What’s your favorite kind of outdoor holiday decorating? As I was driving to an event the other night after dark, I passed one of those homes that was lit up like a firecracker for the holidays. They had lights of every color outlining the house, the shrubs and the walkway. It all flashed and blinked […]

I am always inspired by English garden design and landscapes. Last month, I enjoyed a brief trip to England on my way to Russia and wanted to share some of the flavor of their landscape architecture and the English garden design. The English are well known for their classical gardens and gorgeous flowers, despite it […]

 Often called the Russian Versailles, The Peterhof Gardens near St Petersburg are the very definition of a grand garden design. With 500 acres, 200+ statues, 144 fountains, 7 palaces, and 23 museums, it is the most visited site in Russia hosting over 4.2 million visitors annually. Inspired by a visit to Versailles castle and grand […]

In February this year, the International Sculpture Center awarded artist and sculptor Bernar Venet the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of landscape sculpture. Just two weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Venet and experiencing his world renowned landscape sculpture first hand. It was 1983 when Venet […]

Composing a garden is a lot like composing music. There are places in the garden that invite a crescendo of blooms, and other areas that call for a something gentler, more of an adagio. A tree may be a cappella, placed without accompaniment of flora and fauna, while garden intermezzos are provided by a restful […]

 Lawn maintenance is a hot topic this time year. This is when Atlanta lawns are looking lush, vibrant green, and very inviting. While riding through our Buckhead Atlanta neighborhoods, I am reminded of author Tom Wolfe’s expression in Man in Full about our lawns, “heaving bosoms of green”. Keith Blanchard with the Wall Street Journal […]

 Atlanta landscape design today is seeing a revival in Brutalism. Originally intended to express clarity and purpose in the chaos of prewar Europe, quite appropriately, today it is evident in bold, simple modernism with an edge.  Brutalism is the collective name for architecture stripped to its bare bones of form and function. And it is […]

May is the advent of  outdoor living season and that means Atlanta garden maintenance and quick planting tips for easy entertaining. It’s also the season to celebrate graduations with a garden party.  To make the most of your landscape style and capitalize on the gifts Mother Nature brings, here are 3 quick tips to deliver […]

I’ve always thought of moss lawns and nooks as magic, a place where fairies live, because those places seem to appear magically in early spring and disappear in summer. Perhaps it is more like a Houdini trick. Moss is technically a Bryophyte or non-vascular plant that lacks true branches, leaves and roots. It absorbs water […]

As Summer Fades, A Garden Brightens – Gardens to Love: Summer is fading, yet there are flowers and plants that get brighter this time of year.