Homegrown Garden Talk at Monmouth Beach Cultural Center at 1pm

It’s a beautiful spring day – just the kind of glorious ambiance that gets gardeners in full gear.

It’s perfect for my presentation and talk about Edible Gardens and my book, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook

The Free talk takes place at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center (formerly a coast guard facility), located at 128 Ocean Avenue.  

I was asked to speak by a friend and former garden design client, Mary, who lives in Monmouth Beach.  Our collaboration produced such a beautiful garden; it was one of two of my garden designs featured in the coffee table book, Cottages and Mansions of the Jersey Shore  

So it is more than heartbreaking to see her garden yesterday -- I scooted over to make sure our technology worked for the presentation -- and saw the last of the trees damaged by Superstorm Sandy removed...

As part of my talk, I’ll discuss how we can practice permaculture -- gardening in harmony with Nature.  And gardening for a sustainable world in an age of Climate Change -- or "Climate Chaos."  We need to ask more of our gardens than “just” to be pretty.  

And with Earth Day just about here - what better way to celebrate?

I’ll talk about the importance of trees as carbon sinks, getting your garden to fifty percent Native plants (at least), saving money.  Did you know that use of Native plants rather than exotics saves up to $3,000 a year over time?  And that trees save 75% on air conditioning costs and more than 15% of heating costs.  

And we all know that growing your own edibles saves money. 

But we do it for the sheer, unmitigated luxury of taste.  When food is eaten for taste vs. transport, there is just no comparison.  Garlic that crunches like a water chestnut or fresh asparagus still warm from the earth is truly one of life’s best pleasures…

I’ll talk about the importance of soil -- how to get good soil and how to prevent it from eroding and how to nurture it.  There is no greater responsibility.  Everyone in the food chain  -- from chefs to farmers -- recognizes this and worships at the altar of Soil!

I’ll show how to learn what kind of soil you have and how to amend it.  

Then we will discuss garden design - a bit about ornamental and mainly the edible or kitchen garden.  Even if you don’t have a yard or community garden - you can use the “Crops in Pots” way to grow vegetables and herbs.  The plants are so pretty, too.  Utilize a three-step planting process of “Thriller, Spiller, and Filler” - to make your containers looking great as well as tasting great.   

I’ll share some good companion plantings, too.  Both to benefit the garden and protect from harmful insects or critters, as well as those that grow well together.  You know about plant adaptations, right?  Take marigolds for instance, they help keep away or suppress pests.  Because of their nematodes. Plus they possess beneficial soil microorganisms.  

We’ll talk about what tools to use and garden maintenance.  And in a climate change world - we’ll discuss watering the gardens.  It’s not just California that has water issues.  There’s the old saying, “As California goes, so goes the nation.”  With recent legislation restricting water use, I suggest it could be that way in many states soon.  In the meantime, we can all re-use water (Doesn’t it seem selfish to use potable water to irrigate a lawn?!), use of water barrels, practice storm water runoff, and use drip irrigation, in addition to xeriscaping.

Gardens are healing, hopeful places.  Enjoy your garden.   And for those in the Garden State, I look forward to seeing you soon.

Budding Botanists: FREE Art in Nature Classes for Children at AJ Dillon Gallery, Saturday Series - 10am

Calling all Budding Botanists!

The AJ Dillon Gallery of Fine Art (AJDillon.com) is hosting a series of four (4) Saturday Master Classes designed for the Budding Botanists in the Two River  area.  

Children, their parents, and caregivers, are invited for a FREE hour-long workshop, at 10:00 am:

Saturday, April 11 --  Potting Up!  Come prepared to dig in the soil and plant seeds (happy start to a Mother’s Day gift)

Saturday, April 18 -- Photography in the Garden!  Come with camera and/or SmartPhone

Saturday, April 25 -- Painting the Garden!  

Saturday, May 2 -- Kodedama -- How to make a moss ball garden display

All materials will be supplied by AJ Dillon Gallery.  Please RSVP to Emily: ContactUs@ajdillon.com or Leeann/Duchess Designs: leeann@duchess-designs.com 

Art in Nature opening Reception, April 4th, 6-8 pm AJ Dillon Gallery for Food, Drink, Art

Art in Nature, graphic by Tom Sebazco

It was a snowy, Sunday evening in January and I had just gotten to the loft to write when a dear, long-time garden design client, Joe, called and asked if I could stop down to his new office’s next door neighbor: the AJ Dillon Gallery Fine Art.

Sure thing.   I didn’t have a clue what it was all about-- but no matter.  If Joe asked – I’m there.

After Joe made the introduction to Frank Leahy, gallery owner and an accomplished painter in his own right, I found out what was in store.  I was surprised – and delighted – and honored - to be invited to curate an April garden-themed show!

Of course I love all things garden.  I am a garden designer, I worked at NYBG and BBG, and belong to countless horticulture and garden professional organizations, attend myriad garden and plant lectures and garden tours, (just got back from an Ecuadorean garden design work project); and I write about gardens…

Given April is a kind of sweet, spring gateway to the green, growing season here.  I was all in…

Soon, the snowy winter scene outside gave way to swirling blossoms, fragrant flowers, and green foliage.  In my head, that is. 

Still, as I thought about what the show could be, I wanted it to be more than “just” pretty flowers.  I wanted to grab people; reorient their house & garden “look book” ideas of what a garden is. 

This was not to be only an idealized botanical art and illustration or Hudson River School version of nature and art.  After all, the Two River area is still healing from Superstorm Sandy, so I was hoping nature in all its fury and power could be rendered in artful displays, too. 

Then there’s the big climate change elephant in the room that art is uniquely prepared to illuminate.  Art can make us see and – viscerally feel - what’s been disorienting our weather, oceans, seasons, and growing seasons…

  

I embrace the idea that nature and gardens are art – and further – that nature inspires all artists. 

I thought the show would enrich the Gallery, visitors, art enthusiasts and the artist community  - especially if we ambitiously pursued a full constellation of artful genres – from sculpture to ceramics to painting and photography to fashion to Kokedama, to performance art and music. 

Let’s joyfully explore the galaxy of art and artists inspired by nature. 

After dreaming a bit – not only the kind of show we’d present, but also the title of the show came to me: Art in Nature.  It’s everywhere if we just have the vision to see it.

I worked up a plan for Frank to review and approve how we could make this happen. 

I really, really wanted to give the artists a forum and a showcase to not only display their art, but also to allow them a way to sell their work.  And not just to the bricks and mortar Gallery but also to reach a larger audience.  I had just recently discovered the “Shop Now” option on Facebook.   I suggested we could sell the art to the vast audience beyond the Gallery’s walls.  Facebook’s Shop Now feature makes it all rather easy.

On the other hand, getting all the art submitted -- not so much! 

Artists are like racehorses.  A pure breed whose personalities and temperament are very much individual -- thoroughbred traits breed exceptional, rare breeds.  I love them.

After a mix of coaxing, cajoling, a kind of maternal soothing and encouragement – me and Emily Potts, the AJ Dillon Gallery manager and talented photographer I’ve had the privilege to work with on the show  - found we had an abundance of artful treasure: the painting, photography and ceramics and performance art started to cover almost every inch of the Gallery.  It was coming in from North Carolina and New York and the Garden State.  It is all stunning.

And soon, the Garden State’s elected officials were weighing in too.

Congressman Frank Pallone sent a very supportive letter that we will read tonight at the opening Reception and will then post in the Gallery.  Thank you,  Congressman Frank Pallone. 

Friend and newly-elected Fair Haven Councilwoman Aimee Humphreys dropped off a wonderful letter, too. Thank you, Aimee. 

And Aimee has also submitted some of her beloved parent’s artwork for display in the show: her mother’s orchid painting and her father’s succulent photograph.  Years ago, her father did portraits of me and Bill and my parents.  I treasure the images… so special. 

Governor Christie’s office started off in simpatico but when I called to inquire about the letter or attendance, was told he needs six to eight months notice!  Must be all that out of state travel coordination ^:^

I returned home from Ecuador garden design work to snow last week – but hope is eternal.  And today is glorious sunshine.   

Spring is surely here!

Windows are the eyes of the Gallery

As part of show’s outreach – I wanted the Gallery’s display windows to reflect the magic and mystery of nature that was soon to be within.

Working with realism artist, Jessica Wohlers (my esteemed niece, too) we worked up a design concept:  tree branches – as a “shadow art” foundation – an “Into the Woods” seduction, if you will, adorned with twinkling lights, butterflies, glass globes – and Frank’s inimitable art. 

We visited Gotham’s Floral District where I get my client’s garden-themed styling elements for container and display compositions.  Well, most of the floral art world does too – as does Jessie, for her commercial photo and video styling.

Within two shopping days we were able to carefully select the elements to fulfill the window tableau design.

Jessie twisted, turned, and contorted the wisteria branches to bend to her will!  She had them up in the windows – arching along the front.  She flirted with the glissine paper to render the dimensional tree shadow art hanging from the branches.  After trial and error and organic channeling: ethereal success!

EunYoung Sebazco brought her otherworldly Kokedama, moss art.  I will write more about this art and she will conduct a children’s Master Class at the Gallery in April.  You can also read more at her blog: Green in the Box  

Horticultural Artist, EunYoung Sebazco & her Kokedama Moss Art, AJ Dillon Gallery

Art in Nature graphic

Frank had Emily print more of the invitation postcard (went through a lot of them – hope that’s a good sign.)

In designing the look of the ad/invitation, I wanted a Fibonacci-inspired graphic.  Fibonacci images are so significant to art and design. I found an image on the web and thought we could incorporate a collage-like series of images to represent the show’s variety of The Art in Nature show’s genres.

I was able to get NY artist, Tom Sebazco to render the concept – brilliantly.  Look closely at the Nautilus –swirl of a garden and you will see sculpture, music, ceramics, painting, film and photography…

All in brilliant colors with blossoms and flowers swirling about.  How about that vision?!

Thank you to Tori Sickles, Sickles Market for sharing the graphic on their Facebook page.

Reception

My brother James Popik is playing his jazz music, along with singer, Jen.  There will be food and drink and family and friends, and nature and art! 

We will be video taping the event, too.  

Racing down to the Gallery now for a walk-through and a few tweaks. 

See you later.

  

From Healing Nature to Kimonos to Orchid Cocktails, Flora infuses Gotham (in spite of Spring in "holding pattern)

Potting Up:  Connecting to Nature is healthy. Photo: Brian Peterson; courtesy of Healing Gardens
 

Healing Nature, a compelling symposium produced by The Horticultural Society of New York, revealed  (to the initiated) that Nature is restorative – contact with nature, especially plants, promotes human health and well-being, reduces stress.

Keynotes speaker, Naomi Sachs, ASLA, EDAC, Master of Landscape Architecture, Healing Landscapes is a Sherpa – helping lead others to practice Horticultural Therapy which uses plants, gardens and other aspects of nature to improve people’s health and well-being.

Healing spaces matter. Sachs presented a series of research-based evidence to show how Hort Therapy not only reduces the impact of stress, but also improves cognition, productivity, creativity, immune function, satisfaction, and more. 

“The sense of being in a good place is powerful and energizing -- offering high-energy, highly-innovative environments,” according to Therapeutic Landscapes.

Did you ever hear of “forest bathing?”  Forest bathing, is a Japanese practice Shinrin Yoku, to describe getting out and walking in nature. “Green exercise offers a reduction in stress and produces NK or “killer cells,” noted Sachs.  She described how the trees emit wood essential oils as a way of warding off “intruders” (mainly for insects but hey – this plant adaptation benefits humans so all good).  

Forest Bathing

Essentially, the wood oils or phytoncides are antimicrobial compounds derived from the trees, that studies show, raise the level of white blood cells that are the NK, natural killer cells.  They white blood cells can last a week in women exposed to phytoncides forest air, according to a Earth Day Year of the Forest Therapeutic Landscape Network blog post  

Just too much snowy weather forecasts this weekend?  Then head to the Orchid Evenings at the New York Botanical Garden  Forest Walk this evening through the heady, oxygenated Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and luxuriate in the thousands of intoxicating flowers.  And if it couldn’t get any better than boosting your white blood cells, there’s music and specialty cocktails inspired by Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale line to really get one’s blood pulsing!  

And finally, a rare exhibit of antique kimonos is on display this weekend only, at Stephen Globus' Globus Washitsu, KeiSui-an located in an ethereally beautiful Japanese world (in the Penthouse at 889 Broadway) as the curators prepped for the evening’s VIP event. 

Sensory delight: Stunning Antique Obi, rare fragrance, & Kokedama  (created by EunYoung)

This Examiner received a sneak preview of the weekend show by Osami Kitazono, Founder and COO of Japanese Culture Style and EunYoung Sebazco. 

Osami Kitazono, Japanese Culture Style

Think of the show as a Hanami – “flower viewing” experience. The kimonos, table runners or “obi” – and slippers are fairly dripping with flower blossoms, especially the Japanese royal flower: kiku – or the chrysanthemum.  Thought this was just a throw-away, fall mum?  Think again.  The Japanese Imperial Seal – as featured on every citizen’s passport and is the coat of arms for the Imperial family, and their “Chrysanthemum Throne.”  

I first experienced the wonder of Globus Chashitsu and https://www.facebook.com/TeaWhisk last year during a magical and mysterious demonstration of a Japanese Tea Ceremony and wrote about it for my Examiner Food & Drink column. 

The Power of Design, Antique Kimono Meets Interior Décor for your Home is a weekend only exhibit  – produced by Rinko Kimino and Tea-Whisk’s Souheki-san.

The exquisite kimonos are hung gracefully on the tatami covered walls.  Peaceful sounds of water add to the otherworldly effect.  

Wedding kimono

Together, they shared the history of this exhibit.  

During the Edo period Japan was closed to the outside world and had developed a unique culture of its own, however, since the first black ship arrival in 1853, Japan has adopted Western culture.  This can be seen especially in the fashion of the 1920s, influenced by the art deco design and the flapper’s fashion the Japanese women developed the Modern Girl – or MOGA Style.  Even though more people started to wear Western style clothes, the conventional kimono also changed during this time – becoming more dynamic and gorgeous.  The exhibition introduces the original designs of kimonos made during the 1920s to the 1950s.  The kimonos selected comes from a personal collector who has possessed them for many years and includes the highest quality antique kimonos of Meisen silk cloth with the Kinsha Chirimem of vibrant colors.  

All the art is available for sale.  (From $300 to $800 to "Ask" the price.)  

Child's kimono! 

EunYoung, ® with curator Rinko and Garden-State ceramicist

The very beautiful & talented EunYoung shows off the collection of Antique Kimonos at Globus Washitshu



I got the adorable Japanese slippers – great for yoga – (and are available for a more modest, $30.)  The slippers are explosion of happy blossoms. 

Happy spring.