Fully utilizing & enjoying outdoor spaces!

Monday, June 28, 2010

By the Sea............

With Summer under way here are some images of the seaside and ways to bring those tranquil Summer days to your home.


A boat dock on Balboa Island, California.

A seaside home designed by Garden Studio.

Setting the table for seaside dining.

This photo of Balboa Pier is available online from Balboa Gallery.
Photographer Jim Fournier offers beautiful
images of Balboa Island and the Peninsula.


The shoreline.

This 14" x 22" Cameron Stone is set in a running bond pattern and
evokes the color of a sandy beach.


This Agave parryi var. truncata is called an Artichoke Agave.
Planted with Sedums you can create a garden image of tidepools.

A simple chair made with a boat sail.

A driftwood basket.

These K. Jacques Picon Thong Sandals are driftwood brown.


This Perennials outdoor fabric is called Very Terry Oyster.


This rock is called 'Beach Buff' 1" - 2" and can be used to edge planter beds.
It is available at Garden centers.




This Perennials outdoor fabric is called Canvas Weave 'Hello Sailor!'.


Add this small seashell collection to an outdoor coffee table.

I love this cover up for lazy days by the waters edge.



This Gloster Riviera Folding Chair gives instant seaside appeal.


The texture of this Gloster brushed stainless steel dining table looks boat like.




Sunsets by the seaside.


Serve cool drinks on this simple acrylic tray.


I love the rope on these planters.
Let Garden Studio make you a custom pots for your front porch.


These aged bottles look great clustered together.
They are available at Juxtaposition Home.



The rosettes on this Aeonium look like sealife.





These aqua blue pots would look great with large Agave plants or Boxwood Globes.


These seafoam green Sedums would look beachy planted along a garden border.



Horizontal wood gates evoke images of a ship.


This driftwood bowl gives a seaside patio that weathered look.


This Senecio planted in massings look like waves of ocean blue.


See a live video cam of the Summer fun on Balboa Island.



This white Restoration Hardware outdoor dining set fits with the nautical theme.

Happy Summer!
Posted by at
Labels:

Friday, June 18, 2010

Add Soft Grey to your Plant Palette

I have had the opportunity to see so many residential yards over the years and the one failing I see over and over is a garden that is 'flat'. What I mean by that is that the plants are all the same color of medium green foliage. The result is a dull plant palette............... There is no contrast! Yes there are usually some flowers but basically the plain green garden is dull.

Here is one way to breath life into a dull garden............
add plants with foliage that is 'Soft Grey'.





These look great in large swaths, placed under trees or at the edge
of a perennial planter these have a meadow effect.




Add an Olive as an anchor.
Plant medium green foliage beneath such as Cascading Rosmary.




These add drama and distinction.


I am always delighted by Sedums.
It is such an easy plant and the tiny foliage flowers of
the Cape Blanco are simply irresistible.




These look great in a massing. Plant next to Mexican Feather Grass. The result is that of large brush strokes of an impressionist painting.



These are the punctuation of the garden.

These are so soft and gentle.



Plant in groupings of 5 -7 along a garden border.



You can walk on this groundcover.

These plants can be placed in massings or groupings. The result is a Monet painting. Suddenly the medium greens come to life in contrast to the grey green foliage. Voila the garden becomes art. I have used all these plants with great success!


Posted by at
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)