It took one day in Tulum, Mexico, last summer to know that the design scene in Mexico was lit. I am still thinking about the AD100 Magazine (South and Central America) in our Airbnb and all the amazing work that was on display. Now, I am eager for an opportunity to travel there again – perhaps to Mexico City next and continue to explore the creativity that is blossoming in Central America. Four designs inspired by Mayan architecture, created in concrete relief and conceived to be placed together in multiple orientations. While in Mexico last summer, we made a trip to Chichen itza. I can see th ..read more

It’s January. Are you in planning mode?   Of course, you are! Me too. This year, I’m planning windbreaks and natural barriers, berry gardens, possibly some new trees, and the completion of the patio and arbor. Plus, every year, there is a new container garden scheme that is always a fun, creative challenge. You might remember this post about black slats from last summer (you know where I was all talk about getting the arbor over the patio done – but then it didn’t get done….well this time I mean it).   I mean it so much I am planning the containers that will sit at the base of all t ..read more

Painted satellite dishes are turned into sleek garden art. I love a bit of repurposed and recycled art. Do you see what these charming circles were in a former incarnation? What I would normally consider a blight on the landscape and a wrecker of perfectly nice architecture (I am thinking of European apartment buildings with antennas and dishes hanging off every balcony), has been recycled into something nice.   Yes, I guess it is possible.  I love this garden art made from old, disused satellite dishes. A bit of shiny paint in some complementary colors turns these former TV satellit ..read more

Does this garden chair look familiar? I am referring to the ubiquitous plastic seat that is an icon of backyard comfort and practicality. Do you know the kind of chair I am talking about? They mostly come in white, but sometimes they are green or brown. The plastic garden chair is affordable, durable, and tends to be more comfortable than you expect. It is little wonder they are in gardens across the world. Knitting a chair cover makes the plastic garden chair cozier, softer, and certainly cuter. Thanks to the Knitted chair project you can join the ranks of people who are embracing these ubiqu ..read more

This is an exciting option for an extra room at your home, particularly if the budget is tight and you need some dedicated and quiet workspace.  I imagine this affordable garden shed as a perfect place to write, or perhaps if you are a garden designer needing an inspiring office in the landscape. There are many office garden pod designs but this one has an intriguing DIY pricepoint and plans. As well as a design that would make it work with any house’s architecture. Designed by Burd Haward Architects, this self-assembled, pre-prefabricated kit is available for £5,000 (about $7500 ..read more

We’ve been in Belgium for two weeks now – filling our time slowly with the treasures of the region.  We are staying in Brugge, and I’ve been fascinated with often seen medieval houses that usually have a name and number printed on the side.  These ‘Godshuizen’ tend to also have pretty little gardens attached, so I spent a day riding my bike to all that I could find here and made a study of them. The city’s Godshuizen or almshouses are tucked away, hidden and when you discover them you feel like you’ve found a truly secret and special place. There are 44 of them in the city and many o ..read more

The other day, I got an email along with a few photos of a fantastic cottage makeover. Britton and Sarah Jones moved into their Biloxi home in 2009 and were really excited to start working on the front of their house. After painting the exterior and restoring windows and doors, which they found up in the rafters of their garage, they started on their yard… Like the beginning of many great landscape makeovers, they started by ripping out a few badly placed shrubs. The boxwoods weren’t working with the space and had been creating more of an interference than anything else, so out they went. Th ..read more

I have some interesting tidbits to share with you this morning.  About a year ago I met a woman who works at a local university who is a seed hunter.  I was instantly entranced by the way she talked.  She was a spectacle of plant hunting adventures. Her botanizing awesomeness infused everything she did, and she frequently said things like ‘blah blah…”when I am on expedition”…blah blah’.  And to be honest (as much as she had perfectly interesting other things to say), all I kept hearing was ‘seeds….on expedition…seeds….on expedition…’. At some point my travel-lusting self a ..read more

I have a confession — I think I am getting on my husband’s nerves….but I can’t stop. It’s January, cold (bitter) and I’m up for a get-out-of -town sort of adventure. So, all weekend I found myself suggesting we could go there… We were talking about my daughter trying out for the play ‘Footloose’ (which takes place in the Midwest) — Me: “Hey we could go to Chicago”…. Then my daughter is reading Guinness Book of World Records – out loud -…(blah, blah, the largest coral reef is in Belize…blah, blah) Me: “Hey, we could go there, or maybe just Central America in general” Then, while researching for ..read more

This gorgeous garden, designed by acres wild near the south downs of Sussex England is a gorgeous study in a couple of great garden design lessons.  First lesson — less is more — particularly in color.  Purple goes a long way towards giving this garden a distinct personality as well as a cohesive style.   Repeating a color again and again, particularly by reusing the same plant again and again, provides a cohesiveness that is difficult to top. Lesson number two? Work to make a garden ft with what might be there naturally….but augment it and make it better; more interestin ..read more