Have you ever become so busy that you simply forgot how to unwind outdoors at the end of the day? Well, C.L. Fornari wants to change that. She wants you to create such a relaxing outdoor space that you can’t wait to watch the sun set and the evening begin in your garden – especially with good friends.

So, make a toast to enjoyable cocktail hour gardens with these good tips from a popular garden educator and book author.

Recently, I had a chance to read the new book by C. L. Fornari, The Cocktail Hour Garden.  There’s a lot of helpful information on creating outdoor spaces conducive for “Green Hour” gatherings. Along with good general gardening advice, the book addresses how to attract nature to your gardens, as well as design elements that can bring the essences of air, fire, sound, water and scent to these spaces.

From plant suggestions to party-enhancing designs, this clever guide helps you think differently about your gardens.  And with any luck, you’ll find yourself spending more time outside in nature, watching the light change in your yard. Recently, C.L. Fornari agreed to give Seasonal Wisdom readers some tips for building your own cocktail hour garden.

Q) What inspired you to write the book?  

C.L. Fornari: I was inspired to write this book, because of my back deck. (Shown in the photo above) My husband and I work constantly, both for our professions (he’s a marine geologist and I’m a garden communicator) and in our gardens. We both love our work, but when we moved to Poison Ivy Acres nine years ago, we began to see the wisdom of stopping work in the evening before dinner, putting down garden tools and all digital devices, and pausing to reconnect with each other and the natural world.

We sit on our back deck with snacks and beverages, and watch the birds, butterflies and other critters. We take the time to see how the light illuminates the plants, and to comment on the day. For at least a half-hour we enjoy what we’ve created and just relaxing in each other’s company and our surroundings. From this practice came the idea to do a book about this cocktail hour ritual.

Q) Why are late-afternoon and early-evening landscapes a worthwhile consideration for gardeners?

C.L. Fornari: Too often gardeners and home landscapers focus on the work of planting, mowing and maintaining…we forget to pause and appreciate what we’ve created. And these days we’re all so screen-connected that we need to almost force ourselves to put down our phones and computers and look at the miracles that are going on in our own backyards.

Most of us aren’t able to do this in the early morning or mid-day, so the cocktail hour is the perfect time to create this opportunity for relaxation.

Q) What are some common misconceptions about cocktail hour gardens?

C.L. Fornari: Many people think it’s only about an alcoholic beverage. One reviewer commented that there weren’t enough cocktail recipes! The book isn’t called “Garden Cocktails” but “The Cocktail Hour Garden” – in other words, it’s not the beverage that’s most important here, but the environment and creating a ritual to relax and enjoy it.

Misconceptions aside, one of the frequent “ah-ha!” moments people have when reading this book is the realization that we could be using our veggie gardens more completely during the evening hours. Those who grow vegetable gardens spend a great deal of time planting, weeding and harvesting, but often forget that we can also just hang out there and appreciate the garden visually. A foldable bistro table and chairs can instantly transform the veggie garden area into a cocktail hour garden…and the sugar snap peas or cherry tomatoes are instant snacks.

Q) Anything you’d like to add?

I think that too often we who love gardening and plants talk so much about the process that we forget to stress the environment and experience that is created. Although garden communicators want to help people be successful by providing useful information, I think we can do more to paint the picture of what all the soil amending, planting and weeding is about.

It’s about creating flower beds where we pick “give away bouquets” to leave on co-workers’ desks or in the drawer in the drive-through banking windows. It’s about being able to pick the freshest, most flavorful food on earth thirty minutes before dinner. It’s about having colorful, fragrant plants surrounding our outdoor offices during the day and fire pits at night.

For me, this book is my way to encourage people to go out into their own yards and gardens frequently for a unique experience that sustains body and soul.

Thanks for your time! Hope you have many wonderful cocktail hours in your garden.

The Cocktail Hour Garden

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the author. I was not compensated to write the post, nor was I told what to write.

What are those special ingredients that elevate a garden into a stylish and unforgettable space? What’s the best way to unleash your garden personality, and how can you create an outdoor place that’s uniquely your own?

Just in time for another gardening season, Seasonal Wisdom sat down with London-trained landscape designer Rochelle Greayer for ideas on developing personal style.

Photo copyright Adam Woodruff

If you’re an avid gardener or reader, you may already know Rochelle Greayer. She was a graduate of the English Gardening School in London. She is the creator and editor of  the hip gardening newspaper Pith + Vigor. And she also writes regularly for Apartment Therapy. I’ve gotten to know her better, because we are both members of the Troy-Bilt Saturday6 national blogging team.

Rochelle is also the author of Cultivating Garden Style: Inspired Ideas and Practical Advice to Unleash Your Garden Personality (Timber Press). This hard cover book is packed with photography, design tips and advice on styles ranging from Playful Pop to Xeric Hacienda and Handsome Prairie.

Whatever style you enjoy, you’ll find a wide variety of garden accessories – from modern umbrellas to retro fire pits to comfy loungers. There are literally hundreds of ideas to get your creativity flowing.

This visually stunning book is designed to help you determine the look that’s right for your home. Along with lots of design ideas, there is The Little Green Book in the back with good garden resources. You’ll also find general gardening advice for everything from firescaping a yard to choosing the right tree. There are many  little gems in this jewel of a book.

Obviously, Rochelle is a good person to ask about garden design:

Photo copyright Marianne Majerus

Q) How does someone cultivate “style” in the garden? 

Rochelle Graeyer: I think everyone has a personal style whether they know it or not.

Sometimes it is hard to find. But you can see personal style in the car they drive, the clothes they wear, the things they eat and the art they like. I think people are often afraid to embrace their style, particularly in the garden, because it can be so visible to everyone around them.

Finding your style is about finding what sings to you – the colors you love, the stories you like, the books you read, the images you are attracted to – and then learning how to translate that into a garden.

Pinterest is my favorite tool for people to use to find what they love. A fun activity is to go to Pinterest and perhaps go to someone else’s page that has a wide variety of boards.

The point is, expose yourself to a huge array of images. Then start liking — not pinning – but liking images.  Liking is super fast; you just click the heart in the corner on anything that looks interesting to you for any reason.   Let it come from your gut. The faster the better, so you aren’t over thinking or letting your critical thinking mind engage at all.

Don’t pin; that stops your freedom… it makes you organize and judge. The point is to turn that part of your mind off. Once you have done that, take a look at all the likes and see what patterns you find.  Did you like stuff with a particular color, style or element? What threads do you see? Sometimes a thread in your boards can be hard to find, but a friend can see it more easily. The threads are the beginnings of finding your personal style.

Photo copyright Hugh Main

Q) What are some common misconceptions about garden style?  

Rochelle: Style to me is very personal. It is not what the neighbor has down the street, although that may look great! Lots of people aim for what their neighbors have in the garden, but I think that only leads to a boring world (and boring neighborhoods).

Creating space around you that uniquely serves you, inspires you and comforts you is something that can only be done for you and by you.  Style isn’t universal – it is personal and unique.

Brooke Gianetti

Q) What have been some of your most important garden design inspirations?

Rochelle: Art and fashion are both hugely inspiring to me.  Both tell stories and when you are drawn to something (like art or fashion) you are drawn to some element of the story that it is telling.

Then, of course, there are other garden designers. From them, I am often more inspired by the technical elements – such as how they built something, or the plants they choose and how they put them together. If they are really thinking, then I can be very inspired by the stories they are telling. For example, I’m a fan of avant garde garden shows like Chaumont, because the whole point is to get away from “pretty” and more into an idea or concept.

Pretty is great – and of course pretty can carry the day in a garden – but just pretty can also be sort of a boring story.

Photo copyright Andrea Jones

Q) How would you recommend people deal with their “inner critic” and create their own garden style?  

Rochelle: Maybe thinking of it as “art” or “style” is too stressful and puts too much pressure on it?

Think more about what you love. Consider how you want to spoil and indulge yourself first. Then, once you know what is meaningful to you, it is easier to tell the inner critic to shut-up and go away. It’s all about you and whatever makes you happy. Who cares if that rhubarb plant is next to the mailbox, if it makes you happy?

Photo copyright Jim Charlie

Q) Is there anything else you’d like to add?  

People always ask me, ‘What about my homeowners association?’ And to that I say, there is always the back yard.  Build a fence if you must. Then do what you love and what inspires you out there.

Thanks, Rochelle! Best of luck with your own garden this year.

This is not a sponsored post. I was provided a free copy of the book from the publisher, but I was not compensated in any way.

When breast cancer struck the life of Austin-based landscape designer Jenny Peterson, her connection with nature and the people she loved helped her find emotional and physical healing, as well as spiritual renewal.  Now she wants to help others.

In her new acclaimed book, The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion, Jenny tells her story and gives supportive, practical advice for anyone dealing with cancer. Recently, we sat down to discuss her new book.

All photos copyright The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion

First off, I should state that Jenny is a friend of mine, who I’ve known for years from the garden writer’s world. When her book was published, I was eager to receive a review copy and see how I could support her. But I wasn’t sure how the contents would apply to my own life. After just a few pages, however, I could see that her advice has an universal appeal to anyone who is trying to rekindle their connection of the healing powers of nature.

Throughout the pages, Jenny includes advice to help cancer survivors find support in their own backyards. More than just a gardening book, however, she includes guidance on diet, exercise and spiritual renewal. But perhaps what makes the book so special are the stories from Jenny and others, which are intertwined with wellness information, to provide moral support to anyone going through a similar story.

In this phone interview, I caught Jenny in her pajamas with a  cup of coffee, just starting to get ready for the week…

What inspired you to write this book, Jenny?

As a cancer survivor, I wrote this book because I think most gardeners have an unspoken sense of how healing a garden is, but we often don’t put words to it. I think words are very important, because when you can state something or ‘see’ it in your mind, you can more easily make it reality. So, I wanted to write a book to inspire cancer survivors – and really, everybody – to see their gardens as more than ornamental.

How did your garden and Mother Nature help you heal from cancer?

A: For a while, I didn’t feel like gardening, because I had so many issues from my surgery and treatment. But my garden slowly drew me out. One of the biggest things I did during my recovery was to move my yoga practice outside.

My fiance Brett built me a 12 x 12 yoga deck in our backyard for my 50^th birthday (I was just a few months out of treatment), and we’ve since created a tropical garden around it. Doing yoga in that space, with the sun on my back, the breeze on my cheek and the sounds of my chickens and goats nearby – I’m telling you, it’s transforming. It’s another layer of healing that I wasn’t aware existed.

Your book isn’t just a garden book. Why did you include other information on diet, exercise and spiritual renewal?

Because the older I get, the more I see life as an integrated whole – our bodies, our minds and our spirits all work together to create health and balance. So I felt strongly that if I didn’t write about spiritual renewal, exercise and diet that the book would be incomplete.

I’d like to talk about the “Spirit” section of my book. There are many people who have a religious belief and consider themselves “religious.” While others identify themselves as “spiritual,” and still others say they are neither.

People from all belief backgrounds can use this section of the book, because it deals with those questions of why and who – who am I? What is my purpose? Why am I here? Why am I struggling? These are very real, human thoughts and feelings, and a cancer diagnosis brings them to the forefront.

Why did you want to include other peoples’ stories in the book?

Cancer treatment is very isolating – it’s a very lonely feeling when you realize, in very concrete terms, that your life is finite. But I didn’t want to leave it as “lonely,” because I think that is only half of the experience. The other half is that there are so many people affected by cancer, and I wanted my readers to look through the pages of the book to see themselves in it.

The survivors in my book are men and women, young and old, and are people who have been diagnosed with all kinds of different cancers. Some are avid gardeners, while others picked up gardening after their diagnosis. I want people to look at these survivors and feel hope and encouragement.

What do you hope your book achieves?

I hope this book helps people to view their gardens as one of the strongest resources we have for creating health and balance and joy in our lives. So much of our lives are spent indoors at a computer screen (mine included), and getting outside and breathing in the fresh air and tending to plants is almost magical in the way it can transform a mood or a perspective.

Learn More

Buy The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion

Visit J Peterson Garden Design

Read Find the Power Spot in Your Garden

Perhaps you have a small garden, and want to use that patio wall more effectively. Maybe you have a bad back and would prefer not to bend over. Or, maybe you just want an attractive place to grow your favorite plants. Whatever the reason, there are lots of different types of living walls, and they are easy to grow with the right gardening tips – whether it’s a sunny kitchen garden or a shady side yard.

To learn more about living walls, Seasonal Wisdom sat down recently with Shawna Coronado, book author, keynote speaker and media spokesperson.  She also agreed to give one lucky winner a copy of her new book. But hurry! This giveaway won’t last long.  Congratulations to Jess B. for winning this random drawing. All photos copyright Shawna Coronado.

My friend Shawna Coronado recently authored Grow a Living Wall: Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose (Cool Springs Press). Her four-color book gives step-by-step directions for building more than 20 attractive living walls, which are well suited to different growing conditions and design styles. From her home outside of Chicago, Shawna agreed one chilly autumn afternoon recently to share her thoughts on vertical gardening.

Leafy vegetables and ornamental vines grow in this living wall.

Q) What was the most important thing you wanted to show people about growing a living wall, Shawna?

A) Across the world, there is a crisis in growing useful and practical plants; there’s not enough space. A living wall can be done anywhere – on a fence, on a wall, on a balcony – and offers a no-weed, easy-to-maintain solution for people who would like to grow their own organic plants.

Q) What are some misconceptions that people have about vertical gardening?

A) People think their living wall gardens will dry out quickly from being too exposed to wind. The secret to preventing this situation is creating proper soil combinations. If you make a heavier soil mix for the vertical gardens, then the plants are less likely to dry out and more likely to succeed because you will be keeping the root systems moist.

Shady side yard with two living walls and a rain barrel.

Q) Your book has gardens that do everything from attract pollinators to provide ingredients for your dinner. Why was it important to you to show that living walls can have purposes?

A) In the United States, we often have gardens that I think are not environmentally friendly. Many are fueled by artificial fertilizers and chemicals, which are not necessary. I consider these types of gardens lower on the useful scale. Growing plants that are organic, helpful for therapeutic purposes, ornamental and edible, as well as beautiful, means the environmental impact is reduced and the impact on humanity is certainly more positive. Having a purpose for a garden means it is contributing somehow to a gardener’s well-being. Gardens that do this are important for mental health, because they contribute to our overall emotional needs and well-being.

Q) How did you select different gardens for your book?

A) First I found the living wall systems that truly worked, then I found locations for the systems that would work well, then I selected the plants. This is the same thing we might do for any raised garden or container system — find a container, find a spot, pick the plants and go.

Q) Anything you want to add that we haven’t discussed?

A) One of the most surprising things that happened recently is that I was diagnosed with spinal osteoarthritis after I wrote this book. Who could have guessed that I would need this style of gardening more than ever, because it is absolutely perfect for people who have a difficult time with traditional gardening? This gardening “up” technique reduces pain and discomfort while gardening. Arthritis-sufferers like me, in particular, will find this book useful for them because it can help make gardening easier.

 A backyard kitchen garden with two living walls.

Win this Book!

Here’s your chance to enter to win a copy of Grow a Living Wall.

It’s easy to enter, and there are different ways to participate.

Just use this Rafflecopter device, which allows Seasonal Wisdom to randomly select a winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fine Print: This giveaway ends Nov. 18 at midnight, and is limited to U.S. citizens. The winner will be immediately contacted, and has until Nov. 23 to claim the prize before another winner is selected. PLEASE check your spam folders to see if you won.

This book and prize were supplied by the author at no charge. However, Seasonal Wisdom was not compensated for this blog post, and my opinion is my own.

Thanks for participating, and good luck.

Learn more about Shawna at www.shawnacoronado.com.

More on Vertical Gardening

Living Walls for Small Spaces

Garden Up! Vertical Gardening

Vertical Garden Trends for Bing

No one is born with a green or brown thumb. We all need a little help developing our gardening skills from time to time. Sometimes those skills are passed on from generation to generation, if you’re lucky. But more likely than not, they aren’t.

Dee Nash, the author of The 20-30 Something Garden Guide (St. Lynn’s Press) wants to pass along practical, down-to-earth advice to younger gardeners. The kind of advice that you might have learned from a grandmother at an earlier time, who inspires you to become a lifelong gardener. Recently, I sat down with this talented author to learn more.

Dee Nash is a friend of mine, who writes an award-winning blog called Red Dirt Ramblings. When I heard she had written The 20-30 Something Garden Guide, I was curious why she felt inspired to reach this age group.

“Three of my four children are in the 20-30 age group,” explains Dee. “I knew they and their friends were interested in gardening, but didn’t know where to start. I wanted to give them the encouragement to get started and then help even more along the way.”

Dee also wanted to “leave a legacy for the next group of gardeners.” As she explains, “If we don’t reach out and lend a hand, we might lose that generation. Then, where would all of us be?”

Dee Nash and her constant companion Maddie

A third-generation Oklahoman, Dee has gardened in everything from a city apartment with a south-facing balcony to her present home on 7.5 acres. In her book, she writes about Oklahoma’s torrential rain, tornadoes and oppressive heat. “Perhaps you’ve heard about the Dust Bowl in school … but my grandparents lived it,” she writes.

 A Grandmother’s Inspiration

Just as Dee wants to inspire young gardeners, she credits her own grandmother with instilling the love of gardening into her life.

“I used to stay with my grandmother Nita in Miami, Oklahoma in summer, and I would toddle after her in the garden,” recalls Dee. “She taught me about bugs and which ones helped the gardener. She would give me seeds to plant. She let me harvest tomatoes. Later, we’d go inside, read books and make supper. She would put on a spread of everything she grew from green beans, tomatoes, peaches, potatoes, corn and summer squash. They were not wealthy, but they felt rich because there were so many great things to eat there.”

Years later, Dee’s own kitchen garden (shown above) is continuing this tradition and growing many of the foods her family eats.

In the 20-30 Something Garden Guide, Dee understands that today’s gardeners often have to make do with tiny patios or small gardens. That’s why her book is organized around three types of gardens, including:

•  Small Space Gardening with Containers
• An Edible and Ornamental Garden in the Front or Backyard
• A Garden to Delight the Senses

Along the way, Dee gives plenty of practical, down-to-earth tips on everything from deciphering a seed packet to building healthy soil to attracting butterflies. Everything is written in a way to demystify the mysteries of gardening, and put the fun back into this popular hobby.

The uplifting, encouraging tone is exactly what makes this gardening book so special. As Dee writes in the book, “One of the great disadvantages to being a gardener is perfectionism… I want to help you think more about gardening as a process and not a series of to-do lists. Let’s turn the idea of chores into a meditation that benefits your entire life…”

Beginning gardeners will especially find this book helpful, but experienced gardeners will still appreciate Dee’s horticultural knowledge and attention to best practices.

Rose photo copyright Dee Nash

Dee admits that roses were her first love. “Roses were my gateway into gardening,” she says. “I bought three moderate roses, and when they bloomed, I was hooked.”

Getting her readers hooked on gardening is an important goal for this author.  With her book, Dee says she wants people to know “that gardening isn’t hard. It’s work, but it’s blessed work, and anyone—I mean anyone—can do it.”

Buy this book.

Read her blog.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided at no charge. I was not paid to write this review, however, and my opinions are strictly my own.

The weather may still be cold and wintery where you live, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create unique and attractive bouquets.  Even better is when you can find the foliage and flowers for those arrangements locally, or from your own garden.  To learn more, Seasonal Wisdom spoke with Debra Prinzing, a Seattle-based advocate for local flowers, who shares expert bouquet arranging ideas and talks about her latest book, Slow Flowers.

Eighty percent of flowers sold in the United States are imported – and that is something Debra Prinzing wants to change.

This well-known author has written a book called Slow Flowers, which includes 52 beautiful, locally grown bouquets.  Her book received the Garden Writers Association’s 2014 Silver Award of Achievement.

But that’s not all. Debra also established SlowFlowers.com – an online directory to American grown flowers, farms and studios. Plus, she airs a podcast where you can meet innovative flower farmers, eco-conscious designers and do-it-yourselfers around the U.S.

“My ‘slow flowers’ mindset is closely aligned with the Slow Food movement, which ascribes to the desire to grow, prepare and eat what’s in-season or produced close to home,” explains Debra. “Our U.S. flower industry has become a commodity marketplace relying on imports, and it feels like a disconnect.  I hope to alert flower consumers that there is a better way to have beautiful, local and seasonal flowers.”

Just as foodies eat a different menu during winter than in the bountiful summer, floral designs should also be seasonal.  Debra encourages gardeners to channel their inner floral designers, and urges them to not be afraid to gather their own bouquet from what’s growing in their gardens.

Three Design Tips from Debra

• Think seasonally and design accordingly. “Floral design in the quieter, dormant seasons of our gardens requires more observation, more creativity and more originality, because the elements of our bouquets are less obvious,” says Debra.
• Remember foliage. “Anything evergreen or vegetative is up for grabs,” she urges. “But don’t think ‘twigs and conifers’ are your only cold-weather options. Consider the fabulous broadleaf foliage of plants like Southern magnolia, oakleaf hydrangea or Corsican hellebores too.”
• Be flexible. “Combine what delights you,” adds Debra, “and bring flowers, leaves, stems, branches, berries and herbs into your home.”

 Slow Flowers Design

To recreate the above Slow Flowers cold-weather arrangement, you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS

20 stems smooth eucalyptus foliage (Eucalyptus gunnii), grown by Charles Little & Co. (Oregon)

5 large leaves from oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), harvested from Debra’s Seattle garden

10 stems purple beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’) from Charles Little & Co.

7 stems rose hips (Rosa multiflora), grown by Charles Little & Co.

7 purple coneflower seed heads (Echinacea purpurea), harvested from Debra’s Seattle garden

5 stems pincushion flower seed heads (Scabiosa stellata ‘Paper Moon’) from J. Foss Garden Flowers (WA)

7 stems ‘Supergreen’ hybrid tea roses (Rosa ‘Supergreen’) from Peterkort Roses (Hillsboro, Oregon)

VASE

5-inch tall x 17-inch long aluminum planter with three 6-inch wide planting sections.

Learn More

Connect with Debra Prinzing.

Buy her book.

Debra Prinzing is one of seven experts I feature in my presentation, “Top Gardening Secrets from the Experts.” The others are Joe Lamp’l, P. Allen Smith, Robin Haglund, Christina Salwitz, Susan Cohan and Riz Reyes. To hire Seasonal Wisdom to speak at your next gardening event, contact me.

FCC Disclosure: Seasonal Wisdom was not compensated to write this article in any way.

Imagine having access to one of the most comprehensive libraries about plants and gardens anywhere in the world. Well, that feat is easier now with a gorgeous new book called Flora Illustrata, which spans more than eight centuries with illustrations of rare manuscripts, iconic books, engravings and botanical drawings.

One example is “Vue de Tour Porcellaine a Nancking en Chine.” Shown above, it displays a pagoda in a Chinese garden-landscape, which greatly influenced the development of landscape gardening in Europe with its irregular layout and exotic decoration. The colored engraving is after a print in Johannes Nieuhof, An Embassy from the East-India Company to … the Emperor of China, London, 1673. Art and Illustration Collection, EKR 379.

See more of the treasures of Flora Illustrata…

The richly illustrated Flora Illustrata book flings open the doors to the impressive and immense collections of the LuEster T. Mertz Library of The New York Botanical Garden.  Edited by Susan M. Fraser and Vanessa Bezemer Sellers, the stunning book was published by The New York Botanical Garden/Yale University Press.

What I particularly liked about the book was that the library’s collection is presented within the context of what was happening culturally and historically during that time.  For example, one of the 11 chapters covers “European Medieval and Renaissance Herbals,” and has pages and pages of beautifully illustrated herbals, flower books and garden prints. Another chapter explores “Linnaeus and The Foundation of Modern Botany.”

Paging through this book is an interesting history lesson. You can see how people gardened, what plants they grew, and how they enjoyed the space. There also are lots of information and visuals that show how horticulture, garden design and floriculture evolved over the centuries.

More than just a pretty coffee table book, this resource reveals a lot about our changing relationship with plants and gardens. It would make a wonderful holiday gift for those who appreciate gardening, history and art.

 An army of gardeners were needed to maintain a highly manicured Rococo park, as you can see from these engravings from Salomon Kleiner, Viererleÿ Vorstellungen, Augsburg, ca. 1730.

The fashionably dressed members of the Viennese beau monde seem unaware of the many workers attending to the necessary garden work around them.

When William Bartram sent his cousin Humphry Marshall a box of plants for European clients in 1792, a single “Magnolia auriculata M. Fraseri” was among the forty-five “curious” species.

Magnolia fraseri, in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, London, 1809, vol. 30, plate 1206.

Although this magnolia was published more than 200 hundred years ago in a British botanical magazine, it still looks contemporary today.

Crinum herbertianum, vol.2, plate 145, in Nathaniel Wallich, Plantae Asiaticae rariores, London, 1830-1832.

This image was drawn by Vishnupersaud, one of the most famous Indian botanical artists of his day.

It was produced under the auspices of the English East India Company’s Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta; drawings by several Indian artists were translated into hand-colored lithographs by Maxim Gauci.

Flora Illustrata Exhibition

To mark the publication of this landmark book, The New York Botanical Garden is presenting an exhibition, Nov. 15, 2014 to Jan. 19, 2015, called Flora Illustrata: A Celebration of Botanical Masterworks.

More than 50 books and objects will be on display. If you’re lucky enough to be in New York around this time, make sure to get over and see it.

Disclosure:  A copy of this book was provided at no charge by The New York Botanical Garden, but my opinions are always my own.

Gardens are magical places, which can restore our spirits and bring us closer to nature’s miracles. Often our gardens have a “power spot,” which is a just a bit more special and noteworthy than other places in our yards. To learn more, Seasonal Wisdom turned to Jan Johnsen, author of Heaven is a Garden – Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection (St Lynn’s Press, 2014).

Come learn how to find the power spot in your garden and create an outdoor space that brings you peace of mind all year long.  All photos from Jan Johnsen, all rights reserved.

Heaven is a Garden is not your typical gardening book. The pages of this book draw from Johnsen’s 40 years as a landscape architect and her travels to Japan, where she observed the healing powers and serenity of these ancient gardens personally.

As a result, Johnsen explores garden design with a mix of the East and the West. She combines ancient wisdom with contemporary horticultural practices to provide a more holistic approach to landscape design. She also encourages gardeners to look differently at their outdoor spaces, and to play with trees, rocks, colors, shapes and water sources to create heavenly spots in the garden.

The results are tranquil, serene landscapes that affect the readers on different physical and spiritual levels. I found myself looking around my yard with a new, more informed perspective, and I bet you will too.

Creating a Power Spot in Your Garden

In this guest post, Johnsen shares her thoughts with Seasonal Wisdom on how to find the “power spot” in your garden…

Every garden can be made into a special place. In my book, ‘Heaven is a Garden – Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection’ (St Lynn’s Press, 2014) I talk about the many ways you can use plants, color, shape, rocks, trees and water to create a serene haven that encourages you to connect with the cosmos, the earth or simply the fireflies.

Such a garden can be as grand or as simple as you wish. It can be a community endeavor or a solitary undertaking. It can be filled with plants or be devoid of all vegetation. But what can be common to all these different gardens: the intention to create an outdoor space that replenishes, renews and relaxes.

One fun thing you can do to make your garden a little more special is to find its “power spot.”  This is a place that, for some reason, seems a little more interesting than anywhere else. A high section of lawn, a shaded corner or a half hidden rock can become the designated power spot in your yard.

Any land feature can be a power spot – the way to determine this is to walk around and stand quietly in different areas and feel the mood each one generates. Essentially it is all about how you feel standing in that spot. Higher points make good power spots, even if it is only a foot or two higher than anywhere else. But a power spot doesn’t need to be elevated; it can also be located in a shaded area in a corner. This area feels comfortable, like a favorite sweater.

If you are wondering where a power spot is on your property, please know that anyplace you deem to be a power spot is correct. The area that appeals to you the most will undoubtedly speak to others as well!

You may see something wonderful in a slight slope or be attracted to a particular rock. My advice is, ‘Go ahead and highlight it!’

Clear around it, illuminate it or make a small path that leads to it so friends can can get to it easily. Once they ascend to the top of a cleared slope or sit on a swing beneath a great tree, they will understand why you call it your “power spot.”

About the Author

Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and is a principal, along with her husband, of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. She is also a contributing editor for Garden Design Magazine.

Follow her popular garden blog, Serenity in the Garden and Facebook page, Serenity in the Garden blog.

Buy the Book

Heaven is a Garden – Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection

Growing vegetables, fruits, grains and herbs at home can be done with an amazing amount of style. That’s quite clear from the 73 edible garden designs in the new book Groundbreaking Food Gardens by Niki Jabbour.

If you’re looking for creative ways to grow food, this book is a wonderful resource. You’ll find food garden designs from your favorite garden designers, botanical gardens, TV and radio hosts, book authors, horticulturists, bloggers … and even Seasonal Wisdom! 

In her latest book, Jabbour has assembled edible garden plans for every taste. The author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener has gathered ideas by folks ranging from the New York Botanical Garden and Seattle Urban Farm Company to Joe Lamp’l of the PBS-TV show Growing a Greener World.

Founding Fathers illustration copyright Anne Smith

Seasonal Wisdom’s Garden Design

It’s a great honor for Seasonal Wisdom to be included among the 73 food garden designs in Groundbreaking Food Gardens. 

Jabbour asked me to design an edible garden inspired by the Founding Fathers of the United States, after she read Seasonal Wisdom’s articles about George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello gardens.

My Founding Fathers garden plan includes plant varieties and design influences from Mount Vernon, Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg gardens in the late-1700s to mid-1800s.  It also shares some of the most popular vegetables grown around this important time in American history.

Edible Cutting Garden illustration copyright Mary Ellen Carsley

An Array of Food Garden Designs

Regardless of your style, there’s something for everyone in this book. Throughout Groundbreaking Food Gardens, there are beautifully illustrated garden plans, detailed plant suggestions and general growing tips.

One example is this gorgeous Edible Cutting Garden (shown above) by acclaimed book author Debra Prinzing. It creatively mixes edible flowers with fruits, berries and vegetables of all types.

Beautiful balcony edibles ilustration copyright Elayne Sears

Don’t have a large garden? No problem. You’ll find plenty of designs that work well in small spaces, including this Beautiful Balcony Edibles design by Andrea Bellamy, author of Sugar Snaps and Strawberries.  Her cute little garden features a bean teepee and ‘Brown Turkey’ fig tree.

Bike planter illustration copyright Elayne Sears

When it comes to growing edibles, it’s clear from this book that we need to think “outside of the pot.”

You’ll find lots of innovative container ideas, including this bike planter idea from Jean Ann Van Krevelen, who co-authored Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Foods.

These examples are just a small sampling of the many creative food garden designs you’ll find in Groundbreaking Food Gardens. Don’t miss:

• Amy Stewart’s Cocktail Garden design by Susan Morrison
• Amanda Thomsen’s Chicago Hot-Dog garden (with absolutely no ketchup!)
• LaManda Joy’s garden inspired by World War II Victory Gardens
• Theresa Loe’s Urban Homestead (with chicken coop)
• Kenny Point’s Backyard Beekeeper’s Garden

And that’s just for starters…

Whether you’re just beginning to grow food, or you’re already an experienced gardener, you’ll find something to inspire and inform your outdoor spaces in this book.

Disclosure: As a contributor to Groundbreaking Food Gardens, I received a free copy of the book. However, I was not compensated for writing this review, and my opinions are my own.

Learn More: Niki Jabbour also authored the award-winning book The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. My interview with Jabbour about growing food all year long  is one of Seasonal Wisdom’s most popular stories.

Do you consider houseplants to be home design accessories, just like your pillows, paintings and curtains? If not, then it’s time to give houseplants another look, according to Indoor Plant Décor co-authors Kylee Baumle and Jenny Peterson.

In fact, the right houseplant can completely change the look of your room… Learn more and enter to win a copy of this book.

All photos courtesy of Indoor Plant Décor.

One of the first things you’ll notice about Indoor Plant Décor is that this isn’t your typical houseplant book. It’s really more of a design stylebook for indoor plants.

The co-authors start each chapter with a styleboard of images, which represent a particular style – such as Peaceful Zen, Vintage Vibe or Modern Eclectic.  Then they inspire you to recreate this style for your own home, using houseplants.

Also featured are a number of DIY projects, style tips and a quick guide to selecting and caring for plants.

These writers are friends of mine from the social media world. So when I heard about their book, I couldn’t wait to ask them why they designed a style guide for houseplants.

The Rationale for Indoor Plant Décor

As Baumle explains, Indoor Plant Décor was written to help people choose plants that enhance their home’s style as much as other accessories do.

“So many times, houseplants aren’t given much thought,” says Baumle. “Yet, plants have an architectural silhouette, which gives them a style just like furniture and other decorator items. Not to mention, the containers that we grow them in can entirely change a plant’s look.”

All Four Seasons of Indoor Plant Décor

Her co-author Peterson agrees, adding “Indoor Plant Décor shows that you can and should use plants, containers and accessories to accentuate your interior décor, whatever time of year it happens to be.”

Peterson admits that many of us tend to lean towards houseplants more in the fall and winter. “As the weather warms up and we move outside again, we often feel the need to pare down our interiors,” she says. “But plants always provide that sense of home and softness to any interior. Houseplants allow us to bring the outdoors in, so we always feel surrounded by nature.”

Indoor Plant Décor Isn’t Difficult

One of the biggest misconceptions about growing houseplants is that it’s hard to do. But these authors believe there is a plant for everyone, no matter how green (or brown) your thumb may be. The secret is to match houseplants not only with your personal style, but also with your lifestyle, according to Baumle.

“If you have a busy life, choose a plant that thrives on neglect,” says Baumle. “There are a surprising number of plants like this.”

Think Outside the Pot

This book encourages you to challenge your creativity. “There are so many more options with houseplants now,” says Peterson. “We’re not relegated to simply sticking a plant in a pot on the table and calling it good. We have artistic vertical growing systems now, as well as interesting plants like succulents, air plants and tropicals widely available.”

Many different plants are suitable for growing inside, no matter where you live.

“We want our readers to have fun with houseplants, and take risks with them,” says Baumle. “The palette is so big, and there are so many ways to integrate houseplants into our living space. We hope our book will be a jumping off point that inspires other ideas.”

Win a Copy of Indoor Plant Décor

Enter to win a copy of this book by clicking into Rafflecopter (below) by midnight on April 1, 2014. (Nope, we’re not fooling either!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This random drawing is only available to gardeners in the United States and Canada. Please check your spam folder in case you are the winner! Good luck everyone.

Disclosure: This prize was provided for free to Seasonal Wisdom. However, my opinions are always my own.

Learn More: 

Buy a copy of Indoor Plant Décor