Photo collection: Amazing garden art
As part of the ‘Garden Art‘ series this week, I’m posting some of the more spectacular pieces I’ve found on the internet. Granted, most of these are out of my price range but its always nice to get inspired!
Museums and parks are known for displaying a variety of amazing garden art. From the serious to the playful – and even odd, here are my favorites:
- Photo via mlive.com
Glass artist Chihuly creates modern pieces that sure make an impression. If you like this pic, Google ‘Chihuly garden’ for more amazing images.
- Photo via veranda.com
Henry Moore is one of the premier modern artists who focus on landscape art. While one of his pieces are worth more than most countries’ entire GDP, you can see his work in various museums.
I’m a bit of a junkie for the sculptor Rodin. Born in the 1800s, he created these amazing art pieces that are truly impressive. Lucky for me, I live near a Rodin Sculpture Garden!
- Photo via PushPallbar.com
The Mexican artist Luis Barragon devised his own style of modernism using lots of bright colors and geometric shapes.
This piece of living art took a lot of time and effort to create. Too bad it’s funny and has since ended up on sites like veryveryfun.com!
- Photo via travelmamas.com
And while we’re looking at the playful, check out this enormous art piece located in Minneapolis. The giant spoon stretches 52 feet across a small pond and acts as a fountain as well. By sculptor Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, his wife.
Dee’s Photos from Crater Lake, OR
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s officially time to get into the winter holiday spirit! As I sit here, sipping hot apple cider, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some beautiful winter-y photos my friend Dee Wong took during a trip to Crater Lake, Oregon.
She’s taken gorgeous photos in Santa Cruz Island, Pebble Beach and Mt. Hamilton, but these photos from Crater Lake are some of my favorites.
Grab a hot cocoa, and enjoy!
Above: A snow wheel. Apparently, “A snow wheel is made from a rolling stone. A natural occurrence when a stone or pebble falls onto snow on a downhill slope it picks up snow as rolls downhill until it looses momentum and falls over creating these trails with a snow wheel at the end.” – Dee Wong
Check out all of Dee’s photos here, and happy winter!
Photo collection: CRAZY birdhouses
On Tuesday we wrote about why we love birdhouses, but we left out one very important reason: There are some crazy, unusual birdhouses out there! Every so often we spot an incredibly unusual birdhouse and it makes us love them even more. Here’s a collection of some of the craziest birdhouses we’ve come across:
- Spontaneous city birdhouses. Read more at http://ow.ly/7maqA
- Speaker-turned-bird house with an embroidered front. Via LearningFrom.de
- Wavy gravy bird houses. Via The Winfield Collection
- Old Town birdhouses. By Jeff Canham
- Ha! A good Halloween birdhouse. Via refashinoso.com
- Shoe-shaped wooden birdhouses. By Christian Bermudez
- Birdhouse with a pool! Via News Design Interior
Why We Love Birdhouses
We just can’t help it. We love birdhouses! Not only are they the perfect garden accessory and statement piece, but they attract singing birds to your garden. Here are some different ways to incorporate birdhouses into your garden and outdoor spaces:
Bird house groupings
Groupings of birdhouses can work to great effect. Just make sure they’re a similar style or color palette to pull the group together.
- Hang a bunch of these from a tree. Via ICollect
- You can use birdhouses to decorate an outdoor (or indoor!) wall.
The standalone birdhouse
The sole birdhouse on a post will makes a bigger statement. Place one in a central point in the garden where you can watch birds flock to it. Or even better – place a bench nearby so you can watch your winged visitors.
- We like the branch style post that fits perfectly with rustic homes. Via jwlwgardens.com
Birdhouses for any style
- This cute birdhouse would be perfect for a cottage style home. Via Green Leaf Dollhouses
- These bird feeders are great for modern and Mediterranean style homes – and the birds love them! Via Tendir
- With its simlicity and symmetry, this birdhouse is good for a formal home. Via Yardenvy.com
Photo collection: Spooky plants
- Via Game-addicts.com
On Tuesday we talked about fun ways to decorate your garden for Halloween. Today, we’re really getting into the freaky, scary element of Halloween and have put together a collection of some frightening plants. Take a gander… if you dare!
- This looks like an alien plant! Creepy. (It’s actually a Darlingtonia Californica.)
- Who do you think would win? Carnivorous plant or the Black Widow spider? Via Colorado Carnivorous Plant Society.
- This Bat Flower fits right in to this Halloween theme! Via home-and-gardening.info
- Another alien-like plant! (Also known as a Desert Rose.)
- Appropriately named ‘Ghost Pipe’ or ‘Corpse Plant.’
- Wouldn’t want to get caught in this Drosera Capensis’s carnivorous leaves!
Want to get really freaked out? Check out these other great sources of carnivorous plant photos:
- Amazing photos in this National Geographic slideshow: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/03/carnivorous-plants/schmitz-photography
- Lots of info on each type of carnivorous plant: http://www.botany.org/carnivorous_plants
- Buy carnivorous plants online at: http://www.cobraplant.com/
Photo collection: Terrariums
When it comes to terrariums, one size does not fit all. Following up our post on Tuesday about how to make a terrarium that fits your style – here’s a selection of cool, unique terrariums.
- Photo via refinery29.com
- Photo via ChickInspired.com
- Photo via Upworld.com
- Photo via eHow.com
- Photo via LA.Racked.com
- Love this fun terrarium! Photo via ShimAndSons.typepad.com
Photo collection: Asian Style Gardens
On Tuesday we helped you decide whether an Asian Style Garden is right for you. If you’ve made the decision “go Asian” – congrats! Here are a few photos for a little inspiration along the way…
- Moss makes this space cozy. Photo via HGTV
- The classic half-moon bridge. Photo via Artrick-Playground.com
- Zen Gardens require maintenance but are just beautiful.
- An Asian Garden in front of a craftsman-style home. Via Sunset Magazine
- Who doesn’t love blossoming cherry trees?
- Think about adding a water feature to your Asian garden.
- Gorgeous Asian Maple leaves line the stairway. Via AsiaHotels.com
Ready to start designing? Design your Asian Front Garden online today!
Pumpkins galore in Half Moon Bay!
Over this past weekend, I went to Half Moon Bay, CA – a quaint town on the California coast known for their foggy beaches and florists. But come Autumn, they’re known for their pumpkins!
So it was no surprise that I passed a dozen or so pumpkin patches during my day-trip. So, I thought I’d share a few photos I snapped along the way…
- Quite the selection of festive squashes!
A yellow pumpkin still on the vine.
The craziest thing I saw all day were these…
We stumbled upon the venue of the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-off a day early, and they had some of the entries already displayed. Some of the pumpkins pictured weighed up to 990 pounds! Yes, 990 pounds.
You know what’s even crazier than that? The guy who won, Leonardo Urena, had a pumpkin that came in at a whopping 1,704 pounds — which broke world records. A fantastic feat, Leonardo.
- Leonardo & pumpkin. Via San Jose Mercury News.
But me? I just left with a cart-full of normal-sized pumpkins…
Photo collection: Container Gardens
On Tuesday we discussed important elements to keep in mind when planting your container garden. Today we’re showcasing photos of container gardens to really get the juices flowing. The great thing about container gardens — there are so many options!
- Succulents make for long-lasting container gardens. Photo via blog.craftzine.com
- Playing with different greens can have a great outcome. Photo via JPetersonGardendesign.com
- Two colors – purple and green – make for s simple design. Photo via LaycockGardens.com
- The golden-brown pot complements this sun loving plant combo – works for both Asian and modern garden styles.
- Container gardens can always include water plants, too! Photo via Fine Gardening.
- Great shade-loving plant combo, with a jewel color palette. Perfect for the formal or cottage garden. Via Landscaping Network.
- This vignette looks like a mini landscape. Perfect for Asian gardens. Via Sunset.
Photo collection: Cottage Style Gardens
On Tuesday, we wrote about how to decide on whether a Cottage Style Garden is the right style garden for you. Today, we’re sharing some photos of Cottage Style Gardens. If you’re saying ooh and ahh over these photos and feel ready to move in, then the Cottage style could be for you!
- The overgrown, un-planned “cottage look.” Via Better Homes & Gardens.
- Gorgeous Cottage Garden. Via GardensGardens.wordpress.com
- Photo via Better Homes & Gardens.
- Love the mini-cottage in the background. Photo via Fine Gardening.
- Look at how lush! Photo via Sunset Magazine.
- Photo via Fine Gardening.
- Thick, overgrown cottage garden via Apartment Therapy.
Ready to start designing? Design your Cottage Front Garden online today!
