Thinking Outside The Boxwood

New Blog Design (and URL)

2012-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hello, I have a new blog design and URL - officially now blogging on Thinkingoutsidetheboxwood.com. I am excited to have a site that is more reflective of what Thinking Outside the Boxwood stands for - Good Landscape Design. Please make sure you update your favorites list and blog roll with the new URL.

Also, let me know if there is anything else you would like to see on the blog. Any specific topics or information you would like for me to cover!

First Snow, and Proper De-icing

2012-01-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

Happy First Snow day of 2012! I cannot believe that we have made it all the way to January 13 before we had our first measurable snowfall this winter. In honor of this snowfall I thought I would give some pointers on de-icing.

Source: megnificentlife.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest

In the case of de-icing your driveway and sidewalks, not all products are recommended for each surface type or personal needs. Below I have broken down some of the most frequent types of de-icing products and safe surfaces for application.

Quick Tips:

More is not better. No matter what you use make sure you use the correct amount. Even safe products for surface types can cause damage to the surface or surround plants.
If you hire someone to de-ice your home please check what product they are using . Just because they have a snowplow on their truck does not mean they know what they are doing or care about the effect on your plants.

Product: Rock Salt

Safe Surfaces: Asphalt

This is the most commonly used product for de-icing because of its cost and quick melting properties. This can be applied both before and after ice and is typically used on Highways and roads. However, this is also one of the most environmentally damaging products you can use. Rock salt can kill evergreens or other plants around your drive and walkways. Rock Salt will stay on your driveway and grass until it leaches through the soil (and then into streams, etc). Also, Rock Salt can cause damage to interior surfaces such as hardwood and natural stone.
Key Takeaway - Use as last resort.

Product: Calcium Chloride or Magnesium Chloride (my recommendation).

Safe Surfaces: Pavers (Brick), Concrete, and Asphalt.

Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride are both safer methods of de-icing because they are less damaging to the surface and surrounding plants. I prefer to use Magnesium Chloride because it is the safest on Evergreens and is an active ingredient in pet safe de-icers. Still with all products, follow the correct application amount because too much could damage your sidewalk/driveway.
Key Takeaway - Best for de-icing and plant/pet safe (Magnesium Chloride)

Product: Chicken or Turkey Girt or Sand.

Safe Surfaces: Natural Stones (Such as limestone and Bluestone), Pavers ,Concrete and Asphalt.

Natural Stone surfaces are very porous you want to stay away from any salt or chemical. Chicken or Turkey Grit will not provide any de-icing properties¸ but will provide grit for walking. Chicken/Turkey grit is also safe for plants and pets. Sand is a bit messier (think the beach and sand), but is safe for pets and surfaces. To find Chicken/Turkey grit you will need to visit a Feed Supply store.
Key Takeaway - Most environmental/pet friendly options

Product: Brine
Safe Surfaces: Depends on the active ingredient.

Brine is a combination of a de-icing product with water to coat a surface. This can be made with Rock Salt, Sugar Beets or a number of other products and is typically used by cities and municipalities. This mixture works best when applied prior to the icing event. Also, this is not typically used for private residences (however I have seen kits at the home improvement store) and is more expensive than the other options listed above.
Key Takeaway - Make sure you read the active ingredient.

Gardens in the Workplace - Urban Outfitters

2012-01-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Urban Outfitters announced their new Terrian location a few weeks ago in Westport, CT. The company plans to convert an old car dealership (see the before space here) into a garden oasis. This will not be the first time the company has converted a deserted industrial space into a green, creative and inspiring environment. In 2006, Terrian's parent company (URBN) moved its offices from downtown Philadelphia to the decommissioned Navy Yard outside the city. The company purchased five buildings for $1,and in 20 months with a $100 million investment created an amazing campus for its employees. Besides preserving a historical building, the company ensured the finished spaces included lots of green space, light and natural elements. You can understand why URBN's employees enjoy working there. Below are photos of how the company incorporated living plants into their design. (see the whole office here)

All this being said - I am mad at Terrian in regards to a water feature I purchased. I called to confirm delivery 3 weeks after my order and I was told it was no longer available (yet still listed on the website) and will be refunded my deposit. Sorry, but an offer for a 20% off coupon did not make up for the bad customer service and the disappointment of losing the zinc water feature I have been stalking. Note to others: call the store don't purchase online if you really want something.

Saving Paper Whites and Amaryllis for next year

2012-01-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Amaryllis at my house a few years ago.

We have spent the last few weeks enjoying our paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs in full bloom, but now the blooms have expired and the paperwhites have become too leggy. Instead of throwing away the bulbs, we are going to store the bulbs to use again next year. To reuse your bulbs again next year, follow the steps below and enjoy the blooms for an additional year.

The process of forcing bulbs during the winter puts stress on the bulb since you are making it flower prior to when it would do it naturally. After the bulb blooms you need nourish the bulb to help it bloom for another 2-3 years, so it is a process. Zones 8-11 you could plant your bulbs outside after the holidays, but here in zone 5 it is a little bit of work.

(1) Cut the brown flowers down to the base, leaving the foliage. Keep the soil moist and the bulbs in a sunny place.

(2) The foliage will eventually brown/yellow. Cut off the foliage and allow the soil to dry out completely.

(3) Once dry, store the bulb (in same container or remove from soil) in a dry, dark and cool place (40-45 degrees F). Keep here until about 6 weeks before you want the bulbs to bloom.

(4) Plant the bulb in the same methods you would a new bulb, in a sunny warm place and keep well watered. I have had better luck with amaryllis than paperwhites with this process, but if you follow the steps (cool, dry, dark) you will have repeat blooms.

Source: southernliving.com via Sylvia on Pinterest

Source: realsimple.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Paperwhites in a Camp di Flori artichoke planter with moss. To stop them from getting this tall, add a bit of vodka in the water.
Image from here

Amazing Photographer - Rodney Smith

2012-01-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

I've had a tear sheet of an amazing image of a boxwood garden photographed in black and white with the perfect amount of mist and intrigue hanging on my office board for years. Over the holidays I spent time Googling and found the photographer of the image, Rodney Smith. On his website I found that the image I have been coveting was only one of hundreds of amazing images taken by Smith. The beautiful locations, use of humor and quirky images are so thoughtful, funny and inspiring. Industrial Revolution mixed with Rene Magnitte?

You can purchase a book by Rodney The End, but at $750 a little out of my price range. I did however order The Hat Book from Amazon and am thinking of ordering The Book of Books. On my "when we hit the lottery" list is one of his photographs framed, but it might be difficult to pick just one so will have to be a series. Read a great interview with Smith here (part 1 and 2).

All photos by Rodney Smith and from http://rodneysmith.com/.

Oh and I am obsessed now.

Happy New Year! and Best of 2011

2012-01-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years. We had a wonderful time with family and friends throughout the past two weeks and with the recent snow and cold temperatures it finally feels like winter. During my week off from blogging I created a very long list of topics/thoughts to share this year, but thought I would start off with a best of 2011 and some photos that never made it on the blog last year. Thank you for following me this year, it has been a great year and plan for a better 2012!

Top posts from 2011:

Holiday at Home:
Thanks to Pinterest this post has received so many hits. Working on our own home allows us to experiement more freely than on client properties. The only issue is that I don't have that much time to work at home on our landscape.

Bird Houses - Modern and Sculptural:
This post was big from Google Searches. I am sad to say that no bird family made a home inside our two birdhouses last year. However our European Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus) hedgers are home to more than one nest.

Hellebores - Lenten Rose:
This was another big post from specific Google searches. I am glad to see one of my favorite spring flowering plants is so popular.

Here are some unseen photos from 2011.

This was a garden in South Carolina that we saw while on a bike ride during our vacation. Basket weave pattern set within turf, shows how simple patterns can be used in many different ways.

This is a home in German Village that is always very neat and tidy. Seeing these pansies in early spring was wonderful after the grey winter.

Dear Homeowner, I want to design your landscape. I see so much potential in your house to have an amazing garden.
Please call me.

This is Spot. He greeted folks at the Home & Garden Show, but did not get the notice he deserved. However he now lives at home with us, and I think this summer will move outside.

Espalier Asian Pear trees on a client's property. Love the edging and rocks.

Japanese Maples in large wooden planters at a client's home. The scale of the trees is amazing,

A formal garden on a client's property.

This was my best meal of 2011 from the Drake in Toronto.
Fried Chicken on an Herb Belgium waffle covered in a cherry compote. Hands down best food!

This is our garden shed at home. I added the Caryopteris, Snow Fairy (foreground) in 2010 and it has really taken off in 2011 (photo from late summer).

This design deserves a whole post on its own, designing for dogs. This is a dog run we did for a client. This pathway was designed specifically for the dogs to run through the landscape without ruining the plantings.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

The Family has left the house from having a breakfast brunch and a fury of opening presents by James. We are taking a break before heading out to our non-traditional Christmas meal at a favorite Chinese restaurant. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas holiday. I will be off line this week, but will be back in the new year. In the mean time here are some containers at a client's home this Christmas. It is really nice to just use the cut greens to fill those empty containers to provide festive color.

Tea lights in the tree

2011-12-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had a few friends over to the house for some drinks and hor d'ourves. To get the house more festive for the night we hung some glass ball terrariums filled with tea lights in our maple tree near the front door. Unfortunately it started raining soon after our guest arrived so the lights did not last very long.

We have kept the lights up and will try again tomorrow night to light them again.

I think this will be the last post until Christmas. James is 2.5 this year so we are excited to share Christmas this year with him. I hope everyone has a safe holiday this year!

-Nick

Columbus Christmas Lights

2011-12-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

It has been unseasonably warm this December and still no snow in Columbus. This has made it more difficult to get fully in the Christmas spirit, but last night we went to see the lights in downtown Columbus to help boost the holiday mood. There are two new parks in down town that we visited along with the State House. The parks featured LED lights, while the State House trees were covered (you will see what i mean) in incandescent strands. It was a great way to spend the night, even if it was 50 degrees.

The up lighting on the trees changes colors at the new SciotoMile Park, so after staying a few minutes you could see all the hues. Also Christmas music was playing on the loud speakers which was very nice.

Next we drove over to see the Commons and State House. I am typically not a fan of colored lights, but this was actually really nice.

Here is one of two trees dripping in lights. Each tree alone had eight extension cords leading to light the tree. Being the dork that I am I took a photo inside the tree to show how detailed each branch was wrapped. To see the difference just compare with the trees above.

It is hard to see, but this is the trunk of the tree and look at all the lights on the inside. I know how much work it is to wrap a tree, so this is crazy.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today we are sending out the last of the holiday cards to our clients and vendors. I cannot believe that Christmas is almost here and Hanukkah starts tomorrow. I still have a few more things to share before the holidays this week. In the mean time, here is our holiday card for this year.

Excuse the camera phone photo, let the good one at home.

Gifts for the Landscaper

2011-12-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

I thought I would pull together some gift recommendations for the landscaper in your life. These are items that are valuable tools, but are special items they will use everyday.

1. Exceptional Gardens by Wim Pauwels (see here). This is my all time favorite book. The gardens are beautiful and inspiring to anyone interested in landscapes. I think the book is out of print, or only offered as select retailers. I purchased my copy a few years ago at Williams Sonoma Home and look at it almost weekly. This is totally worth tracking down, (as is any book by Wim Pauwels if interested in design).
2. C.O. Bigelow Chapped Hands Remedy No.1012. (buy here). This is great for hands after working outside in the cold weather all day. I have a few tubes I keep around because it really helps on cracked hands.
3. Hunters Bornio Boots, (buy here). All gardeners wear boots. I flip between a few different pairs, but these are nice for guys and you don't have to worry about how dirty they get.
4. Tree Trimmings Doormat, (buy here). My home is not covered in houseplants, but this doormat gives a nice nod to the natural and is still functional.
5. Patagonia Down Sweater, (buy here). I love this coat. It is light weight, yet keeps me warm when working outside in the colder months. I wear it both on and off the clock during the winter.
6. Felco Pruners (buy here). This is an essential tool for every gardener, both novice and pro. May look like a utilitarian gift, once they start using will totally thank you later.
7. Linnea's Light Fir Candle (buy here). For someone you don't know too well and likes to garden, an outdoor scented candle is perfect. And a Fir fragrance is just manly enough.

Pinterest - I am hooked

2011-12-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

So I was slow to join Pinterest despite everyone telling me how much I would enjoy it. Well, last month I finally joined and have not gone a day with out spending time pinning. There is such variety of photos and categories people share and have created. I am also very excited to see how many folks have garden boards and when I stumble across one of my own photos on someone's board. If you would like to follow my boards, click here.

Right now my boards and pins are not as neat as I would like them to be. I plan to go back and organize by category (style, plant types, material, etc) and adding more details to the pins, but that will be an undertaking for a snow day. In the mean time here are some of my favorite photos.

Source: decorology.blogspot.com via Nick on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Nick on Pinterest

Source: jinnyblom.com via Nick on Pinterest

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Nick on Pinterest

Source: sunset.com via Nick on Pinterest

Holiday at Home

2011-12-06T01:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend we put up our Christmas Tree and did some decorating outside. I say we, mainly my wife did the decorating outside while I worked on waterproofing our basement (don't ask).
I think she did a great job. Glitter snowflakes and glass icicles. The moss "M" was created for the cover of our Holiday idea book.

I need to go back and add some greens, stems, and accents to our container. At our house it is more of a gradual process, when we have time and don't need product for client's homes. I will share more photos once the container is complete. The dog is wire a Basset hound we had at the nursery for awhile that we are fostering until he finds a forever home. Let me know if you are interested.

Holiday Decorating - a Modern Take on Traditional Favorites

2011-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

One of the projects we worked on last week was decorating the interior of the client's home. We had free reign on the design, so we used the client's artwork and decor to pull the color and design. We focused on the stairs and fireplace in the great room.

The great room is smokey black, lots of white trim and 10 windows, filling the room with natural light. We choose to use red as a dramatic accent to the black and white room.

The mixed green garland is accented with magnolia leaves and juniper branches. Red glitter ribbon draws the eyes across the mantle.

We also created this arrangement that will last the whole season. Pussy willows, variegated oregano and magnolia leaves. This could be created at home with clipping similar plants from your landscape. Swap the Pussy willow for Red Twig Dogwood and the oregano for boxwood.

Next we worked on the stairs in the entry hall. Here we wrapped mixed green garland with LED lights, accented with juniper berries and eucalyptus. To give a bit of a more modern feel, we added Yellow Dogwood stems. The stems add a smooth swoop to the textural garland and a bright pop of color.

We had a wonderful time decorating the house as a team, and hope the homeowner was surprised (and happy) with the transformation. Oh and here is a look at the lights outside the house we also did.

How to Wrap a Tree in Lights

2011-12-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

I am glad I warned it was going to be a busy week, because this is the first time I have been able to get on the computer all week and still don't have much to share. We have been busy decorating client's homes, gutting our design office for a redesign and sourcing special items for clients. Which means next week I will have a lot to share, but today I am a bit behind.

In the mean time has anyone else seen the tree on the cover of the December Martha Stewart? Amazing! See below for how to get the look:

Tricks to get the same look:

Use different sized bulbs - C9, C6, and minis. This gives the different clusters of light.
Wrap the major branches- go out then back down. This will help give the tree structure. After the major branches, do the smaller ones.
Use lots of lights - think like 5,000 lights (yes that many). However covering one tree will make a great impact compared to a few strains across multiple trees. Those trees you admire in public spaces can have up to 10,000 lights on them.
Use LEDs - they are more expensive up front, however cost lots less to run and will not pop the breaker each time you turn the lights on.

A qualifier on the LED lights. They now make LED lights that have the same warm glow as the traditional white twinkle lights, not the strange blue light. I don't know if these are available yet on the market to the public, but we have a commercial supplier we have been using on all our clients this year. Next week I will share photos so you can see the difference and judge for yourself. If you are interested in changing to LED lights, call your local landscape company and ask. Odd's are they will be able to supply you the commercial grade lights.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. We are planning on decorating at home this weekend. Also I will have a few client projects to share too!

Christmas Decorating Count Down

2011-11-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I spent the entire day with my family eating too much, watching football teams I don't really care about and catching up on Pinterest. Friday and Saturday were spent scouring for vintage finds and shopping down High Street.

My relaxing weekend however was quickly over since today starts the rush for Holiday decorating. With the majority of clients wishing to have everything up the week after Thanksgiving, our week will be busy with wreaths, garland and lights. A part of our decorating tools is a large binder of inspirational holiday images we have collected over the years. Here is a few to get you inspired:

A client's house from last year.

I like the use of a non-traditional color and hanging the greens vertically compared to swagging.
Image for Canada House & Home.

Don't forget to decorating your containers for the holidays. Keeping the soil from your fall plantings allows you to add cut greens and ornamental twigs, while your topiary forms add height.
Image from Canada House & Home.

Wreaths can also be used inside, but will not live as long.
Image from Canada House & Home.

You can also add greens to your boxwood containers (however can be done better than the image above).
I like how the garland is hung around the whole entrance, not just the door to give maximum impact.
Image from Veranda.

Example of simple garland and ribbon down stairs. Sometimes simple is nice and simple.
Image from Country Living.

Small Business Saturday - Nov 26, Columbus Ohio

2011-11-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

This Saturday (November 26) is the second annual Small Business Saturday. The movement was created to remind people to shop and support local businesses during the busiest shopping weekend of the year. As a small business owner I appreciate the effort to support local entrepreneurs. To find small businesses in your area, check out the Small Business Saturday Facebook page and read more here.

If you live in Central Ohio, I have pulled together my preferred Small Business Saturday Shopping list. These are shops and eats I often visit on my Saturdays. I hope you eat some yummy food and find some great holiday gifts for others (or yourself).

North Market: Taste of Belgium, Omega Bakery, Clever Crow Pizza and Jeni's
Start your morning with amazing local food vendors, and my personal favorite Taste of Belgium. Yummy warm, crunchy Belgium waffles that do not require a knife and fork. You can add delicious toppings, but I personally prefer it plain. While at the North Market visit the other amazing vendors like Omega Bakery and Clever Crow Pizza to name a few. There are quite a few Jeni's Ice Cream locations in Columbus, but no matter what a stop for locally made ice cream is a must. My current favorite is the Black and Tan Sunday.

Taste of Belgium

Clever Crow Pizza

Short North: Rose Bredl, Milk Bar, Tigertree, and The Mercantile
After you are full with pastries and coffee, move up to the Short North for some of the best shopping in Columbus. Visit by friend Mary at Rose Bredl for the best selection beautiful florals, Khall home fragrances and Camp de flori. Further up the street is Milk Bar and Tigertree. Milk Bar has great clothing for guys that you will find nowhere else in Central Ohio. Tigertree has moved into a large location and has great housewares, clothing and vintage finds. It is the best stop if you are looking for a gift because there is something for everyone. And for your final stop, The Grandview Mercantile and Revue Resale. They know James by name there we have visited so often. The a lot of the unique items in our home have come from here and I just picked up two vintage chrome chemistry stools for our work office.

Rose Bredl

Tiger Tree

North High Street/Clintonville: Ray Ray's, tatohead and Mix Home.
Ok by now you should be hungry and I recommend two stops; Ray Ray's for the best Brisket EVER! and a new find Tatoheads. I really have no idea what the covered fries where that we at this past Saturday, but I am stalking the truck to have it again. For a little shopping visit Mix Home which is new to the Clintonville area. I recently picked up a Bold and Noble print for our bathroom and am eyeing a leather chesterfield chair.

Mix:Home, Image from here.

Ok, that is the list and should be easy to do within one Saturday morning or afternoon.
Happy shopping and thanks for supporting local Ohio!

Chateau de Wideville - Gardens

2011-11-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

There are few places in the world that have meticulously maintained hand racked stone walkways, clipped hedges and maincured lawns as Chateau de Wideville, the French estate of fashion designer Valentino. The Chateau is located 30 minutes outside Pairs on 120 acres, filled with allees, old and new rose gardens, veggie garden and a field of lavender. The house was built circa 1600 and was the home of Claude de Bullion during the reign of Louis XIII and the gardens match the opulence of the era.

Here is a mixed perennial boarder which includes Roses, Lady's Mantle, Sweet Pea and Salvia.

Image by Robert Fairer.

The Front lawn of the home. Notice the striping in the turf. That is precision. On the terrace you can see topiary standards in Versailles planters.

Image from here

Here is a photo of the rose and veggie gardens. In the bottom you can see lavender used as a hedge. Also along the top are pear and quince arbors.

Image from Vogue. Photographed by Robert Fairer.

Here you can see the lawn that leads up to the front of the house. Again the perfect striping in the turf . I do love a nicely clipped lawn

Image from Vanity Fair.

Inspiration found via Anston Paving Stones

2011-11-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

I like to look at all different type of magazines for inspiration, I cannot count how many different magazines we receive at the house each month from garden design, lifestyle to interior design. During the winter months I like to get magazines from Australia since they are in the mist of their summer months and feature some amazing gardens. In one magazine I came across an ad for Anston Paving Stones (see my last Boxwood of the week post).

I am skipping a boxwood of the week so you can enjoy the following images of designers using Anston Paving Stones in their designs. Have a great weekend!

Design by Robert Boden

Design by Virginia Kennett

Design by Scott Brown

Korean Velvet Grass

2011-11-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

I came across this image of Korean Velvet Grass (Zoysia tenuifolia) blanketing a front yard. The plant was mentioned for its turf like appearance, drought tolerance and beauty when left un-mowed. Hardy in zones 9-11, this plant would not thrive in Central Ohio but would be great used in the South and South West.

The grass will grow right up to tree roots, even in shady spots. Below the mounds are smaller than the picture above, I assume the more mature the grass gets the larger the mounds become.

Below is a detail of Korean Velvet Grass from a supplier out of Australia, you can see the detail of the amazing rolling mounds and even how it is growing up the rocks in the background.

Images (1) Organic Gardening vol 58:3 and full article online here. (2) florzNursery (3) Tranquil Heavens

McCullough's Holiday Idea Book

2011-11-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

Last week our clients received our first Holiday Idea Book in the mail. Since we no longer have the retail space we missed the opportunity to share our creative ideas for holiday with our clients and thought the Idea book could help. Even though we could only share a selection of ideas, we really hope that this gets everyone excited about decorating with fresh greens. I hope to share some of the work later this season here on the blog and thinking of Holiday 2012.

Click on the images below to see larger images or if you would like a copy mailed to you please let me know!

Boxwood of the Week

2011-11-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

The boxwood of the week is from down under garden designer Paul Bangay. Boxwoods hedged between stairs. I saw this image in a magazine and thought it was fake boxwood, but with closer look I it appears completely real. Even though this design is from Australia, we could totally do this in the States.

Image from here.

Next week I will be back with more frequent posts. We are at the end of the nice fall weather in Ohio, so I will have more time to spend in the office. However we are gearing up for Holiday decorating, so I might not have as much time in the office as I wish. Have a great weekend and see you next week!

Advice - Call before you dig

2011-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

My next door neighbor works for our cable company installing and repairing fiber optic lines. The other night after work he was telling me about having to repair a very expensive line not once, but twice because a tree company was attempting to plant some trees and never called to confirm line location.

At work we make a call to 811, Call Before You Dig (CBYD) at almost once a day for client properties and I have called at my own house for more than one landscape project. The service is free and with a little planning early in your week, they will mark your yard in time for your weekend project. This simple step will save you personal harm and inconvenience.

Even if you are not doing the work yourself, make sure the company you have hired has your yard marked before digging. It will save you the trouble of getting important lines fixed.

Decking or turf? What is your preference?

2011-11-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

While exploring Pinterest I came across these two images on the same page. It was amazing to see the same execution of a design theory with two different mediums. You never how when you will be completely inspired.

Decking by Foreign Office Architects, and turf terracing by Charles Jencks. Pins found via

Family Backyard

2011-10-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Now that James is interested in playing outside almost all the time, making sure we have a family friendly backyard is a high priority. I grew up on a strawberry farm with a pond and acres of fields and woods to explore. Even though we live on a cul-de sac I want James to hav fond memories playing outside just like I have.

I stumbled by this image awhile ago of a back yard that includes a fort. I think a nice fort is just want James needs to extend his imagination. We already have plenty of space for whiffle ball, soccer games and a large tree for swinging and someday climbing. A fort will provide James with his own space and many options for being a pirate ship, castle or whatever his mind creates.

Image from Windsor Smith

Compared to the pre-fab units, I want to build something out of more natural elements. I am thinking willow branch guardrails, rough bark roofing and living green walls. I want it to feel more natural with the landscape. I am thinking this could be a good winter project. We will see when I can get it started.

Willow clubhouse found on Pinterest. I don't think I will do anything this advanced, but love the feeling

Ivy Covered - Yes or No?

2011-10-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am a fan of ivy covered walls and homes. I think they can cover sins and provide some green in really tight spaces. However growing ivy comes with some responsibility in maintaining and ensuring you have selected the right species for your need.

WHAT TYPE OF IVY:

First, if growing on a structure NEVER plant English Ivy, choose Boston Ivy. This will insure that the suckers or rootlets attached to the surface will not do any harm. Boston Ivy suckers can be removed with a good power washing, while English Ivy will bore into your brick/stucco/wood siding. In certain zones can also use Creeping Fig (see photo below) or other climbers in place of ivy.

Here is some ivy growing at a client's house. You can see from the bottom left corner were the plant starts and how far it spreads across the building.

This is and example of Creeping Fig. You can see it provides the same feeling of framing the doorway.

This is a building I saw on Melrose in LA a few years ago.

Here is the ivy on the back of my house taken a years ago in early summer. Since our house is covered in stucco in the back, I used the ivy to provide some more green to the space. We have since moved our dinning room table to that section so it feels like you are dinning surrounded by a green curtain.

You can see how this ivy has started growing up the wall and then will begin to spread out.

MAINTENANCE:

Ivy can grow very quickly. I took a few weeks off from trimming at our house and the ivy started covering the windows and growing into the screens. On our one story ranch the trimming is easy to access with bi weekly clean ups (it is kind of my decompression therapy), but on a two story home would be more difficult.

You are a slave to the ivy, two weeks off of trimming and you can have ivy growing into your windows.

Image from prettythings.tumbler

This building includes a wire gird to support the ivy.

Image from Design Sponge.

I love how this one building in a row of townhouses is covered in Ivy. Imagine trimming the ivy on the fourth story!

Image from Apartment Therapy.

Online Garden Mag - Leaf

2011-10-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today a new online magazine was launched geared towards us Plant/Garden Geeks, Leaf. I have not had a chance to read, but hopefully I will find some spare time this week. However I am very interested after seeing this preview issue of what Leaf has in store for us readers in February.

Design 101: Pleaching

2011-10-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

(Read Previous Design 101 here)

Pleaching is the method of training multiple trees into a single horizontal plane, or one continuous line. It is often used to create allees or hedges. More frequently seen in European garden design, the training takes dedication to clipping and time to mature. Most often the branches are clipped to expose the trunks.

EXAMPLES OF PLEACHING

A classic example of pleached trees.

Image from Jinny Bloom

Hornbeams pleached across an allee of trees.

Image n.mccullough

These are European Hornbeams pleached into an Allee.

Image n.mccullough

RECOMMENDED TREES & PLANTING:

Trees that work well for pleaching include; Hornbeams, Linden/Lime, and Pear. My personal favorite to use are Hornbeams, but I am also experimenting using Buckthorns in my back yard. When planting you should look to 3-4 feet spacing between each tree.

Here you can see a more natural landscape with a line of pleached trees.

Image from here.

Image n.mccullough

From this photo you can really see the structure of the branches creating the unified green wall. This very tall allee of pleached trees is at Arley Hall in England.

Image from here.

I could post 20 more photos of different gardens using pleached trees, but I am going to stop myself from going over board since I think you now understand the technique. Keep your eyes out, I think you will be noticing a lot more pleached trees.

Garden in Belgium by Daniel Ost

2011-10-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have about 10 years worth of past issues of Garden Design, Gardens Illustrated and many more magazines that while watching tv at night I like to flip through. I always find something interesting that I flag for follow up or an inspiring garden I forgot about.

Last night I was reading a Garden Design from Jan/Feb 2008 and came across an article on Daniel Ost's personal garden in Belgium. Daniel Ost is known as an extreme floral artist and has done an amazing job crossing over into garden design with a garden that is a study in boxwoods and hornbeams which are two of my favorite plants. (All images are from Garden Design, Photographer Nicola Browne or from Daniel Ost)

Since Daniel is a floral artist, the clipped boxwoods are a nod to his profession. There are sixteen "petals" of clipped boxwoods which are planted with alpine strawberries in the center. Hornbeams are clipped as pillars surrounding the flowers.

You can get a slight peek at the ivy covered well in the previous photo, but here you can see it in relation to the field beyond. What is interesting on this image is the quote from Ost. I totally agree about designing thinking about how it will look in the winter, but from previous experience not everyone feels the same way about grass.

Blue bells are planted under mature trees with more boxwoods.

So I have saved my favorite image for last. Hornbeams again are clipped into pillars (far right) and a crushed stone path follows a long reflection pool. Even though the clipped Hornbeams and rigid lines of the pathway and beds are formal, this spaces feels more relaxed compared to the other areas.

The following two photos are from Daniel's website of the same group of boxwood. The first image of boxwood covered in a beautiful frost is an example of garden design with beauty in winter.

Fall close to home

2011-10-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

We are lucky that one street over from our house is a winding, tree lined road that takes you past horse pastures, a polo field and along a stream. It is my favorite route to work to see all the seasonal color, no matter what time of year. Here are some photos from my drive today.

After dinner tonight we took our nightly walk through our neighborhood with James. Along the walk James collected different colored leaves that we saw and then completed the search around our own yard. Here is the the collection of leaves James found (with some help from Dad and Mom).

We have few more days of nice weather forecasted this week and then comes the rain. With the rain the majority of the leaves will fall, so I am going to enjoy ever last minute we have with this beautiful color!

Fall in Granville, Ohio

2011-10-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

So on Sunday I headed out for dinner and a stroll around Granville, Ohio. It is a small college town about 20 minutes outside of Columbus. As you reach Grandville the land transforms from the flat suburbs into rolling farm fields and large forests. We had a great time strolling the historic streets, hiking up to Denison's Campus and eating at a local Mexican restaurant. On the drive home, we realized the best fall color is just 5 minutes from our house, so expect more photos tomorrow.

Boxwood of the Week

2011-10-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been MIA this week. I have a feeling this could be the last week of nice weather here in central Ohio and we have been busy getting clients homes in top shape, starting a new project, and yes preparing for the Holidays. I love fall and plan on spending the entire day outside with my camera. Also on Sunday we are going to head out to Grandville, Ohio which has some of the most beautiful fall color around.

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and enjoy the wonderful boxwoods featured in Stella McCartney's garden. Which this really deserves a longer post, but maybe another time.

Images via Vogue.com

Boxwood Growth Over Time

2011-09-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

This is a two part post in response to a comment left a few weeks ago by a reader. Kim's question was two fold, first how long before her tiny boxwoods would grow to create a hedge. And second to recommend plants to use between a boxwood border and hydrangea. I hope this helps you out Kim and would love to see after photos!

Boxwood Growth Over Time:
There are a few rules with planting boxwoods for optimal growth. First check the rate of growth for the species you are planting. A species like Buxus 'Faulkner' is a medium grower in full sun and should be planted with a 2' center. While slower growers like Buxus 'Green Velvet' are much smaller and should be planted on 1'6" to 2' centers. Next, boxwoods like cool roots so mulch with 2" of leaf compost/mulch.

The final variables on growth will depend on sun exposure, water and the organic matter in the soil, but below is a time lapse between 2005 to 2011 of boxwoods I planted here in Central Ohio. (The boxwoods used are Buxus 'Faulkner').

Here are the Boxwoods planted in 2005.

Later in the season in 2005.

Here are the boxwoods from 2008.
Between 2005 and 2008, we trimmed the top and fronts to encourage horizontal growth.

Another view in 2008.

And finally, here are the boxwoods in 2011, completely hedged together.

Another view from 2011.

Green, White, Silver and Purple:
I think this is a classic color combination for the garden, and even use it in my own landscape. It works well with almost any type of house style and depending on the plants used can go traditional to modern. For Kim's particular landscape I recommend Nepeta 'Walker's Low' for the pop of purple flower and silver blue foliage. Also you can plant Alliums for some spring flowers. Both of these grow well in Central Ohio, however the alliums require full sun.

Photo of Nepeta.
Image from Flickr.

Photo of Nepeta.
Image from Flickr

You could also use English Lavender, however in Central Ohio it is not a long living perennial.
Image from Flickr.

Spring Allium bloom. You can also get alliums in white.

Design 101: Brick Paver Patterns

2011-09-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is my first post in what I hope will be an ongoing series of Landscape Design 101's on popular styles and terms used. My goal is to provide the basic knowledge for novice designers to either do a project themselves or talk to a professional installer/designer about what they would like for their home. If there are any particular topics you would like for me to feature, let me know.

My first 101 is the top four brick patterns used in the garden; Running Bond, Stacked Bond, Basket Weave, and Herringbone. There are millions of ways these patterns can be installed, intermixed and used with different types of hard surfaces. Once you know these basic patterns you can start experimenting.

Four Basic Brick Patterns

Running Bond is one of the most common patterns used. It is easy to lay and works great in areas that are tricky shapes .

This is a very simple pattern, but not commonly used. I could see this simplistic pattern used in a modern landscape, compared to a more traditional space.

Depending on the size of your brick this can be done with two or three bricks.

There are two types of Herringbone patterns, 45 degree and 90 degree. You can see the difference by comparing the next photo. The 45 Degree is the most difficult and most expensive to lay since it has the most cuts and wasted material.

In comparing to the 45 degree herringbone, you can see that this method is easier to lay, and would require much less cutting.

In laying bricks a Soldier (or Sailor) Course is often used to transition between styles or along the edges. You can see from the photo below the use of a Soldier Course in both cases.

Four Types in Use
Now, here are examples of the four different types of patterns used in the landscape. You can see the different types of patterns can be used in may different types of landscape styles. (I am missing an example of stacked bond, but will keep looking.)

90 degree Herringbone walkway

45 Degree Herringbone on the thin edge of the brick.

Source: habituallychic.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

Source: traditionalhome.com via Allison on Pinterest

Running Bond. See how it emphasis's the circular bed.

Running Bond on thin edge of brick.

Basket Weave that transitions into Running Bond.
Image from Flickr.

A Little bit more on Bricks.
There are two main types of bricks (handmade and factory), and within those two types there are many different color and finish options. I typically prefer handmade bricks that have a little age and quirkiness to them, but you if you do your research you can find some factory bricks that look handmade.

There are also two main type of installation methods for brick walkways, driveways and patios; Wet and Dry. This is totally your personal preference for installation and aesthetic. Wet means it is set in concrete on a concrete base. Dry means it is on a stone aggregate base and is kept in place by using and edger (Metal or plastic). The joint are then filled with sand (I prefer using a poly-sand). All the images above are dry, but below are two examples of wet. Which ever way you choice, make sure the sub-base is sufficient for the installation method, planned use and climate.

Source: nick mccullough

Running Bond (wet laid)

Wet laid herringbone and running bond

Source: housebeautiful.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Boxwood of the Week

2011-09-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

So I have been visiting Pintrest for awhile now, but waited until last night to finally request a membership. This weekend will be filled with tagging and organizing inspiration photos. Have a great weekend!

Clipped boxwoods framing trees.
From Pintrest, original from Veranda.

Steal this Look - Crisp Green and White Courtyard

2011-09-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

This garden is from an April 2010 Issue of Veranda. I have it tagged for small garden inspiration, because I like the simple plantings and timeless feeling. The space provides space for outdoor entertaining, but with the use of the Hornbeams and additional plantings give enough greenery to make the space a garden oasis. Below are details on the plants and materials used create the look at your home.

Details of the Plantings

The photo only shows the right side of the garden, but I assume that the plantings are mirrored on the left side for a formal design. Repetition of the same plants and colors creates a calming effect and by placing beds long the walls the hard edges of the Limestone and Brick are softened.

Detail of Flowers on Table

The Angelonia are planted in the basket. This allows for the flower arrangement to last much longer that traditional cut flowers.

The Dining table in the garden was from Mecox Gardens and the chairs were from Michael Taylor, both of which are very expensive. You could get a similar look with these Restoration Hardware chairs and a table from Oly Studio.

Country Living Fair in Columbus and First Peek of Fall.

2011-09-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Country Living Fair in Columbus. I was not able to make it down, but my wife went with James and brought me some cool seed packets for next year.

Seed packets from Hudson Valley Seed Library.
Allison purchased from High Falls Mercantile, from High Falls, NY.

This weekend was my transition into Fall. While driving home on Friday we passed all the Southern Ohio farms harvesting their pumpkins, and the photo below of James at the Country Living Fair with the beautiful pumpkins is another reminder.

Tower of pumpkins created by The 200 Acers.

I do declare. Day trip to Savannah

2011-09-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

We took a day trip over to Savannah during our vacation. We enjoyed eating at Paula Dean's Lady and Sons, Shopping and walking the different Squares. The trip was the perfect balance to the days spent at the beach.

This was our first shopping stop in downtown Savannah. The whole store was a palate of natural woods, grays and pops of orange. We did not make any purchases but I would go back!

The hanging containers outside Paris Market. So smart to use the Rosemary in the containers. Gives a wonderful fragrance while walking by.

An orchid flower arrangement inside Paris Market.

Another Flower arrangement of Orchids and Chinese Chestnuts inside Pairs Market.

Here is James reading a map of Savannah while the rest of us shopped in Circa Lighting.

Very cool pet sign in one of the squares. It is always interesting to see how different cities treat their pet signs.

Creeping Fig covering steps to town house. I love how it is trimmed around the steps and the windows.

Detail around of it clipped around the steps.

I really don't know much about Savannah architecture, but I heard that these downspouts are unique element..

Beautiful Sago Palms running along a building.

This is a brilliant idea that I am going to totally recreate. The wire frame can house a flowering vine to provide tree like height, and within a limited space, in a specific shape you want, and it a fairly quick time.

This house was my absolute favorite. The house was your typical Southern Savannah home, with a modern garden.
Tri-colored Banana, Mondo Grass and a low hedge were used to create movement.

For a fence behind the plantings, a water jet fence of cutouts of little leaves blocked the view of the garden behind.

I managed to get a quick peek behind the fence to see a POOL! I would have to believe that a pool in Old Savannah is not common. Not sure if the pool is just low on water or if there is a reason why so low.

On our way out of town we stopped at the Equestrian stables for SCAD. The facilities were beautiful, and while driving through even had the pleasure of watching a few riders The main stables are pictured above. The ivy growing on the pillars between the individual stalls.

Additional views of the stalls and the barn.

It was an amazing vacation, and we had a great time exploring the South. We also had the realization that Atlanta is just a 8-9 hour drive from Columbus. We cannot wait to plan that trip next, maybe yet this year.

Congrats to Meadowbrook Farm - a true fan favorite

2011-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just want to give a quick call out to Meadowbrook Farm, winner of Reader's Choice in the Garden category of the Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards. Reading through comments you can tell how much her readers appreciate and enjoy her stories and photos.

Drive Down South to see a Living Wall

2011-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

On our drive down to Hilton Head, we scheduled a rest stop in Charlotte, NC. Thanks to roadfood.com, we found a great Carolina BBQ place called Bill Spoon's Barbecue. The pork BBQ and banana pudding were amazing and everyone was so nice. All the waiteress knew James by name, were interested in how we landed in Charlotte and shared their own Ohio connections.

The same exit off 77 as Bill Spoon's also took us to Capital, a high fashion woman's clothing store. This was a desirable stop for my wife for window shopping and for me to see the living wall by Patrick Blanc. I learned about the existence of the wall from a recent Garden & Gun article, and it made the prefect break in our 11 hour drive.

Again, the women in Capital were so nice to us. They allowed me to take photos of the wall and allowed me to go up stairs to take photos from the second floor. The design of the store was a square with an open center courtyard that is open on three sizes on the first floor, and then three walls of windows on the second floor. The Living Wall then cascades the two floors.

The woman that guided me up stairs informed me that it is the only Patrick Blanc Living Wall in the south. However, because of their installation a larger version was going to be installed in downtown Charlotte. I guess we will need to stop and visit that one during our next trip to Hilton Head.

View of the bottom of the wall, drainage and herringbone floor tile.

The view looking up the wall, into the open air.

I have been taking a lot of photos all vacation so will have some more to share this week of our trip to Savannah, GA.

An Eventful Week and Hello Vacation!

2011-09-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

This was a very busy week with getting award entries wrapped up and delivered, gathering information for an up coming article in Ohio Gardener Magazine and celebrating the Country Living Blog nomination (and contacting everyone I know to vote). Next week I am on vacation with the family and good friends. I am looking forward to the time to relax at the beach, just hope there is not the rain on the forecast.

Thank you to everyone for your votes this week! and I will touch base on the blog a few times while out of office.

Selections of work that was entered into an award this week.
Will do a complete write up later on the design, plant id, etc.

Hello, My name is Nick.

2011-09-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

I figured with the Country Living Blogger nomination, there might be some new visitors wondering: who is this guy? Here is some background on me, why I am passionate about landscape design and why I started this blog.

I live in central Ohio with my wife and my two year old son, James.

My son James from earlier this summer.

I attended The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) and received a B.S. in Landscape Horticulture and minor in Art History. I started my family managed landscape design/build/maintain business (McCullough's Landscape & Nursery) when I was still in high school by mowing lawns and it grew from there. We are now verging on our 15 year in business.

This is one of the first big design projects I completed and one of my favorites.
The bottom image is of a 3 acre hill of wild flowers we planted.

I am a plant geek. I am known to call out the Latin names of plants no matter where I am. For “fun” I like to weed and work around the garden at the home or at the Farm, where our offices are located. I think mowing the yard is relaxing.

These photos are of my house. I should do a full post on the before/afters of what we have done.

This is photo from the front of our house is a few years old.
The Hornbeam at the corner is now about three times the size (look in the top photo to see the difference).

One of the most influential experiences on my career and design aesthetic was a study abroad program in England while I was in College. While there I was able to tour amazing gardens, from traditional to modern. Top on my list of places to visit is Holland.

These two photos are from a modern garden in England from my study abroad trip.

My personal design aesthetic is tight hedges, limited palate of hues and limited plants used in mass. My favorite tree are Japanese Maples and my favorite hard surfaces are bluestone and Indiana Limestone.

This garden includes my all time favorites, boxwoods and German Automobiles.
See more photos here.

Besides landscape design I am passionate about German cars, The Buckeyes and Columbus Blue Jackets. And if I am not working I am visiting favorite Columbus haunts with my family, watching Columbus sports teams, or renovating our 1970's home.

You can see the whole family are Blue Jackets fans.

I started this blog because I had so many inspiring photos, amazing gardens, and design knowledge that I wanted to share. Also, I thought there was a hole in the blog world of someone talking about design in the garden beyond plant types and vegetables. I wanted to provide the knowledge and tools for homeowners to get the look they see in books/magazines and feel confident to experiment in their own yard. I hope you enjoy reading this blog and if you ever have any questions, please comment. I will do everything I can to get you an answer.

Just an honor to be nominated, no wait... I want to win too!

2011-09-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

Thinking Outside the Boxwood is nominated for the top Gardening blog on Country Living's Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards!!! I am so honored and excited, there were over 700 entries across all the categories. I still cannot believe it, but I will be living off the nomination rush for awhile. The winners are featured in Country Living and get to attend a luncheon in NYC. So, PLEASE vote for and tell everyone you know to also vote! - on Country Living.

Lacking Inspiration & Scrap Wood Walls

2011-09-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but last week I was totally lacking inspiration. I have been busy with client project installs, scheduling spreadsheets, and normal business administration work. However the long weekend I was able to refresh, and after this week I have a vacation to recharge. In case you are also missing inspiration to get you going. Here are some images of wood walls in the landscape.

From the Chelsea Flower Show Via Flickr

Inside a steel frame. the location of this wall looks odd to me - I think it would work great flanked by a tall hedges.
Image from flickr.

This is not split wood wall - but scrap wood over a concrete wall.
Found here.

This wall looks like a giant Jenga wall.
Found here

I posted about this wall before, but the split wood creates a low wall that is an extension of the stone wall, and is easy to access for fires, etc.
Image from here.

Galvanized Stock Tank - Safe for Veggies, YES.

2011-08-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

There was a comment to one of the posts showing Galvanized Stock Tanks for veggie gardens questioning if they were safe for planting. The reader read that there could be some chemicals from the Galvanization process that could leach into the soil, etc. The tanks we purchased (Tarter) are rated safe for cattle and are made in the USA, so knew they had to be tested and considered safe for planting use. I did email the company to see if they had any additional information. I received a prompt phone call back from Tarter explaining that yes their product was safe for veggie gardens and for animal use. They also called out that their tanks are used to gather maple syrup and they had no risk of contamination. I feel safe to continue recommending stock tanks for veggie gardens, but if you have a concern you can always plant in cedar containers.

Urban Crop - This is genius!

2011-08-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

Forget the food trucks, for something unique check out the Urban Crop Truck from Melbourne Australia that toured streets back in 2010. Created by Joost Bakker, Urban Crop is a vintage truck that serves live spring tulips, hyacinths, irises and herbs bagged within nutrient rich, organic soil. The live flowers enforced the benefit of living plants providing clean air purification and were seen in stores all over Melbourne as well as select locations in the flower truck. Joost's real goal with Urban Crop was to spread the word on organic compost over fertilizer. The special soil mix he used consisted of composted waste (80%), worm castings (10%) and BioCher (10%),which blended to create healthy, vibrate flowers rivaling those commercially gown using fertilizers.

The website for Urban Crop is currently not up, but follow the links on images below for local Melbourne stories on both Joost and Urban Crop.

Image from here.

Image from here.
The flowers will keep for over a week and when the blooms are done can be composted and bulbs saved for the next year.

Image from here.

Garden Hedges with Doors

2011-08-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Walls of tall, dense hedges within the garden create the ultimate garden room. With the addition of a door, you really have the sensation of entering a private green space. Tall hedges with doors invoke the curiosity of what is on the other side, and from these images I am totally intrigued.

This and the image above are from The Inspired Room.
I love how the door is set back from the hedge to even create a hallway.

Depending on what area of the country you live in, there are different types of shrubs that will work well for you in hedging (Taxus (Yew) and Boxwood (Buxus) are just two examples that we can use in Central Ohio). Besides picking the right plant, you need time. Areas with longer growing seasons (Southern Zones) will have faster luck with training hedges, while here in Ohio you will need to invest years training your hedge.

Image from Flickr

Image from Flickr.

This is the world's oldest Yew Hedge in Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire, England. Planted in 1720, it stands nearly 50 feet tall. I think it would be amazing to cut a door in the hedge to play on the scale, but not sure if you would really want to mess with a masterpiece.
Image from here.

Favorite Garden Stores - Petersham Nurseries, England.

2011-08-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Petersham Nurseries have been on my stalking list for a few years, but a visit waits until I can make at trip to England again. The nursery is located at the edge of the owners home (Petersham House) and was purchased and restored to its current glory in 2004. Petersham includes a nursery, garden shop, tea house and cafe, along with garden tours of the beautiful Petersham House (image directly below).

Image from here.

From the images collected below it is not hard to wonder where Terrain was inspired, even down to the tree stump table, bicycle wheel carts and cafe. I know last week I listed Terrain as a Favorite Garden Store, and now I am calling them out on borrowed ideas. Yeah I know. But England is more passionate and prolific in gardening compared to us on the other side of the pond, I totally credit Terrain with its part in inspiring the gardening bug stateside. Petersham will remain the forefront of gardening trends and one to keep an eye open for endless inspiration.

Image from here.

image from here.

Image from here.

Boxwood of the week - #13

2011-08-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

I will pick up the Garden Stores next week - but here is the boxwood of the week. This garden is located in Ghent, Belgium and is designed by Wirtz International. I wonder if they plan to pleach the hornbeams in the background or keep as individual verticals.

Image from Architectural Digest.

Favorite Garden Stores - Terrain at Styers

2011-08-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

The next great garden store is Terrain at Styers. Almost all bloggers know about Terrain and frequently post of their visits and how they have been inspired by the merchandising. Terrain has made visiting a garden center an experience and whole afternoon affair. I have not been able to make the trek to Philly myself to visit, and my last visit to the Philadelphia Flower Show was one month before the store reopened (from the renovation of Styers to Terrain at Stryers).

Here are some images of the reasons why I think Terrain is great, but for first hand experiences please visit Flair for Design, Honey and Jam and Katy Elliot.

Ledge stone pillar with the very cool Terrain logo.
Image from here.

Interesting concept of a green wall. Only heads up - make sure you remember to water daily. The small pots will dry out quickly in the heat and with the overhang will not get much rain water.
Image from here.

Entire building covered in WoollyPockets. This looks like it is planted recently, overtime those plants will grow over the pockets and you will just get the bands of green and weathered cedar.
Image from here.

A very smart way to showcase soils, stones, mulch and moss and explain use and benefits.
Image from here.

Herbs arranged under the shade of a large tree. I am sure after dining at the cafe on the great food, this section gets a lot of visitors to create their own herb gardens.
Image from here.

Willow branch structures and boxwoods mix to create a very inspiring view of materials.
Image from here.

The green house includes a large selection of Tropical and

Terrain also has a selection of antique/vintage garden items. They have smaller items compared to Detroit Garden Works, which I would recommend looking at first if you really want something unique.
Image from Terrain

Favorite Garden Stores - Detroit Garden Works

2011-08-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share with you my favorite garden stores. These are my favorite stores for a few reasons, The unique merchandise, inspirational the shop environment, and impact on the gardening world. For the first post, I am focusing on Detroit Garden Works.

Located outside Detroit, MI in Sylvan Lake, Detroit Garden Works is the creation of Deborah Silver. Deborah is a gifted landscape designer that has stocked her store with European antiques, custom designs from her Branch Studio and everyday garden items reinterpreted in unique ways. Greeted often by her corgis, you can lose time wondering the indoor and outdoor spaces for endless inspiration. Shop Manager Rob Yedinak shares also the passion for the garden and unique items, and is always willing to chat with visitors, answer questions and share stories. Voted one of the top 25 garden stores by Garden Design Magazine, I think Detroit Garden Works is the top 1-2.

Here are some photos from my last visit earlier this year.

The famous moss wall.
This is so impact-full in an interior, sun drenched space which includes a antique fountain.

My favorite items from online you can order -

Concrete dog, example of the work done by Branch Studios.

Vintage watering cans.
A little more costly than a new plastic container, but the perfect gardening gift for a new homeowner etc.

If I could take one thing home, well maybe besides a concrete dog, it would be these large spheres.

I also found this great post of the interior spaces on Happenstance Home from 2010. I think it is easy to see how easy it is to fall in love with Detroit Garden Works.

Green, Purple and Black Containers

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

This year we did a lot of planters combined with green, purple and black foliage and flowers. Over the summer the plants have really thrived.

These are the containers at the front of my house. To the left of our front door is a blank wall, so the height and width of this planter balances with the green front door to the right. Also the color of the planter is similar to the house color, so the plants really stand out.

Plants: Mothers-in-law tongue,
Dichordra 'Silver Falls'Setcreasea 'Purple Heart'

Sweet Potato vine, Phormium 'Pink Stripe', bordeaux petunia, Setcreasea 'Tricolor'

Boxwood of the week - #13

2011-08-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

I am normally not a fan of "meatballing" shrubs, but when done in mass I make an exception.

Have a great weekend.

Garden in Loire Valley, France
Image from here.

Must see in Columbus Monthly

2011-08-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am going to skip a landscape post today to share my friends Jen and Todd's library that was featured in Columbus Monthly this month. It is an amazing transformation from a dull dining room to an amazing library. You can spot some McCullough's with the terrarium on the center table. Congrats to Jen and Todd, it is a great room that is totally cover worthy.

Galvanized Stock Tank Veggie Garden - Update

2011-08-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I made a visit out to my client to check on there veggie garden and snapped a few photos to show the progress of the stock tank containers. The plants are growing wonderfully.

Before Planting

Fully Planted and Thriving

This is my stock tank at home. The tomato plants have been great this year, even though I still need to get the sticker off the front. I purchased our stock tank from Tractor Supply, while the large ones above I special ordered from Zane Feed & Supply located in Zanesville, Ohio.

For more Images of stock tanks in gardens check out this post.

Boxwood of the week - #12

2011-07-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

I had this image flagged for outdoor lighting, but decided the image deserved to be saved for the boxwood of the week.

image by Alexander Bailhache of the Chateau de Marqueyssac.

And some additional images from the Chateau Website.

Hinkley Landscape Lighting Crush

2011-07-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

So yesterday when looking for a copy of the Hinkley advertisement of the railing I want to use as a fence, I stumbled across that they also do landscape lighting and are headquartered in Cleveland (hello Ohio neighbor). I immediately ordered a catalog and bookmarked all my favorite products ready to install for clients and at our display gardens.

What is wonderful about Hinkley lighting is they are not to the trade only. You can go to local showrooms and see and purchase the products. However with landscape lighting (besides sconces for the house) I highly recommend you use a professional. Almost any house can add landscape lighting, however it is tricky.

Here are some photos from their campaign that are so inspiring and hopefully soon I can provide a product review.

Here are my favorite styles of lights from the outdoor collection. mixture of path lights and sconces.

Here is a selection of images from their outdoor collection. The styling is wonderful.

Garden Gates and Fences

2011-07-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about garden gates as we plan to fence in our backyard for James. We have fence on three of the four sides already, so just need to connect across the front from the sides to the house. this short distance provides us with some flexibility to be creative on the fence design since it is a short distance and will be visible from the front of the house. Here are a variety of gates (and some fences) I have been storing for inspiration.

This gate mimics a front door with the windows and size. Surrounded by the privet hedge, there is no guessing where the entrance is located.
Image from House & Garden

This gate adds height with the arbor and the surrounding fence. The large grid does not provide privacy, but would be great for adding a climbing rose/etc.
Image - not sure location.

This gate is surrounded in brick and speaks to a secret garden.
Image House & Garden

A double hinged gate allows for a larger entrance space when opening up the yard for parties etc.
This fence also uses a grid compared to traditional pickets.
Image from House & Garden

A traditional picket fence and gate. When looking for classic, you cannot not miss with this design.
Image from unknown.

This is not of a gate, but could be easily converted into a gate design. The pickets on the right are traditional, but switch styles of round close to the steps to become railing. The mix of styles between fences provides more interest.
Image from Pink Wallpaper.

This fence from Nantucket mixes the ceder shakes with a white gate. The center open area gives you a peek of what is on the other side. In this case the ocean.
Image from Flickr.

Another more traditional style gate, but you can see with the posts and treatment of the cross supports can have a variety looks.
Image from Martha Stewart.

Ok this is not a fence or gate, however when I saw this image I thought it would be the perfect fence. Modern in design, but still with a nod to the class white picket fence. Plus the metal grates would allow of plants to grow between. This might be the winner for my house, but we will see.
Image from Hinkley Lighting

Landscape Lighting - Greg Yale

2011-07-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

Landscape lighting can dramatically change the appearance of a house and landscape and is so much more than lighting a walkway or carriage lamps. Up/down lighting on a house can highlight wonderful details and shapes typically lost in the dark (and even daylight). While lighting landscape elements can make artwork out of trees, walls and structures for you to enjoy from outside as well as in your home. Greg Yale is a master at landscape lighting and has done some wonderful installations. If you are on the fence about the impact of landscape lighting, just look at these images of his work and you will be converted.

Up lighting trees down a driveway.

Greg designed these outdoor floor lamps which make a great bridge from indoors to out.

The stairs are lit, as well elements in the background. I also love the stonework and chopped wood wall.

Up lighting on a stone wall (ledge stone in retaining wall cages), plus the focal point and pathway are also lit.

Same wall, with additional "twinkle" lights.

Example of lighting an architectural element can transform the shape in the evening.

showcasing a tree as a sculpture that would normally be missed even in the daylight.

Boxwood of the week (plus) - #11

2011-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I have been around on a Friday, so I am past due on a boxwood of the week. This week it will be more than one image of boxwoods, but a wonderful small landscape featured on Southern Living designed by Marquette Clay. There are details and tips for small garden design on the Southern Living site, so please go there for additional details. My favorite detail is the gravel driveway with center turf. It is hard to do in Central Ohio when snow and ice come, but perfect for southern gardeners.

Galvanized Stock Tank Veggie Garden

2011-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

We planted a veggie garden for a client this year using three 10 foot long galvanized stock tanks. These containers are placed on an irrigation drip line to help with the watering needs and are placed in a gravel bed for easy harvesting. Will make a trip out to get photos of the containers full planted.

Refreshing Containers

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been lucky to have the same clients from year to year, and a benefit from our relationship is being able to provide something new and different every year. Here are some examples of containers that we refreshed between the years.

Aged Metal Cast Urn

Spring 2011
This year we did large agave with trailing Silver Falls, Dichordra in this client's urns. These containers are very large, so every year we look for plants that will play off that height. We will take the agave inside for the winter so they can be used again, maybe with a different trailer or in a different container.

2010
While this year we used silver gray plants, last year we used dramatic dark plants. This photo was taken later in the season when the plants had more time to mature. We used a Pink Stripe Phormium, Silver Shield Plectranthus, and a burgundy Coleus.

Small Glazed Containers
Last time I will ever show this project- I PROMISE. However I realized I had photos from the past three years of the containers at the front door and it is a great example of how to change it up year to year.

2011

2010

2009

Looking for Shade

2011-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

The back of my house gets limited shade in the summer months, and with this heat wave I have been looking into options for shading the lounge area. I think we will use a shade sail as a temporary option, but would love to have something more structural. In the meantime I will draw inspiration from these great shady areas.

Tall allee of trees provide the best shade.
Image from Arch. Digest.

Arbors provide wonderful shade and structure with less time to mature like the trees.
Planting a climbing wisteria will also provide color.
Image from Martha Stewart

I love how modern this arbor feels, white and streamlined. The wide top grid will not provide enough shade in my yard, but if I add shade sails between would be perfect.
Image from BHG.com

McCullough's on DesignSponge!!

2011-07-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday McCullough's Landscape & Nursery was featured on Designsponge with a garden before and after. Very excited to have exposure for all the great work the McCullough's team has done and read all the positive feedback on our work.

Within the comments there is a lot of back and forth on removing the turf in the back yard for hardscapes. In this case the total yard is 1500 square feet. That could sound like a lot, but that is spread around the entire house which leaves only as much space for a walkway on one side. Also this home is within a community that offers plenty of public greenspace for its residents. What this project allowed was for the homeowner to use the space outside his home after work and longer thoughout the year with the addition of the fireplace.

Thank you to Designsponge for the kind words!

Private Gardens of Connecticut - details

2011-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some detail images from Private Gardens of Connecticut by Jane Garmey and all photographs by John M. Hall.

Stone fountain covered in algae. The delicate plant is papyrus.
Boxwoods in urns flank an opening in the hedge.

Clipped Hornbeam within a boxwood parterre.

A natural waterfall with ferns, evergreens and moss.

Large azalea (purple) with Peonies and a stone wall in the foreground.

Boxwoods in turf used as sculpture.

Mixture of Hostas with Hakonechloa.

Garden Library - Two Recommendations

2011-07-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend I picked up two new books for my design library, Gardens of the Hudson Valley and Private Gardens of Connecticut. I recommend both books for your own library.

Both books reflect gardens on a grand scale, but feature elements that can be applied to any size garden. Showcasing interesting mixing of plants, hardscapes and structures, the books include wide landscape views as well as detailed views of unique areas. As implied by the titles, the gardens reflect formal, traditional designs often seen on the east coast, but include some modern, woodland and prairie designs also. Over the next few days I will provide details on some of my favorite gardens featured in each book since neither book provide detailed plant identification for novice gardeners.

Purchase via Amazon:
Gardens of the Hudson Valley
Private Gardens of Connecticut

Before & After - Small Modern Landscape

2011-07-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite landscapes designs and installs that we have done. Mainly because within the small space, we were able to make a large impact with the design and make every inch of the space usable for the home owner.

We added a hardscape area for dining and lounging. This space included a water feature and fireplace. For lighting we included in ground lighting within the pavers and modern fixtures along the side of the house to illuminate the walk to the back patio.

Weekend in Niagara Falls and Toronto

2011-07-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time in Niagara Falls and Toronto this past weekend. The drive through old towns and vineyards was beautiful and the Falls were worthy of the trip. In front of our hotel was a beautiful garden -

Pleached Tilia hedge

Robert Couturier's Garden

2011-06-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

This garden belongs to Designer Robert Couturier and his partner, architectural historian Jeffrey Morgan. The classic house rests within a equally classic garden of formal terraces and boxwoods. The whole garden is design with structure in mind, but my favorite portion is the front entrance with the cobblestones, gravel, turf and stone walls. The mixture of surfaces add texture and interest to front entry way to the home. Also boxwoods in planters are used as "art."

Image from here.

image from here

Image from here.

Planning a trip to Niagara Falls

2011-06-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Over the Fourth holiday we are traveling to Niagara Falls and Toronto with some friends. Even though I have lived with in 6 hours driving from the falls the majority of my life, I have never been. Of course we plan ride Maid of the Mist and enjoy all the standard tourist attractions, but we also plan a visit to the Niagara Falls Botanical Gardens. I have feeling there will too much for us to do on our short trip, we will need to plan another visit. I will share my photos after the trip but here are some I found while planning the trip. Also if you have any recommendations for activities etc, please let me know!

Image from here.

Image from here

.

Summer Entertaining - Outdoor Dining Rooms

2011-06-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time for outdoor dinning. We eat most of our meals outside during the summer, except on the hottest days. There are a few standards for making sure you are ready for ourdoor dining (table and chairs), but endless options for the materials and layout.

Using tall hedges surrounding the dining area allows you to feel like separate room and shields you from neighbors.
The rough stone floor with wide joints can be tricky wobbly surfaces for chairs, but beautiful none the less. Something more like a rustic bench could be easier for this surface.
Image from Martha Stewart Living - March 2007

Brick paving is coming for our area of Ohio, and makes for a even surface for dining table and chairs. Also placing your patio under a large tree provides shade and a place to hang lights or lanterns when it gets darker.
Image from Veranda Magazine - September 2009
Designer Kathy Ireland

Even if you live in the city, you can still add greenery and walls to your patio create a room. Also using herbs in pots are a great on a table for using in cooking and for adding additional fragrance during your meal..
Image from Veranda Magazine September 2009

Adding an arbor also helps to provide shade and allows you to define the dining space. Adding climbing plants (like Wisteria and Hydrangea) will provide color and additional shade. Also fireplaces are wonderful addition for chilly nights and making desert.
reference of image unknown.

Another example of a table under an arbor. The spacing of the slats alters the amount of shade, and the use of white columns makes it look more traditional. Also blue stone paving is a nice smooth surface for setting heavy teak dining chairs.
Image from House and Garden Magazine - Year unknown

Another example of using trees (this case olive trees) to define the boundaries of the dining area. This space uses crushed granite for the surface and can be a cheaper option to natural stone paving.
Image from Elle Decor July/August 2008

using an awning for shade is another alternative to arbors for shade and allow you to add some additional color to the patio space. This patio shows the flow for keeping the dining area close to a lounge for easy transition for after dinner converstation .
Image from Martha Stewart Living - Year unknown

Porches are excellent places for outdoor dining. The rustic benches would be perfect on the rough natural stone pavers in the first image as well as seen hear.
Image from Elle Decor June 2009

Swimming Pools and First Day of Summer

2011-06-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of summer! It is a very humid and hot summer day in Central Ohio, so I am dreaming of cooling off in a pool. Here are some inspirational pools to daydream about as you crank up the AC and celebrate Summer!

The rose bushes in terracotta containers help to define the pool area and the large weeping trees beyond provide much needed shade.
Image from Elle Decor June 2005

The crisp white Hydrangea's in matching white containers are a beautiful repetition around this Hampton pool.
Elle Decor June 2006

Pool of Laura Fisher. staircase down to pool of granite and bluestone.
I love when a pool is lined with stone and then turf. It seems less formal and the blue of the water and green grass is always cooling to view
Image from House & Garden - year ?

Again with the natural stone and turf pool surround. This pool also includes iron day beds instead of the standard lounge chairs. Not really my taste.
Image Elle Decor June 2009

This pools is as simple as they come, with stone coping and grass and fields beyond.
I think this came from house beautiful - year?

This pool was designed by Scott Johnson. The pool house is sided in Nevada quartzite, the pools coping is flagstone, Japanese garden stones at the entry and granite boulders around the edge. The bottom of the pool is a pale taupe to make the water appear as crystal blue as possible.
Image from Garden Design - year ?

This is 1/2 of my favorite pool image. This pool also features a rustic white barn on the pool terrace. This pool also surrounded by turf with natural stone pavers. I also love the containers located within the turf area and the grade change for the pool area.
Image from Elle Decor July/August 2008

You might see the pattern for the types of pools I like. I love the boxwoods flanking this pool and the view beyond.
Image from here

Another favorite is this one, I love the levels, the surrounding landscape and is a natural pond filtration.
Image from here.

Scampston Hall

2011-06-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted about renowned landscape designer, Piet Oudolf and mentioned that his work at Scampston Hall in the Walled Garden deserved a whole post of its own. Here it is, including the many other beautiful gardens at Scampston Hall.

Scampston Hall is located in North Yorkshire, England and was originally built in 1690 for the St. Quintin family. The home on the property has been through four renovations, the most recent in 1990. It was the current renovation that has brought back original character of the property and redesign of the Walled Garden.

THE HOUSE

Image from here.

THE WALLED GARDEN - Designed by Piet Oudolf

Besides the walled garden, there is the gardens designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown dating back to 1782. For information visiting the gardens and home learn more here.

Overhead view of the walled garden.
Image from here.

Overview of garden - foreground are the drift of grasses - to the left is the silent garden.
Image from here.

Drifts/Waves of molinia grass. I really like the modern ceder club chairs.
Image from here

Alternative view of the Molinia drifts.
Image from here.

The Molinia grass earlier in the season.
Image from here.

The Perennial Meadow located in front of the conservatory, is planted using Piet's method of Naturalized plantings.
Image from here.

An alternative view of the perennial meadow.
Image from here.

The plantsman's walk, filled with spring flowering plants runs along the edge of the walled garden.
Image from here.

This is the silent garden, devoid of flowering plants.
Image from here.

Reflection pool in the silent garden.
Image from here.

Steal this Look - Rustic Italian

2011-06-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

While searching some older magazines I came across this image of a Italian courtyard.The garden is located outside Milan Italy and does not look like a typical Italian (Tuscan) garden. I am an advocate for covering garden walls/homes with ivy and climbers to provide additional interest to your garden. Here are some details if you like this look and would like to recreate with the same plants (plus a few tips).
Happy Planting!

Seen in Veranda September 2009

Gross Pointe - road trip part three

2011-06-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Finally on Saturday before heading down to Toledo, Ohio we stopped in Gross Point. I have heard about the beautiful homes in Gross Pointe for years, and the quick trip did not disappoint. The home were amazing, but the landscapes could use some improvement. I need to go back when I have more than an hour to spend walking around.

Yellow Door, with blue and white containers.

Privet hedge along a drive that borders the sidewalk.

An amazing house, Love the black and white and the scale was crazy.

Back view of the same house.

Guest house to the same house. Love how the plantings frame the entrance.

Kresge Foundation LEED offices (road trip part two)

2011-06-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

While in Michigan we stayed outside Troy, MI and driving to our hotel we passed this amazing farm house and modern building with native plants surrounded by large office buildings on a four lane plus road. With the large trailer behind the truck we u-turned and stopped to look around. The building is home to the Kresge Foundation, founded in 1924 to support nonprofit organizations.

In 2004 the foundation demolished the previous building and took the steps to rebuild using sustainable methods. The building was completed in 2006 and was granted Platinum-level LEED rating in 2008 and numerous other awards. There is a lot of information on the project on their website and even a case study document with tons of information.

Architect - Valerio Dewalt Train Associates
Landscape Architects - Conservation Design Forum

Example of the historic buildings on the property.

Showcase of the new building mixed with the historic red barns. The cages filled with stone act as retaining walls.
These are often used on shore lines to stop eroding.

This is the main walkway into the offices. The stonewall is retaining the foundation to the barn.
The walkway is a permeable paver that allows rain to drain properly.

The stone wall continues around the barn. The parking space signs read Hybrid car parking and carpool parking only.

Surrounding the conference room is this pond from watershed in the area. Again natural plantings surround the water.

A lower outdoor lounge area. This is the view from a stone walkway above.

James enjoying the walkways around the office. You can see in the background the other building surrounding the complex.

A great fence on the property.