Photo collection: White is the new Black
Oh, the elusive white garden. It takes a lot of restraint to decide on an all white garden, and even more to stick with it. There’s always that temptation to add, oh, just a little bit of purple here, or pink there. But stay strong! If you stick with this choice, it will pay off:
- A cottage-style white garden. Photo via allaboutmygarden.com
- Another cottage garden. Photo via leslieland.com
- Foliage and flowers pop with white.
- Formal-style white garden. Photo via telegraph.co.uk
- An Asian-style garden in white. Photo via bloomful.com
- The best part: White gardens shine at night. Via finegardening.com
Photo collection: Arbors
Usually when people think of arbors, they think of the standard run-of-the-mill, Cedar-planked arbor. Well, I want you to know that there are many exciting, different arbors out there – perfect for any garden type! Check out some unique arbors I’ve come across below.
- A very cool, modern arbor.
- Love this Asia-inspired/Craftsman arbor gate.
- This just screams cottage garden.
- Beautiful steel hooped arbor.
- An arbor that grows! (Via http://moblog.net)
- An arbor (or “ramada”) made of recycled objects.
Photo collection: Vertical gardens
Meet the hanging planter’s cooler cousin: the vertical garden. Vertical gardens are quite ‘in’ these days and – besides looking great – serve a variety of purposes. They provide people with limited space, like an urban dweller, the opportunity to garden. They also serve as a wonderful way to hide an ugly wall, grow a veggie garden and make a living sculpture.
- A vertical garden displayed like ‘art.’
- A vertical garden as a sculpture.
- Great for when you can’t find sunny spots for your veggies!
- Love this succulent garden wreath.
- My guess is this is hiding an ugly wall!
Photo collection: Modern chicken coops
You may recall I noted some cool chicken coops at Sunset Magazine’s Celebration Weekend that had gardens and succulents on top. Well, turns out those aren’t the only well-design chicken coops around. Modern, stylish chicken coops are popping up everywhere these days and might be the next big thing. That’s right you heard it from me first!
Here are some amazing modern chicken coops that make me think, “Man, chicken coops sure have come a long way!”
- Futuristic chicken coop via Thecoolmeter.com
- Slanted roof chicken coop by Greencliff Landscape Co.
- Egg-shaped (heh) chicken coop by Nogg.co
- A modern chicken coop by ModernCoop.com (made with reclaimed wood).
- Ok now this one is a bit much… yet still gorgeous. By Frederik Roije
- Well-designed chicken coop by Colorado Chicken Coops.
Interested in making your own backyard chicken coop? Read this great article at digginfood.com.
Ernie’s Japanese Tea Garden visit, San Francisco
What a photographer! I’ve been a fan of my friend Ernie’s photography work for years, especially his garden photography. He often gets really close up to flowers and makes them look like beautiful, abstract shapes. His talent lies in his ability to share the beauty he sees with all of us. Ernie is just full life and love, and it comes off in his photography.
The photos below are from a visit to the San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden and I’m very excited to be sharing them with you!
- Gorgeous close-up of a blooming Iris.
- I love the reflections in this picture.
If you liked these, make sure to check out all of Ernie’s photos from around the world at flickr.com/photos/mcgrayjr.
Photo collection: Tropical gardens
Ahh, summertime. If you’re anything like me, your mind sometimes wanders to beautiful, exotic destinations. Below are some photos I found while exploring the idea of a tropical summertime vacation. That is… until I remembered I hate humidity!
- A modern tropical garden in Jamaica
- An orchid at the Hawaii Botanical Garden
- A jungle-inspired patio in California
- The Kauai Botanical Gardens
- A tropical backyard space (that’s actually located in the UK!)
- A tropical garden pathway
Photo collection: Garden benches
Garden benches are not only great to sit on (duh!) but they can also serve as a stunning center piece for your garden. As with any accessory you include in your landscape project, it’s important that that your bench reinforce your garden and home style – which is why I’ve included benches for most types of garden styles below. Enjoy!
- This bamboo bench is perfect for a Tropical or Asian garden.
- Teak is a very traditional style that fits in a Formal garden.
- These Balinese boat benches would be great fun in a Tropical garden.
- This willow twig bench would work perfectly in a Cottage garden.
- The bold shapes & mix of materials here fit best in a Modern garden.
- This wooden porch swing fits well on a Craftsman porch.
Photo collection: Vines
Beautiful, blooming vines serve a variety of purposes. In fact, Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.” Boy, was Frank right (no pun intended!) Vines are great at covering up architectural boo-boos, not to mention they also serve as good insulation and are nice to look at.
Below I’ve noted which vines work best with different types of house and garden styles.
- Clematis ‘Carnival’ : A deciduous vine that blooms in summer. Perfect for the Cottage and Formal Gardens.
- Rosa Banksiae ‘Lutea’ : A mostly deciduous vine that blooms in summer. Perfect for Cottage and Formal Gardens.
- Hardenbergia Violacea : An evergreen vine that blooms in early spring. Perfect for Formal and Craftsman Gardens.
- ‘Hummingbird vines’ : Appropriately named because they attract hummingbirds. Perfect for Cottage Gardens.
- Campsis radicans : An evergreen vine that blooms spring through fall. Perfect for the Mediterranean Garden
- Ivy : Great in theory, but will sometimes rip apart shingle siding and attract happy rat families. Not recommended!
Photo collection: Garden lighting
Garden lighting can be a tricky matter. Is your primary goal to light a walkway, to highlight a garden feature, or both? Do you have a traditional garden or an Asian-inspired Zen garden?
Below are some garden lights I just love – for all sorts of gardens. Find out more about the lights by simply clicking the photo!
- Street Fair Light String by Restoration Hardware.
- Beacon Solar Lights by Chiasso.
- Zen Garden Path Lights by Kichler.
- Albany Walklight by Paradise Garden Lighting.
- Big Sur Candleholder Lanterns by Roost.
- Modern Bronze LED light by Hinkley Lighting.
Photo collection: Cacti
I love cacti. Cacti require very little water – which makes them sustainable and eco-friendly – and they’re gorgeous. Not the hugest cacti fanatic? See below for some inspiration…
- Canary Island cacti. Photo by doug88888
- Cactus container garden of mostly “rescued” cacti. Photo by lyonssusie
- Roof-top cactus garden at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Treye Rice.
- A blooming cactus in William Land Park Cactus Garden, Sacramento, CA. Photo by Elizabeth Weintraub.
- Flora Grubb’s vertical garden. Photo by Caitlin Atkinson.
- A “succulent border” by Rebecca Sweet of Gossip in the Garden.
