Light Up the Night

With an outdoor chandelier...

Daily Blessing

Recently a client asked us to help her in designing a prayer garden.  This small circular space was tucked between a few pines and dogwoods.  We added a bench, a side table, a planter, and a small fountain.  For the plantings we used a simple color palette of green and white... white hydrangeas, azaleas, narcissus, and other white blooming bulbs and annuals.  The serene atmosphere was such a success!  I hate to say that I do not have any pictures to show you, but here are some other inspirational prayer gardens that I have found.

 

The Archbishop's prayer garden at the National cathedral in Washington D.C.

Prayer garden at Little Portion Monastery in Berryville, AR.

Prayer Garden at Cedarkirk Camp and Conference in Lithia, FL.

The next series of pictures below are from The Meteora in Greece.  These monasteries date back to the 15th century and are one of the most amazing things I have even seen.  Please  click on the links above for more information and the history.

As if the cliff top scenery wasn't enough, there are amazingly perfect gardens at the monasteries.

I wish I could say more about these monasteries and their gardens, but my writing skills are not sufficient enough to give it the justice that it deserves.  So look it up... you will be amazed!

Pool Structures

I love the images below of different pool structures.  They are all so different, but each perfectly stylish in their own way.

Which is your favorite?

Galvanized Metal Containers

As you can tell from previous post, we love galvanized metal containers.  There are so many uses for them from beer tubs to baby pools, but one excellent use for them is planters.  This is an inexpensive chic alternative to container gardening.

A couple tips that will make your life easier when using galvanized containers as pots:

1) Add drainage holes.  This is easily done by taking a hammer and nail and poking about 10 small holes in the bottom of the container.

2) Add a layer of newspaper around the edges before you plant.  Because the metal is so thin, the plants are more susceptible to heat and cold.  This will help protect them.

Good luck!

Window Boxes

I have had a couple request for a post on window boxes, and I love special request!  If you have any email me, and I will be sure to do a post for you.  Now, back to window boxes...

 

The picture below, of the store Lush Life in Buckhead, says it all.  What a great illustration of how window boxes can greatly enhance the look of your house.  

One solution to the planting design of a window box (or any planter) is to center the planter with an evergreen (or a series of evergeen plants) such as boxwoods.  Then plant seasonal color around the sides.  This has a great effect and you do not have to to replace as much seasonally.  The picture below is centered with three dwarf boxwoods with perennials and annuals surrounding.

Another solution is to hire someone to plant your containers for you, such as Container Gardening of Altanta LLC.  Below are some examples of window boxes that they have done.

Thomas Church (1902-1978)

As a residential landscape architect, I have always been intrigued by Thomas Church.  This photo of his design, known as the Dewey Donnell garden, is one that we studied in school and has always stuck in my head.  His designs seem to define the term "simply classic."

Thomas Church is known as the man who opened the door to the modern movement in Landscape Architecture.  He grew up in California, and after years of education, travel, and teaching, he opened his own firm in San Francisco.

Church's style soon began to redefine the California landscape by introducing the modern movement.  He understood that gardens should be an extension of the home and created outdoor living spaces and garden rooms.  He successfully merged the idea of "form follows function" with decorative style pleasing to those who use the space.  

In his career he designed more than 2000 gardens.

Not So Mellow YELLOW.

I am usually more of a green/blue/white kind of girl, but with all of this gloomy rain in Atlanta, we need a little bit of sunshine.  I love it when there is a splash of yellow to really make something pop.

Viceroy Palm Springs via Patricia Gray inc blogspot

This picture is from the Viceroy Palm Springs, a boutique resort and spa in Southern California.  The yellow works perfectly with the green backdrop and black umbrellas.

courtesy of Country Living

In Fung Shui the energy of your home begins with your front door.  This house has got to have great energy with an eye catching front door like this one.

courtesy of Architectural Digest

These two are photos that I love.  The yellow really makes the whole composition "pop" and adds such a fun element!

by designer Jan Showers