spring in sight

After yesterdays’ snowstorm the melt off to spring begins. I look forward to seeing green grass and smelling moist soil. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the peace and quiet this cold season brings just a bit longer.

the art of terrarium

Currents – Gardens – Minimalist Terrariums From Atlas Industries – NYTimes.com.

Beautiful, but an expensive version of a houseplant! How much would you spend for low-maintenance? $9,500  Could buy many new plants or fresh bouquets of flowers.  And imagine if the dog knocks it over?

succulent cake

Sempervivums are on the top of my list of favorite plants. Their form and function, especially in containers, invaluable to any garden. I was amazed at this display at our rental house in Tuscany where they are happy plants in afternoon shade. Much like a frosted cake, they spill over the large cement container and require little besides a rare drop of rain. 

potted garden

I’ve heard people complain about not having enough room to create a garden. In this photo taken in a small medieval village in Tuscany, Italy last week, you can see that space nor soil is a requirement for creating a green welcome to visitors.

Taking into account the dryness, heat and lack of natural soil (and depth of less than one meter!), this resident has succesfully created what I’d consider a lush garden suiting to its limestone environment. 

container garden

It’s time to plant up the pots by the front door and around the patio with some spring color! The nurseries in my area still offer only a limited choice of pansies, primroses and blooming bulbs but I’m already designing with warm-weather plants in mind. This container in front of a shop in Munich last summer is inspirational. I like the pieces of gnarled wood in contrast to the bird-of-paradise flowers. I plan to use some lichen covered branches as part of my spring container garden.