BILOWZ ASSOCIATES INC. is an award winning landscape architectural design firm with a proven philosophy: "Creating Design with Harmony & Balance."
Our company blog, Annie's Gardening Corner, takes a sneak peek at how we balance our own love for everything green + a place to find inspiration, garden ideas and landscape design tips.

To browse our award winning landscape design portfolios, click on our company website at WWW.BILOWZASSOCIATES.COM

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Plan to Reality Equals Vision

Plan to Reality Equals Vision
Ask a leader of industry to define the center point of success and the cornerstone of that conversation probably circles back to the initial vision. Dig deeper into the nitty-gritty and it’s the plan put in play that achieves the reality of that overall concept. 

What starts with a vision requires a road map to get there. A well-defined plan is that critical building block. Simple as it sounds, it is a pivotal piece. That well-defined plan makes something good or so-so into those more vibrant adjectives such as amazing, stellar or simply the best.

Relate this to a landscape master plan and often times folks balk at why it is a necessity. When jumping into personal #Design projects, too often this pivotal piece, the 'plan to reality equals vision' gets benched.  So on this summer Thursday when some might still be contemplating overall landscape plans, let’s repeat this simple 101 #Design thought - a master plan not only defines the vision but also shapes its reality. And here’s the big one - when working with other disciplines, it merges the overlaps and seams together the differences.

To end on that #DailyQuote note, Robert Collier’s words of wisdom ring true with the above. “It is your work to clear away the mass of encumbering material of thoughts, so that you may bring into plain view the precious thing at the center of the mass.”

#Design projects should always shoot for a center point of success. To visualize this thought, the above image is the aerial vision of Stately It Is. Catch up on your summer reading and check out last Friday’s post. Plan to reality should equal your vision. 


© Copyright note: All images and designs have been developed by and is the property of Bilowz Associates Inc. and should not be reproduced in any manner nor are they to be assigned to any third party without the expressed written permission and consent of Bilowz Associates Inc.

If you like this blog, hope you check in for your daily share's worth of inspiration, design, and garden tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! We invite you to contact Bilowz Associates, Inc., or to browse our portfolios for inspiration. Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

What’s In Your Basket?

Beautiful Garden Blossoms
The growing season of summer draws us outdoors. There's plenty to lure one into nature - beautiful garden blossoms, strolls along the ocean or an exhilarating hike. Many of us choose to design beautiful landscapes simply because spending time outdoors is treasured and hard to come by. Think about your favorite outdoor space or place and compare that to where you spend your time inside. In general, you might get an overall sense of feeling less confined. 
It's just great to be outside.
But one of the best kept secrets to open air and less confinement is readily available in almost every city and town - farmers markets. As Eric Schlosser, author of ‘Fast Food Nation’ reminds us, “There is a growing market today for local, organic foods produced by small farmers. And farmers' markets have played a large role in making that happen.” Many of these markets have expanded into more than fresh produce and locally grown to appeal and draw in a larger crowd. But browsing the carts in search of your treasured favorites is all part of the summer fun. And with such a growing trend, farmers markets are expanding beyond these seasonal months. Several large cities bring the farmers' market experience indoors during the cooler months as well. In places outside the United States, it's simply a part of life. 

Indoor farmers markets - simply a part of life.
Share your favorite farmers’ market or locally grown finds.
Farm to table
P.S. All images are from farmers' markets in Italy, where food and fresh are one.  

©All images by Greg Bilowz
If you like this blog, hope you check in for your daily share's worth of inspiration, design, and garden tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! We invite you to contact Bilowz Associates, Inc., or to browse our portfolios for inspiration. Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at Annie You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.

Monday, July 28, 2014

July's Collection





©All images by Ann Bilowz

We invite you to contact Bilowz Associates, Inc., or to browse our portfolios for inspiration. Have a wonderful summer weekend.If you like this blog, hope you check in for your daily share's worth of inspiration, design, and garden tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at Annie You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Stately It Is

Thinking of an ocean escape? Take a peak at this seaside Cape Cod property. Stately it is. Summer 2014 Home Remodeling Cape Cod, The Islands and The South Coast highlight one of Bilowz Associates Inc.'s feature properties. Relax and enjoy the view.  

2014 Home Remodeling Cape Cod, The Islands & The South Coast
With a stately seaside view, each design component harmonizes and creates stylish balance with the architecture of the home and its surrounding landscape.
2014 Home Remodeling Cape Cod, The Islands & The South Coast
Imagine - By combining the right materials and employing a philosophy of harmony and balance, functional portions disappear into the beauty of your landscape's overall artistry.
2014 Home Remodeling Cape Cod, The Islands & The South Coast

The composition of assorted elements create a visual aesthetic that's both pleasant to the eye and functional. Whether lounging on a chair or enjoying the view from this terrace's curved sitting wall, all can enjoy the warmth of this uniquely designed gas fire pit on a chilly Cape Cod summer evening.

2014 Home Remodeling Cape Cod, The Islands & The South Coast
Great design is more than a piece of paper. It's the efforts and collaboration of a well-rounded team. Thanks to all from Bilowz Associates Inc.
Bilowz Associates Inc. - Stately Seaside
 Summer 2014 Home Remodeling Cape Cod & Islands highlights one of our feature properties - Bilowz Associates Inc. 








We invite you to contact Bilowz Associates, Inc., or to browse our portfolios for inspiration. Have a wonderful summer weekend. And as always, If you like this blog, hope you check in for your daily share's worth of inspiration, design, and garden tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at Annie You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Explanation Unnecessary

Salpiglossis sinuata 'Painted Tongue'
Salpiglossis sinuata 'Painted Tongue' Royal Casino Mix
What you love, you love. That’s why much of what we choose can be extremely subjective. In other words, explanation unnecessary – we love it just because. Sometimes we can’t define the why; it simply moves us, much like a piece of art. Here’s an annual we discovered this year while searching for our favorite tomato plant, San Marzano. 

But back to our favorite annual - you might find its common name hideous or fun but ‘Painted Tongue’ has quickly become an annual we love. It bears a much longer, official name, Salpiglossis sinuata but let’s stick to the easy one for now. Pen the name in your plant journal. This assures you mix it in with your containers and beds. That is if you’re looking to dress things up a bit next season and you love it as much as us.  Plus it thrives when cut back and flushes out well, which makes it a great cut flower for your vases throughout the summer months. We love it with Coneflowers, Daylilies or you can simply let it go natural and beautiful in the garden all by itself. Rick Riordan explains it best.  You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search.” 
Salpiglossis sinuata seen earlier this week in Monday’s post, When the Sun Shines
Did you discover any great finds in your nursery searches this year? Feel free to share your favorites or chirp in on ours. Remember, explanation unnecessary. We love what we love.

©All images by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in for your daily share's worth of inspiration, design, and garden tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at Annie You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.

© 2009

© 2009 Ann St. Jean-Bilowz/Bilowz Associates Inc. (including all photographs, unless otherwise noted in Annie's Gardening Corner are the property of Bilowz Associates Inc. and shall not be reproduced in any manner nor are they to be assigned to any third party without the expressed written permission and consent of Bilowz Associates Inc.)