How to Plant a Rooftop Garden - a Great Infographic

Roof Garden Basics 101 - Custom Made

Building a roof garden is a compelling vision but it can be a daunting task if you don't  know where to begin.  Here is a comprehensive infographic made by Custom Made.  

They also have a complete how-to post that accompanies this graphic - Click HERE FOR ARTICLE.

Garden Photo of the Day - Cracked Log Lamp

Cracked Log Lamp  

Duncan Meerding designs some great stuff...

I especially like his Cracked Log Lamp. I like it so much I chose it as the Garden Photo of the Day - although I do not think this photo is accurate. I do not think you can use them outside...

Why not make your own with outdoor rated electrical fixtures?

A Powerpoint talk on Fragrance in the Garden ....

I have a great Powerpoint talk about Designing with Fragrance in the Garden...
if anyone is interested in having me present this talk at a symposium, conference or to a group please contact me.

jan@johnsenlandscapes.com

Ford takes top honours at the 5th annual Honest John Awards

The Honest John website is one of the most popular online destinations for people looking for reviews before deciding on a new car (or used one) in the UK. Yesterday, they announced the winners of the  5th annual Honest John Awards., The winners were the most popular models with the website's two million users.

Ford won a number of awards this time with the Ford Mondeo winning both Car of the Year and Most Popular Large Family Car. The Fiesta was also crowned the Most Popular Small Hatchback category while the Transit Custom won the Most Popular Van title for the second consecutive year.
Here is the full list of award winners:

Full list of award categories and winners:

Car Of The Year: Ford Mondeo

Most Popular Large Family Car: Ford Mondeo

Most Popular Van: Ford Transit Custom

Most Popular Small Hatchback: Ford Fiesta

Most Popular City Car: Hyundai i10

Most Popular SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe

Most Popular Large Executive Car: BMW 5 Series

Most Popular Performance Car: BMW i8

Most Popular Compact Executive Car: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Most Popular Classic Car: Mercedes-Benz W124

Most Highly Rated Car: SEAT Ibiza ST

Best Real MPG Performer: Honda Civic Tourer

Most Popular Small Family Car: Citroen C4 Cactus

Most Popular MPV: Volkswagen Golf SV

Most Popular Crossover: Nissan Qashqai

Most Popular Convertible: Mazda MX-5 RC

Most Popular Luxury Car: Audi A7 Sportback

Fluffy Carob Banana Ice Cream

 Fluffy Carob Banana Ice Cream

It's about time I posted another banana ice cream recipe on here! Especially since I practically live off this stuff. A life without 'nana ice cream is not a life worth living. That is why you simply have to give this a try if you haven't already. Before I first tried this I had myself convinced that I absolutely hated bananas and that my feelings toward these yellow little fellas were never going to change. But it all changed as soon as I:

a. Learnt to wait for those beautiful specks to appear, meaning the bananas were fully ripe and ready to eat.

b. Sliced them, froze them and gave them a good ol' blend.

(I now like (love) raw bananas as well but it's been a long process.)

So have a go at it and let me know what you think! Cheers!

Naked.

Dressed.

Behind the scenes.

Fluffy Carob Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients:

- 330 g frozen banana coins (about 3 medium sized bananas)

- 50 ml or a little less than 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 1 tbsp carob powder

- 1 pinch pure vanilla powder

Toppings:

- Fresh berries, raw cacao nibs, quinoa pops or whatever you like

How to:

1. Place all ingredients except for the almond milk in a powerful food processor or blender.

2. Process on high until all of the frozen banana coins have reduced to tiny pieces, this usually takes around one minute.

3. Stop to scrape down the sides with a spatula if necessary, then blend on high again and slowly pour the almond milk, little by little, into the food processor while blending (through the hole on the lid).

4. Once you've added in all of the almond milk, the mixture will eventually turn into a fluffy, wonderfully creamy ice cream! Spoon it all up in a bowl, top with whatever you desire and serve immediately! You may have to scrape down the sides a few more times but be patient and you'll end up with the most delicious treat ever :)

Cottage Garden Flowers

The traditional cottage gardens of Great Britain contain both vegetables and flowers - the flowers attract the bees to pollinate the crops. 

cottage garden, design - Jan Johnsen

Thus cottage gardens are filled with colorful, scented blossoms and herbs. The tallest plants are at the back and shortest ones in front.

The flowers border the gravel paths and make quite a show. A confluence of shapes, color and texture make the garden an exuberant display of nature's finest. You can't make a mistake with this so have fun!

Sunny Border Blue veronica - from Bluestone Perennials

Its All About the (annual) Flowers

( Profusion zinnias, marigolds,salvia, plectranthus - Jan Johnsen)

Annual flowers - those that bloom all summer into late fall (then give it up for good) - are the secret to a joyful and colorful garden. 

I know some people might think that colorful flowers are too bright, too eye-catching or overstated but I say, 'embrace the color!'

Nature communicates through color. Color is its catalyst and its signal. Birds and insects navigate by color, among other things, and besides, annual flowers' color makes us happy.

(Jan Johnsen - coleus, plectranthus,angelonia, and more)

It does require extra work in the spring.

You must prepare the flower beds and plant seeds or small plants during the cool days of spring. But boy, does it pay off during the summer and fall. The display enriches our everyday life and greets us every morning with a colorful 'pop'.

(Mohonk Mountain House, incredible place)

I know all about annual flowers because after graduating college (landscape architecture focus) decades ago, I went to work in the display gardens at MOHONK MT. HOUSE in New Paltz, NY. I was not very happy about the situation,  thinking flowers 'beneath' me...

At that time, I had drunk the 'koolaid' that said landscape architects need not be concerned with such superfluous things as flowers...this was decades ago when marigolds ruled the flower world. (smile).

But, as always happens, the very thing you think is not good is actually the best thing you could ever hope for! Life works that way....

(Versailles Gardens in France)

I worked for Alain Grumberg, who had emigrated from France. He had been trained by his country as a Master Gardener in the truest sense of the word.  He had worked in the Versailles gardens before coming to this country and was the head of the grounds at Mohonk. He had won the "Best Resort Grounds in America' the year before I arrived.

I worked for him, seeding annuals, transplanting every annual seedling into 6 paks and and planting out every plant (thousands!) with him. It was tedious but what a learning experience.

(Part of the display gardens at Mohonk Mt. House - )

I learned from Alain how to plant annual plants like a professional  - fast and perfect. And we used no chemicals - aged horse manure compost was our soil amendment. Fish Emulsion was our liquid fertilizer. Then I took care of the garden shown above. Edging, weeding ( no mulch here), and watering....

So here I am today, drawing detailed site plans (grades, drainage, construction specs) and then planting the annuals as well! Kind of a double whammy....

(Jan Johnsen - Verbena bonariensis and 'Senorita Rosalita' Cleome, a fun, tall combo)

I do this because, as I always say, when people see one of my landscapes, they don't say , "what lovely drain grates!" but rather, "What incredible flowers!" In the end, its all about the flowers.

(Jan Johnsen - Angelonia 'Wedgwood Blue')

Blue and Red in your Garden - Henri Matisse

Painting - Henri Matisse

A certain blue enters your soul.

A certain red has an effect on your blood pressure. 

- Henri Matisse

garden - Jan Johnsen

Healthy Vegan Chocolate Mousse (Low-Carb Alternative!)

 Healthy Vegan Chocolate Mousse (Low-Carb Alternative!)

Blogging just got so much more exciting - I've finally begun to grasp the very basics of Adobe Lightroom which makes my pictures look a teeny bit more professional and I don't have to be embarrassed about posting them anymore. Half a year after getting my camera hehe. You know what they say, better late than never!

This obviously calls for a celebratory (and nowadays rare) new recipe by yours truly. Apologies for taking so long but here it is, my vegan chocolate mousse recipe! It's vegan (duh), can be made low-carb and tastes absolutely d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s if I may say so myself. Although the recipe calls for fresh berries, I could highly recommend squeezing some passion fruit over this beauty as well since chocolate and passion fruit were made for each other (we all know it).

Hopefully it won't be long before the next recipe and if so, please give me remind me of what a lousy blogger I am and I will get to it immediately. Pinkie swear!

'

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

- 300 g silken tofu

- 2 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder

- 1 tbsp mesquite powder (could possibly sub for lucuma powder or omit)

- 25 g 80-90% dark chocolate

- 5-6 dates (50-60 g depending on how sweet you like it) or 3 tbsp erythritol for a low-carb free version

Toppings:

- Fresh strawberries and blueberries

- Coconut chips or cacao nibs for crunch

How to:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend until entirely smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure that no unblended pieces remain.

2. Top with berries and a sprinkle of coconut chips or cacao nibs if you wish and serve immediately or keep in the fridge for a couple of days at most.

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' - Beautiful and Deer Resistant too

White flowers in this pic are Diamond Frost  

My favorite deer resistant annual flower is

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'.

This plant, which looks like airy Baby's Breath, made its debut in 2005 in the Proven Winners catalog of annual flowers and since then has become the Most Award Winning Plant in Proven Winners History. Why?

Well, besides having a nice mounded habit to it (about 12 to 18 inches tall),  it blooms continuously in clouds of airy white flowers through summer heat and drought.

It stays beautiful without deadheading. And it is deer resistant!

(internationl hearlad tribune - posted by erasmus)

You can fill in plant beds in the middle of a combination.

It tolerates temp down to 40°F  and you can plant it in sun or partial shade.

It blooms nonstop from spring until frost. What more could you ask?

Euphorbia is known as spurge and was named after an ancient Greek physician, Euphorbus, who gave an herbal remedy made from a spurge to treat a king's swollen belly. The common name spurge also comes from its use as an herbal purgative.

It sells out! Go grab some....

Design Tips for an Enchanting Garden Gate

Jan Johnsen -  Johnsen Landscapes & Pools 

A gate announces a new experience.

If you elongate or expand the entry area it makes the transition even more tantalizing.

The gate shown here is in a lovely property that I redesigned ...We installed a pool and renovated the old gate with new hinges, roofing and paint. I installed a bluestone threshold beneath and extended it out into the peony garden. The overhead roof makes a grand statement. The white color stands out against a green setting.

The gateway leads down existing brick steps which extends the 'entry experience'.

That is Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' or Japanese Dappled Willow on both sides of the gate. It is a great plant for pool areas as its striking white-green foliage moves in the breeze and brightens up any sunny area. Cut it down to a foot or two above the ground in late fall and watch it grow back through the summer!

Jan Johnsen - Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

Here is the second entry into the same pool area (a contained space should always have at least 2 access/egress points, if physically possible..), it is a simple white gate that leads to a set of steps ascending into the pool zone.

This is not meant to be an elaborate entry, rather it is a quiet spot, off to the side.

I placed two pots of purple annuals on top of the wall...These
add a bit of color to entry.

A Great Article about Serene Outdoor Spaces

Heaven is a Garden by Jan Johnsen 

I was just interviewed for a great article about creating Serene Outdoor Spaces. It is a lovely summary of the three elements of a calming and joyful garden: Go here for the article. 

Hybrid Horsechestnut - Garden Photo of the Day

Hybrid Horsechestnut  

This is the flower of Aesculus pavia x flava. It was taken at the Longenecker Gardens at the UW-Arboretum in Madison, WI.

I have never seen anything like this..had to share.

Serenity in the Garden: Continuously Creating....

Life and Death, possession and loss, 

success and failure, poverty and wealth, 

virtue and vice, good and evil, 

hunger and thirst, heat and cold -- 

these are changes of things in the natural course of events. 

Day and night they follow upon one another, 

and no man can say where they spring from.

Therefore they must not be allowed to disturb the natural harmony, 

nor enter into the soul's domain.

Buddha at Green Gulch farm

One should live so that one is at ease, 

and in harmony with the world, 

without loss or happiness, 

and by day and by night, 

share the peace of spring with the created things. 

Photo by Jason Smalley

Thus continuously one creates the seasons in one's own breast. 

Such a person may be said to have perfect talents.

- Confucius

Zucchini Noodles with a Zesty Broccoli Dressing

Zucchini Noodles with a Zesty Broccoli Dressing

Sometimes it just so happens that you throw a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, blend them up and end up with some unexpected awesomeness you didn't see coming. I'd like to think that was the case with this dish so I'm going to share the recipe with you even though I've only made it once. This is a perfect side dish to go with anything really, and makes for a nice, refreshing addition to any meal. Because you just can't go wrong with zoodles. Yum. Let me know if you give it a try!

Serves: 2

Zucchini Noodles:

- 2 large zucchinis

Dressing:

- 200 g broccoli florets (about small head)

- 100 g silken tofu

- 1 tbsp lime juice

- 3 tbsp unsweetened plant-based milk

- 1-2 handfuls fresh basil leaves

- 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp sweet white miso paste

How to:

1. Peel (optional) the zucchinis and spiralize them to make zoodles or make 'zagliatelle' t´ribbons using a carrot peeler.

2. Steam the broccoli until just cooked through.

3. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and blend with a hand blender until fairly smooth. This would probably work even better in a real blender so go for that if you, unlike me, have access to one.

4. Dress the zoodles/zagliatelle in the broccoli sauce and add some fresh basil leaves on top for decoration!

Performance of European car brands in Malaysia

According to  recent report, of all European brands sold in Malaysia in 2014, Volkswagen performed the best with sales of 8916 units. They were followed by BMW (7808 units) , Mercedes-Benz (7131 units), Peugeot (5498 units) and Volvo (with 1210 units).

Mercedes-Benz may very well overtake VW this year with the German automaker seeing record breaking sales of 967 units in the first quarter of this year (up 13%). This growth was largely due to the sales of the new locally-assembled E300 Blue TEC Hybrid  (638 units) and the S400L Hybrid (270 units).

Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID

Succulents 101 - A Great Infographic

Succulents - Source  

I don't know much about succulents. This is a great place to start.....

Garden Photo of the Day - Vanessa Rosse

Vanessa Rosse

Magnificent bamboo art installation in France.

Click here for more: 

Chasmanthium 'River Mist' - WOW!

click here to get chasmanthium River Mist 

This lovely variegated cultivar of the ornamental grass - Northern Sea Oats 'River Mist' -  really brightens up a light shady spot. Chasmanthium is a native N. American clump forming grass.  I think it is good for pots. 

It likes light shade, is deer resistant and low maintenance.

Cut back in late winter or very early spring before new growth begins.

oat-like seed heads rustle in the breeze

'River Mist' looks especially graceful in a pot with Lamium 'Ghost' and small begonias. It grows from zone 4 - 9. 30" tall. 

Here is Lamium 'Ghost' - It is a ground cover and great in shady areas. 

Lamium 'Ghost' 

The bamboo-like blades of 'River Mist' are marked in white and in summer its oat-like seed heads making a shimmery silver/white display. In fall, bring the dried seed heads indoors for unique cut flower bouquets.

Have fun!

for National Public Gardens Day - a talk in Montclair, New Jersey

Join us this coming Friday!

Montclair Garden Club

Watchung Booksellers

54 Fairfield Street, Watchung Plaza, Montclair, NJ 07042

Friday, May 8, 2105   6pm- 7pm 

Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers

 Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers

These past couple of weeks I've been completely stuck in a dinner rut, unable to get out. Or rather, I've been too lazy to cook any proper meals, making hummus and rice cakes my go-to din din companions for better or worse. So today was finally the day to put an end to the dreary repetitiveness and get my ass in the kitchen to actually cook, and not just blend things together and hope for the best.

You see, there was this sweet potato that had been sitting in the fridge for almost a week, glaring at me each time I neglected to acknowledge its existence, giving me a hard time for not putting its beautiful, sweet flesh to good use. So, I pondered. Sweet potato brownies (I'll probably never be able to top Deliciously Ella's, so no), sweet potato pie (come on Tilda, 'tis not the season), sweet potato gnocchi (been there, failed that) or ... sweet potato burgers! Yes, I'd gladly watch your metamorphosis into a burger, sweet potato o' mine.

I got so excited over these burgers, I even went ahead and made my own whole grain spelt buns! Sadly, there won't be a recipe for those as they were a disappointment but I'll try my luck again sometime in the future. As for now, I suggest you either find a better bun recipe on your own, or go buy some from the store. I won't judge. (But the sweet potato might o_o)

Now, time to stop with this nonsense and get down to business. The recipe's right here below, enjoy!

Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers

Burgers:

- 1 medium sweet potato (200 g peeled)

- 1/2 can chickpeas (120 g)

- 1/4 cup quinoa flakes (could sub for oats but then you may have to start with a little less than 1/4 cup)

- 1 tbsp sweet miso paste (you can omit the miso paste if you don't have any but it really takes away from the flavour...)

- 1/4 small bell pepper, finely chopped

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- Salt and pepper to taste

Condiments:

- 4 buns of your choice (bonus points if you make your own.)(I did.)

- Avocado

- Thinly sliced vegetables of your choice such as tomatoes, lettuce, red onions etc.

How to:

1. Start by peeling and chopping the sweet potato into large cubes. Steam until it's soft enough to pierce with a fork (15-20 min).

2. In a large bowl, mash all of the ingredients together with a fork until everything sticks together nicely. Blend with a hand blender for a smoother consistency. (Though I highly recommend keeping the chunks!)

3. Form 4 big or 6 small patties with your hands.

4. Fry the burgers in a non-stick pan or a spoonful of coconut oil over medium to low heat until the patties have a nice colour on both sides, approximately 5-10 minutes on each side.

5. Serve immediately and with all the toppings your heart desires! (That is, stuff as much avocado as you possibly can in there. So worth it.)