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Photo-Op: Graven Man

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[PHotoOp1]

To call Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006) a poet and a garden designer is to imply that he practiced in two disciplines. He didn’t. Like Joseph Cornell or Donald Evans, he was an artist whose genius required a new medium, one forged from his ideas about landscape and his reverence for the word. Walking around his garden at Little Sparta in Scotland’s Pentland Hills, you encounter endlessly inventive bits of sculpture and words: planters made out of herms of the philosophers Zeno and Epicurus, painted metal silhouettes of Apollo and Daphne hidden in a copse, a quote from Saint-Just carved on scattered stones, and the Hegelian Stile (a fence that reads ‘thesis,’ a gate that reads ‘antithesis’ and a stile inscribed ‘synthesis’). But Finlay’s works are never center-stage; they are part of a cohesive landscape and steal up on the stroller. (Finlay was disturbed when photographers acted as though Little Sparta was little more than a sculpture garden.) Little Sparta is the place most indelibly associated with Finlay—his own private Eden—but he also designed a major garden in southern France: Fleur de l’Air. One of dozens of sites documented in Louisa Jones’s ‘Mediterranean Garden Design’ (Thames Hudson, 224 pages, $60), Finlay’s Provençal fantasy is a testament to the universality of his art, as much at home among olive and lavender terraces as the flinty hills of Scotland. Finlay treated Fleur de l’Air’s terracing like successive waves of narrative, allowing endless itineraries for the owners’ strolls. On one narrow terrace, he deployed a quote from Michelet’s history of the French Revolution: ‘They write the law on paper and parchment; us, we wanted to cut ours into the stone of eternal right, onto the rock that bears the world’s unchanging justice and indestructible fairness.’ Ruin-like (and rune-like), the stones are the perfect epitaph for one of art’s rare originals.

The Editors

A version of this article appeared June 9, 2012, on page C8 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Photo-Op: Graven Man.

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Seattle estate garden gets an update from Rick Kyper

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UPDATING AN estate garden designed nearly a century ago by the Olmsted Brothers — one with its good bones still intact — might be intimidating. Garden designer Rick Kyper, however, plunged right in to transform the tired old garden using palm trees, vivid color and a fresh palette of plants.

The estate and its garden have a long history. “I don’t know why I built so big a house,” Seattle clothier Julius Redelsheimer said of the mansion he hired architect Julian Everett to design for him and his mother on Lake Washington. The estate ran 141 feet along the water, and the Georgian Revival-style home had 26 rooms. According to Lucile McDonald in her book, “Where the Washingtonians Lived,” it was considered one of the most beautiful homes in the city when it was completed in 1914.

It was the second owner, Harry Ostrander, who hired the Olmsted Brothers to design the estate’s gardens. The famed Massachusetts firm had already designed Denny Blaine Park next door to the property as part of the brothers’ comprehensive park plan for Seattle.

The rectangular terraces, curving pathways and brick walls from the Olmsteds’ original 1917 design still define the estate garden today. A glass-tile fountain in the back garden, a birdbath, the connection to the nearby park, mature trees and rhododendrons remain from the 1920s. But the waterfront slice of the property was sold off decades ago, and the original boathouse replaced with another home.

Steve Walker and Deborah Weasea bought the property in 1990. Walker, who passed away last winter, was a noted sculptor delighted to have found a home for his work. With garden rooms scaled large enough to accommodate his metal sculptures, a walk through the garden is a marriage of century-old bark and leaves set against sleek, contemporary metal.

“Before golf, we took care of the garden,” is how Walker explained the couple’s transition from gardeners to golfers. After becoming enamored of the game, Walker charged Kyper with updating and refurbishing the estate’s gardens. “Steve told me to treat the place as if it was my own and have fun with it,” remembers Kyper.

He left the mansion’s formal gravel forecourt alone. The side gardens are rhododendron-shaded rooms featuring Walker’s sculptures. In the back, Kyper let loose his love of plants and color. From spikes of Italian cypress to splays of palm trees, he carved a south-of-France feeling out of a mostly green Olmsted landscape. Evergreen magnolias, heucheras, brunnera and hostas fill in along and between pathways and paving, clothing the garden in glossy, colored or variegated foliage most of the year.

The formal lines of the rose garden remain, but Kyper ripped out the sick old roses and replaced them with season-spanning plantings. The original patterning of hedging and pathways contain tulips and hyacinths in spring. Azaleas hold sway a little later, followed by Rosa mutabilis, hydrangeas and perennials for summer flowers.

The garden’s classical structure remains in place, as complementary to the lines of the house as it was nearly a century ago. But now the garden is plumped up with foliage year-round and blazes into colorful bloom from earliest spring through late autumn.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and author of “petal twig.” Check out her blog at www.valeaston.com. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.

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British Gardens Transform Into the New Living and Dining Rooms This Summer

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LONDON, June 7, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ —

With more than half of Brits spending more time at home to save money[1] as the recession continues to bite, the garden is becoming an even more important extension of our living space. Indeed, 57% of Brits will be using their gardens to relax and entertain throughout summer, as revealed in a recent survey by garden design specialist Floral Hardy.

Interestingly, gardening is Britain’s third favourite summer garden activity with only 17% choosing this option! A significant 29% of respondents plan to relax with a good book and 28% will use their outdoor space to entertain friends and serve food. The garden seems to be a seasonal extension of Britain’s dining and living rooms.

Only 8% of us are hopeful of a hot summer and are planning on sunbathing. The least popular garden activity is playing sport, with a tiny 4% selecting this, perhaps feeling more tempted to watch all the sport on television than participate this summer.

Britain’s most popular summer garden activities are:

1) Reading and relaxing (29%)

2) Having a barbeque or entertaining (28%)

3) Gardening (17%)

4) Watching wildlife (9%)

5) Sunbathing (8%)

6) Playing with children in sand pits, paddling pools or trampolines (5%)

7) Playing football or sports (4%)

Paul Ellison, from Floral Hardy garden design, comments: “Personal outdoor space is a valuable commodity in the summer and with our unpredictable British weather it’s important to take advantage of garden space when you can. Floral Hardy specialises in contemporary garden design, tailoring gardens to the needs of the owner.”

Regarding garden use, Ellison continues: “If gardening is low priority for our clients, we factor this into the design. This way our customers can spend more time enjoying their gardens than they do maintaining them. Likewise, if space to entertain or cook outdoors is important this is something we can consider in the garden design, we have even built full outdoor kitchens before.”

Floral Hardy specialises in contemporary garden design, including the creation of outdoor living spaces. Inset lighting to highlight key features, comfortable living room style outdoor furnishings, outdoor heaters, built in kitchens and covered areas can all be incorporated to create contemporary garden rooms.

Notes to editors:

About Floral Hardy:

  • Floral Hardy specialises in garden design across the UK

1. http://store.mintel.com/impact-of-the-recession-on-consumers-leisure-habits-uk-may-2010.html

SOURCE Floral Hardy

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He’s on a mission to make gardening sexy

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If landscape design has a rock star, it’s Jamie Durie. The telegenic horticulturist has been a regular on “Oprah,” hosts his own HGTV shows, including “Outdoor Room,” and gets featured on admiring fan websites with names like “hunk du jour.” Oh, yeah, and he’s also an outspoken environmentalist, a globe-trotting mogul and bestselling author, with his own design firm, line of products and nine published books. We caught up with the Australia native, who’s now based in California, in New York City:/pp Q: You’ve been quoted as saying you’re on a mission to make gardening sexy. Have you succeeded?/pp A: I don’t know whether I’ve contributed, but it certainly has become sexy./pp Q: How can you tell?/pp A: Look at the type of people doing it now – they’re younger and younger. Ten years ago, it was more of a granny sport. Now young couples bump into me on the street and talk about it. I was at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, and I must have had 30 people stop me, all of them young students, saying things like, “We love your work,” “You’ve inspired us – I want to study landscape design.” It’s definitely something that’s top of mind for the youth of America. That makes me feel great. If I can inspire young people to put in a few plants, they will be much better stewards of the planet./pp Q: How has the outdoor-room concept evolved since you first started talking about it?/pp A: The products have certainly backed up the statement. There are now hundreds and hundreds of luxurious outdoor products available. I call it luxescaping. That’s my new catchphrase. People are luxuriating in their outdoor spaces./pp Q: Now you’re doing seminars on “The Human Garden” – what’s that?/pp A: My passion is creating gardens that are interactive, that you live in, not just look at. Gone are the days when you plant a bed of annuals and go back in the house. When the snow melts, you want to make the most of your outdoor spaces and spend those precious months outside. It’s about creating destinations in the garden and furnishing them the same way you furnish inside./pp Q: You recently created a series of outdoor rooms at your own home, one to correspond with each indoor space. Tell us about that./pp A: I’ve been preaching this for so many years, I figured I’d better do it. It works – I spend way more time outside. I’ve even put in an outdoor bathtub area. If the Finnish can do it, Minnesota can./pp Q: Which outdoor space do you spend the most time in?/pp A: The dining room. I’m always out there with friends and family, cooking and entertaining. I wedged the dining room into the side of a mountain, almost creating a green cave, with a green roof and the garden completely encased, with seating and a marble table I designed, and a small gas heater that gives a soft glow. It does get chilly, and it’s a fabulous way of warming up that little cave./pp Q: How can someone with a limited budget get the most bang for their buck outdoors?/pp A: Invest in plants – evergreens, coniferous plants and shrubs – that become wall dividers that last through the winter months. Create an evergreen foundation, then play with annuals, perennials and deciduous plants./pp Q: How about someone with a big budget?/pp A: Then the sky’s the limit. I would invest in solar-powered heating, a pizza oven and outdoor kitchen./pp Q: You’ve been pretty vocal in your opposition to chemicals. If you could ban one product or practice, what would it be?/pp A: I’m not a huge fan of weedkillers. The toxicity levels are extremely high. I use Natural Guard organic (products). Good old elbow grease is the best way to get rid of weeds. And mulching – 4 to 5 inches – will keep away a multitude of sins. From a gardening standpoint, I don’t endorse bald spots. I plant abundantly. I don’t even give weeds room to pop up./pp Q: You’ve written nine books so far. What’s next?/pp A: I’m working on my 10th. There’s no title yet. I’m meeting with my publisher to finalize that./pp Q: Give us a hint./pp A: It’s definitely surrounding food and also geared toward interior design. Some of my ideas work well inside. I treat the indoors like the outdoors and the outdoors like the indoors. When you challenge boundaries, it becomes a more evocative space./pp /pp Q: What else are you working on now?/pp A: I have a new iPhone app, “Garden Design by Jamie Durie.” You get six videos filmed in my private garden, and rudiments of my design philosophy – you can tap straight into my psyche. It allows anyone to become a DIY designer. There’s a plant out there to deliver every shape, color and texture you want. You punch in your ZIP code and it gives you the top plants in your area and directs you to a garden center. It gives you instant gratification – and puts me out of a job.

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A garden narrative grows this weekend

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What does it take to make a good garden? Sunlight, water, fertile ground … the basics most of us know.

But what makes a great one? The Washington, D.C.-based Cultural Landscape Foundation may provide some answers for home gardeners with a new program called “Garden Dialogues.”

The seminars introduce visitors to garden owners and their landscape architects, who will talk about the collaborative process of designing an exceptional garden.

The program was launched nationally in April, but it kicks off in Connecticut on Saturday, June 9, with events at private homes in Greenwich and New Canaan.

Janice Parker, of Sherman-based Janice Parker Landscape Design, intends to be at the participating New Canaan garden, where she and the client created a space inspired by an Italian vineyard.

Across the rambling five acres, one can find a terrace for entertaining, a tennis court, a pool and a vegetable garden. A number of trees also are featured, including flowering cherry and crab apple.

Parker said although she enjoys working on public projects that benefit hundreds of thousands of people, there is something rewarding about working with a client to transform a private space.

“It can be very satisfying to implement a plan and get it going all within a year,” she said.

From the start, she said it is important to talk with clients and find out what it is they want for themselves and their family. In other words, she is looking for their vision of the surroundings they hope to create.

“What you are doing is creating your own culture for your family and for your intimate life and that reflects when you go out into the world,” she said.

In the case of this New Canaan project, she said, it needed to be elegant, but it also had to accommodate an active, growing family — one that hoped to cultivate plenty of flowers, fruits and vegetables from the space.

Each project is “very personal,” from the plans to the collaboration with other design professionals, said Mario Nievera, a principal with Nievera Williams Design, which has offices in Florida and New York City.

He will be speaking along with architect David Neff at the Greenwich home. The two began work several years ago on the three-acre site to create a new residence and landscape design.

The property, which borders a nature preserve, provided a rural palette upon which to add stonewalls and perennial borders. An elevated pool and lawn terraces also are featured.

Nievera, who is on the foundation’s board, said the project had its own set of challenges, including a rather steep slope, but the end result was “extraordinarily beautiful.”

The site affords some specific examples of design elements, too, he said, that may help visitors facing similar situations.

“It’s a good example of how to borrow views and how to make things interesting all year round,” he said.

Charles Birnbaum, founder and president of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, said the “Garden Dialogues” is part of the organization’s “What’s Out There” initiative — a free online database of the design landscape heritage of the United States.

It has information on everything from private gardens to residential subdivisions, parks and all other spaces in between. One can also look up designers.

Birnbaum said the foundation’s theme for this year is “landscape and patronage.”

“Behind great landscapes are visionary clients,” he said.

Parker said the “Garden Dialogues” program is a good way to hear both sides of the story — the client’s and the designer’s.

“You get to hear the struggles and successes and you get to hear about all the things that went wrong and all the things that went right,” she said. “It’s all very real and very honest.”

The “Garden Dialogues: Connecticut” will take place on Saturday, June 9. The Greenwich talk takes place from 10:30 a.m. to noon; the New Canaan talk will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants must register; tickets are $35 for each event. Visit https://tclf.org or call 202-483-0553.

The program returns to the state on July 14 and 15, when three other gardens in the state are featured, including one in Redding.

christina.hennessy@scni.com; 203-964-2241; http://twitter.com/xtinahennessy/

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Hingham tour mixes gardens, art

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Every few years the Hingham club puts on a garden show. An old town with lots of showplace gardens, this weekend’s tour displays gardens from the historic town center, a horse farm, restored 1900s formal gardens, and a garden with an infinity pool that gives the illusion of flowing into the Weir River. Andrea Wilson, who chaired the tour committee, said, “Gardeners and non-gardeners will experience a day of color and beauty.”

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Southland Industries Unveils Innovative Southern California Campus

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GARDEN GROVE, Calif., Jun 06, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) —
Southland Industries, one of the nation’s largest mechanical
contractors, recently unveiled its new Southern California Campus,
showcasing the engineering and architectural benefits of an integrated
design process. With the opening of this new building, the company
turned its talent inward to design a cutting-edge facility that provides
its own employees the same energy efficiency and sustainability benefits
that it consistently delivers to its customers.

“Our new Southern California Campus allows us to not only better serve
customers regardless of geographic location but also to showcase the
best of Southland’s engineering and construction capabilities,” said Dr.
Ted Lynch, chief executive officer.

Southland Industries partnered with LPA, Inc., to completely remodel the
42,000 square foot building in Garden Grove, Calif., and incorporate a
design that facilitates collaboration, productivity and innovation. The
building features four different HVAC systems. Among these is a heat
pump from the previous building, which was left in place to demonstrate
the energy efficiency benefits that can be achieved with integrating
existing HVAC systems with modern systems. The three new systems include
displacement ventilation, fan-powered induction units and chilled beams,
all of which allow for an open and well-lit space for design teams and
detailers to collaborate.

A state-of-the-art controls system enables Southland to monitor
real-time gas, electric, lighting and HVAC usage, contributing to an
expected LEED Gold certification.

The new building is adjacent to the company’s existing 92,000 square
foot fabrication facility, which will continue to house its fabrication
shops as well as a newly remodeled space for corporate training,
immersive BIM coordination and “big room” teaming.

About Southland

Southland Industries was founded in 1949 as a Long Beach-based supplier
of residential heating solutions to the Southern California market.
Southland has expanded its services exponentially through the years.
Today, Southland is one of the nation’s largest mechanical contractors
providing full design, construction, fabrication, service and
maintenance for HVAC, process piping, plumbing, fire protection,
controls and automation. For more information:
www.southlandind.com .

SOURCE: Southland Industries



        
        Southland Industries 
        Dan Navarrete, 703-834-5570 
        Director, Marketing and Communications 
        DNavarrete@southlandind.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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Decatur Olive Garden set to open, creating 184 new jobs

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Olive Garden will open at 1102 Beltline Rd. in Decatur, Ala. on Monday, June 18 at 4 p.m. — creating 184 new jobs.

The Olive Garden in Decatur is the newest Olive Garden in the family of more than 750 local restaurants committed to providing every guest with a genuine Italian dining experience.

The 7,441 square-foot restaurant can host up to 246 guests and features a design that is inspired by traditional farmhouses found in Tuscany, Italy.  Olive Garden design teams traveled to Italy to work with Italian architects Fabio and Lucia Zingarelli and the result is a restaurant design that recreates the warmth and simple beauty of a Tuscan farmhouse.

The Decatur Olive Garden has a rustic stone exterior, typical of the buildings in the Italian countryside, and an interior accented by Italian imports designed to make the dining experience here a tribute to the restaurant’s Italian inspiration.  Ceilings supported by exposed wood beams, stone and wood accents throughout, and terra cotta tile highlight the interior. 

In addition, the bar top is crafted from lava stone and hand-painted by artisans in Italy with a design created exclusively for Olive Garden.  Vibrant imported fabrics decorate windows and dining seats, while hand-painted plates, adorn rustic stone and stucco walls.

The restaurant also will feature a number of sustainable design elements, including recycled building materials, enlarged windows to increase natural light, low-water landscaping and energy-efficient equipment.  These enhancements are part of the Sustainable Restaurant Design initiative launched by Darden Restaurants, Olive Garden’s parent company.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead the Decatur restaurant and a great team at Olive Garden,” said Buddy White, newly named general manager.  “In addition to our Italian specialties, including signature items like our homemade soups, garden fresh salad and warm, garlic breadsticks, the menu at the Decatur Olive Garden will feature limited time offers like our Taste of Tuscany entrees: sautéed chicken breasts served with asiago cheese-filled tortelloni, spinach and roasted red peppers in a creamy four cheese sauce, or grilled sausage tossed with sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli and orecchiette pasta in a garlic-butter sauce.”

White brings extensive restaurant industry experience to his new position.  He has been with Olive Garden for nine years, most recently as general manager of the Olive Garden located at 2767 Legends Pkwy. in Florence.

White is one of more than 1,400 managers who have visited Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany in the Tuscan village of Riserva di Fizzano, which serves as the source of inspiration for some dishes on Olive Garden’s menu.  Each year, more than 100 managers visit CIT and learn about Italy, its food, wine, culture and people.  This includes learning the time-honored traditions of Italian cooking and working side-by-side with Italian master chefs.  The CIT is designed to inspire attendees to share the Italian culture of hospitality and passion with their restaurant teams and guests back home.

To recognize White’s role as head of the Olive Garden family in Decatur and to emphasize the importance the company places on its general managers, Olive Garden honored White by setting his name in stone.  Travertine marble imported from Tuscany was chiseled with White’s name and placed prominently by the restaurant’s front door. 

Olive Garden is now accepting applications for employment.  To be considered for an interview, please apply online at www.OliveGarden.com/Careers.

Information from Olive Garden press release.

 

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How do these gardens grow? Find out by taking the Open Days tour

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Click photo to enlarge

Those looking to take a peek at their neighbor’s garden without fear of being arrested for trespassing will have their chance this month.

The Garden Conservancy is hosting an Open Days tour at four homes in Saratoga and Los Gatos on June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Garden Conservancy teams with gardeners and local organizations to accomplish its mission of preserving gardens across the country.

The Open Days tour program began in 1995. The purpose is to spread a message about preserving what the conservancy calls “fragile treasures.” More than 75,000 people tour hundreds of gardens across the country each year.

The four local gardens are the Strolling Garden, 13385 Surrey Lane in Saratoga; the Conrado Garden, 18820 Bella Vina in Saratoga; the Via Colina Garden, 15175 Via Colina in Saratoga; and the Kaleidoscope Garden, 1669 Hyde Drive in Los Gatos.

Craig and Ann Northrup created their Kaleidoscope Garden about 10 years ago. Since then the garden has been changing and transitioning with new plants being introduced all year round. Ann Northrup is a master gardener and plant pathologist who received her degree at UC-Berkeley.

“She’s not a flunky. She knows where we’re going. She knows her plants,” Craig Northrup said with a laugh. His wife was unavailable for comment.

The Northrups’ back yard contains a combination of vegetables, fruit trees, berries and ornamentals, including many plants from Mediterranean regions. Craig

Northrup estimates that there are about 14 fruit trees in the back yard. They include orange, apricot, avocado, cherry and pluot trees, among others.

Although much of the back yard is full of native plants, there is a large lawn. Northrup said that was done by design.

“We talked about it and decided that we had to have an area for the grandkids to come over and play. It gives the kids a place to play soccer and do all the crazy things they like to do,” he said.

Those who make it to the Conrado Garden will see the 98 cabernet sauvignon grape vines, which the owners use to create their own wine. There are also 22 raised planter beds, including 16 new Corten steel beds, which accommodate vegetables. The vegetables and fruit grown are served at a local restaurant.

The Via Colina Garden is only four years old and uses ample amounts of stone. Horticulturist Delmar McComb has worked in the garden throughout the past two years to combine the existing plants, such as Japanese maples and oak leaf hydrangeas, with less commonly seen species and varieties such as false ligularia and silver lady fern. Cut flower beds, vegetable beds, berries and a vineyard diversify the garden.

The tour will also take guests to Paul and Kay Fireman’s Strolling Garden. The garden was installed in 1997, and was designed as a naturalistic-style strolling garden with dry creek beds, bridges, a pond, patios, arbor, pergola and many types of ornamental grasses and low maintenance roses.

The garden was designed and has been overseen by landscape architect Richard McPherson, whom Paul Fireman said has done “great work.” The updated garden has a new look with more flowering plants, a meadow, and in one area a timber non-invasive bamboo grove.

For more information, visit www.gardenconservancy.org.

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City Council Postpones Kingsport Garden Project

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The creation of a controversial community garden in Kingsport Park was pushed back a year by the Annapolis City Council on Monday night.

Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson (D-Ward 4) said she proposed delaying the project after meeting with the Kingsport Community Association. 

“I’m going to invite two residents from each of the surrounding communities and they will come together over the next year to help design what this park will look like … so that the community will have more input,” Finlayson said.  

At the council’s May meeting, two Kingsport residents urged the council to delay the project.

“This item—there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” Margaret Kai-Zeigler said at May’s meeting. “The misinformation has caused a real schism in my neighborhood. I have neighbors who won’t talk to each other because of this.”

Mayor Josh Cohen said he’s received a lot of angry emails about the issues, and he found the divisiveness troubling.

“I think the spirit behind this park and the proposed community garden is to bring the community together,” Cohen said. “I think this approach that you set forth will go a long way toward building consensus.”

Grow Annapolis‘ executive director Joel Bunker called the outcome a “win-win.”

“Our concern all along is that the communities are involved in the conversation,” Bunker said.

He said he hopes this change will correct a lot of what he called “misconceptions” that this project was developed behind closed doors with the city of Annapolis.

“The irony is that the compromise was behind closed doors at an HOA meeting in Kingsport,” Bunker said. “There are 172 families living in Kingsport. They’re residents; their voices are important, but there 308 families living in Bywater Mutual. They were never brought into the conversation.”

Finlayson’s proposal also delayed the application by the Kingsport community  for a $146,000 grant for the garden project from the Department of Natural Resources until next year. The alderwoman said this was due in large part to the absence of a recreation and parks director.

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