much trouble to cultivate as a rose-that is part of their attraction.. My Mom had a hedge of tea roses that stretched all along - [Planting The Pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/planting-the-pots/) - The mid nineteenth century cast iron horse watering troughs Rob found in northern England last September have a new and happy home; my clients really like them. It seemed fitting to me to fill them with water again. But this time, no horses. A collection of papyrus and white calla lilies in the gravel filled water flooded - [Hot As Bloody Blazes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/hot-as-bloody-blazes/) - My shockingly chilly and record setting rainy spring has given way to temperatures hot as bloody blazes. Temperatures in the mid nineties sounds like July or August-not early June. I hate planting an annual, a perennial or a tree when it is 95 degrees. That level of heat is incredibly stressful to transplants-not to mention - [At A Glance: Fresh As A Daisy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-fresh-as-a-daisy/) - [Sunday Opinion: Aging Beautifully](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-aging-beautifully/) - I had occasion to deliver a few pots to a client whom I did landscape work at least 20 years ago. This picture of her Vincenza stone trough on a frog base that she bought from me 15 years ago I posted a week ago or so. I like it enough to post it again. The trough - [A Favorite Place](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-favorite-place/) - I have my favorite places. What makes for a favorite place? A client with an eye for beauty and a committment to the garden. A client who is always willing to try something new. That said, an ancient and sparsely foliated scotch pine flanks the front door-Mr. will not now, and not ever, let me touch it. - [Lush Life](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/lush-life-2/) - I know that Lush Life is a fabulous shop in Atlanta, Georgia-but it also describes my garden post the second rainiest spring on record since 1880. Over 14 inches-that is an embarrassment of riches in rain. I can see the effect of that rain every place I look. The Princeton Gold maples have leaves the size - [A Couple Of Days Worth](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/a-couple-of-days-worth/) - My annual planting season is in full swing. My cork board is filled with job cards-there is a lot of work to do. I do the design work-but that part is a fairly small part of the process. Finding and ordering plants is followed by an installation and cleanup. We like to check back fairly soon - [Sunday Opinion: The Novice Gardener](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/sunday-opinion-the-novice-gardener/) - My beginnings as a gardener were so many years ago that I cannot really remember them. But I do remember that I was enchanted with the White Flower Farms catalogue, so charmingly written by one Amos Pettingill. Its yearly arrival was a cause for celebration. I would race through it, and then reread it all - [At A Glance: The Tulip Season](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/at-a-glance-the-tulip-season/) ## Pages - [Home](https://deborahsilver.com/) - [Contact](https://deborahsilver.com/contact/) - Contact us today for a quote! - [Media](https://deborahsilver.com/media/) - [In The Field](https://deborahsilver.com/in-the-field/) - Deborah Silver and Company is appreciative of its association with a diverse range of landscape contractors, respected trades people, and landscape suppliers who enable us to offer a complete range of services to clients. 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[rain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rain/) - [storms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/storms/) - [hellebores](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hellebores/) - [helleborus argutifolius](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/helleborus-argutifolius/) - [helleborus corsicus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/helleborus-corsicus/) - [Helleborus lividus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/helleborus-lividus/) - [Air](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/air/) - [elements](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/elements/) - [wind](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wind/) - [asparagus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/asparagus/) - [rose garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rose-garden/) - [vegetables](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vegetables/) - [angelina](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/angelina/) - [baby tears](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/baby-tears/) - [green](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green/) - [lettuce](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lettuce/) - [maple](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/maple/) - [persian queen geranium](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/persian-queen-geranium/) - [sum and substance hosta](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sum-and-substance-hosta/) - [vriesea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vriesea/) - [wollemi pine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wollemi-pine/) - [yellow butterflies magnolia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/yellow-butterflies-magnolia/) - [entrance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/entrance/) - [front door](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/front-door/) - [deck](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/deck/) - [porch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/porch/) - [terrace](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/terrace/) - [pink](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pink/) - [greens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/greens/) - [Texture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/texture/) - [Alyssum](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/alyssum/) - [Apple](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/apple/) - [Pansy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pansy/) - [Star Magnolia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/star-magnolia/) - [beautiful](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/beautiful/) - [Corgi](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/corgi/) - [Dogs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dogs/) - [Pets](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pets/) - [window boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/window-boxes/) - [flower beds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/flower-beds/) - [fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fountains/) - [Water](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/water/) - [water feature](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/water-feature/) - [Phlox](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/phlox/) - [Purple](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/purple/) - [Violet](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/violet/) - [Garden Sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-sculpture/) - [stumpery](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stumpery/) - [tree stump](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tree-stump/) - [metalwork](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/metalwork/) - [spheres](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spheres/) - [steel](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/steel/) - [dogwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dogwood/) - [kousa dogwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/kousa-dogwood/) - [orange](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/orange/) - [blue](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/blue/) - [crocus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/crocus/) - [hydrangea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hydrangea/) - [lobelia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lobelia/) - [contemporary](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary/) - [landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscapes/) - [garden cruise](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-cruise/) - [greening of detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/greening-of-detroit/) - [garden tour](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-tour/) - [dahlias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dahlias/) - [vegetable garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vegetable-garden/) - [niwashi garden tools](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/niwashi-garden-tools/) - [ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ornament/) - [animal](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/animal/) - [cow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cow/) - [dog](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dog/) - [ginko](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ginko/) - [tiger](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tiger/) - [Garden Furniture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-furniture/) - [carmine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/carmine/) - [colors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/colors/) - [Roses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/roses/) - [flowering dogwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/flowering-dogwood/) - [shaping](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shaping/) - [agave](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/agave/) - [ground](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ground/) - [level](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/level/) - [city](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/city/) - [urban](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/urban/) - [decomposed granite](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/decomposed-granite/) - [gravel](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gravel/) - [gravel driveway](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gravel-driveway/) - [gravel surfaces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gravel-surfaces/) - [windowboxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/windowboxes/) - [arrangements](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/arrangements/) - [bridal](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bridal/) - [occasion](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/occasion/) - [party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/party/) - [wedding](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wedding/) - [business](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/business/) - [commercial](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/commercial/) - [animals](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/animals/) - [bench](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bench/) - [chairs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/chairs/) - [seating](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/seating/) - [dining](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dining/) - [table](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/table/) - [entertaining](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/entertaining/) - [Floral Design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/floral-design/) - [renovation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/renovation/) - [restoration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/restoration/) - [architecture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/architecture/) - [lime](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lime/) - [annual](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual/) - [perennial](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/perennial/) - [scenery](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/scenery/) - [loft](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/loft/) - [bark](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bark/) - [berms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/berms/) - [boulders](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/boulders/) - [Landscape Design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-design/) - [concrete aggregate driveways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-aggregate-driveways/) - [contemporary French architecture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary-french-architecture/) - [driveway medallions](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/driveway-medallions/) - [French Country](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/french-country/) - [cut flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cut-flowers/) - [paving stone](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/paving-stone/) - [stone in the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stone-in-the-garden/) - [stone walkways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stone-walkways/) - [contemporary swimming pools](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary-swimming-pools/) - [cypess decks](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cypess-decks/) - [pool cabanas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pool-cabanas/) - [pool design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pool-design/) - [garden paths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-paths/) - [sidewalks](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sidewalks/) - [walkway materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/walkway-materials/) - [walkways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/walkways/) - [faux bois planters](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-bois-planters/) - [Garden Design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-design/) - [Garden Ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-ornament/) - [gravel driveways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gravel-driveways/) - [small landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/small-landscapes/) - [Urban Landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/urban-landscapes/) - [folly](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/folly/) - [shell art](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shell-art/) - [shell grotto](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shell-grotto/) - [shelled buildings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shelled-buildings/) - [tumbled glass](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tumbled-glass/) - [collections](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/collections/) - [curiosities](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/curiosities/) - [objects](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/objects/) - [grasses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/grasses/) - [meadow gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/meadow-gardens/) - [natural landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/natural-landscapes/) - [Queen Anne's Lace](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/queen-annes-lace/) - [verbena bonariensis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/verbena-bonariensis/) - [weed gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/weed-gardens/) - [wild gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wild-gardens/) - [English landscape painting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/english-landscape-painting/) - [garden paintings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-paintings/) - [Porter paint](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/porter-paint/) - [acid washed steel](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/acid-washed-steel/) - [Beatrix Farrand](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/beatrix-farrand/) - [Bulbeck Foundry](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bulbeck-foundry/) - [Crowther fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/crowther-fountains/) - [Crowther lead](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/crowther-lead/) - [lead](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lead/) - [lead cistern](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lead-cistern/) - [lead garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lead-garden-ornament/) - [lead pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lead-pots/) - [Richard Davies](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/richard-davies/) - [running fox](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/running-fox/) - [driveway landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/driveway-landscape/) - [entrance gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/entrance-gardens/) - [entrance landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/entrance-landscape/) - [entrance plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/entrance-plantings/) - [cut flowers in the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cut-flowers-in-the-garden/) - [garden entertaining](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-entertaining/) - [garden party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-party/) - [garden rooms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-rooms/) - [garden stairs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-stairs/) - [stone stairs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stone-stairs/) - [wood garden stairs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wood-garden-stairs/) - [annuals](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annuals/) - [care](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/care/) - [grooming](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/grooming/) - [late summer](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/late-summer/) - [Maintenance](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/maintenance/) - [fountain jars](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fountain-jars/) - [granite terrace](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/granite-terrace/) - [grape arbor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/grape-arbor/) - [iron pergola](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/iron-pergola/) - [stucco walls](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stucco-walls/) - [fountain cisterns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fountain-cisterns/) - [green gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green-gardens/) - [white gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/white-gardens/) - [Cranbrook Art Academy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cranbrook-art-academy/) - [Cranbrook gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cranbrook-gardens/) - [Cranbrook sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cranbrook-sculpture/) - [Orpheus fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/orpheus-fountain/) - [sculpture gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sculpture-gardens/) - [faux bois](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-bois/) - [faux bois bridges](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-bois-bridges/) - [Hillsdale County](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hillsdale-county/) - [Irish Hills](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/irish-hills/) - [McCourtie Park](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/mccourtie-park/) - [Guernica magazine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/guernica-magazine/) - [Mark Dowie](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/mark-dowie/) - [the future of Detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-future-of-detroit/) - [arbor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/arbor/) - [faux bois arbor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-bois-arbor/) - [garden gazebo](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-gazebo/) - [pergola](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pergola/) - [wood arbors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wood-arbors/) - [concrete terrace](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-terrace/) - [vintage materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vintage-materials/) - [1920's](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/1920s/) - [allee](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/allee/) - [bosquet](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bosquet/) - [castelia stone](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/castelia-stone/) - [densiformis yews](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/densiformis-yews/) - [lead obelisk](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lead-obelisk/) - [volcanic rock](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/volcanic-rock/) - [Cardigan Welsh Corgis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cardigan-welsh-corgis/) - [dogs in the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dogs-in-the-garden/) - [agaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/agaves/) - [hornbeams](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hornbeams/) - [antique fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-fountains/) - [antique French fountain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-french-fountain/) - [fine ironwork](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fine-ironwork/) - [large scale fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/large-scale-fountains/) - [Theo Evers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/theo-evers/) - [Carefree Delight rose](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/carefree-delight-rose/) - [summer gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/summer-gardens/) - [Deborah Silver](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/deborah-silver/) - [yews](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/yews/) - [Anderson Miller Ltd](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/anderson-miller-ltd/) - [hotel landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hotel-landscape/) - [sculptural landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sculptural-landscape/) - [imagination](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/imagination/) - [Robertson Davis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/robertson-davis/) - [begonias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/begonias/) - [canna lily](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/canna-lily/) - [licorice](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/licorice/) - [million bells](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/million-bells/) - [new guinea impatiens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/new-guinea-impatiens/) - [nicotiana mutabilis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/nicotiana-mutabilis/) - [purple oxalis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/purple-oxalis/) - [showy oregano](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/showy-oregano/) - [Add new tag](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/add-new-tag/) - [hazelwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hazelwood/) - [hazelwood fencing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hazelwood-fencing/) - [hurdle fencing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hurdle-fencing/) - [rustic fencing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rustic-fencing/) - [twig garden borders](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/twig-garden-borders/) - [wattle fencing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wattle-fencing/) - [willow hurdles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/willow-hurdles/) - [perennial garden design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/perennial-garden-design/) - [garden views](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-views/) - [Lush Life](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lush-life/) - [coppicing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/coppicing/) - [garden fences](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-fences/) - [twig fencing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/twig-fencing/) - [leafy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/leafy/) - [Leaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/leaves/) - [bluestone stairs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bluestone-stairs/) - [driveway insets](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/driveway-insets/) - [landscape terraces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-terraces/) - [landscape walls](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-walls/) - [rubble walls](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rubble-walls/) - [stone medallion](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stone-medallion/) - [Annabelle hydrangea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annabelle-hydrangea/) - [arborvitae hedges](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/arborvitae-hedges/) - [evergreen hedges](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/evergreen-hedges/) - [little leaf lindens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/little-leaf-lindens/) - [taxus viridis](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/taxus-viridis/) - [techny arborvitae](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/techny-arborvitae/) - [crop circles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/crop-circles/) - [dried materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dried-materials/) - [integrifolia for dry arrangements](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/integrifolia-for-dry-arrangements/) - [paper flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/paper-flowers/) - [preserved natural materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/preserved-natural-materials/) - [reindeer moss](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/reindeer-moss/) - [topiary sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/topiary-sculpture/) - [Vanessa Mittrani](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vanessa-mittrani/) - [gold vicary privet](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gold-vicary-privet/) - [Michigan landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/michigan-landscapes/) - [woodland gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/woodland-gardens/) - [Contemporary Landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary-landscapes/) - [gravel terraces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gravel-terraces/) - [minimal landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/minimal-landscapes/) - [bluestone driveways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bluestone-driveways/) - [designing driveways](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/designing-driveways/) - [drivecourts](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/drivecourts/) - [French orangery boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/french-orangery-boxes/) - [Las Jardin du Roi Soleil](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/las-jardin-du-roi-soleil/) - 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[sunken gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sunken-gardens/) - [pergolas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pergolas/) - [moss](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/moss/) - [mossy surfaces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/mossy-surfaces/) - [annual gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-gardens/) - [container gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/container-gardens/) - [planting windowboxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planting-windowboxes/) - [updating containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/updating-containers/) - [farmer's markets](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/farmers-markets/) - [Giardini in Fiera](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/giardini-in-fiera/) - [growing figs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/growing-figs/) - [espaliered fruits](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/espaliered-fruits/) - [espaliered tress](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/espaliered-tress/) - [Palmette Legendre](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/palmette-legendre/) - 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[grapevine sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/grapevine-sculpture/) - [Serena de la Hey](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/serena-de-la-hey/) - [woven willow baskets](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/woven-willow-baskets/) - [custom topiary forms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/custom-topiary-forms/) - [steel topiary forms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/steel-topiary-forms/) - [topiary forms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/topiary-forms/) - [vine supports](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vine-supports/) - [holiday party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-party/) - [holiday lighting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-lighting/) - [light garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/light-garlands/) - [outdoor lighting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/outdoor-lighting/) - [holiday pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-pots/) - [winter pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-pots/) - [cardinal dogwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cardinal-dogwood/) - [red eucalyptus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/red-eucalyptus/) - [winter containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-containers/) - [cut greens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cut-greens/) - [holiday containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-containers/) - [holiday greens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-greens/) - [concrete sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-sculpture/) - [evergreen wreaths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/evergreen-wreaths/) - [holiday wreaths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-wreaths/) - [antique English sundials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-english-sundials/) - [sundials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sundials/) - [ornamental twigs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ornamental-twigs/) - [garden design library](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-design-library/) - [seasonal lighting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/seasonal-lighting/) - [winter gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-gardens/) - [glass drops](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/glass-drops/) - [winter gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-gardening/) - [fresh eucalyptus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fresh-eucalyptus/) - [silver dollar eucalyptus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/silver-dollar-eucalyptus/) - [winter container gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-container-gardening/) - [cut magnolia branches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cut-magnolia-branches/) - [magnolia garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/magnolia-garland/) - [magnolia grandiflora](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/magnolia-grandiflora/) - [magnolia wreath](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/magnolia-wreath/) - [contemporary holiday design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary-holiday-design/) - [holiday gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-gardening/) - [seasonal gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/seasonal-gardening/) - [magnolia garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/magnolia-garlands/) - [magnolia wreaths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/magnolia-wreaths/) - [holiday decorating](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-decorating/) - [holiday mantles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-mantles/) - [mantle decoration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/mantle-decoration/) - [ornament for mantles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ornament-for-mantles/) - [holiday red](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-red/) - [glass cChristmas balls](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/glass-cchristmas-balls/) - [holiday garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-garland/) - [holiday trims](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-trims/) - [trimming a tree](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/trimming-a-tree/) - [gifts for gardeners](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gifts-for-gardeners/) - [Christmas decorating](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/christmas-decorating/) - [cut flowers in winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cut-flowers-in-winter/) - [ice luminaries](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ice-luminaries/) - [ice votives](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ice-votives/) - [winter garden party](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-garden-party/) - [holiday trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-trees/) - [pattern in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pattern-in-the-landscape/) - [patterns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/patterns/) - [winter landscapes.](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-landscapes/) - [Belgian design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/belgian-design/) - [gardens in winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gardens-in-winter/) - [blue moon](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/blue-moon/) - [color by design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/color-by-design/) - [designing with color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/designing-with-color/) - [French garden pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/french-garden-pots/) - [French glazed terra cotta](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/french-glazed-terra-cotta/) - [yellow flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/yellow-flowers/) - [Anduze pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/anduze-pots/) - [Claudine Essautier](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/claudine-essautier/) - [Jane Norbury](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/jane-norbury/) - [Les Enfant de Boisset](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/les-enfant-de-boisset/) - [Poterie de la Madeleine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/poterie-de-la-madeleine/) - [Poterie Provencale](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/poterie-provencale/) - [St Jean de Fos](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/st-jean-de-fos/) - [color in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/color-in-the-landscape/) - [corten steel in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/corten-steel-in-the-landscape/) - [genius loci](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/genius-loci/) - [landscape design in Michigan](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-design-in-michigan/) - [Michigan gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/michigan-gardens/) - [hoarfrost](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hoarfrost/) - [winter interest in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-interest-in-the-landscape/) - [animal sculpture for the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/animal-sculpture-for-the-garden/) - [art in the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/art-in-the-garden/) - [garden art](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-art/) - [Villa d'Este](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/villa-deste/) - [Villa d'Este fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/villa-deste-fountains/) - [garden planning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-planning/) - [green sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green-sculpture/) - [Mocad Detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/mocad-detroit/) - [The Children's Center](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-childrens-center/) - [garden fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-fountains/) - [water features](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/water-features/) - [full moon](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/full-moon/) - [perigree moon](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/perigree-moon/) - [lichens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lichens/) - [native mosses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/native-mosses/) - [native Wisconsin mosses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/native-wisconsin-mosses/) - [woodland mosses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/woodland-mosses/) - [choosing trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/choosing-trees/) - [Trees of Note](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/trees-of-note/) - [landscape views](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-views/) - [espaliered trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/espaliered-trees/) - [green rooms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green-rooms/) - [screening trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/screening-trees/) - [blueprints](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/blueprints/) - [design tools](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/design-tools/) - [landscape prints](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-prints/) - [planning for spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planning-for-spring/) - [garden tables](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-tables/) - [design drawings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/design-drawings/) - [landscape plans](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-plans/) - [gerbera daisies](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gerbera-daisies/) - [antique garden urns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-garden-urns/) - [classical garden urns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/classical-garden-urns/) - [classical urns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/classical-urns/) - [footed garden pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/footed-garden-pots/) - [planting urns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planting-urns/) - [moss landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/moss-landscapes/) - [galvanized metal](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/galvanized-metal/) - [vintage garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vintage-garden-ornament/) - [vintage garden tools](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vintage-garden-tools/) - 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[garden inspiration](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-inspiration/) - [rock garden plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rock-garden-plants/) - [rock gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rock-gardening/) - [garden design elements](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-design-elements/) - [designing the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/designing-the-landscape/) - [elements of design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/elements-of-design/) - [rusted garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rusted-garden-ornament/) - [garden composition](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-composition/) - [Louise Beebe Wilder](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/louise-beebe-wilder/) - [spring gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-gardening/) - [topiary evergreens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/topiary-evergreens/) - [topiary for containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/topiary-for-containers/) - [osteospermum](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/osteospermum/) - [Persian Queen geraniums](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/persian-queen-geraniums/) - [spring container planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-container-planting/) - [violas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/violas/) - [budding](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/budding/) - [flower buds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/flower-buds/) - [plant buds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/plant-buds/) - [spring bulbs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-bulbs/) - [spring container gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-container-gardening/) - [planting spring containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planting-spring-containers/) - [spring yellow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-yellow/) - [designing with evergreens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/designing-with-evergreens/) - [espaliers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/espaliers/) - [katsura trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/katsura-trees/) - [lindens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lindens/) - [frost protection](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/frost-protection/) - [spring frosts](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-frosts/) - [proper pruning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/proper-pruning/) - [pruning deciduous shrubs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pruning-deciduous-shrubs/) - [spring flowering trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-flowering-trees/) - [pruning hydrangeas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pruning-hydrangeas/) - [ornamental trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ornamental-trees/) - [fountain repair](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fountain-repair/) - [Gillette Brothers Pools](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gillette-brothers-pools/) - [boxwood Green Velvet](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/boxwood-green-velvet/) - [boxwood topiary](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/boxwood-topiary/) - [large scale boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/large-scale-boxwood/) - [spring blooming flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-blooming-flowers/) - [spring blooming trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-blooming-trees/) - [Butterflies Magnolia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/butterflies-magnolia/) - [magnolias in zone 5](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/magnolias-in-zone-5/) - [Phil Savage](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/phil-savage/) - [saucer magnolia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/saucer-magnolia/) - [pansies and violas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pansies-and-violas/) - [PJM rhododendron](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pjm-rhododendron/) - [Brandi Spade](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/brandi-spade/) - [Fine Gardening container issue](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fine-gardening-container-issue/) - [Fine Gardening editor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fine-gardening-editor/) - [Fine Gardening Magazine](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fine-gardening-magazine/) - [placing containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/placing-containers/) - [chartreuse green plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/chartreuse-green-plants/) - [lime green plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lime-green-plants/) - [flamed tulips](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/flamed-tulips/) - [growing tulips in boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/growing-tulips-in-boxes/) - [tulip "World Expression"](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tulip-world-expression/) - [choosing garden containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/choosing-garden-containers/) - [wisteria](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wisteria/) - [wisteria trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wisteria-trees/) - ["Venus" dogwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/venus-dogwood/) - [Bradford pear](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/bradford-pear/) - [Himalayan white barked birch](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/himalayan-white-barked-birch/) - [white flowering trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/white-flowering-trees/) - [proper planting time for tender plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/proper-planting-time-for-tender-plants/) - [Madeleine pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/madeleine-pots/) - [choosing containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/choosing-containers/) - [florist's moss](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/florists-moss/) - [lining wire containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lining-wire-containers/) - [mossed containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/mossed-containers/) - [wirework containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wirework-containers/) - [annual garden design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-garden-design/) - [pool coping](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pool-coping/) - [stone for pools](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stone-for-pools/) - [spring container plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-container-plantings/) - [spring garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-garden/) - [annual plant combinations](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-plant-combinations/) - [annual planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-planting/) - [Michelle Masters](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/michelle-masters/) - [Michelle Masters topiary art](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/michelle-masters-topiary-art/) - [garden pergolas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-pergolas/) - [steel pergolas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/steel-pergolas/) - [planting for color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planting-for-color/) - [Birmingham planters](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/birmingham-planters/) - [container planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/container-planting/) - [public annual plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/public-annual-plantings/) - [Birmingham pots](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/birmingham-pots/) - [topiary in containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/topiary-in-containers/) - [color in the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/color-in-the-garden/) - [annual plantings.](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-plantings/) - [Belgian wattle fencing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/belgian-wattle-fencing/) - [garden flow](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-flow/) - [raised garden beds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/raised-garden-beds/) - [walkways in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/walkways-in-the-landscape/) - [gray foliage plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gray-foliage-plants/) - [green and white gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green-and-white-gardens/) - [sonata cosmos](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sonata-cosmos/) - [hardscaping materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hardscaping-materials/) - [outdoor rooms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/outdoor-rooms/) - [terraces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/terraces/) - [dwarf conifer gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dwarf-conifer-gardens/) - [contemporary garden vases](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary-garden-vases/) - [Nichols Bros](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/nichols-bros/) - [the essex bowl](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-essex-bowl/) - [acid washed steel garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/acid-washed-steel-garden-ornament/) - [garden boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-boxes/) - [Jackie boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/jackie-boxes/) - [Les Jardins du Roi Soleil](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/les-jardins-du-roi-soleil/) - [the Branch studio](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-branch-studio/) - [Versailles boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/versailles-boxes/) - [lattice boxes. conservatory boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lattice-boxes-conservatory-boxes/) - [planter boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planter-boxes/) - [custom made window boxes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/custom-made-window-boxes/) - [garden hoses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-hoses/) - [hose reels](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hose-reels/) - [watering wands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/watering-wands/) - [pollarded trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pollarded-trees/) - [datura](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/datura/) - [good drainage](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/good-drainage/) - [automatic irrigation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/automatic-irrigation/) - [in ground irrigation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/in-ground-irrigation/) - [irrigation clocks](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/irrigation-clocks/) - [cosmos](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cosmos/) - [sonata white cosmos](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sonata-white-cosmos/) - [white cosmos](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/white-cosmos/) - [landscape focal points](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-focal-points/) - [boxwood pruning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/boxwood-pruning/) - [formal landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/formal-landscapes/) - [hedge pruning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hedge-pruning/) - [taxus pruning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/taxus-pruning/) - [urban gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/urban-gardens/) - [www.thegardencruise.org](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/www-thegardencruise-org/) - [The Greening of Detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-greening-of-detroit/) - [petunia hybrida](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/petunia-hybrida/) - [petunia varieties](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/petunia-varieties/) - [petunias in containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/petunias-in-containers/) - [landscape renovation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-renovation/) - [annual planting design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-planting-design/) - [Nero di Toscano kale](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/nero-di-toscano-kale/) - [Sun Parasol mandevillea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sun-parasol-mandevillea/) - [variegated plectranthus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/variegated-plectranthus/) - [All Summer Beauty hydrangea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/all-summer-beauty-hydrangea/) - [Hydrangea Limelight](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hydrangea-limelight/) - [hydrangea paniculata](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/hydrangea-paniculata/) - [Nikko Blue hydrangea](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/nikko-blue-hydrangea/) - [Lanai verbena hybrids](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lanai-verbena-hybrids/) - [trailing verbena](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/trailing-verbena/) - [edger strip](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/edger-strip/) - [edging](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/edging/) - [steel edger strip](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/steel-edger-strip/) - [caladium Postman Joyner](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/caladium-postman-joyner/) - [antique garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-garden-ornament/) - [patina](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/patina/) - [weathered garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/weathered-garden-ornament/) - [composing garden objects](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/composing-garden-objects/) - [The Gardener's Guild](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-gardeners-guild/) - [weathering the heat](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/weathering-the-heat/) - [Green Velvet boxwood](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green-velvet-boxwood/) - [green fences](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/green-fences/) - [screening plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/screening-plants/) - [antique garden benches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-garden-benches/) - [garden benches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-benches/) - [garden seating](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-seating/) - [stone garden benches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stone-garden-benches/) - [selecting trees for the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/selecting-trees-for-the-landscape/) - [shade trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shade-trees/) - [antique French garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-french-garden-ornament/) - [linden espaliers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/linden-espaliers/) - [columnar hornbeam](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/columnar-hornbeam/) - [dense yews](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dense-yews/) - [spacing plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spacing-plants/) - [antique French garden vases](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-french-garden-vases/) - [French cast iron and porcelain garden vase](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/french-cast-iron-and-porcelain-garden-vase/) - [restoring garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/restoring-garden-ornament/) - [conifer gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/conifer-gardens/) - [evergreen screening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/evergreen-screening/) - [painted concrete floor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/painted-concrete-floor/) - [tapis vert](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tapis-vert/) - [Catahoula cur](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/catahoula-cur/) - [concrete garden sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-garden-sculpture/) - [sculpture in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sculpture-in-the-landscape/) - [the tree lawn](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-tree-lawn/) - [late summer gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/late-summer-gardens/) - [front door decor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/front-door-decor/) - [gardening at the front door](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gardening-at-the-front-door/) - [landscaping the front door](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscaping-the-front-door/) - [fall container plantings. ornamental kale.](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-container-plantings-ornamental-kale/) - [fall grasses](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-grasses/) - [fall pansies](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-pansies/) - [ornamental cabbages](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/ornamental-cabbages/) - [annual flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annual-flowers/) - [fall gardening](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-gardening/) - [fall planting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-planting/) - [gourds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/gourds/) - [garden sciulpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-sciulpture/) - [contemporary fountain design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/contemporary-fountain-design/) - [fountain desing](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fountain-desing/) - [fountains in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fountains-in-the-landscape/) - [concrete fountains](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-fountains/) - [concrete tiles](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-tiles/) - [wood pergola](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wood-pergola/) - [the garden in fall](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-garden-in-fall/) - [building roads](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/building-roads/) - [English garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/english-garden-ornament/) - [European garden antiques](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/european-garden-antiques/) - [European garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/european-garden-ornament/) - [chrysanthemums](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/chrysanthemums/) - [Fall gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-gardens/) - [concrete pool decking](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-pool-decking/) - [concrete stain](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/concrete-stain/) - [stained concrete](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/stained-concrete/) - [farmers market](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/farmers-market/) - [compost](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/compost/) - [good garden soil](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/good-garden-soil/) - [soil improvement](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/soil-improvement/) - [soil preparation](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/soil-preparation/) - [coleus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/coleus/) - [coleus hybrids](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/coleus-hybrids/) - [Cornus kousa](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cornus-kousa/) - [fall color Cornus Kousa](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-color-cornus-kousa/) - [pedestrian bridge](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pedestrian-bridge/) - [fall color](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-color/) - [late season bloom](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/late-season-bloom/) - [late season perennials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/late-season-perennials/) - [fall color Boston Ivy](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fall-color-boston-ivy/) - [Parthernocissus](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/parthernocissus/) - [garden pergola](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-pergola/) - [pergola for grapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pergola-for-grapes/) - [vine support](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vine-support/) - [perennial borders](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/perennial-borders/) - [perennial gardens](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/perennial-gardens/) - [Halloween](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/halloween/) - [retail display](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/retail-display/) - [landscape lighting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-lighting/) - [willow twigs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/willow-twigs/) - [holiday open house](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-open-house/) - [potting spring bulbs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/potting-spring-bulbs/) - [spring flowering bulbs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-flowering-bulbs/) - [burlapping trees](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/burlapping-trees/) - [winter container plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-container-plantings/) - [Carpinus caroliniana](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/carpinus-caroliniana/) - [lindera glauca var salicifolia](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lindera-glauca-var-salicifolia/) - [Parrotia persica](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/parrotia-persica/) - [greens for winter containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/greens-for-winter-containers/) - [holiday materials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-materials/) - [materials from the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/materials-from-the-garden/) - [decorated evergreen wreaths](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/decorated-evergreen-wreaths/) - [lighting containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lighting-containers/) - [The Magnolia Company](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-magnolia-company/) - [faux fruit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-fruit/) - [traditional American Christmas decor](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/traditional-american-christmas-decor/) - [Williamsburg Christmas](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/williamsburg-christmas/) - [burlap ribbon](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/burlap-ribbon/) - [jute string](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/jute-string/) - [kraft paper](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/kraft-paper/) - [paper string](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/paper-string/) - [twine ribbon](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/twine-ribbon/) - [wrapping packages](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/wrapping-packages/) - [English lead garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/english-lead-garden-ornament/) - [decorating the mantle](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/decorating-the-mantle/) - [faux fruits](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-fruits/) - [holiday decor. faux garland](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-decor-faux-garland/) - [holiday garland construction](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-garland-construction/) - [holiday garlands](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-garlands/) - [holiday construction](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/holiday-construction/) - [pattern and texture in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/pattern-and-texture-in-the-landscape/) - [the landscape in winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-landscape-in-winter/) - [grapevine deer sculpture](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/grapevine-deer-sculpture/) - [cut birch branches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/cut-birch-branches/) - [winter white](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-white/) - [outdoor holiday decorating](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/outdoor-holiday-decorating/) - [yellow twig dogwood branches](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/yellow-twig-dogwood-branches/) - [peaceable kingdom](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/peaceable-kingdom/) - [winter lighting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-lighting/) - [winter landscape lighting](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter-landscape-lighting/) - [favorite seasonal flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/favorite-seasonal-flowers/) - [the gardening year](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-gardening-year/) - [garden design books](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-design-books/) - [landscape design books](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/landscape-design-books/) - [found objects](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/found-objects/) - [found objects for the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/found-objects-for-the-garden/) - [objet trouve](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/objet-trouve/) - [Figueres & Fils](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/figueres-fils/) - [Provencal Faience](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/provencal-faience/) - [shell rooms](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shell-rooms/) - [shelled spaces](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shelled-spaces/) - [shells](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shells/) - [growing annuals](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/growing-annuals/) - [dried magnolia leaves](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/dried-magnolia-leaves/) - 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[rare alocasias](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rare-alocasias/) - [tropical plantings](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tropical-plantings/) - [shop design](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/shop-design/) - [structure in the garden](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/structure-in-the-garden/) - [structure in the landscape](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/structure-in-the-landscape/) - [plant climbers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/plant-climbers/) - [plant stakes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/plant-stakes/) - [tuteurs](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/tuteurs/) - [the design process](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/the-design-process/) - [Larry](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/larry/) - [basket weave planters](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/basket-weave-planters/) - [fiberglas planters](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/fiberglas-planters/) - [Martha Stewart Living](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/martha-stewart-living/) - [spring at Martha Stewart Living](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-at-martha-stewart-living/) - [black and white](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/black-and-white/) - [painting concrete](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/painting-concrete/) - [painting concrete floors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/painting-concrete-floors/) - [winter](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/winter/) - [garden borders](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-borders/) - [garden boundaries](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-boundaries/) - [garden edging](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garden-edging/) - [painted concrete floors](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/painted-concrete-floors/) - [painted rug on concrete](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/painted-rug-on-concrete/) - [faux flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/faux-flowers/) - [silk flowers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/silk-flowers/) - [Detroit](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/detroit/) - [Haws can](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/haws-can/) - [vintage watering cans](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vintage-watering-cans/) - [watering cans](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/watering-cans/) - [English watering cans](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/english-watering-cans/) - [watering rose](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/watering-rose/) - [February](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/february/) - [frost](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/frost/) - [lake effect weather](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lake-effect-weather/) - [lake landscapes](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lake-landscapes/) - [Sylvan lake](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/sylvan-lake/) - [Garnkirk Fireclay Company](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garnkirk-fireclay-company/) - [Garnkirk fireclay urns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/garnkirk-fireclay-urns/) - [Scottish fireclay urns](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/scottish-fireclay-urns/) - [antique English flambeau finials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-english-flambeau-finials/) - [antique English garden ornament](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-english-garden-ornament/) - [antique-English sandstone finials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-english-sandstone-finials/) - [flambeau finials](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/flambeau-finials/) - [event planning](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/event-planning/) - [planting bulbs in containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/planting-bulbs-in-containers/) - [spring flowering bulbs in containers](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-flowering-bulbs-in-containers/) - [lichen colonies](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lichen-colonies/) - [lichens on stone](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/lichens-on-stone/) - [growing flowers from seed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/growing-flowers-from-seed/) - [growing plants from seed](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/growing-plants-from-seed/) - [seed catalogues](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/seed-catalogues/) - [Sutton's Seeds](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/suttons-seeds/) - [vintage seed catalogues](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/vintage-seed-catalogues/) - [Rochelle Greayer](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/rochelle-greayer/) - [Studio G](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/studio-g/) - [annuals for spring](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/annuals-for-spring/) - [spring container plants](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/spring-container-plants/) - [antique staddle stones](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/antique-staddle-stones/) - [English staddle stones](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/english-staddle-stones/) - [staddle stones](https://deborahsilver.com/blog/tag/staddle-stones/) ## Portfolio Categorys - [Projects](https://deborahsilver.com/portfolio-category/projects/) - [At A Glance](https://deborahsilver.com/portfolio-category/at-a-glance-2/) - [Garden](https://deborahsilver.com/portfolio-category/garden/) - [Seasonal](https://deborahsilver.com/portfolio-category/seasonal/) - [Related Works](https://deborahsilver.com/portfolio-category/related-works/)