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Flower and Garden Show: Designers draw on classics to turn over a new leaf

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The Age

Victoria

Date

March 26, 2014

Designers Carolyn and Joby Blackman in their library garden. Photo: Justin McManus

Autumn. The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. A poetic time to seek inspiration at the 19th Flower and Garden Show, which opens on Wednesday in the heritage-listed Carlton Gardens.

This year, 13 designers have used lush floral plantings in a riot of colours from deep red to orange, yellow and rich pastels to create their show gardens. A far cry from the ubiquitous yuccas and cordylines that dominated the horticultural landscape during the dry years. Trees, too, have been used to great effect, with many of them displaying stunning autumn foliage.

Carolyn and Joby Blackman, from Vivid Design, have created The Gardener’s Library based on the words of Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero: ”If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need.”

In the words of Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero: ‘If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need.’ Photo: Justin McManus

The result is an English-built conservatory housing a traditional library complete with books, terrariums, botanic prints by Craig Lidgerwood and a wingback chair from where one can admire the elegant clipped, pleached small-leafed lime trees (Tilia cordata “Greenspire”), in front of a carpet of giant, bright red geraniums flanking a steel water feature and beyond the ”imagined” driveway, a flower border evocative of a traditional English garden in a palette of harmonious shades.

Copses of crepe myrtles and silver birches encompass a small seat, whittled by Joby Blackman, the perfect retreat to sit and read a book.

Espaliered olives and rosemary are planted at the library entrance and on the side a stand of ”Autumn blaze” acers, the red/orange foliage a testament to this glorious season. A stonemason has inscribed Cicero’s immortal words in a plaque which takes centre stage in the bluestone ”driveway”.

The Blackmans chose plants that are both beautiful to look at, and hardy, a must for the Australian climate.

Trees, too, play an important part in the overall design. ”Trees are very important in home gardens, however small,” Carolyn Blackman says. ”We need to put trees back into gardening otherwise it will be catastrophic for the environment.”

The garden, built by Semken Landscaping, has been designed for a collective of independent nurseries ”where you can’t buy a hammer or a stepladder”. The conservatory, made by Mervyn Montgomery from Hampton Conservatories in England, was shipped out in pieces.

The Blackmans needed someone to assemble it and Mr Montgomery suggested his son Lindsey, who is in Melbourne at the moment. ”It’s helped us out and given him some holiday money,” the Blackmans said.

The Blackmans – along with best in show garden winner Mark Browning from Cycas Landscape Design – are the recipients of a gold show garden award for their Gardener’s Library.

Lisa Ellis won first place in the Boutique Gardens category for The Midnight Garden which was created in conjunction with the Astronomical Society of Victoria.

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Ohio State’s Mirror Lake may get vintage look

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Mirror Lake could regain the island and bridges that it had more than a century ago once Ohio
State University finishes renovating it.

The university is exploring three design concepts, including a throwback to the lake of the late
1800s, when it was more serpentine and spanned by a bridge. The other concepts either would make
the surrounding area more like a grassy park or like a plaza with sprawling pavement and more
seating.

Ohio State released drawings of the concepts this month and is asking students and staff members
to weigh in online before the university moves ahead.

Renovation started late last year when workers
emptied the lake as part of a study to make it less of a fiscal and environmental
drain. Ohio State replenished the lake at a rate of about 50,000 gallons of water per day,
bought from the city. The study will determine whether OSU can supply the lake from
groundwater.

Along with the environmental study, OSU wants to give the lake a makeover.

It has taken several forms in its 150 years. The landmark started as a bog fed by Neil Run. When
it was expanded in 1895, workers added an island and lined the lake with stone. Decades later, it
got an electric pump and a fountain.

The retro update would make the lake’s outline longer and more irregular. It accents the grotto
on the north side of the lake, a feature that has been popular in survey results, said Steve
Volkmann, an OSU landscape architect.

New landscaping would rim the edge of the lake under the concept modeled after a traditional
park. The shape of the lake would stay roughly the same, but the fountain would be removed to make
it more like a reflective pool.

The plaza design creates an “urban” look, Volkmann said, circled by a wide, paved path and
sparse landscaping. It adds seating in an open space to the east and along a southern slope leading
up to Pomerene Hall. “Seating is one thing that everybody would like to see more of,” Volkmann
said.

Ohio State plans to pay about $28,000 for the environmental study. Other than design fees, the
project to revamp the lake hasn’t cost anything yet, Volkmann said.

Online comments sent to OSU have been mixed, but many support the old look.

“We have a wonderful opportunity to restore some of its former natural beauty as well as
increase the restorative value of such a wonderful space,” one read.

“I don’t want Mirror Lake to become a concrete jungle. The more trees, grass and flowers, the
better,” another commenter wrote.

Once they gather feedback, Volkmann and a design firm plan to combine some of the most-popular
ideas into a final plan. At the same time, workers will drill near the lake to test whether
groundwater in the area can be used to fill the lake. If not, they will look for more-efficient
ways to use city water.

cbinkley@dispatch.com

@cbinkley

March Madness at the Benson Museum

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BENSON — It’s March Madness at the Benson Museum, to be celebrated with a number of activities on Saturday.

The museum, located at 180 San Pedro St., will be featuring the works of local artists, with selections of oil, acrylic, watercolor, pencil and photography on exhibit through April. The participating artists are members of the San Pedro River Arts Council.

In addition to the art exhibit, the Quilt Gallery and gift shop will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Visit the shop and enjoy a bake sale while on the museum property.

Muralist Doug Quarles will be at the Benson Clean and Beautiful informational booth where he will answer questions about the mural he’s completed as well as discuss plans for future projects. Clean and Beautiful committee members will be handing out brochures of the murals, fact sheets and applications about becoming a committee member, said Lisa Hill, who chairs Benson Clean and Beautiful. Members are currently in the process of working on short and long range goals for Benson. Suggestions include the following projects: planting trees along Fourth Street and in local parks, community clean-up projects, placing benches along the “Mural Walking Tour,” cleaning up Fourth Street and adding plants in flower pots and purchasing large, non-portable ashtrays to place next to business entryways.

Hill says that Clean and Beautiful is looking for people who might be interested in serving on committees within the organization to help with such projects as membership drives, fundraisers, future murals, landscaping and community clean-up efforts as well as community awareness and publicity. “When we work together as a team, there is so much we can accomplish,” she said.

“We are asking the community at large for ideas about future projects they would like to see Benson Clean and Beautiful undertake,” said Hill. The deadline to submit ideas is March 31. Those with recommendations should call Hill at (520) 586-2516 or by going to BensonCandB@yahoo.com.

The community is invited to visit the Benson Museum during Saturday’s March Madness event and learn about the different projects around town. Participate in the list of activities the museum is hosting throughout the day and enjoy the exhibit by local artists.

For information, call the museum at (520) 586-3134.

If you find a correction for this story, please contact our editorial department

There’s no place like Lehigh Valley Home Show

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Along with chirping robins and budding crocuses, homeowners making treks to home improvement and hardware stores are an annual sign of spring.

So after more than 5 feet of snow this winter, the Spring Home Show at Stabler Arena and Rauch Fieldhouse in Bethlehem is apt to look like an oasis to a Bedouin.

On March 28-30, the home show will draw almost 300 vendors showing off more than 400 booths with displays on everything from kitchen renovations to landscaping, from solar panels to outdoor fireplaces.

Chuck Hamilton, executive officer for the Lehigh Valley Builders Association, which runs the show, says, “I think when you get that cabin fever and you haven’t been able to do anything around the house because of the ice and snow, it’s the perfect time to get out and get ideas and get reinvigorated on what you want to do for the summer.”

Contractors are starting to see home construction and remodeling pick up, he says. Upgrading kitchens and bathrooms continues to be popular.

“As the home values are steadily increasing, we’ve seen an increase in both new home construction and remodeling,” Hamilton says. “Home additions have been very popular as a substitute for moving to a larger home.”

Among the trends the association is seeing:

Reuse of materials or “green materials”

Ruhmel Contracting and the Design Studio at HoudenHAL will be among vendors with exhibits about using sustainable energy sources and recycled products.

Robin Ruhmel of the Design Studio at HoudenHAL says the company has seen increased demand for sustainable energy sources to heat homes. Within the last year it’s installed several solar hot water systems.

“Those are investments that they’re making in the future of their house, which will save money over the long term,” she says. “People are more concerned about the environments that they’re living in.”

HoudenHAL (Houden means “to sustain” in Dutch) is a LEED certified, “green” home built about three years ago in Weisenberg Township, just off the New Smithville exit of Interstate 78. It is powered by solar, geothermal and wind power. Design Studio also sells eco-products such as carpet and countertops made from recycled materials.

Robin is the wife of Ruhmel Contracting President Hersh Ruhmel. Ruhmel Contracting, which makes custom homes, can talk to home show-goers about ways to make their homes more energy efficient by using different types of framing materials and insulation.

Outdoor rooms

More homeowners are adding rooms outside, including fully equipped kitchens, complete with stoves, grills, refrigeration, work spaces and bars. Some are adding outside fireplaces or built-in fire pits.

Landscaping vendors can show people options for making their yards more private while adding scenic touches, Hamilton says.

“In our awards program, one of our people created a waterfall from the top of a hill, and that’s a fairly extensive job,” he says. “Coy ponds or regular ponds are popular yet.”

White on white kitchens and bathrooms

After years of homeowners opting for dark woods for remodeled kitchens, Hamilton says he’s starting to see more white cabinets, flooring, backsplashes, counters, fixtures and appliances, with just splashes of color added.

“It’s gone through transitions of real heavy cabinetry with dark woods to a nice cherry, which is still very popular,” Hamilton says. “The woods are still very popular. But I’m starting to see the white on white.”

Tasteful Gambrel in Water Mill South is Yours for $11.9M

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Click here to view the full photogallery.

This lovely house is so impeccably tasteful it verges into the boring, frankly. Every room is styled to perfection, all in soothing shades of white and pale gray, but there are so many of them, and they’re all so alike, we’re dying for a touch of color and personality somewhere. In a house this size, how do you choose which of 58 identical sitting rooms to sit in? (Love the William Morris print dining chairs, however.) The house is 8600sf, set on 1.6 acres of land, which look out over farm fields. There’s a master suite, four guest bedrooms, two rooms for staff and two laundry rooms. There’s a home theater (showing one of our favorite movies) and a “virtual sport room” to practice your golf swing. The pool house offers another sitting room, a kitchenette and bonus rooms.
· Stately Traditional with Farm Views [Sotheby’s]

What to do this week in your Colorado Garden, 3/26-4/5

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Last year at this time, it was snowing or about to snow. Two years, ago it was so dry and warm we were dragging hoses to water the landscape.

This year, who knows, but we’ll take whatever the weather dishes out and get the garden chores started. And we’ll like it, because we know what lies ahead: home-grown vegetables and gathering rose bouquets. Here’s what should be on your list to do, whatever the weather.

GET INFORMED

Is this the season you want or need to brush up on garden know-how and techniques? Whether you want to learn to plant peppers, an eye-catching mixed flower container, how to change a sprinkler head or how to choose border plants that bloom from spring through fall, make it happen now.

Gardening skills are easily acquired through hands on trial and error; just ask any experienced gardener. Taking classes or and attending lectures is another way to glean from the experts or enhance what you already know. Available classes range from a quick, one-hour topic to day-long seminars, workshops or higher-education degrees. In some cases, you end up with a certification of completion. Where to go:

• Garden centers and public gardens like Hudson Gardens, Denver Botanic Gardens and the Gardens on Spring Creek offer year-round garden instruction.

•The Colorado Master Gardening program through Colorado State University Extension is offered at the beginning of the year in most counties around the state. Boulder County also offers fall evening training. Check with your local extension office for registration deadlines and more information. You can now also take such courses — a few, or the whole program.

• The CSU Extension Native Plant Master Certification programs for 2014 are getting started statewide. This is the place to learn about plant identification and basic botany, Colorado native plant landscaping, invasive weed management.

• Denver Urban Gardens offers Master Community Gardening training and more at dug.org

• The City of Aurora has on-line, downloadable water-conservation instruction materials or in-person classes including landscape design, irrigation basics and growing food. More: auroragov.org

• Places like Front Range Community College, Metropolitan State College of Denver, University of Colorado Denver and Colorado State University have landscape design programs. More: unixl.com/dir/landscape-design/colorado/

• And always check the weekly Denver Post Grow garden calendar for area classes/events. You can also download The Denver Post’s Garden Colorado app for many helpful articles and resources about gardening in CO, available for iPad, Kindle or Android tablet.

IN THE LANDSCAPE

Grab your rake. It’s time to get those muscles out of winter dormancy. Do a few laps around your yard to warm up, followed by some easy arm stretches and waist bends to remind your body parts that they still function.

Work on days when the soil has dried out; walking on wet garden soil causes soil compaction, making planting difficult.

• With cleaned, sharpened or new tools, cut back dead foliage on perennials. Dig or pull out any remaining annuals or vegetables from last season.

• Cut ornamental grasses down to 5 or 6 inches above the crown. If the clump is dead in the middle, it will need to be divided, which can be done from now into next month, before the plant puts on lots of new growth.

• Carefully rake out remaining leaves, twigs or garbage from beds, avoiding emerging plant foliage or spring bulbs. Toss the organic debris into the compost pile or chop it up and use for mulch in the vegetable garden.

• As you cut back and clean, pull or dig those early weeds before they are out of control. Be on the lookout for noxious weeds such as leafy spurge or purple loosestrife (you may think these are pretty, but they need to go).

• Cleaned-out beds benefit from an inch or two of finished compost or amended soil. Pull back the mulch and work the soil in and around plants and shrubs.

• Add some slow-release fertilizer to the beds if bloom quality has waned over the years. And consider a soil test. More: www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/232.html

• Brighten the house by forcing outdoor branches to bloom inside. Cut 1- to 2-foot lengths of spring-blooming branches of apple, cherry, plum, forsythia, lilac, dogwood or honeysuckle. After bringing indoors, cut a couple of 1-inch side slits from the bottom of the stem so they will take up water. Place in a vase, add warm water and wait for bloom (2 to 6 weeks, depending on type). The closer the bloom date outdoors, the closer they will bloom inside. Change the water every few days. More: chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/cut_branches_indoor_arrangements_and_forcing

VEGETABLES

• Indoors, start warm-season seeds of tomato, pepper, eggplant, tomatillo for transplanting outdoors later in May. If you don’t want to start seeds indoors, these plants may be purchased in May for planting outdoors.

• Hardy cool-season vegetable seeds of peas, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, radish and transplants of broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts can be planted now if soil temperatures are over 40 degrees. Use tunnels, cloches or cold frames for days and nights under 45 degrees.

Read more of Betty Cahill at gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/

Bunny Guinness’s top tips for spring gardening

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Thrips are the biggest problem for commercial growers. Patrick Allpress, who
grows a thousand acres and is chair of britishleeks.co.uk, recommends
lightly and regularly watering leeks in July and August when it is dry,
which gives good control.Patrick harvests leeks from July to May. They sell
baby leeks, ideal for stir fries and soups, as well as large ones.

Leeks can be sown from February to May, with the earlier ones under cover, so
get some varieties in now. The new hybrids such as Belton
(dtbrownseeds.co.uk) and Krypton (marshalls-seeds.co.uk) stand well through
the winter, have good flavour and are easy to grow.

Wasabi is my new hot vegetable. It is a beautiful plant, with mid-green, lush
leaves and white flowers. Tom Amery, of the Wasabi Company exports his to
Spain, Italy and Portugal. He says that over the years it has survived
minus 20C. They grow it in gravel beds surrounded by running water which
moderates the temperature. This growing method is called “Sawa”. I am
growing it using the “Oka” growing method (also used in Japan) whereby it
grows in soil or a pot. Mine is in a nine-litre (two-gallon) pot standing in
a saucer of water in heavy shade. In extremely cold winters, I bring it into
a more protected, shady site.

This is a must-have veg for cooks, and gardeners who love food. The pastes you
can buy are not a patch on the real thing. Research has shown that,
medicinally, wasabi is good for osteoporosis and cancer among other
conditions. I put the leaves in salad, fry them in oil and salt, and play
around with the tasty flowers, too. My plant is a year old and I will check
it to see signs of the rhizome swelling, which will probably happen later on
this year. I will lift it and use the main rhizome – by then 3-4cm (1-1½in)
in diameter and 5-10cm (2-4in) long – and then propagate new plants from the
smaller side roots. Pulling off the outside leaves (leaving the stalks on)
for eating, encourages the rhizome development. You can buy plants from the
Wasabi Company (£7.50, wasabicompany.co.uk).

Another favourite is my globe artichokes. I am about to make more by pulling
off several suckers from the outside of the plant. These will be about 20cm
(8in) long and have a couple of shoots. Pop them in a pot with grit and
compost, put in a shadyish spot and keep moist. I find this easier and
quicker than from seed.

You often find interesting seed packets when abroad. A couple of weeks ago, I
was in a Chicago supermarket, where Dill ‘Tetra’ (from Botanical Interests)
caught my eye, as it is a variety that is apparently slow to bolt. It is a
fabulous herb with fish and essential in gravlax. I will be sowing that
shortly, along with a figure-of-eight-shaped gourd called ‘Birdhouse’. Other
finds were seeds of Stevia rebaudiana, the sugar substitute – I have cut
back on sugar so may need it (from suttons.co.uk)
– and a penstemon called ‘Rocky Mountain Blue’, which is easy to grow, long
lived and blooms for a month or so. You are limited to five seed packets
outside the EU:sometimes they are a dead loss, but more often than not they
are well worth it.

*Bunny Guinness won Garden Writer of the Year at the LSL Property Press Awards

Discovering Your Green Thumb: Beginner Tips for Organic Gardening

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In this day and age we are overwhelmed by the number of choices at the supermarket. When we take the time to read the labels, it can be somewhat shocking to see the list of ingredients for what we are lead to believe to be “fresh” or “organic”.

Yes, there are companies that provide organic options at these markets but they come at a sizable price. Instead of paying the premium maybe you should consider your own foray into the world of organics. Perhaps you can find your green thumb and start your own little garden?

Here are a few beginner tips for organic gardening that should bring you up to speed on what’s needed to keep it free of pesticides.

Beginner Tips for Organic Gardening

The following will you give you a crash course on the available options and methods behind gardening (without pesticides):

Think Native – Your best bet when growing plants/fruits is to start with ones found within your local environment (the native ones). The native plants already have adapted to the weather conditions and battling insects and other critters.

By choosing native you will find growing them to be far easier than transplanting ones from regions greatly different than yours

Go For Toughness – Vegetables can be quite difficult for the first time gardener because a quick freeze, sporadic weather patterns, or unbearable heat waves can wipe out your efforts in no time at all.

A smart choice for beginners would be to go with fruit – specifically: fruit bearing trees. These are very, very tough. You can plant them and pretty much let them do their thing because they can handle the weather. There are many options whether you’re seeking an Asian pear tree for sale (always a great starter choice), oranges that can handle the heat, or robust apple trees that seem to handle just about any condition.

A little bonus, too, is that once they’re going you don’t have to do much actual gardening to keep them viable – a bit of watering and you’re good to go – no mucking about with fertilizers.

Find Their Companion(s) – Think about how your plants aid one another during their growth. This is the idea behind companion planting.

Part of the benefit of companion planting, in an organic sense, is that many plants naturally repel insects and other critters that would eat your efforts. For example – growing garlic next to plants will repel aphids and ants.

Space also comes into play. A selection of plants that share the ground well, like tomatoes and carrots, allows you to use a smaller area which also leads to less watering and maintenance.

Study the Soil – If you’re using soil from around your area then take the time to get it tested for pesticides and other contaminants. Otherwise, it would be advised that you seek suppliers which offer soil that passes the organic grade.

Consider Tech Options – Gardening has come a long way since digging a hole, throwing in some seeds, and covering it back up. Technology and better understanding of the growth process has introduced, to the market, many different options for growing in small spaces such as through hydroponic gardening kits, vertical gardening kits, or embracing the limited space and following the suggestions of those practicing what’s known as “balcony gardening”.

A Small Bonus

Since you’ve decided to give organic gardening a go you will also gain the advantage that you now have a near endless supply of vegetables and fruit which could be used for juice fasting. On top of that – the leftovers from juicing can be reused as fertilizer for your organic garden. It’s a total win/win!

–

You don’t need a gigantic piece of land to enjoy the benefits of organic gardening. Start small, in fact.

Find your green thumb by growing the fruits and veggies you love. When you feel comfortable and experienced you’re always welcome to expand and try new things. Start with great, organic supplies and you will grow great, organic food.

Are you ready to put your green thumb to good work?

Tags: gardening, hame and garden, organic garden, starting a garden

Category: Featured Articles, greenovations, Home Garden

MP urges high standards of design at Ebbsfleet garden city

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Interiors By Design: Consider The Garden Stool

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The hordes descended upon Pier 94 for the annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show. Last week, a mishmosh stew of appliance dealers, carpet hawkers, builder suppliers, gimmicky artists, hipster Brooklyn furniture makers, glass blowers and fuzzy craftspeople plunked their wares down in an un-unified, unedited jambalaya. Added to the confusion was a noisy stream of “celebrity” chefs, designers and architects, and self-proclaimed style makers spicing up this tilt-a-wheel carnival with cheesy proclamations booming over crackling cheap loudspeakers. I couldn’t escape soon enough.

Albeit, not without observing that every other furniture booth displayed some iteration of the ancient Chinese garden stool—a ubiquitous furniture accessory appearing in every catalogue, shelter magazine, blog, sitcom and home décor store. The garden stool has wormed its way into the hearts of “decoristas” by way of its flexibility, practicality and sculptural potential. Besides its versatility, it is relatively inexpensive, easy to clean and works outdoors as well as indoors.

Garden stools appeared as early as 960 A.D. in Chinese gardens formalizing the Buddhist act of sitting on a tree stump and contemplating “oneness” in the garden. Originally developed for use in the typical Chinese ancestral home, which was built around a courtyard, the garden stool was first conceived in a barrel shape with rounded nails pounded into metal rings that held the wooden staves. These barrels stored herbs, seeds, bulbs and flower cultivars as well, but fabricated in wood, these lidded barrels rotted outdoors and soon lost their essential purpose—that of a strong seat on which to rest one’s weary back after planting. Chinese artisans began creating garden stools in sculpted rock, glazed stoneware and porcelain. Even now, the barrel shape with rings or nail head detailing (evoking the drum as well) is still extant on the porcelain garden stools one finds available today.

Still to be found in specialty Chinese antique shops are the wonderful elmwood or calamander wooden garden stools, carved with fretwork, dragons, lotus blossoms, and painted in polychrome, red and often gilded. But because these had to be brought indoors during weather fluctuations, they were abandoned for the more durable stone and porcelain varieties.

By the early 17th century (Ming Dynasty), garden stools were popular across China and, as is the Chinese wont, the stools were elaborately decorated with images of peacocks, dragons, phoenix, lotus blossoms and peonies as well as scenes of domestic life. These garden stools were exported to the West for almost 300 years, though their popularity has risen only since the mid-20th century, and of course, they have been enjoying a raucous revival in the last few years.

With the current delight in outdoor living, garden stools fit the niche as a decorative, solid side table that won’t blow away in the wind or rot in the rain. The porcelain stools act as a shimmery counterpoint to the dry matte surfaces of teak furniture. But they also add weight and grounding to a furniture grouping consisting of primarily spindly iron furniture. Do not, however, expect your porcelain or earthenware stools to survive the winter outside or you will find, as I did, a heap of cracked shards awaiting you after the snowdrifts melt.

Due to their popularity, the garden seats have run the gamut from the more traditional barrel drum shapes to rectangular cubes, to modified hourglasses and simple cylinders. Sculpted in undulating waves or sharp zig-zags, there exists a garden seat design for every design proclivity, be it modern or traditional. Colorful or subdued, black or white, lushly glazed or roughly textured, they can fit into nearly any setting.

Typically featured as a side table or a drinks table, the garden stool can also lend weight indoors to spindly 18th-century or ‘50s Sputnik furniture. Pulled up as a pair under a parsons-style console, it adds a chic touch to an entry hall and also provides slide-out seating. Though relatively hard to sit on, these stools function well in a pinch when an overflow of guests need a place to sit.

Because garden stools are solid and sturdy, I find them perfect for side tables edging into the high traffic areas, where a child or eager Labrador can easily knock over a leggy cigarette table. As cocktail tables next to my outdoor chaise lounges, I find them irreplaceably functional, holding up to wind, rain, over-served guests, spilled cocktails and greasy suntan lotions. And as the weather-beaten garden can benefit from the finish, finesse, shine and apparent luxury of porcelain, garden stools can zest up the terrace with decorative thunder.

Getting back to the AD Design Show, where the garden stool was interpreted in glass, copper, gilded wood, enamelware, wool and upholstery, I found this simple object catapulted to the foreground of home design. Carried to the level of abstract painting, RS Ceramics of Long Island City, in particular, showcased a dynamic explosive rendering of garden stools worthy of placement at LongHouse, Madoo or trailing alongside our marvelous Parrish Art Museum. Brought indoors, they could hold their own in the sleekest of contemporary lofts.

Though short in stature, the garden stool has found its place in the sun and designers, artists, homemakers and style setters are reveling in its versatile practical charm.