Like to read about interior design? We’ll draw names for six books with expert home-decor advice on Monday evening:

They are:

• “Favorite Design Challenges” by Candice Olson.

• “Coastal Modern: Sophisticated Homes Inspired by the Ocean” by Tim Clarke.

• “Carter’s Way: A No-Nonsense Method for Designing Your Own Super Stylish Home” by Carter Oosterhouse.

• “200 Small Apartment Ideas” by Cristina Paredes Benitez.

• “The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces” by Kyle Schuneman.

• “The Life of a Bowerbird: Creating Beautiful Interiors with the Things You Collect” by Sibella Court.

For a chance to win, send an email to cmiller@newsobserver.com by 5 p.m. Monday. You must put “Book Giveaway” in the subject line for your entry to be considered. In the body of the email, include your name and mailing address and the name of the book you’d like to win. We’ll draw at random and announce the winners in the next Home Garden.

Good luck!

Tokyo, Japan, May 09, 2013 –(PR.com)– The garden design team Keizo Hayano of Niwashyu in Shibuya and Jenny Feuerpeil from Dendron Exterior Design in Berlin and San Francisco co-author e-books on their website “Real Japanese Gardens”. In early may they released the last installment of their series about Japanese stone lanterns as an important design element in the Japanese Garden.

These books are an important addition to the current Japanese garden literature. They include more than 50 quality pictures of over 15 different types of garden lanterns. Focusing on a single element of the Japanese garden culture, the authors research the topic in depth using English as well as Japanese garden literature. Following the garden paths of the three remaining Imperial Gardens in Kyoto, they inform in their garden e-books about the history and meaning of the ishidoro – the Japanese term for stone lantern.

Keizo Hayano, designer of modern Japanese gardens says: “Nowadays, in the age of electricity, we look at garden illumination differently than people over thousand years ago. Stone lanterns have been an integral element of Japanese gardens since the Asuka period (538-710), when the first lanterns arrived from China and Korea. Since then they have evolved from being a mere illumination to a common sight in Japanese shrines and temples with spiritual meaning. But they were also used for entertaining guests in the garden. During the Heian period (794-1185), when nighttime boating parties in pond gardens were en vogue, they must have also served as decorative garden item as well as lighting.”

His counterpart, young female garden designer Jenny Feuerpeil adds: “For me, taking pictures of the Japanese tea gardens within the grounds of the palace gardens was a most interesting learning experience. Tea masters in Kyoto of the Muromachi period (1337-1573) incorporated them in their garden designs to lighten the way for the guests of a tea ceremony. First, they bought recycled stone lanterns from Japanese temples and shrines, later stone masons copied popular models for the use in the garden. Since tea gardens are usually small in size, every garden designer can learn a lot from the old Japanese garden masters about designing small gardens.”

About the team:
Providing reliable information to the readers of “Real Japanese Gardens” is the design team’s highest priority. Before writing an e-book, they visit the garden in person and take photos of the garden and its features. Up to 80% of the research is done using Japanese resources (books, journals and interviews) to stay as close to the Japanese garden tradition as possible.

Keizo Hayano is a Japanese garden designer with 20 years of experience under his belt. He is the owner and head designer of the garden design studio Niwashyu in Shibuya, Tokyo (www.niwashyu.jp). He studied the fine arts at the Kyoto City College of Arts and loves small intimate gardens that soothe the soul. Member of the Japanese Association of Garden Designers.

Jenny is a German garden designer who came to Japan hoping to soak up the essence of Japanese design. After leaving her job at a global IT company, she studied garden design in Chelsea, London and founded the garden design label Dendron Exterior Design (www.dendronexteriordesign.com).

In 2010, she decided to go to Japan to learn the Japanese garden tradition first hand as an apprentice in a garden maintenance company near Tokyo. She loves the rough texture of natural materials, the boldness of stone arrangements and dry landscape gardens.

The international design team agrees: “We love Japanese Gardens. And we want the world to know more about Real Japanese gardens.”

Design magazines and home decorating catalogs tend to feature sprawling backyards with big wooden decks and room for everything from decorative fountains to artificial ponds.

But few of us have that much outdoor space.

Still, with a few strategic choices, you can create something truly special out of even the smallest yard or porch, says Los Angeles-based designer Brian Patrick Flynn.

Here, he and two other design experts — small-space specialist Kyle Schuneman and landscape designer Chris Lambton — offer advice on the best furnishings, plants and decorating strategies for making the most of a small yard, modest deck or petite patio.

GO FLEXIBLE AND MOBILE

“With a small outdoor space, I really like to think double duty,” says Schuneman, author of “The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces” (Potter Style, 2012). Look for seating that has hidden storage space inside and tall planters that add privacy.

And choose items that can easily be moved, such as lightweight flowerpots or planters on wheels, says Lambton, host of the gardening design series “Going Yard” on HGTV. “It’s an easy DIY thing,” he says, to buy an assortment of inexpensive plastic pots and paint them to match your outdoor décor.

If planters are lightweight or on wheels, you can move them to get proper sunlight at different times of day, and rearrange them if you’re entertaining guests and need more space. And, Lambton says, they can be moved inside to a sunny window or doorway when cold weather arrives.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT FURNITURE

“The easiest way to make small outdoor spaces appear smaller is to fill them with lots of pieces,” says Flynn, founder of the design website decordemon.com.

“Instead, go big with sectionals, or flank perfectly square or rectangular areas with identical love seats or sofas. This not only maximizes the seating potential, but it also keeps the space from becoming too busy or even chopped up. In my outdoor living room, I used a U-shaped outdoor sectional which seats up to seven comfortably.”

When arranging furniture, consider the view: If the home’s exterior is more attractive than the outdoor view, Flynn says, consider positioning seats so that you’ll face your home rather than looking away from it.

PLANT WISELY

All three designers say your choice of plants is especially important when space is limited.

Choose plants with a purpose: “Lavender’s great,” Lambton says, because it’s attractive, easy to grow and deters bugs. Marigolds will also help keep insects away.

Lambton also suggests putting up a trellis as a privacy wall, and planting it with colorful wisteria or climbing hydrangea. Or choose a tall holly or cypress plant in a large planter.

“Holly will be green all year round,” he says, and can help transform an unappealing view.

None of these plants are hard to take care of, Lambton says. “If you’re having coffee in the morning, just go out and dump a little bit of water in.”

Flynn agrees, and also suggests using potted grasses, which are “low maintenance and, as they grow, they create a full wall of privacy.”

THINK VERTICALLY

If you love plants but have minimal space, add a wall-mounted garden filled with succulent plants to one wall, says Schuneman: “It’s a great way to add life and texture without actually taking any real estate up on your small balcony or patio.”

He also suggests using narrow planters to create “long, narrow, raised flower beds that go the length of the space.” They provide room for plants to grow, while also creating a ledge that’s “great for coffee cups or a casual lunch,” he says.

Flynn suggests playing up the height of your space by adding long outdoor curtains or hanging pendant lights.

DRENCH WITH COLOR

“I usually paint concrete slabs (on the floor) a bold color or an accent color carried out from an adjacent room,” Flynn says. “This helps the patio feel like an extension when you look out to it through a door. On the flip side, when seated out in the patio looking inward, the consistent use of color flowing inside and outside makes the patio itself feel much more open.”

Flynn also suggests using outdoor curtains for a burst of color, and to block an unattractive view or hide items like electrical boxes and storage bins. “Outdoor draperies are, hands-down, the easiest way to soften an otherwise all-concrete and stucco space, while also being able to control how much or how little neighbors can see.”

Or, he says, order a basic trellis from an online retailer like Hayneedle.com, then “paint it a bold color and use it to instantly make an outdoor space feel more room-like.”

And for a burst of natural color, Lambton suggests adding a small, tabletop fire pit for a golden glow at night. “Some are small enough, and they don’t put off a lot of heat,” he says.

CREATE YOUR OWN ART

“Most people don’t think of using art outside, but it can be done, especially in a DIY manner,” Flynn says. “My favorite trick is to use tent canvas and stretch it across a DIY frame made from pressure-treated lumber, and add some gesso to the surface for texture.”

Once you’ve created your canvas, he says, “pick up some exterior latex paint, then get as abstract as you want to play with color shape and texture. Once the art is dry, add a sealer to protect it from moisture, then hang it up to create a focal point, and/or add another layer of privacy.”

You can make any outdoor space more beautiful, Lambton says, with just a few hours of effort and a small investment.

“If you get two or three pots and a couple of bags of planting mix,” he says, “it’s easy to do for a couple hours on a Saturday. … Just a little bit of color and life will really dress up your outdoor space.”

___

EDITOR’S NOTE — Melissa Rayworth writes lifestyles stories for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mrayworth

Friday May 10, 2013

WILMINGTON — Local Jacksonville couple Ken and Carol Hartman have just opened their new garden center.

“We’ve wanted to be that business that you don’t have to travel long to get a tree,” said Ken.

The Hart Garden Design Center just opened last week. It is located between Route 9 east and Route 100 south, across from a flea market that opens in the middle of May.

The couple also wanted a place where customers can come and actually see the different plants and trees. The garden center acts as a visual aid for any design or service that the Hartmans can provide.

The garden center is focused on larger pieces, not easily found in the area.

“You’ve got to travel an hour and half to two hours to get those bigger pieces for customers,” said Ken.

The Hart Garden Design Center currently has maple, birch, pear, plum, apple, oak and linden trees in stock. There are at least 2,000 large pieces and that does not include the smaller stuff.

All the pieces are zoned for the area, Ken pointed out. The pieces are meant to tolerate below freezing weather.

“Since we do services for homeowners and condo complexes, whatever we use, we can pull from here and plant. We know it’s hardy stuff and it’s going to live,” said Carol.

One question some customers have already asked was concerning bushes that died on their property. If the bush is too close to the road, it is at a higher risk for dying.

That’s where Hart

Garden Designs comes in. Its crew can help guide customers in their future planning for gardens and trees.

Another question popping up has to do with bushes or plants being underneath a roof that lets snow off. It can crush those pieces.

“We would say, ‘Well, you can put a perennial that dies down to the ground or you can put this springy type bush there that won’t snap off.’ We get a lot of questions like that from customers,” said Ken. “So, we can give people direction on what to do with that.”

He mentioned that snow plows and the snow itself are constant concerns from people gardening and planting in the Deerfield Valley.

The property the Hartmans purchased for the garden center was vacant for about two years. The flea market next to it is open on weekends and a few merchants sell perennials in baskets.

“We’ve only been here at this property for six months,” said Ken. “We went gangbusters at it.”

The Hartmans have worked in gardens throughout the Deerfield Valley for the past five to six years. They spend a lot of time working with customers who own property near Mount Snow.

The name of their company is Hart Garden Designs.

“We do most of our garden work up at some of the biggest condo properties up near Mount Snow,” said Ken. “We do service at most of the condo complexes. We like to think that we are very experienced in our area here. We wouldn’t want to direct our customer towards something that they wouldn’t be pleased with.”

The couple encourages people to come to the new garden center, see the big pieces and not be afraid. The Hartmans have the equipment and crew to service the customer in any and all capacities.

Ken told the Reformer that Hart Garden Designs specializes in planting, designing and maintaining gardens.

“If a customer wanted (something) dropped off, we can drop it off, too,” said Ken. “We have the capability to drop off the big trees and bushes with soil and mulch.”

The company is also willing to assist with small projects. For example, if a senior citizen needs help planting a few smaller bushes, Hart Garden Designs would do it.

The garden center has aggregates, which can all be delivered to customers. This includes mulch, compost, three quarter stone and sure pack.

“Some of the soil around here is really rocky or has a lot of clay in it,” said Ken. “People want what will feed the plants.”

So far, he said the aggregates have sold well.

Not only will the new garden center have all the plants and trees, but it will also feature garden accents and antiques. The garden accents include wagon wheels, antique gates and statuary.

The Hartmans owned the antique store at the old bank building in Wilmington that burnt down. They already have some antiques inside the barn on the garden center property and expect more to come in soon.

Carol told the Reformer that she’s been planting and gardening her whole life but the garden center was something she and Ken always wanted to do.

“We love it. We really like our jobs,” said Ken. “We have two crews out right now doing planting and our guys are like family. They love their jobs. At least that’s what they tell us.”

Chris Mays can be reached at 802-254-2311, ext. 273, or cmays@reformer.com. Follow Chris on Twitter @CMaysReformer.

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8 May 2013

Britain’s Prince Harry is “incredibly involved” with his RHS Chelsea Flower show garden.

The prince’s charity, Sentebale – which supports children in the African nation of Lesotho – has commissioned Jinny Blom to create a specially-themed space at the annual horticultural event, which takes place later this month, and Harry has had full approval of the designs.

Jinny said: “He’s incredibly involved. I’ve met him once and we had a fantastic day talking about this. I took a model of the garden round to show him.

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“We emailed the drawings to him when he was in Afghanistan and he kept wanting to see more. He’s passionately interested in the garden and not at all remote. He was very respectful of the fact that the design was my job.”

Harry’s father Prince Charles is known to be passionate about gardening, and while Jinny says the younger prince was equally enthusiastic, she is unsure whether he will take his interest further because his job as an Army Apache helicopter pilot would make it difficult.

She told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “He’s a very detailed, conscientious person – he wanted to know everything about the design – and in that he reminded me of his pa.

“After this, you never know. He’s never in one place for very long and you need to be reasonably static to get into horticulture.

“Come to think of it, I don’t even know if he has his own garden.”

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