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Sevillano Olive tree

Santa Barbara, California (PRWEB) August 28, 2013

Eye of the Day Garden Design Center has announced that it is becoming the first “Vecchio Station” for Vecchio Trees, enabling customers to conveniently purchase directly from the grower through Eye of the Day. Vecchio Trees provides field grown olive trees in various varieties and trunks up to 8’ in diameter. Premium trees, designated “Vecchio Gold” are available as one-of-a-kind specimen trees and all trees can be delivered typically within five working days. Also available are mature citrus, fig, pomegranate, Italian Cypress and almond trees, which will add a timeline to any property’s landscaping. Eye of the Day will be working closely with customers and Vecchio Trees’ staff to identify, tag and deliver.

Eye of the Day is located in southern Santa Barbara County, and features European and American garden décor. The headquarters boasts a wide selection of Italian and Greek terracotta planters and pottery, French Anduze pottery, and is also the largest stocking distributor of Gladding McBean (USA) glazed terracotta pottery.

The Carpinteria-based headquarters also offers a trade program designed for landscape, garden, and architectural design professionals, featuring a private website with information about manufacturers, specific lines, dimensions, and pricing for easy and convenient browsing.

Husband-and-wife owners, Brent and Suzi Freitas, established Eye of the Day in 1995 by first selling oak wine barrel planters. They gradually added a retail garden shop and expanded to include an assortment of items including benches, fountains, planters, statues and other landscape design accessories. Eye of the Day’s clients center include Tommy Bahama, Ralph Lauren, ABC Carpet Home, Woodside Hotel Group and Thomas Properties. Eye of the Day recently operated a Pop-Up store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California and has also been featured on the DIY Network. The center also customizes items with finishes, glazes, antique treatments, fountain conversions, and more.

About Eye of the Day Garden Design Center

Eye of the Day Garden Design Center is a retail showroom that features more than an acre of high quality garden landscape products, including Italian terracotta pottery and fountains, Greek terracotta pottery, French Anduze pottery, and products from America’s premier concrete garden pottery and decoration manufacturers. Eye of the Day is a leading importer and distributor of fine European garden pottery, and caters to private consumers and landscape design and architecture firms around the world.

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Residential landscapes have much practical value, as well as many other benefits. A good landscape design not only adds value to your home, but having a beautiful yard to enjoy and socialize in brings a soothing to the soul. Getting started on such a project takes expertise and planning – and here we look at some of the mistakes commonly made.

The first mistake would have to be piecemeal design without the benefit of a landscape plan. Most of us immediately think of plants in the landscape, but designing for functionality should come first. Designer and homeowners need to consider how to connect the indoors with the outdoors and how the outdoor spaces will intersect with each other. One should plan for spaces such as patios, small seating areas, play areas, vegetable and flower gardens and also edges/plantings/fences/walls that define those areas from one another.

Major and minor pathways should be located and layout and materials for them chosen from a palette that is in harmony with the architectural style of the home.

A second common mistake is to overlook considering primary views, both from the street to house and from windows inside the house looking out into the garden.

Creating a well-designed entry from the street will create a kind of “curb appeal” that immediately increases the value of the home. Adorning that transition from street to front door will be a welcome to visitors as they approach the house. That view is also something shared with the neighbors and much appreciated by them. I always try to stop and thank homeowners on my morning walks, when I admire their yards and consider what value that they add to our little community. Considered views from the house draw one out into the garden and allow us to be “in the garden” year around when weather may not otherwise permit it.

When we consider creating those various spaces noted above, a common mistake in design is to undersize them.

Major walkways should be sized so that two people can walk abreast of each other and constructed in a way that people of various abilities can transverse them. Minor pathways can be narrower and less formal in structure, using materials such as step-stones and softer surfaces such as gravel, decomposed granite or even bark mulch. Patios need to be sized according to the number of people who will inhabit them and large enough so that outdoor furniture fits comfortably with room to walk around the various pieces.

In my next column, we will continue this discussion about residential landscape design.

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From the flow of the Portland Japanese Garden to the silence of the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, there is a garden for every visitor’s taste. Public gardens »

A division of Simpson Furniture

Find it : 515 Main St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (319) 266-3537, flackinteriors.com

Store hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and by appointment. Appointments are encouraged (and appreciated).

History: Kathy Flack, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, is an award-winning interior designer whose portfolio includes numerous projects throughout Iowa, as well as Florida, California and Arizona. Her work has been been published in Architectural Digest’s “Best Midwest Interior Designers.”

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa in 1973 with an interior design in business degree, she was trained and mentored by such noted interior designers as Jan Buckingham of Omaha, and the late Tom Klemuk. She eventually opened her own design studio in the 1980s, and in 2007 her firm became a division of Simpson Furniture.

Flack is a registered interior designer in Iowa and actively lobbied for the state to adopt the Iowa Interior Design Title Act. Signed into law in 2005, it is a benchmark for industry standards in interior design.

Staff: Flack, Brandi Reisinger and Katie Patterson at the Cedar Falls location, and Stacey Epley at the Coralville store. All are Allied ASID members.

Philosophy: Whether its redoing a room, remodeling a home or building a new home, it should be a rewarding experience, with a minimum of frustration. “I love to show a client the potential of their space, offering consistent high quality products and solutions that are exciting and meet that client’s goals,” Flack says.

Design skills, knowledge, experience and resources all come into play when the studio is working on any project, large or small. Plus, clients are thrilled with those special creative touches that “create a space that reflects a client’s needs and fits their budget, and we help them define their style,” Flack says.

Experts help clients make the right choices the first time to avoid costly mistakes and find solutions to design problems. “Our clients trust us to do that, and we work hard to earn that trust. Our goal is to make someone’s reality better than their dream.”

Services: Award-winning interior design services ranging from new construction and remodeling projects, kitchen and bath design, floor planning and architectural detailing to lighting, flooring, countertops, furniture, custom furniture and cabinetry, creative finishes, accessories and more.

The combination of Flack Interior Design Associates and Simpson Furniture provides increased buying power, access to a broad base of middle to upper-end suppliers, delivery and installation experts.

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Anyone who knows anything about anything already knows that Olive Garden is a great place to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in a relaxing casual dining atmosphere, and that when you’re there, you’re family. (Not the mafia kind, you racist!) But did you know they will soon be adding “high fashion uniforms” to their list of Reasons To Visit Olive Garden?

Well, they are. And the lucky designer is (drumroll please)…BAPE. As in Japanese street wear company Bathing Ape. As in…what in the what?!

It’s true. At least according to a post I read on a blog, the most trustworthy way to get information to the people. According to The Crosby Press, BAPE designed some snazzy new uniforms for OG because the old ones were not nearly humiliating enough. They claim to have a picture of said uniforms, sent to them by a former photographer who is now working corporate gigs. Oh dear.

Faces of death

That’s right: your unlimited salad and breadsticks will now come with a side of swag!

Of course, I have no clue if this photo is real or not, but I want it to be true so badly it’s hurting me. Some evidence in favor? Olive Garden’s numbers have been sliding since it became widely recognized as the lamest place on earth, and they’ve already torn down some of their “Tuscan decor” and changed the uniforms once. Plus, BAPE loves to collaborate with other brands. So it’s possibly a total non-joke.

Assuming it is true, I would very much like to revisit Olive Garden’s draconian “no weed smoking in the bathrooms” policy, because I cannot have a hip and #topical urban experience without a blunt at my side. They might also consider a lifestyle branding campaign similar to the one Applebee’s rolled out last year:

New Ad Urges Hipsters To Go To Applebee’s Ironically

(Via The Crosby Press)

Photo: Olive Garden?

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DALLAS, Aug. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The spectacular result of nearly two decades of nationwide research will be revealed Sept. 21 as the iconic Dallas Arboretum unveils its $62 million Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, a sprawling 8-acre interactive garden designed specifically to address state and national science standards in life, earth and environmental sciences. The Dallas Arboretum is setting the gold standard for outdoor children’s facilities with this garden – the only children’s educational garden of its scope in the world. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130826/DA69299)

A “museum without walls,” children and adults will learn about science and nature in the 17 indoor and outdoor galleries that teach the areas in the prekindergarten to middle school curriculum standards that can best be taught outdoors. Some concepts include photosynthesis, pollination, the solar system, erosion and energy.

The Children’s Garden aims to revolutionize the landscape of interactive learning through a unique blend of innovative technology, 150 interactive exhibits and natural elements. Among the engaging features are native Texas wetlands, a 240-foot treetop skywalk, a Honey I Shrunk the Kids-inspired world, and a 9,100-square-foot Exploration Center equipped with the OmniGlobe. One of 50 in the world, the OmniGlobe allows interactive animations to demonstrate real-time weather with an eight second delay, ecosystems, climate-related images, atmospheric changes and the solar system.

“The Dallas Arboretum is widely recognized as one of the leading botanic gardens in the world with nearly a million visitors annually, but few realize that it is also a premier educational facility that teaches life and earth science to more than 100,000 children every year,” said Dallas Arboretum Board Chairman Brian Shivers. “The opening of the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden will allow us to reach even more children and introduce them to the wonders of the world we live in through interactive exhibits based on the national and state curriculum standards for life and earth science.”

Following an extensive search, the Arboretum assembled a design team comprising Dattner Architects as building architect, MKW + Associates as landscape architect and Van Sickle Rolleri, Ltd. as exhibit designer. Construction began in 2011.

A comprehensive evaluation of how each topic could be best demonstrated through the outdoor space was then conducted with input from educational experts. Each of the 17 galleries’ academic design goals, key messages and objectives were considered.

The program was also examined for accuracy by teams of science teachers and the Scientific Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr. Johann Deisenhofer, who received his Nobel Laureate Prize in chemistry for his contribution to the understanding of photosynthesis. Southern Methodist University’s Annette Simmons Graduate School of Education, led by Dr. David Chard, dean of the school, has also advised on the academic design, and is evaluating and researching the effectiveness of the garden on children’s learning of science.

Former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Honorary Chair of the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, said, “Science scores of American children are the lowest of all academic areas tested, with earth sciences the lowest of all. If our education system is going to keep up with the needs for our country, we have to interest children at a much earlier age in science, engineering and math. I believe that the Dallas Arboretum’s Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden does that by teaching science creatively.”

The Children’s Adventure Garden was made possible by the generous support of the City of Dallas and private and corporate donors. The lead gift was provided by Howard Meyers and his sons in honor of his wife and their mother, Rory Meyers, who is a longtime Dallas Arboretum board member and Education Committee chair. The Dallas Arboretum named the garden after her.

One of the leading botanic gardens in the world, the Dallas Arboretum is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. A part of the Dallas Arboretum, the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is located at 8657 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. More information can be found at www.dallasarboretum.org.

SOURCE Dallas Arboretum

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Designer shortlisted for celebrity chef garden competition

3:00pm Monday 26th August 2013 in Redbridge

By Zachary Norman, Reporter

Kathy Taylor.

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A Wanstead woman has been shortlisted to design a garden at a restaurant run by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc.

Kathy Taylor, 57, of Redbridge Lane West, is one of the final four in the Raymond Blanc Heritage Garden Competition.

The winner will have their design created at the L’Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant in Oxford.

Ms Taylor, who has a garden design consultancy in Wanstead, is now set to present her design to the final judging panel, including Mr Blanc himself, in September.

She said: “I am delighted an honoured to get the opportunity to make the final shortlist.
“My garden design is based around the shape of the iconic runner bean as it germinates and grows and is thus aptly named ‘The Bean There’ garden.”

Ms Taylor previously worked as a biologist for the Environment Agency and she said her new career combines her expertise with a passion for art.

Kathy said the fact that everything in the garden had to be sustainable, organic and locally sourced was “quite challenging”.

“When you phone a company asking for wood that’s not preserved or treated they think you’re quite mad,” she added.

The winner is to be decided in September.

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A big thank you and nice job to Sutter Buttes Garden Club for running the Floriculture and Floral Design portion of the 2013 Yuba-Sutter Fair.

Although participation was down, they still had an excellent program. The Garden Barrel and Garden Design Competitions were great fun, as was the tallest weed competition.

We have a lot of gardeners in this area, so it was too bad participation was down. Remember, it is just plain fun to compete and even “funner” to win.

A special thanks to Margaret and Kelly Evans of the Sutter Buttes Garden Club in trying new floral design competitions to stimulate more interest. Thanks for all your hard work.

Jan Kendel

Marysville

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KUSA – Although it’s still quite warm, sweater weather is not that far away. Coloradoans love fall weather and continue to spend time on their outdoor living areas. Brighten your patio, deck or balcony with spectacular flowers and foliage plants. Some may need to be covered at night as the first frost threatens but some, such as pansies and kale, can withstand freezing weather.

Fall gardening is all about texture and color. Contrast bright black-eyed Susans, hummingbird mint, cosmos, snap dragons, tall verbena or pansies with fine-textured grasses or bold kale or cannas. Many ornamental plants feature bronze or purplish leaves that set the mood for autumnal combinations. Look for bronze-leaved grasses, ornamental peppers, kale, coral bells and sweet potato vine. The latter two may be used to spill over the edges of pots. Lettuce, spinach and chard may also be used to good effect and provide organic greens at the same time.

Greenhouse-grown plants should be exposed to full sun gradually over a period of three or four days. Keep your new transplants well-watered during hot weather. As it cools down they will need less water but check them every day. A bloom booster type fertilizer will keep flowers blooming as long as you’re diligent about deadheading.

Plants are courtesy of Tagawa Gardens.

(KUSA-TV © 2013 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)