(Old information - thank you to all who attended!)
Please stop by, walk through the garden and say hello! We've spruced the garden up for the Hardy Plant Garden Tour, and would love to share. Our garden is open to any and everyone interested, but the larger tour is for plant group members, by prior reservation.
We hope to see you tomorrow!
Ted and Nancy Dobson's Asian-inspired garden is getting a lot of attention these days! It is featured in the May/June issue of Fine Gardening, where you can see some of Buell's gorgeous photos and get a few ideas for your own small space from Rebecca's article. Subscribers will receive their issues any day now, and non-subscribers can pick up their copies at Market of Choice, Jerry's and some of the bigger bookstores on or after April 3.
We are delighted for the Dobsons! While we helped them lay the foundation of their garden, they have made it absolutely their own. The garden reflects not just their eye for detail and hard work, but their joyful and peaceful personalities, as well. Congratulations on a job well and beautifully done, Ted and Nancy!
Much more on the Dobson garden here.
Have you seen the terrific little garden on p. 44 of the latest issue of Sunset? Ted and Nancy's Asian-inspired space is getting a bit of well-deserved attention!
You can learn more about the Dobson Garden in this journal entry, *and* in the next issue of Fine Gardening, which will feature lots of beautiful, new photos by Buell!
Much, much more to come!
(The excellent Sunset Fresh Dirt blog is, unfortunately, no more. Apologies for the broken links.)
While we've been working away in Salem, of all places, two more of our gardens have put in an appearance on Sunset's Fresh Dirt! These shady gardens are just a short hop apart in the Fairmount neighborhood, but they have dramatically different styles.
A post featuring the entry of the Summit garden includes some of Buell's terrific photos. You may remember that space from our earlier post here. It's an evolving space that will be open for the first time on next spring's Hardy Plant Study Weekend tour.
Another fabulous post about a garden shared by neighboring families, the Englishes and the Bascoms, highlights a young and very successful space in the Fairmount neighborhood.
There's more to share in each of these gardens, so you can expect to see and learn more in future posts! For now, we're back to stonework in Salem and creating a wonderful new garden that we hope to show you when it's finished and a little filled in.
(The Sunset Fresh Dirt Blog is, unfortunately, no more. Apologies for the broken link.)
Have you seen the wonderful post about the coast garden on Sunset's Fresh Dirt? I spent a lovely morning there with Jim McCausland, while he shot the photos you'll see in the article (there must be 2000 more!). The Tersignis' garden has been a delight to develop, and we couldn't be more grateful to have such terrific clients and wonderful backdrop. More photos and notes on that garden can be found in some of our earlier posts, many of which are here (be sure to scroll down). And, of course, there are more photos and notes to come!
(Sunset's Fresh Dirt blog is, unfortunately, no more. Apologies for the broken link).
Have you seen the Dobson Garden on Sunset's Fresh Dirt? Jim McCausland's terrific article and photos offer a great view of the peaceful courtyard garden. If you would like to know more, check out our earlier post on the space here. Careful observers will note changes between our photos and Jim's. Like any great garden, Ted and Nancy are always refining their space, and we think it's better than ever right now!
The Dobson garden will be on the Hardy Plant Study Weekend Tour next June. More information on the Study Weekend to come.
(Sunset's Fresh Dirt blog is, unfortunately, no more. Apologies for the broken link).
The galvanized stock tank planters on our deck got the attention of Sunset's Jim McCausland during his recent visit. The bamboo screen provides a soft, textural screen for the seating area and a lovely backdrop to the view of the deck from the house. On clear nights, moonlight through the bamboo casts beautiful shadows on our walls. Read about the screen on Sunset's Fresh Dirt.
(Sunset's Fresh Dirt blog is, unfortunately, no more. Apologies for the broken link.)
July is off to a great start! In addition to beautiful weather, we had an Independence Day treat of seeing one of our gardens on Sunset's Fresh Dirt blog. "Perfect Small Patio" by Jim McCausland features Debbie and Gary Ahearn's little courtyard. The patio is an inviting, outdoor extension of their kitchen and dining area. Packing a lot of garden into a small space was our first challenge, and the second was providing a cozy, intimate and private space not far from a well-travelled residential street. The redwood fence balances privacy with a flow of light and air, and the custom metal furniture gives the focus and warmth that make the courtyard a well-used outdoor room.
If the Ahearn's courtyard looks familiar, you may remember it from earlier posts in our journal, like this one about outdoor seating areas.
Questions? Leave a comment, drop us an email at mosaic@mosaic-gardens.com or ask us in person on Saturday!
- We put our first plants in the ground in 2003 and had our first photo shoot for Sunset. That's a pretty quick start for a garden! The original plantings were boisterous and brimming with variety, partly because we were using the garden as a testing ground for unusual and new (to us) plants. As the plantings have matured and the garden has grown shadier, we have edited the plantings to masses of our favorites, with room for more than a few highlights and oddballs, of course. We wonder what you'll think of the changes at the Open Garden....
- The galvanized fence was one of the few elements that we knew would be a part of the garden from the start, and it was the first thing we installed. We had a hunch that the brightness and subtle texture of the fence would be an asset in our narrow, urban lot. While metal fences clearly aren't for everyone (it's still the only one we've built!), we love how it seems to pull the sky down into the space and sets off the dark foliaged plants in front of it.
- We built almost everything by hand. From removing tons of concrete (be sure check out the "before" pictures in this post), to hauling each rock to its final location, we held true to our belief that people build better gardens than machines do. The one major exception was the driveway, which Buell swore he was going to dig by hand.... About 10 minutes with a pick convinced him that using a bobcat would be a better idea.
We look forward to sharing our garden with you on July 9. In the meantime, remember to follow us on Facebook for updates, photos and more!
Saturday, July 9, 9am - 2pm
Please join us on Saturday, July 9 for an Open Garden! The plants are loving the long, cool spring, and the garden is gorgeous this year. It's a small, diverse space that has been featured in Sunset, Fine Gardening and Garden Design magazines. There's a little something for everyone - sun, shade, dry stack stone walls, seating areas, mature plantings, new additions and lots of design ideas. Buell and Rebecca will be on hand to answer questions about the garden and Mosaic, but, introverts, never fear, we're happy to let you wander on your own.
If you don't know our garden, this photo history is a fun place to learn more, and our press page includes several articles about the garden.
We hope to see you on the 9th! Drop by anytime between 9 and 2, and feel free to bring friends and family. We'll have limeade and shade if it's warm (or even if it's not), and space to explore or just sit and enjoy the day.
Join us on Saturday, July 9 for an Open Garden! Our garden is gorgeous this year, and we want to share it with you during its peak season. Please join us to walk through the space, ask questions, say hello or just enjoy some limeade in a pretty spot.
If you've seen the garden before, you may be surprised at some of the changes. As it has grown older and shadier, we've changed and simplified some of the plantings, to what we think is an elegant effect. Of course, the maturing specimens and beautifully aging stonework don't hurt, either. Our little space offers a wealth of ideas for gardens of any size or age, and, of course, Buell and Rebecca will be on hand to chat and answer questions.
Please mark your calendar and spread the word! More information coming soon....
Hi there!
If you'd like more frequent photos and quick updates, you can now follow Mosaic on Facebook! We'll continue to update here when we have more to say or show (new portfolio photos coming soon!), but our Facebook friends will get links to new posts as soon as they're published.
So, we hope you'll jump over to Facebook, and add Mosaic as a friend! We've already posted a few pictures that you can't find here, and there are more to come. See you there....
Just saw a big photograph of Joanne and Peter Alba's garden in Sunset's Garden Anywhere!, a "bookazine" that will be on store shelves until early June (I found it at the Woodfield Station Market of Choice). You may remember the Alba's garden from this post about their photo in the April '08 Sunset, or this post about gardening with deer. Cool!
Sometimes these photos catch us by surprise. If you know of a photo of our gardens that's not mentioned on our press page, please let us know where you found it, so we can spread the word!
Hi there,
2010 was a fun, busy year for Mosaic. Unfortunately, the regular newsletters and frequent journal entries fell by the wayside. Each post takes a lot of thought and time, two commodities that can be in short supply when we're both working full time in the field. We'd like to find a way to get things moving again, so we have a proposal for you: you ask, we answer. Do you have a question about a plant, a previous post or a design concept? We'd love to hear from you! You will give us a topic or starting point (often that's the hardest part), and you and other readers will get new ideas, information and a picture or three.
We'll continue to post new photos and news, but we hope you'll help us keep the content fresh and interesting for everyone. Just post a reply below or send an email, and we'll get right on it. No question too small. Deal?
If you want to hear from us, but don't have a question in mind, here are a few questions from an earlier Q&A to get your juices flowing. If that doesn't do the trick, a quick scroll through our archive or our newsletters may pique your curiosity.
We look forward to your questions!
Rebecca & Buell
PS Email subscription (in the box at right) is a great way to keep up with our irregular posting schedule. You'll get a message from wordpress for each new entry and no spam from us. : )
We just changed the text on the "about" page on our website. Check it out!
If would like to be on our postal mailing list, please send your mailing address to mosaic (at) mosaic-gardens.com.
We only send 2-4 postcards per year, and we think they're pretty good lookin'. They are all designed by Rebecca and are on 100% recycled paper. Of course, we will never share your personal information with anyone. A preview of the next card is right here --------->
If you'd like a heads-up about newsletters and Mosaic news, like new publications and events, join our e-mailing list here. We write once or twice a month, at most (we're not a fan of spam, either), and, again, we will never share your personal information.
Nothing is permanent - If you would ever like to unsubscribe from any of our mailing lists, we will be happy to immediately and permanently remove your name and information. Just contact us any way you like, and we'll only contact you once more to let you know that we've fulfilled your request.
Make a date with your mom or your best plant buddy! Eugene's two biggest, baddest plant sales are coming on May 8. Both sales will have an incredible selection of plants from fantastic nurseries. The best plants go fast, so arrive early and work fast! Click on the links for more information.
The Oregon Plant Fair, hosted by the Avid Gardeners, takes place at Alton Baker Park
The Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Sale will be held at the Lane County Fairgrounds
Sadly, this is our last chance to buy the exquisite plants grown by Hedgerows Nursery, from McMinnville. David and Susie are moving "back east," and will be sorely missed. They have provided us with some of the best, boldest and weirdest plants in our garden. They'll have a table at the WVHPG sale but you'll have to arrive early to get the best selection....
Do you miss our more frequent growing season posts? Do you have a question about our work or one of our gardens, but haven't known how/when/where to ask? We'd love to hear from you! For at least the next couple of months, we hope to make the journal more interactive by responding to your questions and thoughts on the site.
Take a moment to inquire about any Mosaic-related subject in the "comments" section of this post or email us at mosaic@mosaic-gardens.com. We'll respond to your question directly, and, most of the time, we'll post your question and our answer on the journal. We hope this experiment will bring more frequent updates (it's up to you!), offer fun new ideas for your gardens, and help us get to know you better.
Of course, we will never share your personal or contact information, and you will not be added to our mailing list unless you request otherwise.
We look forward to your questions and comments!
Rebecca & Buell
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Happy New Year! Our twenty-ten is off to a great start, and we hope yours is, too.
We had some fun news to kick off the year - Ted and Nancy Dobson's garden is featured on the Sunset blog, Fresh Dirt! Thanks to Jim McCausland for the nice article and heads-up. If you'd like to learn more about the Dobsons' garden, check out our third newsletter.
Joy Gregory's garden is on the first page of a Sunset.com article about lawn-free front yards! Cool, hunh?
If you'd like to learn more about the Gregory garden, check out our first newsletter and some fun articles about the space on our press page.
Check back soon - the next newsletter is in process and should be up tomorrow or Friday. [Edit: Make that this weekend! Site work took most of our time for the week, but we should have time to wrap up the newsletter in the next couple of days. Thanks for staying tuned....]