Hot Monday Tropics

With the weather feeling quite tropical, the title is just a play on words. But there is a hot Monday topic to discuss and it's worth a repeat summer performance. Before the segue into microclimates and why it's important to understand them as they relate to garden and design, there's another quick message - pay attention to the nature of things. What's the best way to do that? Expose yourself to nature everyday if you can and pay attention to the process occurring as you take it all in.

Where did your paths lead you this weekend? 

Somewhere in nature?

To beautiful and contemplative spots like this.

But onto the hot Monday topic - microclimates. Why is this topic so important? Because there are layers to microclimatic conditions, some more predictable than others. The best way to understand these layers? Take a peek at this great Cornell University link. Sometimes we try to beat the odds but microclimates play a huge role in our gardens. I especially love this Charles Mazza quote. "In the real world, we garden in microclimates, not hardiness zones."

With this oppressive heat, now is a good time to research, plan and even redesign certain areas on your property based on your microclimates rather than just your hardiness zones. The best way to create a beautifully designed landscape is to understand the microclimates. But always enjoy nature, which is often your best teacher for so many important garden lessons. Or you can just return each semester to the 'College of Hard Knocks'.

Why a fig to end this post? Besides the fig fact shared last week on our FB page, we use our stone wall and terraces to get the best figs even if the season is short. Then off to cold storage during the winter months.

As Charles Mazza stated, "In the real world, we garden in microclimates, not hardiness zones." And  sometimes we'll do whatever it takes just to grow a fig.

© All Images – Property of Bilowz Associates Inc.          

If you like this blog, check in for your daily share's worth of garden inspiration, landscape architecture and design 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. Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.  And you can also find us back on our Google+ Business Page. (Landscape architects/Landscape Design/serving Massachusetts and New England.)

Purple Power

Delphiniums after a morning shower

Looking for something to give you a bit of standing power in the garden? Choose purple when it comes to the blossom. This Monday morning purple collage is worthy of a quick scroll down. There’s a lot more purple where this came from but it’s just a sampler to get you thinking purple and all its colorful power. Despite the New England region's winter trauma, go beyond the annuals and pick perennials that perform for the long-term. Get some standing power with purple in your blossoms.

Clematis beaming in the afternoon sun.

 

Catmint (Nepeta) - a favorite + easy to grow, transplant & delicate flower blossoms

An all-time favorite that climbs & climbs - Wisteria.

 © All Images – Property of Bilowz Associates Inc.          

If you like this blog, check in for your daily share's worth of garden inspiration, landscape architecture and design 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. Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too.  And you can also find us back on our Google+ Business Page. (Landscape architects/Landscape Design/serving Massachusetts and New England.)

Seeds of Kindness

Gertrude Jekyll, a famous English garden designer and artist once said that “The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.” Jekyll created some of the most outstanding color and textural compositions in her art and garden designs. Though her vision was impaired, her philosophy was ‘you should be able to strain your eyes and see the forms, masses and drifts of color and texture.’ Her lack of consideration to fads of the day and ‘going against the grain’ is what makes her still remembered today.

On this 13th day of 26 days of kindness, we remember and honor Emilie Parker. The archived garden image to honor Emilie is the ‘Red Flash’ Caladium. This plant’s tropical red leaves edged beautifully with green give a hint of Christmas color on this overcast December 1st day though an artist might notice the raindrops cupped within the foliage.

Like Jekyll, Emilie was creative and artistic. She was always writing down her ideas for projects and loved going to the craft store for new supplies. She also loved to dress up and read stories with her sisters. And like Jekyll, we should always remember Emilie for the things she loved so much in life so ‘a seed once sown never dies.’

Plant your seeds of kindness on this 13th day of 26 days of kindness. Sow them wherever you may be on this December 1st. Kindness, like a garden, can always find a place to sow a seed.

Here are the links for the event and FB page to share your seeds of kindness. 
Image by Ann Bilowz © ‘Red Flash’ Caladium

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.