Garden Trends 2016

Ready, set, go..........In the Midwest that is,  the new landscape season is nearly upon us.

The trends I experienced last year, that are carrying forward this season, are very intriguing to me. Some are a new take on an old theme, particularly propelled by millennials, others an uptick in established patterns. (actually hate the thought of following a trend, but these appeal) Let's take a look, any of these to your liking?

Taking the Interiors OUT..........

Not a covered patio, fully emerged in the elements. The use of upholstered outdoor furniture up markets your space instantly. The comfort level soars. A favorite manufacturer is Lee Industries

From interesting rug patterns, poufs and high fashion outdoor pillows.....enjoy decorating this extra 'room'

Empty Vessels

 In the above image, place your thumb over the pot and notice how your eye will 'float' across the photo. When removed, your eye will focus, while encompassing the surrounding environs.

With the aid of empty vessels you create instant focal points, a foil against plants, an exclamation point of interest.

Could these be planted? Of course! Whether creating focal points or no maintenance accents, the typical pot leans towards the Grecian oil jar style

Ornamental Grasses

From no maintenance to low maintenance, people are gravitating towards the ease of these plants.

Wispy and romantic to columnar and structured. Tall to short and in a variety of foliage colors, these specimens have much to offer. I noticed on our garden tour to France last year, the heavy use of grasses, not what one typically thinks of when in French gardens.

 Free standing Espaliers

Espaliers are most often seen hugging a wall, as originally intended. In Europe when few people had land, a spot would be found or carved out against a wall, preferably south or west, to plant a fruit bearing tree for food. Today aesthetics rule the day.

Pre-formed trees are most interesting to me as free-standing sentinels. They delineate a space, add massive interest, create a fence like barrier in limited spaces and yes, bear fruit.

A Garden within a Garden

When designing a garden, I keep in the back of my mind, the principle of creating a getaway spot for intimate conversation or as an individual retreat. In Europe, where I studied gardening, homeowners spaces are often a series of 'rooms' requiring one to explore and sit within the garden. In the US, we usually have one vantage point, say a deck or patio from which to survey our 'land'. Consider creating another space within, providing new views uses and perspectives

A Clothesline

I am of a certain age that remembers laundry day at my Grandmothers. My parents had a washer and dryer, Grandma had a wringer washer and a clothesline. It screamed summer to me and the clothes were oh so fresh. Unlike my Grandmother, I was endlessly fascinated.

This is a movement sparked by those who have never experienced a clothes line. It 'romanticizes' wash day. 

A few years ago, I was working with a client creating French gardens on her expansive property. I suggested two solid lavender beds, a bit larger than a king sized sheet. After washing her sheets, they were spread over the lavender for drying.The lavender released their fragrant oils in the sun as they dried.....viola!

In the aid of Bees

As the below quote states, this is a serious predicament.

There is welcome interest in the preservation of bees. Along the way we can create colorful borders with bee favored plantings, pick up a new hobby as a beekeeper, enjoying the tasty rewards of bottling honey, become a soap maker, craft colorful beehives......

A friend of my husbands became a passionate beekeeper, hoping his enthusiasm would rub off on him, I began to design the beehive and borders filled with lavender.......sadly, not to bee

Imaginative Lighting

Up lighting has long been a staple. This is still a format I employ, but ask me for help with the exterior lighting on your home and I am in heaven. Let's peek at a few other options........

Wall Washing with lighting

Rope lighting along a rock border

Oh yeah!!!!!

It is that time again, enjoy!

Debra

Kindness

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

~Naomi Shihab Nye~

Cooper

May 1, 2006 - March 16, 2016

Design contest results!

Recently I announced a contest for an E-Design, an interior, exterior, patio, or gardens. By random number generator the winner was Joanne wanting to update her Master bedroom.

A typical design includes some back and forth's. In this instance, being a contest, it is just a reveal.

Typically, each design includes a supply list and instead of a Mood
Board, I like to address section by section. 

So Joanne.......hope you like!

ps....sorry for this back and forth sideways format with the photos and text. Obviously a big, FAIL!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK TO WEEKEND!

Debra

Venetian Plaster abstract art workshop!

Below is another example of this art, for your D-I-Y

nature. Yes, we all have it and this art requires zero experience. Sign up and take home your art piece, ready to hang.

MARCH 4TH & 17TH  5-7PM   $55.00

Let's Get Away!

We are excited to present our boutique/small group tour to England. I believe this to be our best, EVER!

Come get away with us!

Our other journey for 2016, in early October, is Normandy France and Paris.....Oh la la!

Debra

When I get the sad's I retreat, cherish alone time, lose my creativity, go silent.....

There has been much sadness around me lately and I feel others pain, often being too sensitive. A long time family in town lost one of it's members, a vibrant 18 year old, hit by a drunken driver. A beautiful woman came into the shop yesterday seeking retail therapy, her sister just passed due to a brain aneurism. And on and on.........I will dust myself off and begin to appreciate anew all of life's blessings, and I am very blessed. But first I need to deal with my personal sadness, the impending loss of my sweet pooch, Cooper. In comparison to other people's losses, I feel foolish, but nonetheless, feel, deeply

How is this for silly? My sister and I were playing with him and oddly, he went along with the dress up!

He quickly tired of our nonsense and went back to his favorite pastime; watching TV. Yep, "Pitbulls and Parolees" is his fav.

So many of you wrote, asked how he is doing, thank you.

All changed when I picked him up from his last chemo treatment, "Watch him closely, it could be 2-4 or more months".  "Watch for what?" I asked......."Recurrent tumors, you know he does not have long"

Why my shock? His original oncologist, long since gone from the practice, said "This treatment will cure him, he will die of old age not Lymphoma"
She was rogue, she apparently told this to others, I was stunned.

So tell me dear readers..........what do you do to get out of a funk? A time of burrowing? Sadness and silence?
After far too many years, I know that TIME is the answer, always is, just wondering who has any wisdom for these times in life?

I will say that I am at home as much as possible to be with Cooper while working on the computer, but for a spot of time yesterday I did lose myself in some creativity and it was a balm to my soul. Maybe that is the answer, jump back in. this may seem like an odd segue but it did help

 What do you think? My first abstract art

 Here is a try on a piece of burlap, do you love the crackling/old world effect? This could be stretched on a canvas.

 Up close you can see the effect of gold leaf. Forever I have dreamed of being an artist, a canvas artist, suddenly I feel empowered

Here is Margaret's first try.
                                                        Guess What? This is easy!!

If you are local, we are teaching this class on March 17th from 5-8pm. And, you will go home with your own art, ready to hang. This is a combination of Venetian Plaster, Pigments, Mica Powders and wax. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.......really
    To register call; 630.232.1303

                      And to you my friends, thank you for listening. Thank you for caring

                                                          xoxo    Debra

On the Road Again

The wildly busy Holiday season is in the rear view mirror. I pull out of the drive with heart palpalations; what antiques will I find, will the gift show be a good one, will I find myself in a jam?

Two hours out of Chicago, the first jam.......

 At the Scotts Antique show, many of my dealer friends started coming up to congratulate me, ME!?
Over and over I heard "You scored the piece of the show!" From Provence, a sinous, perforated metal table. "Do not sell it until you can manufacture more!" I wish

A new favorite design style is Spanish Colonial and I have a client heading in that direction, this piece is for them. Spain, 18thc, original paint, step back cabinet from my creative friend Lisa. 

That movement in the wood is called 'Linen Fold' an old world craft adding movement to wood

 Green/Turquoise seems to be my theme......A gorgeous antique cabinet, original wavy glass fronted cabinet on metal stand, would make a perfect bar, with style.

The step-back interior could hold bottles on the bottom, glasses and accroutements on the upper shelves. 

Ever see these? Probably not, I surely had not. Next question; what are they? Very old wine barrel stoppers. Rare to the market as they just do not leave the wineries, staying within the family. This conversation piece adds to any vignette

 Stylish Lisa never fails to leave me inspired. How is this for a vignette?

In my current vein of Spanish Colonial, is this Santos monk, c. mid 17thc, hand carved wood

The detail is stunning. The soulful eyes mesmerizing.

                                       Lessons from the Professionals.....

As I was purchasing hand woven vintage linen, from a woman that specializes in these goods, I asked her how she keeps her linens so crisply pressed. Buy an iron with as many steam openings as you can find, she advised. Ignore price, that is not an indicator. Before pressing, lay a terry cloth towel on the ironing board, the steam will go through the terry and come back up through the fibers keeping them open and 'fluffed'.

I chose this oversized sheet due to the gray undertones. "Oh, in that region of Germany the soil produces a flax with those color ways" Who knew?

 A master restorer said Loctite super glue is the best and only product he uses for wood repair

This French watercolor from my friend/dealer Lee appealed to me on many accounts but the lack of glass was high on the list. Most of us feel that to fully protect a watercolor is to encase under glass, that cheapens it, it could pass for a print. Lee recommends this product, to fully protect without a trace of evidence

 DRATS! Another day another tire! As I told my husband, "things happen.....when pulling a 22' trailer."
"No, things happen when you hit curbs."  He was not amused

Next up.........the warehouses and the gift show.......pinch me

Joanne, with the bedroom, you won! Drop me a line and let's get started.         debra@scentimentalgardens.com

Cheers,

Debra