6 Architectural Elements that Add Character and Structure to the Garden

Creating a sense of place, or identity, in any landscape design includes utilizing elements that fit in with the context of the site, which may be historical, cultural, environmental or geographical.  In addition, architectural features that help create or enhance the special character of a place can be functional, whimsical and/or simply beautiful. To keep […]

Topiary Gardens Take a Giant Leap

They’re whimsical and imaginative, artful and sculptural…topiary gardens take many shapes and sizes.  The precisely sheared shrubs and trees seem to come to life.  Recently though, topiary gardening has morphed into something even more magical:  Mosaiculture.  These public works of horticultural art, often several stories high, encompass wire frames that act as colossal planters filled […]

A World Without Flowers?

We’re all looking forward to spring, a time of renewal and beauty, and the opportunity to get outside and improve our surroundings.  Appealing landscape design often involves the artful arrangement of flowering plants, but imagine for a moment that 90% of flowers are no longer able to bloom.  This could be our future reality with […]

Solar-powered Lights Add Sparkle to the Night

Now that the days are filled earlier with darkness, it’s the perfect time to brighten up your outdoor spaces.  Solar-powered lights are ideal since they add nothing to your electric bill, and they come in such a wide assortment, there’s a light for practically every situation! An arbor or trellis Streetlamp style lights for your […]

Parking Spaces Transform into Parks

The annual event where metered parking spaces are temporarily transformed into parklets is almost here!  Park(ing) Day, started in 2005, celebrates public spaces in cities around the globe.  Anyone, from everyday citizens to landscape architects, can participate in this altruistic event which begs, “To call attention to the need for more urban open space, to […]

Recycled Granite Pavers Add Luxury to Your Landscape

While I’m not a huge fan of the granite countertop industry because of the environmental effects of mining the ancient stone and the around-the-world customary shipping, they’re obviously very popular in kitchens today. Another issue is the massive amount of waste left over after fabricating the countertops.  Luckily, there are some innovative companies out there […]

Sculpture Parks Can Inspire your own Garden Design

Sculpture parks or gardens creatively combine art and landscape, where they complement each other beautifully.  Strategically placed sculptures in the garden evoke a sense of wonder and whimsy.  Pieces can be abstract or realistic, and can serve as focal points at the end of a garden path or balance an asymmetrical landscape design. By studying […]

Will Underground Parks See the Light of Day?

  The proposed Lowline in Manhattan’s Lower East Side is an ingenious idea to redevelop an acre of abandoned trolley tracks into a public park sporting live plants and trees.  The former Williamsburg Trolley Terminal originally opened in 1903 and closed in 1948 when trolley service was discontinued.  The subterranean space still retains some of […]

Historic Gardens in Need of Your Help

We all appreciate walking through a lovely garden, and those with historic character are especially appealing.  But, in order to maintain an authentic period look, much work has to be done.  Many historic gardens are in need of restoration.  Those involved in garden restorations rely on archaeological evidence, drawings, photographs and historical documents to bring […]

Oysters Offering Protection from Storm Surges?

It may sound strange, but oysters may provide one line of defense against storm surges along vulnerable coastlines.  Super Storm Sandy reminded us of our mistakes in allowing such extensive storm damage to occur. One major error was filling in “80% of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary’s freshwater wetlands” so it could be developed with […]

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