AP

RIL

2O

O6

$5

.99

/$

6.99

CA

N.

big ideas forsmall spacesEfficient Garden PlansPlants that FitDesigner TipsAmericas BelovedWild Trilliums:Easy to GrowCool Watering Cans

coloryourworldWorld-Class Planting Combos

What the Color Experts SaySprings Bold Look for the Patio

Now the noisy winds are still;Aprils coming up the hill!M A R Y M A P E S D A W S O N 3G A R D E N D E S I G N

MINOR MIRACLESFour gardens with contrasting styles and approaches makethe most of a typical problem: limited space.

58 Street Smart An L.A. front yard offers elegance topassers-by and privacy to the owners. B Y E M I L Y Y O U N G

62 Washingtons Finest A backyard in Georgetowngives Old-World design an update. B Y J O A N N A F O R T N A M

66 Real Simple A tiny lot in Palo Alto, California,shows that simplicity is the solution. B Y R U T H C H I V E R S

70 Jewel Box Two designers transform their pocket-sizeplot in Oregon into a hillside gem. B Y R E B E C C A S A M S

78 Animal KingdomNoahs heart would skip a beat if he got a gander at the 20th-century animal statuary displayed in todays gardens.This iscollectible art at its most engaging. B Y D O N N A D O R I A N

86 ColorYour WorldHow to use color artfully, creatively and accidentally.We offera crash course in color theory, then jump to the bottom line:Perfect plant combinations, what makes them work and howto achieve them. B Y J O A N N A F O R T N A M

70contents A P R I L 2 0 0 6

78

58

78

86

Features

On the CoverGarden designed by

Oehme, van Sweden withcolorful sweeps of Aster

October Skies, persicariaand Panicum Hns Herms.

Photo by Richard Felber.

Sweet April showers do bring May flowersT H O M A S T U S S E R4 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

POSTAL INFORMATION GARDEN DESIGN, NUMBER 137 (ISSN 0733-4923), is published 7 times per year (January/February, March,April, May, June/July, September/October, November/December) by World Publications,LLC, P.O. Box 8500,Winter Park, FL 32790. Copyright 2006, all rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. Periodicals postage paid at WinterPark, FL, and additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.: $23.95 for one year, $39.95 for 2 years. Canadian subscribers add $6.00 per year, foreign subscribers add $12.00 per year. For subscription information, please call 800/513-0848. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GARDEN DESIGN, P.O. Box 421145, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1145. For faster service, please enclose your current subscription label. Occasionally, we make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we think may be of interest to you. If you do not want to receive these offers, please advise us at 1-800-513-0848. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Editorial Department, GARDEN DESIGN, P.O. Box 8500,Winter Park, FL 32789; E-mail: gardendesign@worldpub.net.We welcome all editorial submissions, but assume no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material.ADVERTISING: Send advertising materials to RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Lancaster Premedia Center,Attn: Garden Design Ad Management Module, 216 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, PA 17601. Phone: 717-481-2851. Retail sales discountsavailable; contact Circulation Department. Following are trademarks of GARDEN DESIGN and World Publications, Inc., and their use by others is strictly prohibited:The Golden Trowel Awards; Dirt; Growing; Style; Sage Advice; Details.

Departments13 Dirt Not-so-commonwatering cans.An Austin,Texas, nursery called simplyGardens. Born-again bulbs.Chicagos Douglas DawsonGallery.A peony with springand fall interest.The latestfabrics and more.

28 Growing All-Americantrilliumseasy to grow anda sure sign that spring hathsprung in the woodland.

36 Decor A sanctuarygarden honors a fallen SanFrancisco police officer.

40 Style No longer used just in splashes, vibrant colorblankets garden accessories.

46Abroad The bounty ofBelgium: chocolate, beerand, you guessed it, gardens.

52 Groundbreaker Aprince among garden conser-vationistsFrank Cabot.

98 Sage Advice Hort dosand donts from Jack Ruttle.Dry-stone walls, the mortar-less solution.An embracinglandscape to suit an adobehome in New Mexico.

116 Details A grandMediterranean garden of layers and textures.

For more, check out www.gardendesign.com.

13contents

20

40

28

36

46

52

104

EDITOR- IN-CHIEF Bill Marken

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joanna FortnamART DIRECTOR Michael BessireSTYLE EDITOR Donna DorianMANAGING EDITOR Jenny AndrewsPHOTO EDITOR Jason UprightCOPY EDITOR Nancy OgburnONLINE EDITOR/WEB PRODUCER Brent SchmierbachSENIOR ADVISER Ken DruseHORTICULTURAL CONSULTANT Jack RuttleCONSULTING EDITORS Charles Birnbaum, Dr. Marc Cathey, Ruth Chivers, James David, Dick Dunmire,Amy Goldman, Richard Hartlage, Christy Hobart, Adam Levine, Michael MacCaskey, Deborah Madison,David McMullin, Denise Otis, Diane Dorrans Saeks, Ivette Soler, AltaTingle, EmilyYoung, DavidWinston

PUBL ISHER DianeTurner, 407/571-4883

ADVERTIS ING SALESNATIONAL SALES MANAGER Lisa Lawn, 407/571-4916HIGH-DES IGN TRADE Jason Champion, 321/806-9946HOME FURNISHINGS & ACCENTS MANAGER Jodi Bech, 407/571-4600GREEN GOODS & PLANT MATER IAL MANAGER Meshele Conley, 407/571-4797

MARKETINGMARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER Sarah Kinbar, 407/61-4368SALES ASST. /PROJECT MANAGER Laurie Sanders, 407/571-4541

ADVERTIS ING DES IGN DIRECTOR Suzanne OberholtzerADVERTIS ING SERV ICES / PRODUCTION MANAGER Krista-Lise EndahlADVERTIS ING ARTISTS John Digsby, Monica Alberta, Laura Peterson, LindsayWardenRESEARCH DIRECTOR Heather Idema

CORPORATE ADVERTIS ING SALESDIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SALES Russ Cherami, 212/219-4636NEW YORK OFF ICE

Advertising Sales, 212/219-7400WINE AND SPIRITS MANAGER/NORTHEAST: John Horan, 212/219-7413TRAVEL MANAGER/SOUTHEAST: Rick Johnson, 212/219-7413FINANCIAL SERVICES AND LUXURY MANAGER: Eleanor Dixson-Hobbs, 212/219-7476

REGIONAL OFF ICES

MIDWEST: Maureen Grady, 773/281-0559DETROIT: Focus Media & Marketing, 313/670-0553TEXAS/SOUTHWEST:Weikel Media LLC, LucindaWeikel, April Bliss, 214/824-9008NORTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHWEST: Publicitas North America, CarolynWare, 415/624-2400SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: MediaCentric Inc., StevenThompson, 415/435-4678CANADA: Impact Media Group Inc., Allan J. Bedard, 416/679-9600MEXICO:Towmar, Lucy Gastulum, 011/52-5-395-5888

PRES IDENT Terry SnowCHIEF OPERATING OFF ICER Jo Rosler

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SALES Russ CheramiADVERTIS ING CONSULTANT Martin S.Walker

CORPORATE MARKETING DIRECTOR Leslie Brecken, 407/571-4668CORPORATE EVENT MARKETING DIRECTOR Katherine Haack

VICE PRES IDENT/C IRCULATION Bruce MillerCIRCULATION BUS INESS D IRECTOR Dean PsarakisCONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR Leigh BinghamS INGLE COPY SALES D IRECTORVickiWestonDIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PeterWinn

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Lisa Earlywine

DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES Jay Evans

DIRECTOR OF NETWORK & COMPUTER OPERATIONS Mike SteaCONTROLLER Nancy CoalterCREDIT MANAGER Dinah Peterson

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES Sheri BassCOMMUNIC ATION DIRECTOR DeanTurcol

PUBLICATION AGREEMENT NO. 1685317 CANADA RETURN MAIL : 4960-2 WALKER RD, WINDSOR, ONTARIO N9A 6J3

CUSTOMER SERVICE: For subscription-related queries, call: 800/513-0848; write: P.O. Box 421145,Palm Coast, FL 32142-1145; For editorial or advertising correspondence, write: P.O. Box 8500,Winter Park, FL 32789 e-mail: gardendesign@worldpub.net: or fax: 407/628-7061.

from the editor

SMALL GARDENS OR VAST LANDSCAPESWE LIKE TO THINK THAT OUR RE-port called Minor Miracles (pages 57 to 77) will give you loads ofideas no matter what size space you own or dream of. Small gardens

can serve as models for big places, especially intheir efficient use of space and the way they makeevery inch count.

Pay special attention to each articles helpfultips, the strategies the designers have learnedfrom dealing with the demands of tight spaces incrowded parts of the country such as Washing-ton, D.C., and California.

Landscape architect Nord Eriksson says, Em-phasize plant forms. Replace water-wasting lawns.

William Morrow says,Make the walls go away.Rebecca Sams says, Create a backdrop.And what do I say? I have my own learned-in-

the-trenches advice after a year of relandscapingour backyard, a typical size for suburban Cali-fornia but monstrous by Manhattan standards andpetite compared with Connecticut or Des Moinesgardens. A few of my tips for tight spaces:

Everything must do double duty.The retaining wall that keeps theneighbors lot from slipping into ours also serves as a handsome, tile-topped seating wall. And my terra-cotta Balinese funny man (thatswhat the street vendor called it) sits there as folk art, as well as cam-ouflages an electrical outlet.

No second chances. Space is too precious. Our roses developedmildew.Too much shade or poor air circulation? No matter. Just replacethe plants right away with something that will do better in that spot.

Placement matters. Make every plant or accessory count.We growlavender right near the back door, where you really can appreciate itscolor and fragrance close-up.

Learn to get along with annoying plants that you need.You may havelearned to work with an annoying office mate who wears Old Spiceaftershave lotion but can help you get the job done. Likewise, I amgetting along with a Pittosporum tobira that drops tons of shabby-look-ing seedpods but also screens off a utility pole.As soon as other plantsgrow enough to screen the pole, that pittosporum is a goner. (Dontapply this part of the tip to your annoying office mate.)

It doesnt take much.The right special touch can evoke much more.Native sedum in a small pot takes me to its oceanside home every timeI see it. I can almost smell the kelp.

Make sure your dog is small and doesnt dig or shed.After checkingwith the American Kennel Club, I realize there is no such dog.

Maybe we should see what Nord Eriksson and Rebecca Sams haveto say about minor-miracle dog selection.A chia pet?BILL MARKEN ,EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A Small Thinker

Look on yonder misty mountain, see the young monk meditating rhododendron forestD O N O V A N

MA

IA M

AR

KE

N

Cool CoverThe cover photo ofyour Jan/Feb issueshows two matchingplants on either sidethat have tall, blade-type leaves in themiddle and a striatedorange/red/pink hue on the outside.Theymake an awesome color combo.What arethe plants, and in what zones will theygrow?Kevin Mahon, Fort Lauderdale, FL

The plants are Phormium Guardsman, a culti-var of New Zealand flax, and can reach a heightof 7 feet.They can tolerate somewhat dry condi-tions but prefer regular irrigation, and they arehardy down to about 20 degrees. Popular for manyyears on the West Coast, phormiums are becom-ing more widely grown on the East Coast and inthe South. Perennial in warmer zones, it can alsobe used as an annual in cooler regions. However,it does not do well in many parts of Florida andTexas because of the high heat and humidity. Seewww.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1253 for more information.

Oh, the lovely fickleness of an April day!W I L L I A M H A M I L T O N G I B S O N

mailbox

Design RecipeI rather like the look of the moss-filled dough board on page 42 ofthe houseplants story in theJan/Feb issue. Is there a little moreto the construction than what ap-pears in the photo?Marilyn, LosAltos,CA

According to style editor Donna Dorian, whokeeps the mossy dough board in her house yearround, I just line my dough board with a heavyplastic leaf bag, add some light soil mix and pilethe moss along the top.The chore, however, is tokeep it moist. I water mine daily.

Minimal AppreciationI had to write and express my disappoint-ment at some of the winners of this yearsASLA and Golden Trowel Awards [Jan/Febissue]. I realize that sustainability and natu-ralization are important for todays gardens,but [some of the professional] designs...car-ry the minimalist trend to the extreme, inmy opinion. I am also for gardens to belived in, but I want to enjoy color and ex-citement in my living environment.

The amateur winners were much better,several of these containing interest and col-or. I think it is much more inspirational toportray gardens that are colorful, creativeand unique, but that also incorporate theconcepts of using plants that fit the area andconditions, i.e., native plants, etc.

Gardens of Piet Oudolf, for example,would fit this criteria.Very few of the win-ning gardens were inspirational to me.Hopefully, the minimalist trend will be ex-tinct by next years awards.Sylvia Elwyn,Gardens in Asheville,NC,and Sarasota, FL

Thank you so much for writing. Divergent opin-ions, after all, are what keep life spicy.We en-courage you to enter your garden in next yearscompetition.

CorrectionIn the Way Hot 100 article in the March issuewe mistakenly listed Hemerocallis Persian Car-pet. It should be Persian Market. It is correct onthe sources list on the Garden Design Web site(www.gardendesign.com). Our apologies to alldaylily lovers.

Genius will live and thrive without training, but it does not the less reward the watering-pot and pruning-knifeM A R G A R E T F U L L E R 13G A R D E N D E S I G N

dirtC O O L WAT E R I N G C A N S | H E I R L O O M B U L B S | T E X A S N U R S E RY | P E O N Y F O R S P R I N G A N D FA L L | H AT VA S E S

IN THE PAST, FORM WAS AS DEPENDENT ON MA-terials and production methods as on ultimatefunction. Most watering cans were made ofgalvanized steel, which was rolled into sheets,cut and welded.Thus the familiar wateringcan looks like, well, a can. And while manyfine examples are still basically metal cylin-ders, fanciful and funky versions are also mak-ing the scene.As high art meets high tech, wa-tering cans are really taking shape.

The use of materials like plastics, injec-tion molding and computer-aided design hasbrought the dawning of a new era in whatis known as industrial design, a melding ofart, engineering and manufacturing tech-niques. It is now possible to create any formimaginable, even exploring transparency andtranslucency, without adding significantly toproduction costs. So while computer-driv-

en technology once made industrial prod-ucts seem pedestrian, it now enables a moresophisticated, even fantastic exploration ofdesign in every sort of object, from com-puters to coffee pots.

These advances in materials and produc-tion techniques are luring more and moremodern designers, long-focused on one-of-a-kind pieces, into the industrial design field,where they are creating chic consumer prod-ucts.The win-win result is that industrial

The watering can is not so humble after

industrial designers get their hands on it

STAINLESS WATERING CAN

This cute angular wateringcan looks more like an oil canor teapot. Brushed stainlesssteel.At 7 inches tall itsperfect for houseplants. FromShip the Web: $24.95. Call800-388-8493 or seewww.shiptheweb.com.

BEEHIVE WATERING CAN

The cottage garden meets the Jetsons in this bee skep-inspired can. Steel with a copper finish. Holds just under 1 gallon; 12 inches tall.From Smith and Hawken: $32.Call 800-940-1170 or seewww.smithandhawken.com.

April Showers

MIC

HA

EL

KR

AU

S

Weve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plantYouve got to keep watering itJ O H N L E N N O N14 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

dirt

design not only opens a vast creative outletfor designers, but also brings well-crafted,interesting elements to the humdrum rou-tines of daily life. For example, the 2005winners of the Industrial Design ExcellenceAwards, given by the Industrial DesignersSociety of America, include an outdoor grill,mobile phone, hacksaw, fetch toy for dogsand self-watering flowerpot.

But industrial design isnt brand-new. Ithas roots in art nouveau, art deco, the Artsand Crafts movement, surrealism and popartAndyWarhols 60s Campbells soupcan images were a watershed moment. Cer-tainly there were high points in industrialdesign in the 30s, 40s and 50s, and manyof those pieces are now pricey collectibles.

Largely unsung craftsmen throughout the20th century and into the 21st created a myr-iad of familiar products, many of them sadlytaken for granted.Yet some of our most rec-ognizable, beloved, even iconographic objectsare the offspring of industrial designers, in-cluding the Coca-Cola bottle,Volkswagen Bee-tle, Eames Lounge Chair and iPod, which areconsidered works of art as well as the resultof engineering know-how.

Some designers are well-known, like Rus-selWright and R. Buckminster Fuller, andthough you may not recognize the name Hen-ry Dreyfuss, his Princess phone and WestcloxBig Ben alarm clock are classics. Dreyfuss wasalso one of the firstto popularize thefield of industrialdesign as it relatesto consumer prod-ucts, and his 1960The Measure of Manbecame a referenceon ergonomics.Thebest-known of theNew Design groupis perhaps PhilippeStarck, who hascreated not onlyfashionable furni-ture, but also atoothbrush,computer mouse and lemon press.

Even the watering can has become morethan functionalits art.JENNY ANDREWS

For Industrial Designers Society of America,call 703-707-6000 or see www.idsa.org.

STELTON WATERING CAN

A sleek, classic piece designed byPeter Holmblad for the Danish

company Stelton, known for stain-less steel tableware. Stainless steelwith satin finish; holds 1 liter. From

the Designstore.com: $209. Call888-279-0571 or see www.designstore.com. For more information

on Stelton, visit www.stelton.com.

BOTANICA WATERING CAN

From Italian designer Denis Santach-iara comes this sophisticated, deco-

rative plastic can dubbed LivingRoom Water Sprinkler. Available inwhite, apple green, black, orange orsilver (add $6). Holds about 1 gal-

lon. From Gibraltar Furniture:$74.59. Call 800-416-3635 or see

www.gibraltarfurniture.com.

PS VLL This award-winning watering can, de-signed by Monika Mulder for IKEA, with its birdlike formis an example of what writer Bruce Sterling calls TechNouveau. Its open spout and high sides make it easy tocontrol water flow. Holds 41 ounces.Available in IKEAstores: $1.99. Call 800-434-4532 or see www.ikea.com.

PIPE DREAMS Whimsical andbold, this watering can is the epito-me of a blobject (an industrial de-sign term for a curvilinear blobbyobject), from the Milan studio of German-born avant garde designerJerszy Seymour.Available in green,yellow, orange and white. Holds 2liters; 11.5 inches high. From Gener-ate Design Inc.: $75. Call 514-295-4678 or see www.gnr8.biz/home.html.

r e a d u p :IWant to Change the

World by Karim Rashid Tomorrow Now:

Envisioning the Next FiftyYears by Bruce Sterling

Blobjects & Beyond:The New Fluidity in Designby Steven Skov Holt andMara Holt Skov

Designing for PeopleandThe Measure of Manby Henry Dreyfuss

I had a hat. It was not all a hatpart of the brim was gone yet still I wore it onF E L I C I A D O R O T H E A H E M A N S16 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

dirt

DOUGLAS DAWSON GALLERY, SPECIALIZING INancient and historic non-Western art andsituated in a warehouse district west ofChicagos Loop, has a big surprise in store.

Or rather, out of store.What once was aparking lot is now a verdant landscape, a hid-den garden where cinemagraphic views ofcity skyline and passing commuter trains liebeyond brick walls and steel fencing.

The garden was built to display thegallerys ancient megalithic sculptures(which are for sale). Modernistic gardenrooms are differentiated by grade change,stone steps, pathways, water features, wood-en fencing and trellis, moss and gravel sur-

faces, and plantings in-cluding grasses, ever-greens, birch and sumac.Although the compartmentsare inspired by traditional Japanesedesign and employ natural elements tostimulate tranquil contemplation, thegarden unites with the surrounding me-tropolis by framing city vistas and em-bracing certain urbanite materials. Glasswalls in the gallery building, once a recy-cling plant, allow a seamless blend of in-terior and exterior spaces.

The garden was planned by galleryowner Douglas Dawson, designer Shirley

Weese and architect WallaceBowling, all of Chicago. Dawsonhimself maneuvered the earth-moving equipment. I love thesurreal juxtaposition betweencity and garden, Dawson says. Ilike to think of it as an oasis inthis raw industrial area.

The gallery at 400 N. MorganStreet ships its ethnographic art na-tionwide. For more info call 312-226-7975 or see www.douglasdawson.com.LAURIE GRANO

c o l l e c t i b l e s

HATFUL OF FLOWERSThese Victorian top hat vases are

from the glass collection available at

the Upper East Side florist L. Becker

Flowers.The whimsical shape origi-

nated with the genteel idea of

presenting a gift of flowers in an

upturned hat.The top hat vase was a

familiar mantelpiece ornament from

the late 18th century right up until

the 1950s. Examples can be found in

clear, amethyst, green, cobalt and

ruby blown glass. Miniature pressed-

glass versions that originally func-

tioned as toothpick holders can also

be found.The examples shown here

range in price from

$110 to $360.

JOANNA FORTNAM

L. Becker Flowers,217 E. 83rd St.,NewYork, NY 10028.Call 212-439 6001.

d e s i g n

Asian Eclectic

Left:View into the galleryfrom the garden. Below:Thegardens Asian style highlightsthe gallerys art and artifacts.

MIC

HA

EL

KR

AU

S;

CO

UR

TE

SY

DO

UG

LA

S D

AW

SO

N G

AL

LE

RY

(3

)

Then glut thy sorrow on a morning roseor on the globed peoniesJ O H N K E A T S

dirt

CHANTICLEER INWAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, NEARPhiladelphia is renowned for its explorationof the art of horticulture. But the gardenalso houses an unusual collection of beauti-ful, handcrafted garden furnituredozensof one-of-a-kind and site-specific piecesthat make the manynooks and crannies ofthis diverse 35-acreestate feel private.

Furniture designbegan as a way ofkeeping the full-timehorticultural staff busyin the wintertime andon rainy days, saysDoug Randolph, who,as one of the horticul-turists, pursues hiscraftsman work frommid-December to lateFebruary.Today, Ran-dolphs four-personmahogany and copperglider sits cozily insidehis self-styled arbor,while his clever designfor a drinking foun-tainwhich displaceswater to trickle downonto the plants be-lowis always a showstopper.Elsewhere, near the Ruin Garden,the stone sofa and chairs he de-signed are set on a carpet of greengrass.To punctuate the garden, oth-er staffers have made contributionsjust as unique, including a willowtable and chairs by Lisa Roper,uber Adirondack chairs by DanBenarcik, and handsome free-formwooden bridges by PrzemyslawWalczak.

Many of the horticulturistshave honed their furniture-mak-ing skills at the nearby, nationallyrespectedWilliamson Free Schoolof MechanicalTrade, which offersclasses in the fusion of horticul-

ture and garden furniture design.There are no plans at this time to mass-

produce or market Chanticleers unique out-door chairs and tables, benches, fountainsand inviting garden gates.They stand as sin-gular, functional works of art.The only way

to experience them is tovisit the garden yourself.As director Bill Thomassays, Even teens andpeople who dont likegardens like it here. LINDA OLLE

f u r n i t u r e

Art Lives in Philadelphia

Three pieces bycraftsman DougRandolph. Fromtop: mahogany andstone bench; stonecouch made fromrejected tomb-stone stock; blackwalnut rocker.

fyi For more details,call 610-687-6894 orsee www.chanticleergarden.org.

RO

B C

AR

DIL

LO

(3

);N

EIL

SO

DE

RS

TR

OM

i l o v e t h i s p l a n t

PAEONIA OBOVATASeasons in the garden are measured by themonth, so plants, Ive decided, should pay theirrent with more than a transient week or twoof bloom. Not that Im after eternal plasticflowers, mind you. Foliage and fruit have beauty,too.And Paeonia obovata var. alba does it forme, handsome from spring to fall.

Sturdy coral-red shoots emerge in spring,the young leaves clasping a rounded bud.As un-folding leaves turn green, the bud unfurls to apure white chalice, a single row of petalsaround a golden crown of stamens in a showthat continues from April to May.Autumn pro-duces another peak display as seedpods openwide, revealing lustrous metallic-blue pea-sizefertile seeds elegantly set off by Chinese-red, in-fertile ones.The show is so beautiful that Imbetwixt and between: Do I enjoy the show orgather seeds for sowing?

This herbaceousJapanese woodland pe-ony, hardy to Zone 5,prefers light shade and aloamy soil high in organ-ic matter that is moistbut well-drained. If oneis patient, propagation isquite easy from freshseed. Sow promptlyoutdoors, and a weeshoot will emerge thesecond spring.Youngplants will bloom ap-proximately five yearslater. Offered occasion-ally by a few specialtynurseries, this easilygrown, long-lived beautyis one that more thanpays for its keep.JUDY GLATTSTEIN

s o u r c e s :Frasers Thimble Farms:

www.thimblefarms.com.Seneca Hill Perennials:

315-342-5915,wwwsenecahill.com.

Asiatica offers the very similar Paeoniajaponica and pink-flow-ered P. obovata (www.asiacticanursery.com).

Avant Gardens offersP. japonica (www.avantgardensne.com).

Plant Delights Nurseryoffers P. japonica, pink-flowered P. obovata, andwhite-flowered P. obovatavar. willmottiae (www.plant-delights.com).

Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowersand never succeedingM A R C C H A G A L L20 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

dirt

ANOUCHKA LEVY,THE FLORAL DESIGNER ANDowner of Polux Fleuriste, grew up in theFrench countryside, always close to her fam-ilys fruit orchard and potager. In contrast tothe hip bustle of NewYorks NOLITA districtwhere her small, windowed storefront is lo-cated, her shop captures the fresh feeling andspontaneity of that rural innocence, and herflowers always seem just picked from the gar-den. Often what attracts me is just the sim-ple flowerthe generosity of ranunculus, thewild delicacy of clematis, the snake-skin-like

FLOWER LIST:

RanunculusAstrantiaEucalyptus seed Moss

pattern of the fritillarias bell-shaped flower,saysAnouchka. Sometimes things are beau-tiful in and of themselves, and if you add toomuch, or you think too much, you kill thebeauty of it. Filled as it is with each seasonsfreshnesspink sweet peas, anemones insoft pastels, delicate ranunculusshe seesher flowers and simple arrangements as justone element of an entire lifestyle.

As in the design above, flowers are dis-played in apothecary bottles from the 1940sbeside postcards and jewelry and white ce-

ramic pitchers. I love the style of the 1940s,and I like to work with vintage pieces fromthat period, saysAnouchka.There is some-thing very feminine and at the same timevery masculine about the style. In myarrangements, Im always trying to balancesomething rough with something delicate.In the arrangement above, ranunculus con-trasts with eucalyptus, moss and astrantia.Vintage apothecary bottles are available start-ing at $10. For more information, call Polux:212-219-9646.DONNA DORIAN

t h e c u t t i n g e d g e

WILD AND DELICATEM

ICH

AE

L K

RA

US

The gardens at Ball Horticultural Company inWest Chicago have undergone an extrememakeover.With winding paths through plantingsof annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, and un-dulating topography, its a far cry from the flatlandscape and ordered rows typical of earlier tri-al gardens (below, left),which started in 1933.Begun as a wholesale cut-flower business in1905 by George J. Ball, the company has becomean international powerhouse in the research anddevelopment of ornamental plantsyou haveBall to thank for Super Elfin impatiens,BetterBoy tomato and Wave petunia.

As part of its Centennial Celebration the7.5-acre grounds, now called TheGardens at Ball, were designed byDouglas Hoerr Landscape Archi-tects of Chicago, recognized forChicagos Magnificent Mile. Forthe makeover, Hoerr created a

radical new type of trial garden, looking morelike a botanical garden, with shady woodlands,container displays and paths leading to a 360-degree overlook. Even the row trials, calledthe Comparison Garden, have a twist, withbeds extending fingerlike into a lawn.

In keeping with Balls commitment to goodstewardship, the redesign was sensitive to theenvironment, from arbors of ipe wood (above)to walkways of crushed local river rock to apavilion roof recycling rainwater into nearbypools. Hundreds of plants were dug from theold garden and reinstalled, keeping the pastalive as Ball forges into the future.

The Gardens at Ball are open by appoint-ment, but sometimes there are specific opendays for the public. Call 888-800-0027 for in-formation.JA

vorite tulips.Another isZomerschoon.

There is no official def-inition of what makes abulb an heirloom, butold,well-lovedanden-dangered will do. Scottsays, Think antiques.

Heirloom bulbs arenot only special, they aretough.Many are tougherthan their modern coun-terparts, says Scott, point-ing to the common orangespecies daylily Hemerocal-lis fulva that flourishes, un-tended, beside countryroads.To Scott, heirloomsare also often more grace-ful than modern hybrids.The flowers of many ofthem bounce in the breeze

like butterflies, he says. Theres somethingethereal about them. But the best reason togrow them, Scott believes, is that they are old.They remind us of our association with thecommunity of gardeners.

Scott is obviously passionate about grow-ing heirloom bulbsbut evenmore passionate about savingthem. In the 1800s, when dahliaswere as popular as roses, 10,000named cultivars were intro-duced.Today, only six of thesehave survived, a big loss for gar-deners since dahlias get betterin late summer when otherplants are fading. Scotts favoritesincludeBishop of Llandaff and

Kidds Climax, the latter being one of thetop 10 of the 20th century.

But heirlooms can be saved. Just growthem, says Scott.ELIOT TOZER

For more info, visit www.oldhousegardens.com.

The business of a poetis to examine, not the individual but the species. He does not number the streaks of the tulipS A M U E L J O H N S O N22 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

dirt

IFYOURE LOOKING FOR HEIRLOOM BULBS,TRYthe old garage at 536 Third Street,Ann Ar-bor, Michigan. Its the home office (actu-ally, the only office) of Old House Gar-densHeirloom Bulbs, which is, accordingto owner Scott Kunst, the first mail-orderhouse in the entire world com-mitted to finding and preserv-ing heirloom bulbs. And werestill the worlds largest.

Once upon a time, Scotttaught English and studied his-toric preservation, but in 1993he heard that a tulip he grew andloved,Prince of Austria (intro-duced in 1860), had disappearedfrom the trade.It didnt have anunusually beautiful flower, he says, but itwas devastatingly fragrant.Think violets andorange blossoms. So he set out to save it.Tomake a long story short, the Princewas savedand Old House Gardens was born.Princeof Austria continues to be one of Scotts fa-

d e s i g n

HAVING A BALL

p l a n t s

Bulb Rebirth

Clockwise: GladiolusStarface, narcissusLucifer, tulip Insulindeand crocus Vanguard.Below: 1920s Childsnursery catalog.

SC

OT

T K

UN

ST

(4

);C

OU

RT

ES

Y B

AL

L H

OR

TIC

ULT

UR

AL

CO

MPA

NY

[1] Mille Couleurs Soleil for Garnier-Thiebaut, $73 per yd.; 312-396-0030, www.lemagasin.com. [2] Pattern 14256-31-Coral,Duralee, $66 per yd.; 800-275-3872, www.duralee.com. [3] Moroccan Tan in Citrus(4608), Giati, $70 per yd.: 805-965-6535,www.giati.com. [4] Medium Check in Sunset(PHCM712), McGuire, $115 per yd.; 800-662-4847, www. mcguirefurniture.com. [5] Bravain ChaCha, JANUS et Cie, $46 per yd. Fin-ished pillow from $110 to $130; 800-24-JANUS, www.janusetcie.com. [6] Summer(2185 9C4),WeatherBest; 800-544-0478,www.belladura. com. [7]Water Color Plaid inRed, Lee Jofa, to the trade; 800-453-3563,www.leejofa. com. [8] Ginko leaves hand-painted by Laurie Bell, $72 per yd. Finishedpillows $130; 336-379-9503, www.lauriebell.com. [9] Canvas stripe in tangerine (103-43),Soleil in/outdoor linens, $92 per yd. Finishedpillow $175 to $430; 805-563-4370,www.soleilinoutdoor. com. [10] Brisa Soleiloutdoor leather in Golden, Ultrafabrics, $37per yd. to the trade; 336-882-2722, www.ultrafabricsllc.com. [11] Seacloth in Sunset, fromCalico Corners; $49 per yd.; 800-213-6366,www.calicocorners.com. [12] Sconset Stripein Daisy (6332) for Seacloth, $73 per yd.; 203-422-6150, www.seacloth.com. [13] Dimone inFlame (8021/ 0000) for Glen Raven, to thetrade; 336-221-2211, www.sunbrella.com.[14] Sun Flower in Melon/Ivory (288-27), SinaPearson, $116 per yd.; 212-366-1146,www.sinapearson.com. [15] Main fabric:Miguel in Sunset (44029/0000), Joe RuggieroCollection for Sunbrella, through NorwalkFurniture Stores; 419-744-3200, www.nor-walkfurniture.com. Pillow flap: Shoji in Man-darin (44037/ 0003), Richard Frinier Collec-tion for Sunbrella; 336-221-2211, www.sunbrella.com. [16] Giverny Twist in Lamontagefelt, Liora Mann, $245 per yd. Finished pil-lows $85 to $165; 212-965-0302, www.lioramanne.com. [17] Limu Lei from PerennialsOutdoor Fabrics, to the trade; 888-322-4773,www.perennialsfabrics.com.DD

From fabric that is very flat, it just suddenly takes form and shape and meaningG E O F F R E Y B E E N E24 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

dirt

f a b r i c

PillowTalk

7

21

8

9 10

11

13

15 16

17

12 14

4 5 6

3

A symphony of orange outdoor fabricslends a jazzy rhythm to spring and summer

MIC

HA

EL

KR

AU

S;1

9T

H-C

EN

TU

RY

CA

RT

,A

NT

HO

NY

GA

RD

EN

BO

UT

IQU

E,

21

2-7

37

-33

03

InTexas its always hot, dry, sunny, not a cloud in the skyP I P E R P E R A B O26 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

dirt

TUCKED BETWEEN TWO COMMERCIAL BUILD-Ings on Austins 35th Street, Gardens mightbe easy to whiz right byexcept for the tri-angular, metal-clad second story that over-looks a giant, hive-shaped holly topiary.Thequirky architecture and high-style landscapedirect avid gardeners and design-consciousshoppers to one of the coun-trys most idiosyncratic nurs-eries and home stores.

When landscape architectJames David and Gary Peeseopened Gardens in 1981,there was only one person intown who they knew for surewould want what they werestocking, and that was JamesDavid. I was designing gar-dens, he recalls, and the products I need-ed such as native plants, terra-cotta pots andbenches werent available locally.To correctthe situation, the pair set out to stock the1,000-square-foot space with those neces-sities and certain necessary luxuries, suchas heavenly Santa Maria Novella potpourri.

But dont expectto see the same of-ferings every time: We never go to marketlooking for a certain thing, explains Peese.Ifwe see something great, we will buy it. Justnow, Gardens is the only place in Texas whereyou can get the divine roasted hazelnut Tor-

roni Baci brittle. David has alsobeen buying hemp linens,French olive-wood salad bowlsand huge close-up plant photo-graphs by Matthew Fuller.

You can still find terra-cot-ta pots, as well as zinc andconcrete ones. And becausePeese is a virtuoso cook, Gar-dens also stocks edible flow-ers and over 30 varieties of

tomatoes (tested in their home garden).And, yes, David continues to design land-scapes, always appointed with objects fromGardens.HELEN THOMPSON

For more information, call 512-451-5490or visit www.gardens-austin.com.

b o o k s

BOTANICAL MYSTERIESIf you love a good mystery like you loveplants, these books will satisfy both passions.

Past winner of a Garden Design GoldenTrowel Award (and rose aficionado),AnthonyEglin has combined the science and lore of theage-old quest for the genetically challenged

blue rose with an excitingtale of murder and greedin The Blue Rose:An EnglishGarden Mystery (Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books,2004, $23.95).

Alex and Kate Shep-pards perfect house, anold parsonage in the

sleepy English countryside, changes from anidyllic haven to the locus in a web of contro-versy, all because of one precious floral discov-ery tucked away in the garden.The storymight not be so farfetched, given genetic engi-neering and recent news stories speculatingon the possibility of a real blue rose.

Eglins latest book, The Lost Gardens: AnEnglish Garden Mystery (Minotaur/ThomasDunne Books,April 2006, $23.95), marksthe return of Lawrence Kingston, the gardenguru from The Blue Rose, to solve the puzzlesurrounding strange discoveries during therenovation of an old English estate.

In Deadly Slipper:A Novel of Death in the Dor-dogne (Doubleday, 2005,$23.95) Michelle Wanblends intrigue, familial de-votion and plant fanati-cism, like a combination ofThe OrchidThief and televi-sions Cold Case. Havingdiscovered a camera withpossible clues to her sis-

ters disappearance 19 years ago on its last rollof film, Mara Dunn enlists the help of botanistJulianWood.As they follow the sisters trail us-ing a sequence of photos of native orchids tak-en in the Dordogne region of France, Mara andJulian encounter twists and turns and severalcolorful and dangerous locals.The believabledescriptions of the region (the author and herhusband visit the Dordogne yearly in search ofwild orchids), the well-crafted plot and well-drawn characters make this a page-turner.JA

d e s t i n a t i o n n u r s e r y

Texas ChicGardens, with itsdistinctive sunburstchimney designedby owner JamesDavid. Below:Heirloom tomatoGreen Grape.

ZA

CH

ST

OV

AL

L (

2);

AN

DR

EW

YA

TE

S P

HO

TO

GR

AP

HY

(5

)

Trilliumsthe first flowers of springare beginning to pop up in the dark green underbrushK I M A N T I E A U28 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

growing

LOVABLE COMMON NAMES SUCH AS WAKE-ROBIN,WHIPPOORWILL FLOWER,TOAD-shade and sweet Betsy reflect the special place trilliums hold in the hearts ofnature lovers.A member of the lily family, trilliums have plant parts in threes(hence, the genus name) and bloom scents like fruit or rotting meat to attractsuch pollinating insects as gnats. Native to eastern North America, theWestCoast and Asia, there are over 40 species, divided into two groups: peduncu-late (with flowers on a stalk or peduncle) and sessile (with flowers flush againstthe leaves).Trilliums take four to seven years to reach flowering age, which,with difficult propagation, has led to plants being dug from the wild, puttingthese wildflowers near the top of the list for conservation.JENNY ANDREWS

TimelessTrilliumBeloved harbingers of spring, these

American wildflowers are easy to grow

P H OTO G R A P H S B Y J . PA U L M O O R E

Appeal: With elegance and quaintcharm, trilliums can be subtle stand-outs, particularly with their sleeklines set amid frothy spring flowers.Many trilliums have showy maroon-red, yellow or white blooms andattractive mottled foliage.Zones: Trilliums are native tozones as high as 9 and as low as 3.They can often be grown out oftheir natural ranges between north

and south, but thetranslation betweenEast and West coastsis less successful.WestCoast species prefer amild maritime climate.Exposure: As wood-land wildflowers, trilli-ums prefer high shade,though some speciescan take a little sun.Protect from brightnoonday sun, andavoid western expo-sures. Deeper shade isfine in summer, thoughthe extreme darknessof evergreens can

TRILLIUM STAMINEUM

One of the most distinc-tive and beautiful species,twisted trillium has spi-raled, dark maroon-purplepetals and horizontal sepalssurrounding a clutch ofpurple stamens. Bloomslate March to mid-May. Itsnarrow range in the wildextends from centralTennessee to the upperCoastal Plain of Alabamaand Mississippi, often onlimestone outcroppings.

I am following Nature without being able to grasp herC L A U D E M O N E T 29G A R D E N D E S I G N

TRILLIUM LUTEUM

Yellow trillium, with itslance-shaped, greenish tolight yellow petals andlarge mottled leaves, is oneof the most familiarspecies.Though many trilli-ums have yellow forms,which can lead to someconfusion, T. luteum has adistinctive lemon scent. Itproduces one to twostems per plant, becomingquite impressive over time.Occurs naturally fromNorth Carolina and NorthGeorgia to East Tennesseeand Kentucky on limestonesoils. Blooms April to May.

When Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soilB I S H O P R E G I N A L D H E B E R30 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

growing

keep trilliums from thriving.Soil: For best growth, plant in rich,loamy or humusy soils with gooddrainage and neutral pH. Somespecies prefer limestone-basedsoils; some, acidic soils.They cantake ample water when flowering,but prefer a dry dormancy period(late summer through winter).Care: At planting time, add leaf

mold or organic fertilizer.Trilliumsdont require regular fertilizing, butcan benefit from an application inlate winter.Alkaline-soil loversappreciate a yearly dusting of lime.Despite the depth of wild rhi-zomes, most trilliums prefer shal-lower planting in the garden, 3 or4 inches down. Remove thick leaflitter so seedlings can take hold.

When purchasing trilliums, lookfor nursery-propagated ones.

Managing editor JennyAndrews served for 12 years ascurator of the Howe WildflowerGarden at Cheekwood BotanicalGarden & Museum of Art inNashville,Tennessee, where thesephotos were taken.

1 2

3 4

[1] TRILLIUM SULCA-TUM Named for the sul-cate (boat-shaped) tips ofthe petals and sepals, thesouthern red trillium orrainbow wake-robin oc-curs from WestVirginia toAlabama.Typically dark red-maroon flowers can alsobe pink, white or yellow,with white or black eyes.Leaves are 8 inches across.Blooms April and May.[2] TRILLIUM SIMILEA creamy-white flowerwith a purple-black pistilmakes sweet white trilli-um one of the showiest.Added bonuses are agreen-apple scent andbroad, solid green leaves.Adaptable, though its dis-tribution is small, aroundthe Great Smoky Mount-ains. Blooms April and May.[3] TRILLIUM FLEX-IPES

Bent trillium ranges fromthe Great Lakes to Tenn-essee and Pennsylvania,typically in limestone soils.Thick-petaled whiteflowers perch at a rightangle on 5-inch stalks,with an old-rose fra-grance. Peduncles can bestraight, inclined or de-clined beneath the leaves.Blooms April to earlyJune, depending on locale.[4] TRILLIUM GRAN-DIFLORUM Great whitetrillium is one of theshowiest and best-knownspecies.White petals fadeto pink or nearly red asflowers age, though someforms open pink. Its rangeextends from the North-east to the Midwest andas far south as Georgia.

Now in the time of spring (azaleas, trilliums, myrtle, viburnums, daffodils, blue phlox)One feels the purifying changeW A L L A C E S T E V E N S32 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

TRILLIUM CUNEATUM

A wide distribution hasled to many quaint com-mon namespurpletoadshade, whippoorwillflower, sweet Betsy andbloody butcher. It can beseen carpeting the forestfloor in woods from Ken-tucky and Tennessee tothe Carolinas and Missis-sippi.The wide variety ofleaf mottling (silverygreen to dark purplegreen), size (6 to 20 inch-es) and flower color(bronze, red, yellow, greenor bicolored) can makethis a confusing species toidentify. Prefers limestonesoils but is adaptable andeven somewhat sun-toler-ant. Blooms from earlyMarch to mid-April.

growing

Pluck not the wayside flower; it is the travelers dowerW I L L I A M A L L I N G H A M34 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

growing

1 2

3 4

designing with tr i l l iums Combine with ferns and other spring-blooming wildflowers, such asblue phlox (Phlox divaricata), celandine poppy, bloodroot, Jacobs ladder and foamflower. Plant a trillium where it canstay put so it can grow more spectacular from year to year, or create colonies. A place near a weathered limestonerock is ideal for species that prefer limey soils. The rock will make the soil more alkaline over time, provide a backdropand protect against spring breezes and late cold snaps. To allow seedlings to develop, dont let other plants crowdtrilliums or leaf litter to become thick. Mark the location of rhizomes so you dont dig up or damage them whentheyre dormant. Clump-forming species can be focal points. Colony formers can create spring ground covers.

[1] TRILLIUM LANCI-FOLIUM Lance-leavedtrillium has narrow leavesand linear, often twistedpetals. Flowers can be ma-roon, purple, greenish-tanor bicolored. Not abun-dant anywhere in its natu-ral range; pockets occurfrom Tennessee to Flori-da. Most often found in al-luvial soils.Though easy togrow, its rarely available.Mottled leaves have a sil-ver blaze down the cen-ter. Blooms February toMarch or April to May, de-pending on region.[2] TRILLIUM RECUR-VATUMThe prairie trilli-um has strongly reflexedsepals tucked betweenthe leaf petioles. Has awide range, concentratedwhere the Mississippi andOhio rivers meet. Leavesheavily mottled. Flowerscan be maroon, yellow orbicolored, blooming inmid-March to mid-May.[3] TRILLIUM LUDOVI-CIANUM Louisianatrillium is almost com-pletely limited to thatstate (ludoviciana meansLouisiana). Petals can beall purple but most oftenare grayish-silver-green atthe tips. Richly marbledleaves are often showierthan the flowers. BloomsMarch to April.[4] TRILLIUM DISCOL-OR The natural range ofpale yellow trillium is theupper drainage of the Savannah River. Creamy-yellow flowers can have aspicy scent like sweetshrub(calycanthus). Blooms mid-April to early May.

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing pointC . S . L E W I S36 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

Landscape architect Topher Delaney creates a sanctuarygarden for the force

EARLY LASTYEAR, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TO-pher Delaney received a phone call fromCapt. Rick Bruce of San Franciscos Bayviewpolice station. He had seen the healing gar-den Delaney had designed for San FranciscoGeneral Hospital, and now he wanted toknow if she would design a garden for hisprecinctand raise all the funds. One of theirmen, 29-year-old Isaac Espinoza, had beengunned down while on duty in April 2004,and the force wanted to build a garden tohonor him on the annual date of his passing.

When Delaney went to the precinct, sheset her sights on a corner in the parking lotthat was filled with weeds and surroundedby a chain-link fence. Espinozas friends andsquad team offered to do the cathartic dem-olition work.Then Michael Heavey, a localconcrete contractor, donated the concreteand built all the walls. Regan Nursery, ofFreemont, donated rose bushes. Variousfoundations, businesses and private individ-uals helped out with the rest. It was greatto see this idea come together, says Delaney.This is the only garden I know of that wasactually developed and used as a sanctuaryfor the force. DONNA DORIAN

True Blue

decorC R E A T I V E I D E A S I N E X T E R I O R D E C O R A T I N G

A San Francisco sanctu-ary garden explores thenature of blue, the colorof law enforcement. Itsorigin dates back to theuse of woad, an Englishweed, which when boiledturns into a blue dye.

SA

XO

NH

OLT

(2

)

Let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand itA B R A H A M L I N C O L N38 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

decor

SA

XO

N H

OLT

(2

)

duplicate of Espinozas badge, number 64,was designed for the front gate.S T Y L E : Urban Garden. Delaney kept thechain-link fence to double as a trellis forCherokee roses (Rosa laevigata) and the ever-green vine Pandorea jasminoides Lady Di.F U R N I S H I N G : Inexpensive and attractive,the Pier One furnishings were functional,too:The holes on either side of the armchairsleft room for the guns and walkie-talkies po-lice wear on either side of their belts.Afterpainting the containers blue, Delaney sand-blasted them with the words Love and Grat-itude. She says, I wanted to suggest all thatthe community feels for the force.P L A N T S : Citrus trees, strawberries andtomatoes were planted in pots so officerscould eat in the garden. Mythic lore has itthat rosemary is the plant of love and re-membrance, so it was planted in and aroundthe beds in honor of Espinoza.B O N U S : To take an art form that I amgood at and donate it to a community, saysDelaney, is like donating a painting to a mu-seum.The community is better for it. It is agentle space in an aggressive world.

For more info:Topher Delaney, 415-621-9899, www.tdelaney.com. Regan Nursery,800-249-4680,.www.regannursery.org.Michael Heavey Construction, 415-822-4300, www.heaveyconstruction.com.

F U N C T I O N : A place to honor the life of fall-en police officer Isaac Espinoza.An intimategarden with room for two tables, it gives theofficers a place to retreat, reflect, take care ofpaperwork, eat lunch and have barbecues.F O R M : Located in a particularly rough dis-trict, the station receives sudden emergencycalls, so Delaney surrounded the garden witha broken, syncopated fence so officers canrace out at any moment.Walls and contain-ers were painted police-force blue, and a

Delaney (below) sur-rounded the sanctuarywith a vine-covered chain-link fence and syncopatedslabs of blue concrete.The garden offers thepolice a place of retreatand a way to honor fallenofficer Isaac Espinoza.

Color is a very critical thing. It is the emotional part of a structureJ O H N H E N C H40 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

style B Y D O N N A D O R I A N

FASHION IS FICKLE, AND COLOR PREFERENCEScan change as quickly as the wind. But thesedays, whats blowing in is not well-behavedneutralslove them as we dobut a rain-bow of bold colors that have made theirway outdoors to the garden and the patio.

Make no mistake: This is no arbitrarychange in the weatherno here-today-gone-tomorrow fad. Not since the Greeks paint-ed the Acropolis has man introduced coloroutdoors with such fanfare and pizzazz.Until now, two short rules have governedcolor on outdoor furnishings and statuary:Either love that patina (on marble, limestoneand the like) or know thy paint will peel (oncast iron, wood, etc.). It has been a drab, drabworld. But now that the door has beenopened to an array of new weatherfast ma-terialsfrom powder-coated paints to plas-tics and synthetic wickerits possible to

impart long-lasting color to outdoor fur-nishings. Its also fair to say that there is nobetter way to celebrate the fanciful energyof contemporary outdoor designfrommushroom-shaped stools to glowing lightcubesthan with the exuberance of color.I guess, after all, somethins in the air.

2

3

1

Vibrant color is no flash in the pan for outdoor dcor

[1] ROBERT ALLEN AL FRESCOCOLLECTION: Using the newfabric technology Bella-Dura, thiscollection brings durability to a startling color palette.Top to bot-tom: Leafy Accent, Splash; SummerMagic, Splash; Megastar, Azalea; Cen-ter Field,Watermelon; Leaf Cluster,Spring; Fun Time, Melon; On theLake, Melon. From Robert Allen:$56 to $66 per yard.Available to thetrade. Call 800-333-3777 or seewww.robertallendesign.com.[2] MARRAKESH: With chairbacks reminiscent of Arabian archi-tecture, this collection conjures upa mystical Morocco, where colorsinspire the soul. Available in six col-ors. By Dedon through JANUS etCie: $1,360 each (frame only);$1,500 (with cushion). Call 800-24-JANUS or see www.janusetcie.com.[3] VALERIA PLANTER: Expressyourself with color with these tallhand-glazed ceramic planters in sixlipstick colors and two sizes.Store in frost-free covered areas inwinter. From Campania: 10 incheswide by 18 inches high, $58; 14inches wide by 24 inches high,$108. Call 215-538-1106 or seewww.campaniainternational.com.

Rainbow Coalition

I find color schemes that I just like and that just feel rightA L A N B E A N42 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

style

an almost infinite range of vibrantcolors. From Branch: from $360.Call 248-874-1314 or see www.thebranchstudio.com.[6] LIGHT CUBE: Made of acrylicglass and stainless steel, thisoutdoor light sculpture couldntbe more cool. Choose Mono forenergy-saving wattage in eitherwhite, red, blue, green or yellow.Select the LED-run Cube Mood fora light show of remotely controlledcolors.Try Mood Akku for a lightsculpture run on a lithium-ion battery. FromViteo: Mono, $495;Cube Mood, $949; Mood Akku,$1,390. Call +011 43 3453 20662 or see www.viteo.com.[7] BIGEASY CHAIR ANDLOVESEAT: Bring color to yourgarden even on the wintriest daywith these sensuous, low-lyingnew designs from Freeliner, theedgy new Dutch outdoor furniturefirm. Select from a mix or match of blue and green frames and quick-dry foam cushions.Availablethrough Jane Hamley Wells: chair,$1,600; loveseat, $2,700 (cushionsincluded). Call 773-227-4988 or see www.janehamleywells.com.

[4] FRAME: It could be a smallarmchair, but with additions it be-comes a sofa suitable for indoors orout.This suave new design, madefrom a curved aluminum band, stain-less-steel feet and weather-resistantsynthetic rope fibers, is sure to get the neighbors talking. Choosefrom 11 colors. From Paola Lenti:small to large armchair, $2,500 to$4,810. Call Karkula at 212-645-2216 or see www.paololenti.it.[5] BURLAP-TEXTURED POTS:Are these not terrific? Made fromreinforced concrete and weldedtogether with an integral steelframe, the glam here resides in the pressed burlap relief that givesa visible texture to each pot.Tested for all-weather wear, theyare available in a variety of sizes and

Green is in many ways the most natural color in the world

VICTORIA FINLAY IN COLOR

5

6

4

7

The only color I dont have is navy brownY O G I B E R R A44 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

style

[10] ROUND-BACK CHAIR:Made from Central and SouthAmerican mahogany, this chair wasinspired by summers in Ontario,but it will find a home almost any-wherefrom poolside to big-cityrooftops.The only challenge is todecide what color to paint it.Available custom painted or in 28kicky colors. From Archies Island:$450 each. Call 800-486-1183 or see www.archiesisland.com.[11] PRIMARY POUF: A stool, aside tablelet it be what you wantit to be and in any of its nine colors.Made from an all-weather, fade-resistant foam, it is comfortableenough for sitting and firm enoughfor tableware. Have fun. From De-sign within Reach: $298. Call 800-944-2233 or see www.dwr.com.

[8] PORCINO: Check out thismultipurpose stool. Designed to actas seat, table or stand, its charmingwit reveals its Italian descent.Available in orange, white, black,apple green and red. From Serra-lunga. E-mail info@serralunga.comor see www.serralunga.com.[9] GUA: Inspired by waterdrops, square by square, this newcollection from the swank Brazilian outdoor furniture firm Tidelli wasdesigned by Brazilian architectManoel Bandeira. Remember guameans water in Portuguese.Powder-coated aluminum framewoven with synthetic fiber in fivecolors.Available through DesignKollection: chair, $835; ottoman,$525. Call 856-751-5800 or see www.tidelli.com.

These days, a wholecoalition of bold colors

has made its way into outdoor furnishings

8 9

10

11

Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we seeR E N M A G R I T T E46 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

abroadO N T H E R O A D W I T H G A R D E N D E S I G N

Belgian Bounty

JUSTIFIABLY KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR ITSchocolate (the lucky Belgians annually con-sume several pounds per person), lace (dat-ing back at least to the 1400s) and beer (closeto 400 types, more luck), Belgium actuallyamounts to much, much more.We have theBelgians to thank for the saxophone, Bake-lite, roller skates, artists Ren Magritte andPeter Paul Rubens, Jean-ClaudeVan Damme(the Muscles from Brussels), Nobel Prizewinner Maurice Maeterlinck, athletes KimClijsters and Eddy Merckx, and the Smurfs.

One thing Belgium should be more rec-ognized for is its gardens, both public andprivate, which I realized on a garden-hop-ping tour last spring. For such a small coun-try (the size of Maryland), Belgium offers a

remarkable diversity of landscapes and cul-tures, thanks in part to the two main his-torically distinctive regionssouthernFrench-speakingWallonia and Dutch-speak-ing Flanders to the northand a small areaof German-speaking Belgians in the east.

As in most parts of the world, publicgardens in Belgium offer a great way to ex-perience the nations gardening heritage,plants and history. Three gardens thatshould be on anyones must-see list are theRoyal Greenhouses in Laeken, the Nation-al Botanic Garden of Belgium in Meise andthe Gardens of Annevoie.

The Royal Greenhouses are a stunning6-acre city of glass built for King LeopoldII, beginning in 1874. Many of the plants,

Full of surprises, little Belgium has much to offer inart, music, architecture, history, foodand gardens

Top: HostellerieShamrock gardendesigned by JacquesWirtz.Above:TheFloral Carpet dis-play at the GrandPlace in Brussels.

CO

UR

TE

SY

HO

ST

EL

LE

RIE

SH

AM

RO

CK

;C

OU

RT

ES

Y B

EL

GIA

N T

OU

RIS

T O

FF

ICE

,N

YC

abroad

including the palms in the magnificent high-domed Winter Garden, date back to thetime of Leopold, a man after my own heart,who had a passion for plants and amassedrare and unusual specimens. Designed byAlphonse Balat, theWinter Garden is alsoused for royal receptions, and I thought howamazing it would be to have such a place toinvite your friends for a garden party.Thecamellias (296 strong) comprise the oldestand probably most important greenhousecollection in the world.The property, whichis about the size of Monaco, is still the roy-al residence. Each spring (April 19 throughMay 7 this year) the greenhouses andgrounds, originally designed by the leg-endary English designer Capability Brown,are open to the public. See www.visitbelgium.com and www.monarchie.be.

The National Botanic Garden of Belgiumin Meise, north of Brussels, is one of thelargest botanical gardens in the world, con-taining about 18,000 species. (Havingworked at a botanical garden for many years,I was definitely in my element; words likeplant systematics, taxa and collectionsmade me feel right at home.) It is also thesite of one of the worlds largest greenhousecomplexes, the Plant Palace, covering 2.5acres with rain forests, a desert house, wa-ter plants, spring bloomers and an Evolu-tionary House that traces the 500 million-year evolution of plants.The gardens have aspecial focus on plants native to Africa andEurope, the outdoor collections represent-ing about 7,000 species from every temper-ate region on the globe.Themed garden ar-eas also include medicinal and Mediterranean

Why not make my detective a Belgian? I thoughtA G A T H A C H R I S T I E

plants and, interestingly, a NorthAmerican forest.Though the 227-acre estate has long served as abeautiful park surrounding a cas-tle, this is also a serious research in-stitution, with laboratories, a150,000-volume library and a mind-bog-gling herbarium collection of over 2,000,000specimens. See www.botanicgarden.be.

Designed by owner and ironmasterCharles-Alexis de Montpellier and installedin the 18th century, Les Jardins dAnnevoieshowcases three distinct garden stylesFrench, English and Italian.The waterworks

are a marvel of engineering. Natural waterpressure from a canal at the top of theproperty and a gravity-powered hydraulicsystem ingeniously feeds about 20 lakes andponds and powers 50 water jets, fountainsand cascadesa process that has contin-ued nonstop for over 230 years. It was in-triguing to think of this wealthy gentlemangoing to such lengths to create the waterfeatures, combining technical and artisticacumenobviously strong on both left andright sides of his brain.The castle and gar-dens remained in the Montpellier familyfor 16 generations, and the property is now

considered a Key Her-itage Site.There is alsoan excellent restau-rant.See www.jardins.dannevoie.be.

One of the best pri-vate gardens in the coun-try belongs to Lies Van-denberghe in Snellegemnear Bruges.Though thehandsome Tudor houselooks like it is centuriesold, it was built between1978 and 1985 of mate-rials salvaged from olderhomes (an admirable re-cycling practice commonin Belgium). Lies begangardening over 15 yearsago and does much of thework herself, though shehires help for pruning themany hedges, parterresand espaliers. A patch-

work of 38 garden rooms covers the prop-ertys 5 acres, and though there are count-less shrubs and perennials, Lies considersthe roses the starsat least 1,000 of them,arranged in themes (royal, music, roman-tic).Around each corner is a charming view,including sheep peacefully grazing (thoughit was a bit distracting to learn that when a

sheep dies, rather than grieving or replac-ing it, Lies considers it an opportunity toexpand the garden). Called Loverlij, the gar-den peaks in summer and is open to the pub-lic during Open Days on the second, thirdand fourth weekends in June. For more in-formation, call 011-32-5039-0149.

Belgium is also home to internationallyrecognized landscape designers. Up-and-comers like Kristof Swinnen are appearingon the horizon, but the best-known design-er in the country is JacquesWirtz, whosedistinctive and elegant style has crossed theBelgian border, even into the United States

Above: Italianategarden with tulipsand boxood hedgesat Les JardinsdAnnevoie. Below:A winning gardenat the Floralies.

The Floralies gives growers and designers a chance to show off theirwares, like a floral fashion runway

CO

UR

TE

SY

FL

OR

AL

IES

OF

GH

EN

T;

JEN

NY

AN

DR

EW

S

abroad

(see Garden Design, November/De-cember 2005). One of his designscan be enjoyed at the HostellerieShamrock in Maarkedal, tuckedaway in the pastoral Flemish Ar-dennes.This bucolic country es-tate, built in 1928 as a huntinglodge for a baron of Ghent, is nowan inn and restaurant owned bychef Claude De Beyter and hiswife, Livine, who fed us well andmade us feel like members of thegentry.Wirtz designed the gardenson the 5-acre grounds in 1985,most prominently at the front ofthe hostellerie adjoining an out-door dining area. Elegant gardenrooms of clipped hedges (a classic and dis-tinctive aspect of Belgian gardens) encloseplantings of herbs that the chef uses in hisdishesperennials, trees and shrubs.A mag-nificent two-story Magnolia soulangiana wasin full bloom during our April visit, a breath-taking sight from both outside and throughthe windows. See www.hostellerieshamrock.be or email shamrock@edpnet.be.

If you time your visit right, you can wit-ness one of Belgiums as-tounding floral events.TheFloral Carpet of Brussels atthe ancient heart of the city,the Grand Place, is an annu-al spectacle, this yearAugust

Below: Garden ofLies Vandenberghe,with euphorbia andclipped hedges ofhornbeam.Above:Royal Greenhousesin Laeken at night.

Aqualens in 2-metre (6 ft.) pool

TeePee

Allison Armour-WilsonSpheres up to 7ft. diameter

TEL: 011 44 1293 871575 FAX: 011 44 1293 871111 www.allisonsgarden.com

PRICES FROM $5,000 PLUS SHIPPING

12-15. Nearly 700,000 flowers (mostly be-gonias) are packed together by 100 workersin under four hours to create an eye-poppingtapestry covering half an acre, something Iwould like to return to Belgium to witnessfirsthand. See www.flowercarpet.be.

And every five years is the mother of allflower showsthe Floralies in Ghent.Thenext show will be in 2010. Begun in 1809with less than 50 plants, this massive inter-national flower show most recently includ-ed over 500,000 plants and covered nearly10 acres, giving growers and designers(from 18 countries in 2005) a chance toshow off their latest wares, like a floral fash-ion runway. Exhibits include plant displays(an over-the-top explosion of azaleas andrhododendrons greeted visitors in 2005),gardens by landscape designers, bonsai, hugetopiaries called mosaicultures, and beauti-ful and sophisticated floral designs.The showwas mind-boggling, and it seemed like wewalked for miles; as we came upon eachnew exhibit, we couldnt help but exclaimWow. See www.floralien.be.

Belgium is certainly worthy of its owntrip, but even if you find yourself in France,Germany or the Netherlands, its a shorttrain ride to any major Belgian city. Anddriving through the countryside is a verypleasant experienceyou never knowwhat treasures you might happen upon. JENNY ANDREWS

For information on planning a trip to Bel-gium, visit www.visitbelgium.com.JEN

NY

AN

DR

EW

S;

CO

UR

TE

SY

BE

LG

IAN

TO

UR

IST

OF

FIC

E,

NY

C

The forces of creation, destruction, and preservation have a whirling, dynamic interactionK A B B A L A H52 A P R I L 2 0 0 6

groundbreakerI N N O V A T I V E M I N D S I N G A R D E N D E S I G N

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GARDEN THAT REP-resents the passion of a lifetime becomesdisposable real estate? Or maintenance isstopped and natures indiscriminate dy-namic gets the upper hand over art? Thiswas the question Frank Cabot asked him-self in 1989 when he visited Ruth Bancroftsastonishing garden of cacti, aloes and oth-er succulents in Walnut Creek, California.Well, why dont you do something aboutit? prodded his wife,Anne.

He did.That same year Cabot foundedthe Garden Conservancy, an organization tosave outstanding American gardens. Es-chewing the idea of owning or managingproperties, it instead assumes an advisoryrole that provides legal, financial and horti-cultural assistance to convert private gar-dens into not-for-profit institutions open tothe public.Today, due largely to the effortsof the Garden Conservancy, the Ruth Ban-croft Garden is a public garden welcomingmore than 5,000 visitors a year and offer-ing a full calendar of education-based pro-gramming. Further, the conservancy canboast of fostering more than a dozen simi-lar projects throughout the United States.

Besides ensuring the perpetuation of cer-tain important gardens beyond the lifetimesof their creators, the organization enablesthe public to view gardens that remain inprivate hands. Inspired by Englands OpenGarden Scheme, the Garden ConservancysOpen Days program was launched in 1995with the help of garden designers Pepe May-nard and Page Dickey. Each year, as gardensin different parts of the country are at theirpeak, some 400 owners in 60 or so com-munities open their gates.At the entrance

Saving GraceFrank Cabot:The prince of

preservation and garden making

Above, clockwise:Terraced pools andthe Chinese moonbridge at Les QuatreVents, Frank Cabotsgarden in La Malbaie,Quebec. Frank Cabot,the founder of theGarden Conservancy.

AN

DR

EW

LA

WS

ON

(3

)

to the gardens, visitors pay a smallfee that is donated to the conser-vancy. Members receive an annualhandbook listing the locations anddates of the open days.The GardenConservancy, which AntoniaAdezio has directed from its in-ception, maintains its home officein Cold Spring, NewYork. In 2003,in response to a surge of interest ingarden preserva-tion on the WestCoast, it opened asecond office inSan Francisco.

In addition tobeing the foundero f . the.GardenC o n s e r v a n c y,Cabot is also anextraordinary gardener and plantsman.But he doesnt consider himself an innova-tor and originatora groundbreaker ac-cording to the dictionary. Courtly andcourteous, he gives credit for his love ofand his accomplishments in garden makingto the people whose horticultural and de-sign talents have influenced him throughthe years and to the places he has traveled.

But drawing inspiration from other peo-ple, other gardens and other periods is notthe same thing as imitation. Les QuatreVents, the 20-acre garden Cabot created inLa Malbaie, Quebec, demonstrates how in-spiration from many sourcesFrance, Italy,England, Japan, China and the Himalayascan be sensitively incorporated into a gar-den that is unmistakably North American.Although the ever-observant world travel-er has incorporated a wide range of exoticfeatures in his gardenalles, a Chinesemoon bridge, a Japanese teahouse, a ropebridge vertiginously slung over a ravinethese all exist within, and play off, the nat-ural landscape. In 2001, Hortus Pressbrought out the handsomely illustrated TheGreater Perfection:The Story of the Gardens at LesQuatreVents, whose pages open the garden tothe general public who must otherwise seekan appointment to visit.

If Les QuatreVents is a North Americangarden with exotic features linked by trailscarved out of the native boreal forest, then

groundbreaker

Right:The daffodildisplay in spring on the Bulb Lawnat Frank CabotsStonecrop gardenin Cold Spring,New York.

Stonecrop, the garden Cabot began in 1959on a 12-acre portion of an old farm in ColdSpring, NewYork, is something quite differ-ent. It is set atop the geologic formation ofglacier-scoured granite at a windswept ele-vation of 1,100 feet in the Hudson Highlands,where scattered bedrock outcrops and boul-ders punctuate the thin soil.The resultnowunder the direction of Kew-trained CarolineBurgessis a horticultural showcase con-taining an Alpine garden, a conservatory, anenclosed English-style flower garden, watergardens and a Mediterranean garden. Burgessruns a highly selective internship program,which emphasizes the practical side of horti-culture: to know, grow and use plants.

Cabot now focusesmost of his energiesand imagination onlandscaping a hillyhouse site, on a sheepstation he owns inNew Zealand. Boldlyoriginal and entirelymodest about his con-siderable accomplish-ments as both a gar-dener and the creatorof a major Americangarden organization, Frank Cabot is literal-ly and metaphorically a world-class ground-breaker. ELIZABETH BARLOW ROGERS

Elizabeth Barlow Rogers is the presidentof the Foundation for Landscape Studies. Pre-viously, she served as Central Park adminis-trator and was founding president of the Cen-tral Park Conservancy.

fyi For more info on The Garden Conservancy,call 888-842-2442 or seewww.gardenconservancy.org. For Stonecrop Gar-dens, call 845-265-2000or see www.stonecrop.org; Les QuatreVents, call845-265-2011 or e-mailhortus@highlands.com.

RIC

HA

RD

BR

OW

N

57

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

The clients wanted a pretty,usable garden to look downon from their first floor.The

wife, hailing from the Midwest,dreamed of perennial borders.

RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT

On the sunny side (left),roses, veronicas, azaleas,geraniums, foxgloves andnepeta. On the shady side,campanulas, fuchsias, heu-cheras and hellebores.

ADD INDIVIDUALITY

Quirky charm is supplied bylow-growing blue star creeper(Laurentia fluviatilis) in thepaving.A simple but personaltouch that makes it yours.

TAKE ONE SIMPLE IDEA

A symmetrical layout, usinglow drystack walls and antiquebluestone flags, pulls the whole

space together at a glance.

minormiracles

1 3

4

2

Small is the new bigand if you have a yard the sizeof a stamp, you are one of the lucky ones. Over 20pages we have the inside story on four small spacespacked with stylish plants, creative features and big,wow-factor ideas that will transform tiny to terrific

58 62 66 70

just one look......is all it took to see how garden designer Elizabeth Everdell cleverly reorganized this tiny San Francisco backyard(56 by 34 feet). Looking towards the summer house, heres her four-point M.O. for designing a small space:

Call 415-221-1129 or seewww.everdellgardendesign.com.MA

RIO

N B

RE

NN

ER

FRENCH PARTERRE OR TROPICAL OASIS, SUBURBAN LOT OR PALATIAL ESTATE,regardless of a gardens style, size or budget, landscape architect NordEriksson concentrates on complementing a homes architecture, bal-ancing personal and public spaces, and using plants, water and hardscapein harmony with one another and the environment. Get those detailsright, he insists, and a garden cant help but look great and function well.

Erikssons own front yard, at approximately 1,360 square feet, is theembodiment of this one-philosophy-fits-all approach. Situated in Al-tadena, northeast of Los Angeles, the modernist space is actually twogardens in one.While a wide-open walkway welcomes visitors, an en-closed courtyard provides an intimate gathering spota seamless blendof neighborhood- and family-friendly design if ever there was one.

When Eriksson, his wife and family moved in a few years ago, how-ever, the landscape was a remodel waiting to happen.A semicircular drive-

58

Far from being an unused green coasterfor the house, this modernist front yard offersattractive views for passers-by and the family

From left:A rill runs throughan olive hedge and a blockwall that echoes the hori-zontal postwar architecture;red kangaroo paw and blue-green senecio soften con-crete and stone; Cynthiaand Nord Eriksson see Ianand Noah off to school;a drought-tolerant agave.

street smart

B Y E M I LY Y O U N G

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y J A C K C O Y I E R

59

way dominated the yard, and sparse vegetation left the 50-year-old con-crete-block house naked to passers-by. Instead of wall-to-wall asphalt,we needed privacy and security, recalls Eriksson, a partner at EPT De-sign, the Pasadena- and Irvine-based firm his father co-founded in 1962.We wanted a beautiful way of getting to the front door and a usable out-door room, but we also wanted to give something back to the street.

The solution was a wall that divided the space into two smaller yards.One became the curbside arrival area; the other, a peaceful courtyardsafe from traffic.The wall between them features concrete blocks andjoints identical to those of the original architecture. Its long, rectilinearshape mimics the low-slung roofline and horizontal windows. Every-thing I did had to do with the geometry of the house, says Eriksson.

For the arrival area, he laid out a graphic mosaic of rectangular con-crete pads and loose stone.The concrete was poured in place, then sur-

rounded with white Arroyo rocks, gray Mexican beach pebbles and mul-tihued Del Rio gravel. Long steps and the way my dad cantilevered themin the 50s are a tradition with the firm, he says. My steps also float,but I put rocks between them as a metaphor for water.

The blue-gray-green foliage of two old olive trees sets the tone fora palette of drought-tolerant plants in similar colors: lyme grass bor-dering the house and senecio and agaves flanking the path. I wanted toplant only a few species and use them in masses, says Eriksson. Thatminimal palette contributed to the calmness.

An iron gate leads to the courtyard, where a salvaged yucca inspiredmore spiky forms, including pink muhlenbergia by the front door, chon-drapetalum in the gravel and flax against a wall. Erikssons custom gatesuggests grasses swaying in the breezelike the black bamboo a fewsteps beyond.This layering of hardscape and plants lent the air of mys-

60

This page, above: A long succulent-filled planteremphasizes the low-slunggeometry of the house;the rill empties into a small basin in the courtyard.Opposite: A concrete padinset with slate, surroundedby loose river pebbles;Eriksson and sons at playon the water-saving gravel.

tery he was after. Instead of a straight shot in, you have to move aroundthe walls and plants to get to the door. Its a journey, he says.

As a final grace note, Eriksson wove water into the scene. A con-crete rill starts in the arrival area, disappears through a slot in the wall,then re-emerges in the courtyard. The water works in the same wayas the pedestrian views along the walk to the door, he says. Whenyou cant see it all at once, the garden feels bigger.

Noticeably absent is the traditional front lawn, and for good rea-son. The kids love to play in the gravel, he says. Plus I didnt wantto spend a lot of time cutting grass. I love to garden and putter. Itsthe difference between having to and getting to.

For further information,contact Nord Eriksson,EPT Design,Pasadena,Cali-fornia. Call 626-795-2008 or see www.eptdesign.com.

FRAME THE HOUSE withtrees and shrubs.A home nestledin the landscape will look and feelmuch cozier than a bare lawn.

ALLOW FOR PRIVACY A lowwall or a layered hedge screens per-sonal space while also presenting anattractive view from the street.

CONSIDER A COURTYARD

Unlike a backyard, where the garden is internalized, an outdoorroom in the front yard can beshared with neighbors.

CUT THE GRASS Replacewater-wasting lawn with gravel ordecomposed granite for an Asian,Spanish or Italian look, or plant acarpet of succulents for a greenbut less-thirsty garden.Anotheroption: Shrink the lawn by increas-ing planting beds and hardscape.

EMPHASIZE PLANT FORMS

and textures rather than color.Flowers are short-lived and oftenrequire extra maintenance, such asdeadheading and cutting back.

INSTALL LIGHTING to enjoythe garden at night. Highlightsculptural elements, such as trees,with uplights; mount downlights intrees to avoid runwaylike paths.

INCLUDE A WATER FEA-

TURE for its refreshing sight andsound. Instead of grand waterfalls,a simple fountain or rill will do.

f r e s h i d e a s f o rt h e f r o n t y a r d

61

HOUSE

FRONTGATE

CURBSIDE

RILL

POOL

GRAVELCOURTYARD

FRONTWALL

ILL

US

TR

AT

ION

BR

EN

DA

WE

AV

ER

GEORGETOWN, ONE OF THE OLDEST PARTS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.,WHEREthe town houses stand shoulder to shoulder on narrow streets, con-ceals many a green oasis.When garden designer William Morrowbegan making his enclosed backyard five years ago, he was instinc-tively drawn to the Old-World vocabulary of stone and gravel; lush,romantic planting; antique statuary; and weathered artifacts. But thespace he had to deal with, at 1,686 square feet, was less than aris-tocratic. He adapted his vision accordingly.

I knew the space needed strong lines to contain the chaos of myperennial beds. I trial a lot of plants before using them in a clientsgarden, so Im constantly replanting. I also needed a space that wasflexible and that would look good because I like to entertain a lot,he says. Construction was challenging, but as Morrow explains, hisapproach breaks down into simple steps:

Start with the house: One of Morrows goals was an area foroutdoor entertaining next to the housebut he did not want theexisting architecture to dictate the design. His 1890s Victorianhouse, although pretty from the street, is just a brick box at theback. Morrows response was to cover it with wisteria, and, like atheatrical backdrop, the leafy curtain strikes the right note againstthe wrought-iron furniture and weathered stone on the patio.

Design for flexibility: Morrows constantly changing lineup ofperennials could prove distracting.To counteract this he designed alayout with a strongly defined hardscape in stone and gravel and abackbone of permanent plants that provides all-year interest.

62

This hidden back garden in Georgetownhas an Old-World style with some up-to-date

twists adapted for a busy designer-owner

William Morrow with Ralphand Sasha in his Georgetowngarden. Left to right:A formallayout of gravel and sandstoneprovides structure for theeverchanging planting.Whiterose Rambling Rector cov-ers a wall; Crimson Pygmybarberry makes a low hedge.The pool is a focus for pots.

B Y J O A N N A F O R T N A M

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y R O G E R F O L E Y

washingtons finest

63

64

Make the walls go away: A favorite trick Morrow came across fordisguising a limited space was the disappearing boundary.Woodenboard fences 7 feet high enclose the garden on three sides; to makethem recede from view he painted them high-gloss black. Clientsalways refuse to believe this is a good idea until they visit the garden,then they grasp how effective it is. Not seeing is believing.

Be ruthless: The lawn was briskly shown the door. I dont findlawns practical in a small urban garden, says Morrow. The amountof time, energy, chemicals and machinery it takes to keep a lawnlooking nice would reap far more eye candy invested in a lusciousperennial bed or even in an Edward Scissorhands topiary garden.

Wrong tree, wrong place: I had to remove three large Magnoliagrandiflora. It nearly killed me, confesses Morrow. They should havenever been planted there to begin with. Southern magnolias are won-

Above: Fourth of July rosesand creeping fig create abackdrop to an inviting seat-ing area. Below: Allium schu-bertii explodes through a carpet of Artemisia PowisCastle and iris.Top right:A vertical garden of assortedbegonias and air plants.

65

derful trees from a distance, but you dont want to live under one. I lefta fourth that was far enough from the house to work into the design.

Be decorative: Having survived the painful but necessary surgery toachieve a workable layout, Morrow turned to furnishings. The setteesI chose are from Mike Reid Weeks. Iron furniture is a good choice forsmall gardens because visually it is light and airy, he explains.

Inject variety: Seasonal pots play an important role in this gar-den. Morrow uses single specimen plants in smaller pots (less than18 inches in diameter) and exuberant mixtures of annuals and sum-mer exotics (bananas, palms, agaves and coleus) in larger ones. Inthe winter, evergreen shrubs take over the containers.

For further information on the work of William Morrow, call 202-270-4137 or see www.morrowgardendesign.com.

TREES

Ginkgo biloba Princeton Sentry

This is worthy of a courtyardin an ancient temple.

Prunus serrulata AmanogawaWashington, D.C., and cherryblossoms go together.

Hamamelis x intermediaAny and all cultivars of witch hazel.I never met one I didnt like.

SHRUBS

Camellia japonicaWho canresist? And why would you try?

Daphne x transatlanticaFragrance is most noticeable in a small garden.

Fothergilla gardenii Springflowers, fall color and reliableperformance.

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilisNo one ever figures out wherethe fragrance is coming from.

PERENNIALS

Polygonatum odoratum VariegatumA three-season perennial.

Arisaema spp.A wonderful sur-prise. I always sneak in a few of these.

Dicentra spectabilis Gold HeartThis is definitely not your grand-mothers bleeding heart. An electricbeacon for a shady spot.

s e l e c t p l a n t s f o r s m a l l s p a c e s

POOL

SEATINGTERRACE

MAGNOLIA

AGAVESIN POTS

IRISHYEWS

PERENNIALBORDER

ILL

US

TR

AT

ION

BR

EN

DA

WE

AV

ER

66

LORRIE CASTELLANO AND ROGER FISHER OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, HADtheir heart set on a garden with simple, clean lines to go with theirnew architect-designed home on a small city lot just 50 by 112 feet.They had done their research and really knew what they wanted.

Before the house was completed in 2004, Lorrie and Roger spenttwo years living in the small 1920s cottage originally center stageon the property. Quite literally, they came to know their lot insideand out.They plotted the suns position through the year, spray-paint-ed house footprints on the ground, and built temporary structuresto work out how much space and volume their home would fill.From the outset, garden space took priority over house sizetheychose to shave inches off the building for outdoor gain.

BernardTrainor stood out from the small group of landscape de-signers they considered working with. Bernard got the need forconsistency between house architecture and the garden, says Lor-rie. And Trainor liked their style, too. Its fun to work with clientswho really see making their garden as an exercise in space planningrather than a room to fill with a list of features, he says.

Certain items were nonnegotiable: Seeing plenty of the Californiasun combined with true indoor/outdoor living were priorities, espe-

B Y R U T H C H I V E R S

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y M A R I O N B R E N N E R

From a quiet, unassuming entrance,the clean lines of this minimalist garden

gradually reveal that less is more

Right: Lawn and courtyardbalance the volume of thehouse.The horizontal lines of the fence and rectangularpavers that match the dimen-sions of the doors create anexpansive and cohesive look.From left:At night, lightingunites house and garden;madrone trees underplantedwith New Zealand flax linethe path to the front door.

real simple

67

68

From left: A fiberglass bowlsurrounded by chunks ofindustrial glass catches waterfrom a simple spout (by MarkRogero, concreteworks.com.)Wall seats allow plenty ofspace for sitting in the sunand enjoying aromatic plantslike lavender and rosemary.

HOUSE

FRONT PATH

STREET

MADRONES

COURTYARDLAWN

WATERFEATURE

69

cially for Roger, a native of rainy Manchester, England. A vegetablegarden, a water feature, and a lawn for a young granddaughter and thedog to play on were also on the wants list. Lorrie admits to discard-ing a personal vision of white roses in favor of a sustainable, no-fussplanting brief that was more consistent with the garden as a whole.

Trainors design turned a small garden into an expansive-lookingliving area by highlighting the importance of negative space, makingthe lawn and courtyard balance the bulk of the building.

The courtyard was paved with decomposed granite with a dust-ing of finings, a soft, permeable surface that aids water runoff, mak-ing it a sustainable option.The owners wanted a living fence or hedgeas a boundary but eventually agreed with Trainor that it would taketoo much space. His solution: a fence of cedar horizontal planks.This adds to the expansiveness of the garden, guiding the eye alongits length and reinforcing the horizontal planes of the walls.

The heart of the garden is a water feature on a direct axis with themaster bedroom.An amber-colored fiberglass bowl overflows into clearand amber pieces of industrial glass, all contained within a stainless-steelmesh cube.At night, lighting adds a jewel-box quality to the piece.

Lorrie resistedTrainors suggestion that she grow vegetables in con-tainers, so he found the right spot for a small yet productive edible gar-den.The rest of the planting meets the no-fuss-or-fluff briefarid-loving plants suited to the northern California climate are planted ingrids and rows, creating colorful, textural effects from all perspectives.

The garden looks good from indoors as well, and all doors slideopen to ensure great indoor/outdoor flow. Cohesion is achieved byrepeating materials used inside in the garden. Poured concrete paversat each entrance echo concrete flooring inside the house. Low con-crete sitting walls outside define a sanctuary-like courtyar