It’s the end of the season for us and we’ve enjoyed blogging.  We will be on hiatus until the Spring – look for us again then!

I did some poking around and came across some intriguing (and local) winter landscape classes. We live and work so close to the gem that is Arnold Arboretum that it would be a shame not to take advantage of all of the goodness that this special place has to offer. The Arnold Arboretum has an excellent selection of year-round classes that are geared to both the novice gardener and the seasoned professional. I recently had the pleasure of taking a conifer class with Dr. Richard Bitner, and it was truly a delight! What a wonderful way to spend a sunny Saturday in October.

Other forthcoming classes at the arboretum that also caught my eye include: Working with Stone: Creating a Connection with the Spirit of Place, Introduction to Winter Tree Identification, Pruning in Winter and Walls and Steps — Design and Construction. And of course, this entry wouldn’t be complete without letting you know about a class being offered by our very own Christie Dustman which is a five-session design workshop for home gardeners. To learn more about these and other classes, visit the web site: http://arboretum.harvard.edu

Additional places to seek continuing education related to landscape design and gardening include: The Landscape Institute at the Boston Architectural College, Drumlin Farms in Lincoln, The Boston Center for Adult Education, The Massachusetts Horticultural Society Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley, Cass School of Floral Design in Watertown, Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (both in Boston).

Have a wonderful winter and keep learning new things. We definitely look forward to seeing you in the Spring!

Celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, Ming Tsai, Curtis Stone, Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson and Rachael Ray seem to be the posterchildren of this new “food revolution”, which most of us understand isn’t really all that new. ( I recently saw a bumper sticker that proclaimed…”Organic: it’s the way your grandparents used to eat.”)  I believe that we have moved so far from the ‘farm to table’ concept that America needs these culinary stars to coax us back to a more nutritious way of eating. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a food angel by any stretch of the imagination. But, the important thing is that I’m trying to get better. And, more importantly, I’m trying to teach my three-year-old daughter better ways to keep her body healthy and energized with food. (Not an easy task, I’ll admit, but definitely worth the effort, I’m sure…stay tuned!)

Incorporating horticultural education into early childhood education has a host of benefits and can be an ideal springboard to teach other classroom concepts as well. Themes such as nutrition, horticulture, cooking, organic gardening, botany, weather patterns, seasonal change, mathmatics, the importance of water, etc. etc. etc. can all be taught and reinforced by utilizing the garden as an educational tool.

The most important and overiding concept, I believe, that could be conveyed to kids through early educational gardening is how everything is interconnected at some level, and that’s a concept that one definitely can’t discern from a drive-through restaurant!

With the leaves coming down and the trees almost fully defoliated, now is the ideal time to start planning your seasonal outdoor containers. Well- selected cut plants will weather the colder temperatures and infuse your landscape with additional color and pizzaz.

To me, nothing is more beautiful during this season of harvest than Winterberry, or Ilex verticillata. (I think the birds would agree with me on this, too!)

By the seashore, against a stonewall, as decoration on the Thanksgiving table, or in a container by the front door, winterberry is the ideal late-fall, early-winter shrub. Consider planting an Ilex verticillata in the landscape so that you can enjoy harvesting the boughs that will make your seasonal, decorative containers pop.

Other plants to consider incorporating into your landscape for winter container use: Red-twig dogwood, Yellow-twig dogwood, Curly willow/ Corkscrew willow, Harry Lauder’s walking stick and many more.

Extend the beauty of your outdoor spaces into the winter months with seasonal containers!

As we know from previous entries, good design makes me exceedingly happy, but in addition, good design that successfully incorporates things from the past is also something that I appreciate very much.

Call it what you will: “adaptive reuse”, “reclaimed materials”, “historic preservation”, “the greening of America”, but preserving key elements from the past is definitely a plus in good design. 

Successfully blending the past with the present may take a little more time and effort in the short run, but the final product (nine times out of ten) is much more rich and dynamic since it includes historic character.

Here in the greater Boston area, we are fortunate to be surrounded by things of great historic and lasting value such as The Boston Garden, The Boston Common, The Arnold Arboretum, Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Harvard University, The Museum of Fine Arts, The Boston Public Library, The Esplanade, etc etc etc.

I sincerely tip my hat to those who are (and have been) stewards of the landscape (and architecture) in our fair city. We are lucky to have these folks in our midst as are the people in forthcoming generations.

Lindesfarne boat reinvented as shed.

Paths are a wonderful landscape tool/mechanism/device because they literally transport you from one place to another, and sometimes, they take you on an unexpected journey.

Some paths encourage you to speed up, while others prompt you to slow down, and some *literally* force you to “stop and smell the roses”.

Some paths make you step from stone to stone, while other paths crunch beneath your feet.

Some paths meander slowly through the woods while others transport you quickly under bridges.

Whether it’s formal paths, rustic paths, contemplative paths, urban paths or country paths…all paths [seemingly, effortlessly] move us to our final destination.

Arbors are a great mechanism that help one to visually and physically transition from one outdoor space to another.

Like a beautiful scarf or a piece of jewelry is to a well-put-together outfit, arbors can elegantly tie things together and help to unify the outdoor rooms within a landscape. Experientially, well-placed arbors compel one to take pause before transitioning from one space to another.

Well-considered arbors can also help to frame the first impression of a property. Some are quiet, some are bold, some pique curiosity, others employ the Asian-inspired techniques of ‘hide and reveal’ and the ‘borrowed landscape’.

Arbors are a landscape detail that make a dramatic difference in one’s landscape by bringing together outdoor rooms and signifying points of entry.  And “artful arches” are beautiful in any context . . .

It’s no secret that living space is generally at a premium in the greater Boston area. Did you know that patios are a terrific way to increase your square footage by expanding upon your outdoor living area? 

A well-designed patio has the power to pull you out of your home and into the great wide world during all four seasons; yes folks, *ALL*  four seasons… continue to grill and entertain during the cooler days of fall, wrap up in a cozy fleece blanket and pull up some chairs surrounding the chiminea during the cold winter months (generous mugs of hot chocolate definitely required! ), grill fresh salmon with vegetables in the spring, reach for your favorite book and bask in the sun during the lazy, hazy days of summer. These enjoyable outdoor possibilities are endless!

Patios are a great place for friends, pets, book club readings, business meetings, intimate dinners, social gatherings, play dates, dates for parents of those who playdate, family reunions, etc. Consider a stone seating wall to increase outdoor seating without having to rely on additional bulky furniture. Insert a stainless steel grill in said wall, and Voila!, an outdoor kitchen is born.

It’s never too early to start planning masonry projects that add considerable and lasting value to your home. Fall is the best time to begin!

Sentimental slate repurposed for homeowner’s new patio.

Build-a-Garden is a program designed to get more people to grow their own food in Boston and Lynn. The Food Project will build a raised bed garden and provide the support needed to grow food successfully. Raised beds have many benefits: they can be built on pavement or on top of contaminated soil; it is easy to learn how to grow food in them; and they can be planted intensively to produce lots of food in a small space.

The Food Project will provide:

• A raised bed garden filled with healthy, safe soil at a home or organization

• Seeds, transplants, and a Growing Guide

• Free workshops, newsletters and consultations 

Eligibility: All Boston and Lynn residents are encouraged to apply. No prior gardening experience is necessary.  Priority is given to:

• Residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain, East Boston and Lynn

• Applicants with financial need

The Food Project has a pay what you can system:

The cost of materials and labor to install one raised bed is $250. Participants are expected to pay as much as they can toward the full cost. The Food Project strives to make this program accessible to all by honoring a pay what you can system; however, a minimum contribution of $10 for households and $25 per bed for organizations is required.

For more information, please contact the Build-a-Garden Coordinator:

By phone: 617-442-1322 x12
By email: buildagarden@thefoodproject.org

How exciting is it then, when you encounter a driveway and/or parking area that is constructed of materials other than asphalt? 

Suddenly a parking pad becomes a stone tapestry that doubles as an enjoyable outdoor patio; a carport becomes an aesthetically appealing, multi-functional architectural element used for both parking and nifty floating trellises.

Car port:  design © Sylvester Damianos

Certainly, it’s these little things in  life that delight me. In my book there’s nothing wrong with paying homage to the “well-built” environment.

Brick herringbone pattern with cobblestones.

Peastone surrounded by brick.