When You Open Your Eyes...

to Wayne Dyer : Thank you, thank you, thank you

I will be speaking to the Lenox Garden Club on Oct.7, 2015

I will be speaking to the wonderful Lenox Garden Club on October 7, 2015

Lenox Garden Club

Kimball Farms, 235 Walker Street, Lenox Ma.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015
10:00 am - 11:00 am


afterward, go visit The Mount:

The Mount - photo by David Dashiell

go here: http://www.edithwharton.org/estate-gardens/the-gardens/

Allium 'Millenium' - Garden Photo of the Day

Photo by Laura McKillop - Allium 'Millenium'  

This summer bloomer, developed by allium breeder Mark McDonough,  is a clump-former which produces sterile seed and will not spread in the landscape. Buy potted plants now and plant in spring/summer. 

It is deer resistant. 

'Millenium' has scapes that rise above the foliage to 12-20” tall  in midsummer each is topped by a showy 2-inch orb of rose purple florets. 

Flowers typically bloom mid to late summer (July-August) and stay for weeks. When blooming fades, cut back the stems, or leave the heads on to dry and add textural interest. Deer and rabbit resistant and it is perfectly hardy in zones 5-9.

Great for butterfly gardens. Containers. Fresh and dried floral arrangements.

 the name is ‘Millenium’ - not Millennium.

Can be divided in the spring if you want to spread it around.  

Landscape Design - a High Calling

cascade - Jan Johnsen design

"The world is moving into a phase when landscape design may well be recognized as the most comprehensive of the arts." 

 Geoffrey Jellicoe, 
'The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day' 

Creative ideas don't just come out of thin air - they are an amalgam of what we have learned and used in the past. By looking at other cultures' traditions and their approach to the natural elements you can enhance your garden immeasurably.

by Bill Bensley, Thailand

A garden maker should look to landscape designers of the past and present and learn their design philosophies. Never stop learning.

 The English garden designers such as Russell Page, Arabella Lennox Boyd, and Gertrude Jekyll stand side by side with their counterparts in the United States, Canada,  Japan, South America, Thailand, Indonesia, Hawaii, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy,  Holland, Germany,  France and India in my world.

blue moon bridge at les quatre veints, Canada 

I borrow from new and old unabashedly and thank them all for their inspiration, guidance and insight.

To co-create with Nature and walk 'the beauty way' is a high calling, indeed.

dorset settle by Arabella Lennox Boyd

New Kia Sportage and Optima launched

Kia Motors unveiled the all-new Kia Sportage and European spec Kia Optima at the 66th Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA).

The Sportage remains the brand’s bestselling model in Europe, accounting for more than a quarter of Kia’s European sales.

The fourth-generation Sportage builds comprehensively on the success of the outgoing model, with an attractive, all-new exterior design, a host of advanced new technology features and greater quality. The interior of the compact SUV is made up of higher quality materials and a modern new design, as well as improved practicality and a range of technologies to improve comfort, convenience, connectivity and safety.

For the first time, a new ‘GT Line’ specification is available to Sportage customers. Designed and engineered to appeal to those looking for a sportier driving experience from their Sportage, the GT Line specification delivers all the versatility of the standard Sportage while adding greater visual and dynamic appeal to those customers that desire it.

The new Sportage will go on sale across Europe in Q1 2016.

KIA also launched the new Optima model in European specifications. This is the third-generation D-segment model since it was launched in 2010. The all-new Optima builds on the worldwide success of the existing model, with a modern, new exterior, a bold interior design with more space for all occupants, an array of new technologies and a wide choice of efficient powertrains.

It will go on sale across Europe in Q4 2015, with a high performance ‘GT’ version.

Plant now for October Glory

Pennisetum Hameln, Montauk Daisies, Canna Lilies and Lamb's Ears ' Helene on Stein' - Jan Johnsen 

 In my part of the world - New York State - October is when Mother Nature shines.The days are shorter, the sun is low in the sky, but the weather stays warm enough for the flowering plants to hang on.

 I design and install gardens with October in mind because it is now when people have time to appreciate their grounds - it is too cold for the beach and graduations and summer parties are a memory. This is when people can stop and savor a garden. 

The design of Fall gardens is something I urge my students to master because these gardens prolong our enjoyment of Nature's gracious gifts.  

And, more importantly, they quietly trumpet the siren call of the garden muse who is about to take her leave...but not just yet.....she sticks around to give it one last show....

So in that vein, I am describing a little of what goes into making a autumn flower border... I know most readers simply enjoy the photos but maybe a few are interested in the 'gory details'. 

the holly backdrop here hides a deer fence

The flower border shown above is at the bottom of a long, gradual hill - thus, water collected here in great pools after a rain. It was wet and soggy a good deal of the time. Many plants would not have lived in this wetness so I had large amounts of soil brought in to create a high mounded bed to lift them above the damp conditions. 

Additionally, we had a 'field' of subsurface pipes (set in gravel) installed in front of the border to catch and carry away the runoff. We then graded and laid sod to create a lawn atop the pipes.

Please know it is always about the grading and the drainage..the plants come later....

Farther uphill I planted shrub roses - 'Sunny' Knock Out Roses and beyond is another flower border featuring Nepeta, Japanese wind anemones, garden phlox, goldenrod..

'Sunny' Knock Out Roses are three shades of light yellow / white...luscious.

One of my 'fave rave' perennial flowers for October (in my part of the world) is Japanese Wind Anemone...gently waving in the cool breeze. Its dainty flowers are the jewels of the flower world.

And of course some flowers of summer persist into fall and are actually more glorious now than ever...Lantana is a strong October performer.

White Lantana in October next to Blue Spruce globosum

and now that October is coming to a close...on to November!

Upcoming Talk in Cape Cod - Serenity by Design

Next Wednesday I will be speaking to the Wellfleet Garden Club  (on magical Cape Cod, Mass)  about the secrets of serene garden design. It is not just about plants! Although plant energy affects us all.

It is also about line and color and rocks and direction and the power of place..all packaged in a garden that uplifts and soothes.

Heaven is a Garden. Jan Johnsen 

That is what I will be sharing. It is a popular, engaging talk full of new/old ideas that you can use in your outdoor space, no matter the size.

The talk is based on what is in my book, 'Heaven is a Garden - Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection' .  It is chock full of tips and suggestions based on what I have learned over 45 years as a landscape designer.

I hope you can come if you live near by. You will enjoy it!

Garden Gate - J johnsen

Smaller is more Beautiful - Gardens

If small is beautiful then....smaller must be more beautiful.

At least that is what I tell myself as I survey my postage stamp of a backyard. I remind myself that some of the sweetest of serene spaces are small gardens, tucked away, out of sight.

I add touches in summer like this flowering lantana among rocks

My small verdant retreat is where I can place a chair or two, sip a cup of tea, tend to the garden, admire my planters of foliage or even write my blog, ‘pleine aire’, so to speak …

Small gardens call for small plants – although normal size plants look great when first planted, in the years that ensue they may grow to overwhelm the space… To prevent that I have a few suggestions for some hardy, compact and delightful perennial plants.

The following diminutive plants are perfect for small gardens, in containers, along walkways, in rock gardens or as low growing ‘filler’ plants in plant beds.

Sedum is a sun loving, easy to grow succulent. Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' is one of my favorites. It rows about 6 inches high and spreads out among rocks, pavers, in flower beds. It is a chartreuse yellow- green that spreads and spills out. Easy to grow and quite the eye catcher!

                          

Sedum Angelina by Jan Johnsen

             

Hostas, known for broad foliage and tolerance to shady conditions, have miniature varieties such as the Mouse Ear collection. These pocket sized hostas have wonderfully textured, heart shaped leaves. Two of the blue mouse ear hostas are H. ‘Country Mouse’ which has blue leaves, edged in white, growing to 4” tall and 9” wide and Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, the 2008 Hosta of the Year, which grows to 6” – 8” tall and 18” wide and has lavender flowers.

(Blue Mouse Ears - Shady Oaks Nursery)

 

‘Pandora’s Box’ Hosta is the top choice of the American Hosta Society for miniature hostas. It has tiny leaves (2" x 1½") with a creamy-white center and a contrasting, blue-green margin. Lavender flowers appear in early summer. Mature size is 4" ht x 10" spread.

(Pandora's Box Hosta - Contrary Mary Nursery)

Hosta 'Stiletto' is named for its striking, narrow, lance-shaped, leaves. The foliage has a cream or gold tinged margin and it sports lavender striped flowers in late summer. Mature height is 8” tall and spreads about a foot. Its eye catching narrow leaves look great in pots.

(Hosta Stiletto - Park Seed)

Miniature Roses are also perfect for a small space serenity garden but they need at least 6 hours of full sun in summer. The hardy Lavender Jewel (Moore, 1978) grows no higher that 24” tall and has shapely, lavender blooms all summer long. Dark glossy green foliage is disease resistant. Height 18 to 24 inches. (Zone 4)

(Rose 'Lavender Jewel' - High Country Roses)

The miniature Starla rose (Chaffin, 1990) is a pure ivory-white rose with pointed buds, a fruity fragrance and large, shapely blooms on cutting-length stems. It grows no higher than 20 inches (Zone 5).

(Starla Rose - High Country Roses)

My own particular favorites are the compact varieties of  Carex or sedge. These grasslike plants offer an amazing choice of colors, stripes and textures - there are over 1000 species.  Natives of bogs,  they like wet to moist soil.  In my small garden I grow several cultivars by a dry stream and they look great, even now in March.

I like Goldband (or Evergold) Japanese Sedge, (Carex morrowii 'Variegata') which  has droopy, graceful white and green striped grassy foliage. It looks fantastic when used as ground cover or planted in groups.

My backyard - Jan Johnsen

This is my small garden. I planted Gomphrena 'Buddy Purple' next to the Carex morrowi and across the stream is 'Ice Dance' Sedge.  It is a my 'tucked away' joyful space. Smaller is definitely more beautiful.

I write about this garden in my book, Heaven is a Garden .

Peugeot Fractal concept

Peugeot has unveiled the new Fractal concept ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show. This is an electric urban coupé which explores the sense of hearing in addition to sight and touch. According to Peugeot, it makes driving "even more instinctive, creating an unparalleled on-board experience".

It was designed by StelLab, a PSA Peugeot Citroën research unit. The Fractal concept was developed in partnership with sound designer Amon Tobin. It features a high-definition holographic head-up display screen. A 45-degree polycarbonate strip delivers additional information and creates an impression of depth. This allows the driver to customise the way information is shown.

The concept also explores new design and manufacturing processes. 3D-printed parts represent more than 80% of the interior trim surface. The anechoic materials were made through generative design - a process used to achieve the perfect component.

A 30 kW/h lithium-ion battery powers two electric motors, each delivering 75kW/102hp, fitted to the front and rear axles to provide a total output of 125 kW/170hp and combined-cycle autonomy of up to 450km. Variable ground clearance allows the vehicle to adapt to different types of terrain. The 7cm clearance for motorway driving improves aerodynamics to range and boost battery life. This can be increased to 11cm in urban environments, allowing the car to take speed humps and car park entrances in its stride.

As for it's dimension, the car is extremely compact, at 3.81m long and 1.77m wide, allowing it to weave through heavy traffic. The 19‑inch Tall&Narrow wheels are positioned at either end of the car, with an overhang of just 0.52m front and back to improve manoeuvrability.

The car styling features dynamic lines that flow along the length of the smooth body. The Coupe Franche, a straight line dual paint finish, further enhances the sense of vitality with a sharp shift from intense pearly white to matt black at the door hinges. The upper body features a removable roof to turn the coupé into a cabriolet. An LED strip above the vent at the rear shows the battery charge status via an equalizer-type display. These LEDs also act as rear lights when PEUGEOT FRACTAL is moving. The light signature in the front starts below the grille and flows over the headlamps. It also includes scrolling indicators.