DATE: September 13, 2014 TIME: 53 Minutes DISTANCE: 43 Miles TERRAIN: New England Coastal Farmland (Dartmouth, MA) Soft early fall light draws me outside; the leaves are just starting to change and the landscape is shifting toward a warmer hue. I drive to the sea via the farm foothills and I am greeted by a … Read more
My apple repertoire was limited before I moved to New England. I grew up in Colorado, so I think I’m excused for not knowing there was more than Red Delicious. (which I never liked). But New Englanders (and I suspect those who live in other heirloom and heritage apple growing regions as well), all know … Read more
While on vacation for the last couple weeks, I made a bit of a grand circle. We traveled by car up to Quebec, Canada and spent a week before returning to spend a night in Boston, say goodbye to my parents and travel partners, and hop a plane for LA. After spending one night with … Read more
Claudia Alta Taylor – later known as Lady Bird Johnson and founder of the Lady Bird Johnsson Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas, was an original champion of native plants and landscapes that fully embrace their genius loci. If you are in the region – visit these gardens; you will not be disappointed. “I like … Read more
Hey everyone! I hope all your landscapes are thriving with color and curiosity during this first week of summer! It’s been a beautiful June here in Wisconsin– lots of rain, but nothing a good rain jacket won’t take care of. But in California, we’ve got garden ideas to inspire your own backyard (or, in this case, … Read more
I always notice the landscape. I have lived and traveled all over the world, and the landscape and its products are always what I remember. They define a place for me – the most memorable thing about Ronda Spain was the otherworldly cork forest we got lost in; in coastal Scotland, it was the dells … Read more
A visit to a real, local Boston garden center (not a box store) should give a healthy taste of the local terroir. As true regional experts in what the land can and should support and how to cultivate it, I believe that the best garden centers lean into their place and history and the seasonal … Read more
Have you heard the term Genius Loci (often misspelled and pronounced as genus loci)? If you aren’t a landscape design professional or an architect, I’d guess the answer is NO. But even if you do dabble in somewhat archaic Latin terms – it still seems very possible that this term might not be familiar. So … Read more
Neville Trickett and his wife Sharon are people who, upon discovering, I became instantly fascinated with. I first read about them on one of my favorite blogs, sfgirlbybay (more than 15 years ago). It helps that they have traveled widely, that they live in Dargle, Kwazulu-Natal South Africa, Neville works in fashion and writes a … Read more
I have spent quite a bit of time this winter thinking about garden design on the micro and macro levels. There are several gardens at work that we are busy redesigning and selecting new plants. Then, when I get home, I look out at the landscape (now that the snow is melting) and think about … Read more