Municipal flower bed installation, France

Municipal flower beds are a big thing in France. Often, as one enters a town there is a sign proclaiming it to be a “ville fleuri” – a flower city. It seems that every city and town competes to see who can create the most original and extravagant flower beds. By July, these beds willContinue reading “Municipal flower bed installation, France”

Small patio remodel: concrete work

This patio is the focal point when looking from the house. Formerly cracked old concrete, it will be warm colored flagstone banded with integral color concrete. A fountain on a pedestal will add movement and sound, and the overall effect will bring the Spanish look of the house and existing patio all the way toContinue reading “Small patio remodel: concrete work”

Transforming a cherry tree from landscape to furniture & art

Long ago, someone planted a tiny, spindly tree. It grew. A puppy chewed off much of the bark. The tree survived. It grew, and grew, and grew until it spread over the pool, the roof, the patio. Its trunk thickened until nobody could see the pool from the house. Sadly, it was time for theContinue reading “Transforming a cherry tree from landscape to furniture & art”

Celebrating landscape architecture month

The local chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), of which Annette is a longstanding member, gathered at the state capitol to inform people about the profession. It also happened to be the birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the founding father of landscape architecture in the United States, so they placed aContinue reading “Celebrating landscape architecture month”

Gnome Rejuvenation

Has your gnome lost his color? Has the twinkle faded from his eyes, the rose from his cheeks? You can recolor him, better than he was. Cleaner, brighter, gnomier! All it takes is a small flat brush and a small round one. I used artist’s acrylics, deciding not to worry about the paint fading becauseContinue reading “Gnome Rejuvenation”