A look at some fall color

A freak snowstorm hit the east coast this weekend, I'm thankful that we can still enjoy fall.

Happy Halloween!!!

The Desert Garden.

I live in an area where green is a familiar color, Green lawns,trees,plants,shrubs,etc. On a recent trip to Nevada I came across a different kind of garden. A hot dry garden, a desert garden.

Nevada gets very little rainfall, which only allows the toughest of plants to survive. Water here is scarce and must be used wisely. Most of the plants used in urban landscapes are drip-irrigated. I saw very few lawns here. These are Aloes, planted almost like a ground cover.

To my surprise I was  familiar with some of the plants, like this Prickley Pear cactus, other plants treated like annuals in my area are thriving perennials here

"Wow Barrel cactus", I had never see them this big. I'm familiar only with the ones you can get here at Home Depot in 2inch pots

Mulch was a rarity here too, the soil is dry and rocky, these plants don't need too much moisture.

This cactus didn't make it, well it looks like it had a happy life, see how the arms are waving.

These are the seed pods, what a show these must put on when in bloom.

Most of the plants were thorny or prickly, I do love the architectural shapes of Agave's.

"ouch" Some plants could be used for security.

The  plant materials do lend themselves very well to modern like landscapes. The plants are sculptural and thrive with little or no care. Just another type of garden.

Fall colors

With fall upon us it's time to think of change. Soon winter will be here. Fall does not mean we have to give up the garden altogether, it just means we have to re-interpit the garden.

Fall is full of color. Mums and Pansies as well as cabbages and Kale's can bring new life to a tired summer annual planting. This is a time when colored sticks and dried foliage and blooms look their best. I like the mixture of all this.

Mums add the biggest color impact of the season, the color range is endless. Add some Cabbages and Kale's and you can't go wrong. Cabbages and Kale's love the cooler temperatures,their color only intensifies.

There are also a number of annuals that thrive in cooler weather such as this Alysum.

Oranges,reds and yellows and purples are the predominate colors this time of year. My client wanted color, I think she's happy with this.

This garden has 4 concrete pots that I replanted for fall with Cabbages, mums and Peacock Kale's in the centers

 This client  was so happy in fact new planter boxes were added so the fall colors could be enjoyed from the inside as well, this is a compliment.

This client also has a office, and Ive been asked to plant there as well. Here I am making the final adjustments. The "big Bad Cat" helped too.

Pumpkins and gourds add color and fun to any fall garden. Do you have some?

Front  entrance pots are always important, they set the tone

and are a great way to welcome any guest.

The containers in the courtyard were all changed out. Here Polka dot plants only remained for a short time.

This was my first major planting for this client. Color is what she wanted and I provided her with it for fall.

Fall 's not the end of the garden seasons, it's just a change.

Up staging an old master.

I was recently asked to redo a container  planting for a new client. It was previously done by a famous garden designer, whose name I shall not mention, OK, I will mention it Deborah Silver.

This client paid a hefty price for this planting and thought she was taken. I have worked with this designer and thought "yep you were taken". The planting was dreadful. It lacked any color or excitement, something my new client longed for, she was disappointed with the results.

It was late in the growing season when she contacted me, there was little I could do for her in the way of annuals, most nursery's were done for that season. Plant materials were just too hard to find now, actually impossible.

Our best bet was to concentrate on Fall. I wish she had contacted me earlier.

The garden is small and shady, but full of possibilities. My new client is open to new Ideas. I'll have fun here.

Mr. Froggy Ill give you a garden you can be happy with. You loss D.S. one more point for me. HA!!!

A great garden and good friends revisited

Recently I revisited a garden that I helped to plan and plant, and it's owners. The garden is truly magical and wonderful and so are the owners.

 Before the house was finished the garden was already in the planning, these are truly garden lovers, my favorite people. Just think their love of gardens came from wanting a cutting garden.

 We must have spent at least a month here,planning and planting this garden. The owners were quite certain of what the garden should look like. In the end what happened is a happy surprise.

Small plants are now of a mature size, the garden has melded together beautifully. It was great to see all the plants so healthy. Check out the Sum and Substance hosta's

 The gardens have also been maintained beautifully, not a hair or rather leaf is out of place. This if you can believe is the dog run. Lucky dog.

This was always one of my most favorite views. I can remember having my lunch on this stone.

 The garden has a sense of whimsy to it too, you feel like your in a urban park. This is a view from the play house terrace.

The play house was moved from the owners old house, a special garden was designed just for this house. I painted the playhouse at the old house and then the owners asked me to paint it again in it's new garden, I was honored .

 extensive stone work was installed. This patio shows of a eccentric mix of furniture.

Huge over sized orbs ad a sense of play to the garden and reflect the owners young a heat attitude. They know how to have fun in the garden. It is after all a garden.

The iron gates are works of art themselves. A chartreuse maple frame this entrance.

The garden is filled with treasures,such as this cherub pot. The owners have collected art, and this garden is perfect for showing it off.

I hope to revisit this garden in a couple of years from now, I'm sure it will be just as magical, maybe even more so.

Looking back: Miskowski

Ive  had the pleasure of working at this small garden for about six years. The parents of another client.

The home is in a small subdivision consisting of only ten residents. The planting is mostly of annuals, and two small front porch pots. The planting is usually very formal and clean, simple yet full of color.

The colors these clients love are those in the purple-pink family, no yellow please. The shrubs and crab apples are pruned about twice a year, keeping them in check.

Persian shield, New guinea impatiens and petunias thrive in this hot, south facing border. I'm always happily surprised as to how everything grows here.

The small backyard is in the shade, a perfect place for a neat border of impatiens below the back deck.

It's not a big garden, but the owners enjoy it. I like the clean lines and the formality of this garden. Every garden is different and this one just adds variety to my portfolio. I think this is nice.