Photos from a beautiful morning in the garden, plus a gratuitous pic of the newest Mosaic mascot, Kai! Hard to believe it's the second day of spring....
See the Dobson Garden in Sunset!
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!
One to Watch
Even fall rains can't get Ted and Nancy Dobson's garden down. This tiny, magical space only gets better with age and the careful attention of its inhabitants. Readers familiar with the space through garden tours or the journal may note the beautiful new water feature at right, one of the Dobson's summer projects. Stunning, isn't it? It seems that we're not the only ones who love this intricate and collaborative space, and you may get to see this fabulous garden in print soon (more details to come, of course)!
While photos may be worth a 1,000 words, a visit to this garden speaks volumes. The Dobsons' garden (and several of our other gardens) will be on the tour for the Hardy Plant Study Weekend next June 7-10, 2012. Save the date and stay tuned for more information!
More Dirt on our Gardens!
(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.
Best-ever Coastal Garden?!?
(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!
The Dobson Garden on Sunset's Fresh Dirt!
(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.
Four Views of the Coast Garden
Isn't it amazing how physical perspective can change a garden? Below are four views of the same section of the garden we built on Coos Bay.
Quiet Entry Garden
The photos below show just one part of a multi-phase project that we think is fast becoming our best garden so far. Our goal for this entry garden was to create a serene, simple design that allows focus on the beautiful trunks of the Oregon White Oaks and the clean, contemporary lines of the house and entryway. From the driveway, visitors pass from a bold, colorful street planting, through hedge of golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) into a quiet, sweeping, sword fern garden, with a few small trees and some Fargesia rufa, a clumping bamboo. Our favorite hardscape feature of the garden may be our drystack stone wall along the driveway (see a slideshow of its construction here). An ipe deck and boardwalk float over the fern garden, past a huge basalt bowl, to the front door. While other areas of the garden feature diverse plantings and bold foliage, this garden focuses on the essentials. Although, this garden is largely a passageway, as opposed to an area to entertain, it seems to have a profound effect on visitors. Rather than rushing through the garden, the simple design encourages people to pause for a moment and enjoy a quiet moment, appreciating the view.
This is another garden that will be included on next June's Study Weekend tour. For more information, stay tuned here or contact the WVHPG.
Preview
It's a busy week in Mosaic central, but we're thinking about you! Just wanted to give you a little taste of a great garden we're going to share here soon.... Stay tuned for more photos and information!
Our deck on Sunset's Fresh Dirt
(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.
A Romantic Deer Garden?
Our artist client, Joy, wanted a romantic, flowery, soft planting, in cool and pastel shades. Her original planting - largely thuggish ornamental grasses and traditional landscape shrubs - had never been quite what she wanted, and when she called us, she was hoping for something more in keeping with her craftsman house and painterly aesthetic.
We've built the garden in stages, learning the site and its voracious deer as we work our way around. A large Vietnamese urn and basalt pathway in front are two of our rare hardscape additions, as Joy and her husband were happy with the existing patios. As we've moved to different areas of the property, we've adjusted our planting style to accommodate lessons learned and changing preferences. Where spring color was her first priority in the beginning, Joy came to love plantings that provide year-round impact. In addition to our construction work, we develop the garden over monthly visits, through which we've gradually amended our original plantings, creating a garden that looks fabulous in every season, while still reflecting our original aesthetic, and that accommodates the unusual and ever-changing tastes of the local deer.
This garden owes a debt to trial-and-error, and we could not be more grateful for Joy's trust in allowing us to bring the garden to its current successful state. We think we've found an elegant balance point between floral color, year-round impact, and, of course, deer resistance. Our highest compliment is that we often find that many of our monthly chores are complete when we arrive, and Joy, who had never been a gardener before, eager to talk about the latest developments and future opportunities.
Joy's garden is one of four or five of our gardens that will be included in next year's Study Weekend tour, June 1-3. The Study Weekend is a gathering of gardeners that rotates between Vancouver, BC, Seattle, Portland and Eugene, features talks from some of the planet's best plantspeople and designers, and a tour with the areas' best gardens. We'll post more here, as we learn more, but if you'd like to know more soon, please contact the WVHPG.
New Garden Journal Friend!
Our new friend, Loree Bohl wrote a lovely, very thorough post about our Open Garden on her blog, danger garden. Judging from some of her other entries, we share a passion for mean plants and cool nurseries, so be sure to keep reading!
Our Garden in July
Buell took some terrific new photos of our garden last night. What do you think? Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Open Garden! We had a lovely day and were delighted to meet so many new friends. If you missed the event, stay tuned to the journal and Facebook for future events.
The Ahearn Garden on Sunset's Fresh Dirt Blog!
(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!
3 Fun Facts About Our Garden
- 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!
Mosaic Open Garden, July 9
Mosaic Open Garden
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.
New Photos of Watershed - The Exception That Proves the Rule
The Watershed is a mixed-use commercial/residential building and a rare exception to our residential garden focus. We can't say enough good things about the structure (green materials, local artisans, just fantastic inside and out), and we couldn't be more grateful for the trust that the owners had in allowing us to design and plant their garden. The plantings at ground level and on each of the many terraces are diverse, super resilient, and require very little water from the rainwater catchment system. We think that the courtyard and rusting metal water feature are a strong, grounding center to an unusual, beautiful space. Buell took a few new shots of the garden yesterday, and we'd love to know what you think!
(More info on the July 9 Open Garden coming soon!)
Save the Date - Open Garden on July 9!
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....
Will you be our Facebook friend?
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....
Japanese Maple Sale at Baltzer's!
We've got so much good news for gardeners these days! Our friends Bob and Nancy Baltzer, of Baltzer's Specialized Nursery are having a sale on their gorgeous specimen maples. All non lace leaf maples in 20 gallon or larger containers are on sale for at least $25 off and some are marked down to $75! Bob and Nancy grow a wider variety of maples than anyone we know, and they care for them beautifully. Aside from maples, the Baltzers also carry wonderful, unusual conifers and some interesting garden features. Their nursery is one of our area's little known treasures, and well worth the short drive to Pleasant Hill.
Baltzer's is open Friday - Monday, 10am - 5pm (closed Tuesday-Thursday)
36011 Highway 58 Pleasant Hill, OR 97455 541-747-5604