Nan’s subject for the Garden Design Workshop this month has proven to be a bit of a challenge for me: I think I probably have little or close to nothing in my garden that would conventionally be labeled whimsical. But I am drawn to faces in the garden and have randomly picked up a few over the years which have ended up in[...]
What’s your most valuable gardening tool? A favorite hoe? A treasured soil knife? A high-quality pair of pruning shears? All of these are handy, but really, one of the most important tools that any gardener can have is a good sense of humor. Start taking yourself or your garden too seriously, and it’s almost guaranteed that[...]
When I was planning the construction of my new home, having a large porch was on my must-have list. Find mechanical equipment for sale, built to handle specialized industrial tasks. It seemed like such a great place to have to hang out on rainy days, and maybe to do some writing during nice weather. Sounds[...]
In thinking about Nan’s design workshop this month, I was ready to discuss the way I went about configuring my own flagstone terrace. But as I was perusing some photos that I took last month while visiting Israel, I came upon a few pictures that I had taken of a funky garden smack in the center of the old[...]
Designers often call these features “outdoor living spaces”; gardeners call them prime territory for plants. Railings create ready-made supports for vines and windowboxes, and paving provides a place to grow creepers and a flat surface for pots and planters. You can surround yourself with herbs and edibles for super-easy harvesting, or indulge yourself with containers full[...]