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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 for chic-not the focus of any gardener.  Those magazine pages picturing gardeners is spotless clothes and shoes are about something other than gardening.  Great design has nothing to do with cost.  It is the doing that costs.  An extensive landscape project with mature plant material installed all at once-expect to spend lots.  Make it a life’s work-expect to spend lots of your time, effort and energy.  The urn pictured above with bamboo stakes glued around a circular form-cheap and chic.  Meaning properly proportioned. Scaled correctly for the space.  A garden urn and pedestal indoors?  Filled with what looks like 200 varnished natural bamboo stakes?  Satisfyingly stylish, with a dash of the unexpected.  A fireplace full of candles collected over time?  Collections beautifully or unusually displayed make a strong visual impression.  The fireplace strung with a pair of mirror garlands-chic in the fashion sense of the word.  The metal angel hair  draped over the fountain looks sumptuous as it is too far away for close inspection.  Up close, you would know it was cheap.          

Available everywhere, even in your own drawer or shed, are objects whose shape is as interesting as their use. Vintage augurs rusty from disuse are available for a song.  Strung with lights, and hung from a tree branch-amazingly dressy.   

One of the holiday season’s most recognizable decorations-giant rayon weatherproof bows.  The ribbon has one finished faux felt side.  The backside is most definitely the back side.  They are usually made by a bow making machine that keeps the finished side out, and the back side hidden from view.  The bright red version is common on wreaths, garlands, and car bumpers and lampposts this time of year.  The wine red version-I thought it had possibilities.     

The cloud of red curly willow in the pots in the front of the shop is remarkable given the natural shape and contours of the branches.  The cinnamon orange color-rich and vibrant as only natural color can be.  Yes, the sticks are cheap.  They are especially cheap if you grow your own.  Grow your own, create your own, repurpose and reimagine what you already own-what you spend in doing such is the most satisfying way to spend.

The wine red rayon bows take on an entirely different feeling paired with the willow.  This color takes on a jewel like look, in relationship to the color of the willow.  A 5.00 machine made cheap bow transformed a winter look into a very dressy holiday look.   

Dark and intense color is rich looking, no matter the material you use to achieve it.  I am not a bow maker, but who needs to know that?  I sure can glue loops onto a cardboard backing.  And I can glue loops big enough to disguise the emergency light installed dead center to the front door.    

Simple is always cheap.  The time you spend second guessing an idea, or revising, or agonizing over what to do can be an expensive outlay of time.  Trusting your first instinct about what to do-much cheaper.  An idea simply expressed is cheaper-less costs less.  A simple idea repeated until is makes a strong visual impact-chic.  My clients who envision 100 boxwoods in pots for their landscape-not cheap, but how chic!   

For gardeners in my zone, a little lighting outdoors can be stunning.  The snowy weather comes free of charge.   

How do other members of our Garden Designer’s Roundtable see cheap and chic?  You are free to read.  Sharing is chic.

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ

Andrew Keys : Garden Smackdown : Boston, MA

Deborah Silver : Dirt Simple : Detroit, MI

Rochelle Greayer : Studio ‘g’ : Boston, MA

Posted on: December 18, 2012 10 Comments
Filed Under: Holiday, Winter, Color, Good Design Tagged With:

Taking A Test Drive


Finishing up a long project feels great.  This time, I was invited back for a Sunday afternoon reception along with every other contractor that had been involved in the design and construction of the addition, and the landscape that followed.  Lake houses tend to have lots that are deep and narrow, which places homes in close proximity to one another.  My clients had the opportunity to buy the property next door to them, and decided to add onto their house.  Driving up yesterday I was pleased the most about the driveway.  The old drive curved off to the right, to the neighboring property. In the course of the project, it was redone in such a way that the approach leads physically and visually to the front door.     

The white concrete aggregate pavement you see here on the left belonged to my client.  The asphalt drive swinging to the right-the original road.  This surface had to be redone not only for aesthetic reasons, but for circulation.  I did not want a drive that led vistors to choose the addition/side door in lieu of the proper front door. 

The stripes of brick set in the concrete aggregate run on either side of a 4′ by 8′ fountain cistern. This describes on the ground plane what is now the center section of the house. This landscape/driveway element divides the drivecourt space into three distinct areas, and additionally provides for a good amount of parking.  A large drivecourt was a necessity; the house is beyond walking distance from the main road. The driveway approach actually services three homes, so onsite parking was a must.

To the far right in this picture is a short run of decomposed granite that connects to the main drivecourt, so there can be parking and circulation in and out when they entertain. No one could tell from here that there were 12 cars parked on the drivecourt.  I like landscapes that are good looking as much as I like landscapes that work. 

On the water side, the main job of the landscape was to integrate the two properties and make them feel as though they had always been one. This requires taking a lot of the existing landscape apart, and relocating it.  A previous post I wrote on this project detailed a flat plane of grass bisected by granite X’s and boxwood dots.  This elements extends across the entire width of the property.  Both the repetition and size of this feature help to unify the two spaces.  I was so pleased-Buck had a hard time spotting what was original, and what was added.

What had been the end of the house is now a backdrop for another seating area on a level different than the original bluestone terrace. The firebowl set at seat height provides a dining table for larger gatherings.

The covered porch terrace is set at the same height as the original terrace.  The stainless steel firebowl has its own cozily enclosed space.  I am sure it will be comfortably out of the wind on a chilly fall day. The covered porch with an outdoor kitchen is immediately adjacent to a large fenced vegetable garden.  

The enormously and formidably talented Jeffrey King was there with his partner and kids in tow.  He was responsible for all of the interior design-which is fabulous by the way. Don’t ask for pictures-that story is for him to tell. He was involved in every facet of this project from start to finish-he has a gift for encouraging the best from others. The house and garden was full of people.  There were places to visit, and sit for a while, eat, converse-both inside and out. It was a delightful party; a house and garden full of people is a good thing. 

The vegetable garden is the hit of the landscape. The raised beds are filled with Steve’s soil recipe-which includes a generous percentage of worm castings. Everything she made for the reception except the chicken came out of this garden-much to everyone’s delight. The food was out out of this world. They have not only given away scads of vegetables, but they have played a version of bocce here, and held two dinner parties set at a pair of long wood tables that have been in the family a long time.  My favorite part-the wood gate is an exact replica of my client’s father’s vegetable garden gate in Italy.  Design development and installation that works its way around to what is personal, and matters to a client -this is the point at which a design relationship gets to be thick, substantive, lively-and good all around.


Little did I know that the basement has a room which houses wine making and sausage making equipment passed on to them from family.  Apparently father and son will be making wine.  All the way home, all I could think about was where to plant some grapes.

Posted on: August 23, 2010 Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Landscape Design, Garden Design

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 75 feet tall, and weighing 280 tons, was erected in Paris in 1833.  Its mate is still in front of the ruins of the temple at Luxor.  Too heavy to move, the French government formally returned it to Egypt in 1990.  This single obelisk is true to the narrow definition of such a structure; it is a landmark and monument that organizes a vast space awash in French history, and is visible from all Paris.  The base of the obelisk is inscribed with information about the mechanics of moving this sculpture from Luxor to Paris-an incredible feat, given the rudimentary technology of the time.  It is indeed an appropriately grand and monumental sculpture.  In the distance of this photograph taken by CB Margineaux, the Eiffel Tower. 

This iconic structure is one of the wonders of the modern world.  It is instantly recognizable.  Much has been written about its sculptor, the engineer Gustave Eiffel.  To my mind, it is the most extraordinarily inventive,  strikingly beautiful, and imposing garden obelisk ever created.  The phrase “tour de force” comes to mind.  It was the tallest monument in the world when it was built. The epic story of its design, engineering, and creation is the subject of an epic book “Gustave Eiffel: De Tour Le 300 Metres”, written by Bertrand Lemoine, and published by Taschen. Who would have a such a book, including reproductions of the original construction drawings?  Buck, of course.        

 Why this rudimentary discussion of the the much documented and much admired monuments that dominate the landscape of Paris? I have a great passion for landscape ornament.  I buy and sell-new, vintage, and antique ornament.  I have studied their history, and familiarized myself with their classic forms, though I welcome any new take or invention.  I design landscapes with places for garden ornament.  I design and manufacture garden ornament.  This is the long way of saying that ornament for the garden has held my critical interest for a very long time.  This pair of iron obelisks and bases was offered for sale at www.outsidedown.1stdibs.com   Though they have a much smaller scale than the obelisks in Paris, they are still very serious and dignified.  The ball feet that separate the obelisk from the base is a very graceful gesture, in contrast to their classical stature.  They have a texturally dense and important surface.  They ask for a large space, and a very formal garden.         

  

This pair of obelisks from the same site are pared down version of the previous set.  They have weight via the thickness of the metal, but are much less demanding visually.  They have a more modern look, and appeal.   Try as I may, I cannot find exactly where I saw these-perhaps from http://garycsharpe.blogspot.com/ (which is an excellent blog, if you have an interest in antiques and their provenance).  

 

 

This steel wire obelisk is slight – airy.  Its formal shape would work well in my city garden, without overpowering the space.  The vertical members that terminate in small spheres stop short of creating too much steely congestion at the top.  Tom Chambers, the person who designed this obelisk and many others-I admire his work.  He understands  much about the power of a very simple gesture.  I could readily place this obelisk in a garden.  Its size, proportion, and aspect is both modest and distinctive.     

 

An obelisk made of wood is markedly different from those grand monuments made from stone or steel.  This design, and the sizes of the individual wood members interpret the garden obelisk on a personal and clearly human scale.  From the Egyptian obelisk at the Place de la Concorde to this obelisk in a meadow garden-a change of venue. This garden asks for an obelisk such as this.  Great design is so much about proper scale and proportion.  I like the looks of this.  It is up to the gardener to choose ornament that reflects an authenticity of place. This obelisk is made by and available from www.stuartgarden.com.   

This pared down 2″ by 2″ cedar stick obelisk is beginning to strongly suggest the vegetable garden. Directions for building wood garden obelisks can be readily found on line.  I would not place this obelisk in a classic French potager-but my exposure to such a place is not all that frequent.  I have plenty of clients who have become quite interested and committed to growing food at home.  This obelisk begins to address their utilitarian issues. My point here?  A classically proportioned and very tall stone obelisk in my city garden, or my client’s vegetable gardens, would only be a monument to my lack of critical thinking.  I need to scale, proportion or choose an obelisk that feels right for the garden.  It is a good thing that there are many from which to choose.   

These issues drive my design work.  I can be grand.  I can secure and plant a collection of peonies that describes a century of hybridizing.  I can amass and grow on a collection of hellebores, or magnolias.  I can plant a pinetum, with all of the attending documentation.  Or I can scale back, and be driven by the dirt.  This trio of obelisks look great, and provide triple the support to a grove of tomatoes.   http://chiotsrun.com/2011/03/09/structural-elements-arbors-and-trellises/

 These bamboo obelisks with their grapevine ball topknots make reference to a grand tradition-just a reference.  Interpreting history and  tradition in an appropriate way is part of my job.  These bamboo obelisks are simple, but they work.  This garden has lots to look at; the pots and obelisks are just part of a bigger scheme.  

 These steel obelisks made at the Branch studio are a result of my knowledge of the proportions and history of obelisks, and my relationship with a treasured client.  Do these obelisks challenge the Place De La Concorde?  Of course not!  Garden challenges are almost always personal.  Great gardens are about a person with a well developed point of view, and a passion for gardens.  A  thoughtful designer might add a little something to that mix.  I made sure the obelisk was tall enough for a vigorously growing heirloom tomato.  There are very long steel prongs which go into the soil, and help keep the structure vertical.   The diamond lattice is large enough to permit the hands that pick the fruit.  I am intrigued by the history and diverse expressions of this form.  Perhaps I will try designing another.

Posted on: January 9, 2012 3 Comments
Filed Under: Garden Ornament Tagged With: , , ,

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 met my goal of raising over 100,000.00 for the Greening of Detroit, it was time to gracefully bow out. I was surprised by the numbers of people who expressed regret that the tour would not go on. Many people told me that day that they really enjoyed the tour, and would I reconsider?  The Greening of Detroit was not so happy about it either. One of their donors, the Erb Foundation, subsequently offered to match every dollar we raise selling tickets up to 10,000.00, for both 2018 and 2019. A treasured landscape client who owns a manufacturing company known as Argent Tape and Label offered to sponsor our tour dinner and drink reception. Our heartfelt thanks to the both of them. I thought about putting on an 11th tour over the winter, and finally decided to go ahead. I was able to line up some great looking landscapes and gardens which will be available for you to see this coming Sunday, July 15, from 9-4:30.

7 gardens will be available to cruise. This is our first year, including the Greening of Detroit’s Lafayette Greens. This garden, designed by noted landscape architect Ken Weikal, and underwritten by Compuware, grows countless hundreds of pounds of fresh produce and flowers-all of which are donated to local food banks, church pantries, and volunteers. Though the garden is open for visitors every day of the week, we feel a trip there would help every tour person to understand something about the Greening of Detroit, and what they do for our city.

Four of the 6 other gardens are of my design and installation. The fifth landscape was designed by me and installed over a period of time by my clients. The 6th garden is a an extraordinary collection of known and rare plants, beautifully arranged, from a pair of gardeners who regular shop at Detroit Garden Works. This is a very strong tour. No two properties are remotely alike. But every garden reflects a passion for nature, and a love of the landscape.
Should you decide to take the tour, I promise you will be engaged and intrigued. Pictured above, a writers cottage of my client’s own invention, nestled in the landscape I designed for them. If the idea of a writer’s cottage in a landscape intrigues you, I invite you to come and see the rest of their lovely property.

I always put my own garden on tour. The fact that I work to get it ready for visitors helps other gardeners decide to go ahead with putting their gardens on tour.  My pots are always different, and I do make changes on occasion, so most people seem to enjoy coming back for another look. That said, this year’s tour is remarkable for its diversity. People look for very different things from their landscape. Some cultivate a wide variety of plants for the sheer love of plants of all kinds. Others have cultivated a landscape that is friendly to outdoor use and enjoyment, from places to sit, to a terrace that can accommodate friends and family for dinner. My landscape is fairly mature. So my enjoyment has much to do with planting out my pots.

This serene and beautifully maintained property will take a while to tour, but it will be obvious that the gardener in charge has a big love for the natural world.

A small city garden has a client equally passionate about the landscape.

The descriptions of the gardens on tour this year can be found at the tour website.   wwwthegardencruise.org

I am also so pleased that our tour reception will be catered by Toni Sova, who owns and operates a catering company called Nostimo Kitchen.  Her food is terrific.  Check her out for yourself:  http://www.nostimokitchen.com/    And we will have equally terrific live music as usual by Tola Lewis.     http://www.tolalewis.com/    If you have never attended our after cruise reception before, I can highly recommend it. The food, drink and company is exceptional. And the 15.00 it cost over the price of a ticket also goes to the Greening of Detroit.  This year’s reception is underwritten by  Argent Tape and Label, a woman owned business.  https://argent-label.com/  

I sincerely hope that if you are able to attend, you will.  The Greening of Detroit plants trees, sponsors urban gardens, and teaches respect and stewardship of our environment. This is a cause I support, as I know it has benefited our city. What the landscapes and gardens on tour have to offer is icing on the cake.  To purchase tickets – 35.00 per person for the tour, and 50.00 per person for the tour and reception – call Detroit Garden Works at  248  335  8057. As an added incentive, Rob will open the shop at 8am on Sunday the 15th, should you decide to make a day of it that morning. It is the one gardening day of the year I am home all day-I love seeing my garden full of other gardeners.

Posted on: July 9, 2018 16 Comments
Filed Under: Deborah Silver and Co Inc, Parties and Events, Detroit Garden Works Tagged With: ,