I am fascinated with the way our surroundings impact our movements.  We take cues from architecture, color, pattern, materials, etc… and move accordingly. Long, narrow spaces cause us to move quickly.  Repeated patterns and high contrast signal to our brains that it’s time to pick up the pace.  Less contrast and open spaces encourage gathering […]

At the Brenton Arboretum, outside Dallas Center, Iowa, there is a small path that leads around their visitor’s center.  It caught my eye and I’m so excited to talk about it – I love thinking through how we move through garden spaces. This walkway is awesome on so many levels.  While it’s at a public […]

In fashion, neutrals are those colors that will complement any outfit. They don’t necessarily stand out, but always looks great in any season, at any event. In gardening, green is our neutral – any palette’s background color. All the shades of green (and there are so many) surround us and evoke feelings of calm and […]

Most European towns have great combinations of plants outside their restaurants, but no one quite knows how to handle horticulture like the Dutch.  These planters grace a sweet lunch and dinner spot in the sleepy town of Delft. Plant combinations have a tremendous effect on the mood of their surroundings.  Here the color palette is […]

These simple ceramic garden orbs caught my eye at Earl May (of all places?!?) the other week. I loved their simple shape and deep vibrant colors. I can imagine one of these nestled into a soft groundcover planting – try artemisia or bearberry, or incorporated into a container display with similar pots. They were weather-resistant […]

Colors like reds, golden yellows, and cheerful oranges dominate our fall gardens.  These warmer colors are synonymous with fall.  But as summer winds down, many of us aren’t ready to let go of the riot of summer color and give way to fall’s muted reds and golds. Cool colors are a counterpoint to the rusty […]

At any garden center right now, next to the pumpkins, there are so many options for fall container garden plants.  While pansies and mums are the most common choices, you don’t have to be limited. Ornamental versions of cold-hardy edible plants offer a range of color, texture, and size for your fall container garden.  Consider […]

Let’s look again at the “hell strip”- that patch of your property between the road and the sidewalk. Hell strip plantings take all kinds of abuse but also are in a prime location for viewing. This time we gain inspiration from a darling tourist destination in northeastern Michigan. Germans settled Frankenmuth, MI  in 1845 and […]

Looking for some container garden inspiration?  Check out these amazing containers! I love getting inspired by large corporate installations – they are so grand!  Our own home gardens might not require planters that tower overhead, but the punch and strength of these babies can be scaled to back patio size, at a fraction of the […]

I’ve noticed the landscaping outside an office building near me for a few months.  The strip of ornamental grasses between the parking area and the road has consistently looked amazing.  The “hellstrip” – that area that is baked in the sun and surrounded by asphalt – is a tough area for anything to grow.  These […]