On a recent trip to Portugal, I purchased large garden pots to use in my family room. My sister thinks I’m crazy to put outside pots inside. I like the look - what do you think? We spend so much of our time in our family room looking out over our gardens but I’m not sure how to spruce up our deck. How do we make our outdoor space more appealing? Is it realistic to think we can have a beautiful sitting space outside? Sally in Annapolis Read more…

When I was a girl growing up in the north of England, dining alfresco was sheer luxury. My area has the highest rainfall in Europe, and even though this allowed us perfect rosy complexions, outside rooms were not the norm. As soon as the sun poked through the clouds, my mother would drag out the kitchen table, throw on a checkered tablecloth and shove a bunch of garden flowers into the milk jug. Nothing was better than having lunch outside.

Now, wherever you visit in the world, the millisecond the weather even suggests summer, the patios, balconies and terraces are full. This trend for relaxed outside entertaining has evoked its own lifestyle, and with it the choices for furnishings and accessories are nearly as vast as for our interiors. Read more…

DécoR Pebble is holding its first Garden Beauty Contest to encourage the community to take pride in its sustainable garden presentation.

The competition was open to Melbourne residents, who have purchased from DécoR Pebble’s Nature’ Stone range and used the Australian local pebbles to create a landscaped garden that is sustainable and can survive in current weather conditions.

The aim of the contest is to show that we can still enjoy striking gardens despite water restrictions and that we can look to our natural surrounding and be inspired by its beauty.

Numerous entries have been received from avid gardeners, who have created truly impressive drought-tolerant landscape designs. These entries have shown that economical water usage does not restrict from creating charming landscapes.

“The entries have proven that most gardeners are not ready let current weather conditions stand in the way of having their own beautiful gardens. Our gardens are very important and bring beauty and pleasure. One could say that this garden contest has proven to be very successful, not despite of, but as a result of water restrictions” said Geoff Iles, the company director. Read more…

After growing up on the rugged terrain of a Nevada ranch, Caroline Croswell understands how to work the herds of people moving in and out of the Oxford Community Arts Center.

Croswell recently became the first full-time director of the center, and has the task of transforming the old dusty building into a palace, showing the rich history of the site and, most importantly, highlighting Oxford’s dynamic artists.
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NEW JERSEYCHATHAM The New Vernon Garden Club Brunch, with boutique shopping and a presentation by floral designer Jerry Rose, to benefit the landscaping of the Harding Township Library, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. $80. Fairmount Country Club, 400 Southern Blvd. Call (973) 540-1595.

ENGLEWOOD “Wildlife in the Hackensack River Watershed,” “(and where, when and how to find and view it)” a presentation, part of the general meeting of the Sierra Club, 7:30 p.m. next Thursday. Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, 443 Van Nostrand Ave. Call (201) 461-4534.
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If parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are the only herbs you are acquainted with, let the Huntsville Herb Society broaden your horizons next weekend.

The Herb Fair will be held in Murray Hall at Huntsville Botanical Garden on Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission to the fair is free. Many handmade items for your kitchen, garden, your friends and yourself will be available for purchase.

Your critters will appreciate home-baked dog treats and handmade catnip mice, and your family will enjoy homemade jellies, honey, herbed vinegar, pickles and relishes on the table. Other treats for the senses include dried flowers, fresh flower tussie-mussie miniature bouquets and plants. Soaps and lotions will be available, too. Read more…

A new exhibition taking shape at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany, will examine the significance of design as a driving force behind economic growth and commercial success. Highlighting companies such as Adidas, Miele, and Daimler-Chrysler firms such as the German Aluminum Association, “Return on Ideas–Better by Design” will run October 14–November 12.

Showcasing innovative materials and technologies, the exhibit intends to prove that commercial success is always preceded by a good idea. To wit, pioneering achievements such as Tupperware and Teflon have essentially revolutionized daily living via innovative materials, and the automobile industry has reached tremendous safety and luxury standards by incorporating various aspects of high-tech design. Sports equipment earns a place in the spotlight too, for the fact that soccer shoes are accurately tailored to meet 22 different foot shapes. Read more…

Margaret Robinson and Keiji Asakura know that their work often goes unappreciated. But that doesn’t mean that it goes unnoticed.

In fact, the two entrepreneurs think that their landscape architecture firm, Asakura Robinson, plays a significant role in improving the quality of life for many Houstonians.

Both of the company’s principals figured out at an early age that they wanted to work in a field that would allow them to blend their love for the science of horticulture with their passion for art. Read more…

Indoor gardening has many benefits. Indoor plants can brighten a room, provide moisture to the dry indoor winter air, and also supply oxygen during the day. You don’t have to have green thumb to grow indoor plants; there are some low maintenance plants available. Indoor gardening can be an extension of your outdoor gardening, filling in the gardening void experienced in the winter time.

Indoor Plant Pots

There are many different plant pots to choose from. Choose pots that reflect your decorating style. If you can’t find the perfect pot you can always make your own or improvise. As long as the object you choose can hold water and soil and has drainage holes, it will work. Drainage holes are important as plants do not thrive if they get “wet feet”. Soil is also important. Buy a good potting soil that has been formulated for the type of plants you choose. If you reuse your potting pots, make sure your thoroughly wash them before using them for the next plant. This avoids the spread of disease and fungus. Read more…

Have you ever been on the oil drilling islands off the coast of Long Beach? The University Art Museum at CSULB is planning an event that includes a tour of one of these islands, in conjunction with the exhibition Fantasy Islands: Landscaping Long Beach’s Oil Platforms, on view at the University Art Museum, CSULB from August 29 – October 15, 2006. This unique exhibition explores the design and landscaping of four oil-drilling platforms built between 1965 and 1968 in the outer harbor of Long Beach, California. Showcasing historic original drawings and period photographs of landscape architect Joseph Linesch (1924-1996) who envisioned the transformation of Long Beach into the “Riviera of the West.” The exhibition also includes contemporary color images by Los Angeles photographer Soo Kim. Read more…