Small Garden Re-Imagined: Buffalo Style

Do you like garden tours? I try to go to a few local ones each year, but this summer I had the opportunity to attend what can only be described as a garden tour on steroids – Garden Walk Buffalo. More than 400 private and public gardens in Buffalo, NY are open for self guided…

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Using a Signature Color

The display gardens from the 2017 Northwest Flower & Garden Show may be dismantled but the memories and design inspiration will feed my creative soul for years to come thanks to photographs . As I reviewed my images this morning I was struck once again how several designers had used orange as a signature color.…

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Creating Sanctuary

What does the word 'sanctuary' mean to you? A place of peace, protection, an oasis? Somewhere you you feel at ease? Cocoon-like?  How would you go about creating such a space in your own garden? I had the honor of co-judging the City Living displays at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show last week. These…

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Design Inspiration from Chihuly in Atlanta

I had the opportunity to visit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens last month while speaking at a symposium for the Garden Writer's Association and was thrilled to discover that my visit coincided with an exhibit of Chihuly's work. While  enthralled by the sheer scale and extravagance of his masterpieces I was also intrigued to seek out…

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Serenity in Seattle; my favorite display

While most visitors to the 2016 Northwest Flower and Garden Show were jostling for position to photograph the large display gardens, I found myself drawn to the smaller City Living  exhibits. Each designer worked with a 6 x 12 space defined by pavers to represent a high rise apartment balcony. The criteria was that all materials…

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