The process of placing a sculpture in a landscape.
Author Archives: mike
French Country Inn, Castelnau sur l’Auvignon, Gers
In France, what we might call a bed & breakfast is a chambre d’hôtes. These places are more adventurous than hotels, since you typically interact with the host, stay in a place not originally designed to be a hotel, and typically eat dinner with other guests and the host. If there’s a dinner, it’s homeContinue reading “French Country Inn, Castelnau sur l’Auvignon, Gers”
French wrought iron, Annecy
Wrought iron in Annecy, France
Designing & installing a new mosaic landing
A piece of mosaic art is conceived, then transferred to a concrete slab where it will act as a transition between a deck and the garden.
Gatinais landscapes, France
Small villages perch atop low hills, surrounded by rolling fields of sunflowers, wheat and beets punctuated with blue flax and other crops. This is the Gatinais region, not too far south of Paris. Nestled among the fields are river valleys, punctuated by pine and heather forests growing in almost pure sand interspersed with rounded, weatheredContinue reading “Gatinais landscapes, France”
Mechoui – the big grill event
Summer in France is mechoui time. The word comes from North Africa, and used to mean an entire barbecued lamb cooked over coals on a spit, constantly basted with flavored butter until it develops a crispy exterior and is moist and tender. The technique works well for chicken, or anything else that’s grilled and bastedContinue reading “Mechoui – the big grill event”
Calepinage
The art of paving patterns Calpinage is something we don’t talk about here in the United States. Maybe that’s because we don’t have a corresponding word. We could say “paving patterns”, but that just doesn’t sound nearly as cool. Calpinage is the art of laying out hardscape patterns, turning boring alleys and streets into texturallyContinue reading “Calepinage”
Back from the dead
Plants recovered from frost damage
Go vertical! These gardens in La Romieu, France maximize use of space.
There’s really not much room to plant here. Soil surfaces are small, so there’s no way to create depth or layering in the planting areas. No worry – these gardeners just used the adjacent walls as additional garden space. In the shady alley, a collection of hostas trims the interface between wall and ground. That’sContinue reading “Go vertical! These gardens in La Romieu, France maximize use of space.”
Swimming pools, French style
In France, they build a concrete shell, then – instead of pool plaster and tiles – they install a plastic liner and clips to hold it in place. The deck or coping goes over the top, hiding the clips.