Garden State Home Renovation

The dreaded ivy vine is toast!  Home Renovation starts

It's not all together unreasonable that as a garden designer I should think about the garden renovation first.

Our Garden State country house is presently undergoing a home renovation.
And while this is not the "Garden Glamour" look you may be accustomed to here--not so pretty, I am going to share the process -- uglies and all.

As everyone who's lived through the experience of a home renovation knows, it's a roller coaster of a ride.

I'll refrain from too much commentary and focus on images, plans for the home design, and garden design, including my plans for a green, "designed" driveway.

I'll share the shopping frustrations, selection of kitchen and dining and bathroom fixtures and design.
The selection of marble for the kitchen counter and island is a comedy of errors unto itself.

Fingers crossed. Hope and dreams are still floating...

Before/Old entrance. Conifer was moved to garden client

The 1960's entrance worked for the former owners -- and us (for a time)  I think it was the Nor'Easter of 2011 that ripped the screen door off!

The problem here is obvious looks-wise.
The other problems included having guests walk up the driveway to the twisty-turney steps.
Decorative pots and plants were baked in the southwest exposure.
Too much paving in the driveway.

Good news: the front lawn is accessorized with a spectacular Kwanzan cherry tree.  Sakura blossoms abound in the spring!  pink snow!

I will preserve that magnificent work of art.
We will thin out in the spring in deference to our neighbors -- and the tree.

The arbor I designed with a tunnel of coral bark maple, Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku,' sided by the cultivar Lady in Red Hydrangeas, hydrangea macrophylla and Knock Out Rose,  http://www.knockoutroses.com/ and fronted with deciduous red twigged dogwoods, cornus alba 'Elegantissima.'  The coral bark leaves are bright light green in spring, golden in fall which blends so elegantly with the deep purple foliage of the hydragea leaves.
All the red bark looks brilliant contrasting with the white snow-- like rubies glistening against ermine.

and with red cardinals accessorizing the borrowed landscape, it's a "Look Book" moment, in a season that most don't look at enough...

wheel barrow now fronts the arbor...

I designed the arbor as a romantic way to get to the back yard.
I don't think most homeowners think of an easy, dedicated, designed way to access the yard.

"Design" is usually the contractor's foundation plants and lawn...

I wanted a transition. A sense of moving from one place -- the street -- into another world.

view of marina below us and NYC skyline beyond

Plus, the drama of the heart-stopping view is enhanced by the framing of the view and stepping out onto center stage: a viewing platform for what my husband calls "24 hours of baywatch!"

Gotham's skyline twinkles at night like a tennis bracelet

And here are a few images of the start of construction:

Coral Bark, rose, hydrangea arbor in anticipation, with screen safeguarding plants. For the first phase!

before front, Kwanzan keeping watch over masons installing new porch

Before

Front walk will be slate and brick. Access from driveway will be lower, closer to front/street area with 2-3 step elevation. Walkway will divide in front of Kwanzan with one side leading over to a new herb garden fronting the new dining room.

Driveway will be straightened. Front garden bed removed.

The shower mirror looking back on it's former home

outdoor shower not so spa-like anymore

Garden ornaments in temporary digs patiently survey the chaos

added covered porch off dining room, facing view. This is where the Japanese soaking tub and massage and yoga will be (besides just sitting). Miles of Sunbrella fabric will sumptiously drape the garden room

       

relocated conifers from front garden beds seem to have survived their move

The roses too, seem happy enough bedding down for the winter in the farm

Flirting with their new neighbors the rose, the pepper plants are still pushing out little gems

And I had the outdoor "comfort facility placed in a garden-like setting :)

First framing of conservatory dining room

The old roof shingles were removed yesterday, with more than a few floating down in the wind like papery birds of prey.  

Stay tuned!

Stop and Smell The Roses

If the late winter snow and rain has you feeling blue, you’ll be in the pink just by taking a stroll along the New York City's Park Avenue mall from 57^th to 67^th Street!

Artist Will Ryman has created red and pink rose sculptures that take your eyes soaring up, along with your spirits.  

You can’t help but smile at the 25’ blooms that seem to have sprouted in the planting beds, like something out of Gulliver’s Travels. 

From cows to roses, The Sculpture Committee of the Fund for Park Avenue and the New York City Parks and Recreation Art Program have their finger on the pulse of public art displays to be enjoyed by all, with the few with big wallets buying the one-of-a-kind art to help fund programs.  This year more than 30 rose art sculptures are already spoken for.  Take that David Austin!

While a rose by another name may smell as sweet, these loooongg stemmed beauties are made of stainless steel and fiber glass resin.  

The artist Ryman is quoted as saying he hoped the rose art sculptures offer an escape to city dwellers and visitors.  

They do. 

They are transporting – taking you into a Dr. Sueissical, fantasy world, even if it’s just for the time it takes to cross the wide street.  

You may have to rub your eyes – this is New York, after all, where dreams are made and anything is possible.

So while a tree may grown in Brooklyn; roses are in bloom on Manhattan’s Park Avenue until May 31st.

The Rose Sculptures as reported by Examiner.com Culture reporter:

http://tiny.cc/ebtku

In The Garden

The past two days of glorious cool June weather almost makes up for the weekend’s crushing, blistering heat and tornado-like winds (the last came with a warning at least.)

Back to seasonal garden highlights.  

Here’s what I’ve been up to in the garden and you can borrow a tip if you’ve not done so already in your garden….

I sheared the ever-blooming red roses along the Arbor Rouge in order to stimulate the blossoms for a repeat display later this month. The arbor composition has Coral Bark trees as the mainstay draping languidly around the arbor’s “model-svelte” frame that is subtly sparkly at night- lit from within by solar powered soft white lights, and is fronted by red-twigged dogwoods.  It’s so vivid in the winter with the white snow striking a contrast with the red barks of trees and shrubs.

In the summer, the Lady in Red Hydrangea and Red Knock Out ever-blooming Roses makes for borders that are rich and colorful. 

It’s very romantic to walk the arbor – day or night – in any season and it concludes just as you step into the herb garden terrace area with the dramatic backdrop of the New York City skyline like a string of diamonds, just beyond the blue, blue bay.

I am hoping the blooms will be dressed out in time for a sweet engagement party at the end of this month and the Independence Day party that we host to celebrate the spectacular fireworks display the town sets off from the marina right in front of our eyes!  As an added gift this year, we are hosting my wonderful cousins, Missy and Teri and her daughter – the gorgeous, Margo. Well, all three of the girls are all pretty gorgeous, actually!

*  Yikes, as I was writing this, the bloody groundhog practically joined me for coffee here on the garden terrace!  Shoosh!  I do not find him attractive at all - and a bit too zaftig for eating plants I think...

He likes my herbs too.  But I can assure you - not on my watch...

We planted the rest of the tomatoes started from seed in the lower garden – or as we’ve come to call it the “Back Forty” or simply “The Farm.”

The Black Krim tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes I received from Hort Couture (www.hortcoutureplants.com) have done splendid from day one! 

 See the yellow blossoms popping out all over the plant. 

The Hemigraphis ‘Blackberry Waffle’ tri-colored ivy has had mixed results. 

You can see here that several of them are fantastic – dripping from the urns. But two others haven't grown at all.  I'm hopeful though. (Aren't all gardeners blessed with too much hope?!)

Quick aside as I read some of my fellow bloggers writing about other breeders and how their lack of attention to packing plants for shipment resulted in DOA plants.

Hort Couture’s test plants came to the door in top shape, being carefully wrapped and packaged. 

They also provided comprehensive background information for the test plants and their full line. 

Great attention to detail.

In what Hort Couture - who offers self-described "... High Fashion Plants" includes whimsical yet helpful plant care labels with every plant.  So glamorous...

The plant label for the ‘Blackberry Waffle“ notes

“Why: Awesome cupped purple leaves with cream and pink highlights”

I placed them with purple heliotrope and dracena and next to pink guara or Dancing Butterflies and it’s pure poetry J

“Where: Likes full to part sun & great for mixed containers.
  This all so true and it’s in a perfect environment – setting off the containers and their companion plants brilliantly.

“With:  Super with flowers of pale and hot pink and silver foliage.” 

See above – and oh, they are next to silver lyschimia too and also set off the grey of the blue stone and terrace. 

These waffles are a very glamorous addition to the ornamental herb garden.

In addition to general decorative guidelines, the Hort Couture team puts care icons on the plant label so you can see at a glance where to site the plant, how tall and wide it gets, how much water and fertilizer and what zone. 

If only all relationships came with such care tips!

We keep eating the incredible, sweet, crisp peas – cooked or in salads -- remarkably, this also helps to keep them around longer.  

Talk about a win/win!  

Same is true for the lettuces and the arugula (although that’s almost all gone – too hot – plus we enjoyed eating it and sharing almost too much.)

My hollyhocks have re-bloomed from their original early spring fashion display in front of the Compost Cabana.

I will stake up shortly to help these top models sustain their glamorous posture.

  

And of course, all the beds got a “Basic Black” top dressing of shredded mulch. 

Can never have too much of that little black outfit!