Classic roll-arm sofa, check. Proper bedside reading light, check. A new, soothing shade of paint from Farrow & Ball on the walls, check. The Remodelista editors embraced English influences in interior design this week. Here are five ideas to steal:
Light layering is crucial in a bedroom, writes Janet: ” Dark bedrooms are great for sleeping, but too little light hinders other activities, such as reading, dressing, and getting ready for bed. Since no single fixture can effectively serve all bedroom lighting needs–it would be a blinding light– what’s needed is a combination: controlled task lighting and gentle ambient light.” Read more in this week’s Remodeling 101: Bedside Lighting post.
Welsh Wool Blankets
Above: The Vintage Star Throw in Mint (on the top) and Blossom (on the bottom) are reproductions of a 1950s design, both available from Another Country for £149.
Above: According to Farrow & Ball, “Bancha, a mid-century modern green, is a darker version of the much loved archive color, Olive. Perfect for those who want to embrace stronger color in the home, its sober tone creates rooms that feel calm and serene.”
Above: Designed by Vico Magistretti for De Padova in 1988, the English-style Raffles Sofa has goose-down cushions and comes in a range of Italian upholstery fabric options. Available for £5,359 at Skandium or by contacting De Padova.
A classic English sofa is “the kind you would find in the perfect London townhouse or Georgian rectory, but it works just as well in homes outside of England,” writes Alexa. See more in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.
Office Nook
Above: Built-in shelving and a work space with coffered paneling anchor a living room in London. The paneling throughout is painted a lightened version of Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath Photograph courtesy of The Modern House.
First, a disclaimer. No houseplants were harmed in the creation of this post. Well, at least not fatally. But we did force them to dress in creepy costumes for Halloween, despite knowing they’d rather be growing outdoors in their native climates (for most of them, that would be the tropics). Tough job, being a houseplant.
This DIY decor project was pretty easy on humans, though. First, we chose our victims for their theatrical foliage. Then, to create a darkly tortured Little Shop of Houseplants, we cloaked the plants’ nursery pots in washable black Paper Storage Bags (a set of three in different sizes is $32.41 from Warm Grey Company via Etsy). Tip: You can also give your houseplants a haunted look by simply painting their pots a dark color (see our Ikea houseplants below, painted in Farrow & Ball’s bruise-black Railings).
If they know what’s good for them, on Halloween our haunted houseplants will gather by the front door, where they can scowl menacingly at the trick-or-treaters:
Photography by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista.
Peacock Plant
Above: There are dozens of species of tropical Calathea, many with waxy, patterned leaves. We got our unlabeled specimen at Home Depot, and with some sleuthing have determined that the white outline on its leaves is similar to a potted Calathea ‘Marion’ available for $25 at White Flower Farm.
Botanical Name:Calathea ‘Marion’
Care and Feeding: Calatheas will fade if they get too much light; keep yours away from bright sun to preserve the distinct veining and colors of its leaves.
Design Tip: With its stiff leaves and strong silhouette, Calathea contrasts nicely with ferns or other lacy-leafed plants.
Snake Plant
Above: Our baby snake plant came from Ikea, where an assortment of Sansevieria in a pot is available for £4 per plant in the UK; in the US, we paid $3.99.
Botanical Name: Sansevieria
Care and Feeding: The best way to take care of a snake plant is: don’t. This plant is a survivor. Leave it be, except to water it every week or 10 days if the soil feels dry to a depth of 1 inch.
Design Tip: Get a mini version, as we did, and you can use it as a sculptural accent on a windowsill or a cocktail table.
Above: As an added bonus, our snake plant was sprouting offshoots that look like tiny, menacing teeth.
Ming Tree
Above: A Ming Aralia Tree in a 6-inch pot is $15.95 from Amazon.
Botanical Name:Polyscias fruticosa
Care and Feeding: Aralias include about 70 species of evergreen trees, perennials, and shrubs commonly found in the mountainous, wooded regions of Asia and the Americas. Don’t over-water yours—and remember that it thrives in warm temperatures.
Design Tip: Keep this dwarf tree small by trimming it with scissors.
Rattlesnake Plant
Above: Its dramatically speckled leaves with bruised-purple undersides make our Calathea insignis look like it got into a bar fight. For a more demure specimen, a Rattlesnake Plant in a woven pot is $25 from White Flower Farm.
Botanical Name: Calathea insignis
Care and Feeding: A native of the tropics, Calathea likes moisture and well-drained soil. Avoid direct sunlight (it fades the pattern on the leaves) and mist its leaves if the air in your home is very dry.
Design Tip: Assume that your Calathea’s patterned foliage will be the visual focus in any group of houseplants; pair it with plants that have quieter colors and softer, fernlike-silhouettes.
Arrowhead Plant
Above: Our Arrowhead Plant came from Home Depot; for a similar variety, a small Syngonium Podophyllum ‘Cream Allusion‘ in a 2.5-inch pot is $4.49 from Josh’s Frogs.
Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum
Care and Feeding: Filtered light will prevent its leaves from turning brown and curling, and you can avoid root rot by letting the soil dry out between waterings.
Design Tip: Don’t be fooled by its compact shape; Syngonium podophyllum is a vine and wants to spill over ledges, shelves, and sills. Its destiny is a hanging planter.
Flaming Sword Plant
Above: Our baby bromeliad came from Ikea, where a 5-inch Bromeliaceae in a pot is $9.99.
Botanical Name:Vriesea bromeliad
Care and Feeding: “Remove the flower after it becomes unsightly, using a sharp, sterilized knife or pair of scissors to cut back the spike as far as possible without injuring the plant,” writes our contributor, Kier Holmes. See the rest of her tips in our recent post, Gardening 1o1: Bromeliads.
Design Tip: “Seek out unique varieties that have exotic leaves in bold colors or striped like a snake,” suggests Kier.
Care and Feeding: Make sure it’s in a well-draining pot; if the leaves start to turn yellow, water it more frequently.
Design Tip: With leaves that have ghostly white centers, this variety of Dieffenbachia is at happiest a tropical rain forest where there’s plenty of protection from hot sun. Respect its needs and keep it away from a harsh southern exposure.
Above: We discovered this little insect, disguised to match the Dieffenbachia leaf on which he was hiding. When we tried to catch him, we found out he was a jumping bug. He looks like a katydid to us.
And finally…
Above: The house plants should recover by next Halloween.
N.B.: See more of our dangerous decor for Halloween at:
Opera singer Lina Cavalieri had a face that haunted Italian artist Piero Fornasetti, prompting him to put it on more than 500 of his designs. You can see her looking back at you from wallpaper, dishes, and scented candles. And now she also can gaze at you, unblinking, from a porcelain vase sitting on your mantel.
A vase with a face? It could strike the right note for Halloween—and year-round—with a few stems of blood-purple cosmos:
Above: Made of hand-painted porcelain, a Fornasetti Burleone Vase is 30 centimeters high (about 11.8 inches) and is £485 from Liberty of London.
Above: If you start to feel as if her eyes are following you, turn the vase around.
Seen from the street, a gingerbread Victorian cottage near Melbourne, Australia hides its secret: a streamlined rear extension with a sleekly modern silhouette. The challenge for landscape architect Ben Scott of Ben Scott Garden Design was to create a garden to connect the two faces of the facade.
The result is a front garden with irresistible curb appeal: an informal, meandering design of old-fashioned flowering plants punctuated by spiky perennial grasses that add a modern sensibility.
The back garden is another story. During a remodel three years ago, homeowners Lynn and Brett Cheong added spaces for outdoor dining and entertaining. To complement the contemporary design, Scott’s back garden emphasizes the sharp-edged geometry of the architecture.
Let’s take a walk around the garden, from front to back.
Above: Mature liquidamber and Japanese maple trees were starting points for Scott’s garden design. At the edge of the wraparound front porch, a tumble of oakleaf hydrangeas and purple verbena is happy beneath a tree canopy.
Above: Bluestone pavers lead to a handmade garden swing, tucked into a shady corner.
Above: Similar in habit to the ground cover star creeper (which is an Isotoma), Australia native Pratia blooms with an explosion of starry white flowers.
Above: Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ spills over the edge of a garden bed.
Above: Painted wedding-cake white, a Victorian weatherboard facade gains texture from layers of perennials, including exuberant euphorbias (to the right of the walkway).
Before
Above: Before the Cheongs moved in, the house was painted yellow and had a patchy front lawn. Photograph via Real Estate.
After
Above: Mixed in with old-fashioned flowering plants, spiky grasses including Lomandra and Miscanthus add a modern element.
Above: In a gravel courtyard on the side of the house, homeowner Lynn Cheong grows herbs in a raised-bed kitchen garden made from recycled apple crates.
Above: Boston ivy softens the fence, and a row of pleached flowering pears (Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’) creates another layer of foliage (and privacy).
Above: In the back garden, the emphasis shifts to clean lines and modern silhouettes: bamboo, grape vines on the pergola that shades the dining terrace, and shrubs (Gardenia florida) planted against the back wall of the house.
The non-invasive Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’ (a clumping bamboo) is planted against the fence line to add privacy.
Good for locking up a storage shed or side gate, the hasp latch slides shut and secures with a padlock. Like most hardware that we like, our favorites come from classic companies like Sugatsune and marine supply sources; here are our 10 picks.
Above: The Hasp Latch with 3 Guides (HASP-10) from Sun Valley Bronze measures a total of 10 inches long and comes in a range of finishes. Contact Sun Valley Bronze for price and ordering information.
Above: The Crown Bolt Black Slide Bolt is designed for flush-mount gates and shed doors and works with left- or right-handled doors; $5.22 at The Home Depot.
Above: The T-Shaped Slide Bolt with 3 Guides (SLBT-14) is 13 3/4 inches long and comes in a range of finishes from Sun Valley Bronze. Contact the company for price and ordering information.
For more on garden gates and gate latches see our posts:
Bittersweet vines, a smothering menace of unsuspecting American gardens and woodland edges, has a cousin at Oxford University. Celastrus orbicalutus has been adding medieval atmosphere to the hallowed quads of Magdalen College for many years. They are referred to by head gardener Claire Shepherd as “monsters,” their gothic shapes enhanced through creative cloud pruning. Let’s walk on the grass (when no one’s looking) and take a closer look at these strange creatures:
Above: A trio of Celastrus orbicalutus trained on the walls of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Oriental bittersweet, as Celastrus orbicalutus is also known, can grow to 40 feet and seems an odd choice for covering walls which don’t necessarily need to be covered. They are shown here in April this year, each gnarled branch ending in a goblet shape.
Above: Celastrus orbicalutus trained on the walls of Magdalen College in September, before the leaves turn yellow.
Like many gardeners who find employment in one of the Oxford colleges, Claire Shepherd has been at Magdalen for decades. Before she became head gardener 20 years ago, she had spent 10 years as an under-gardener, with plenty of time to size up the walls.
“There were a few very old hydrangeas that had become heavy and boxy as well as the Celastrus orbiculatus that were overgrown and all over the place,” Claire says. “The Celastrus was one of the first to be dealt with. I took a long hard look at what there was to work with and set to work with secateurs,” she continues. “Creative cloud pruning was the answer to these monsters.”
Above: Oriental bittersweet and Japanese quince, untangled by Oxford gardeners.
Claire took her cue from the style of another notoriously chaotic shrub which had been tamed successfully at Magdalen, allowing the Oxfordshire stone to shine through. “The Chaenomeles speciosa (Japanese quince, shown here) had already had been trained into cup shapes,” she says. “The wall shrub training has developed as time has gone by, as each shrub has needed to be either removed or drastically restyled.”
Above: Rosa Indigofera himalayensis ‘Silk Road’ trained around an air vent.
Fanned out against a wall between two windows, the roses are an unusual choices as well. Described as “bushy” by the Royal Horticultural Society (along with Japanese quince) Rosa Indigofera himalayensis ‘Silk Road’ has been trained in a fan shape to avoid a tangle. This is easy to do, by cutting out the oldest stems every few years and arranging the vigorous new shoots in an orderly manner.
Above: Rosa Indigofera himalayensis ‘Silk Road’ at Oxford, with its small leaves that are evergreen in certain climates, with sprays of lilac flowers that resemble pea blossom.
Above: Rosa ‘New Dawn’ at Magdalen College, Oxford.
The well-behaved (and long-flowering) New Dawn climbing rose is used between the gothic shapes at Magdalen. “This rose tends to survive the north facing conditions,” says Claire. It is a heavenly shell pink.
Above: Actinidia kolomikta at Magdalen College, Oxford.
With its pink-tipped foliage, Actinidia kolomikta is another vigorous climber (reaching 26 feet potentially) that is not allowed to consume the carved stone in the quad facing the New Buildings. Twining stems are kept untwined with vigilance when the shrub is young. Once a growing pattern is established, it is quite simple to maintain a shape.
Above: Garrya elliptica (silk-tassel bush) at Magdalen College, Oxford.
The leaves are small and holly-like, similar to holm oak, and when left alone Garrya produces long tassels in winter. It is another bushy climber that allows itself to be manipulated in a Japanese-medieval manner. Jasmine can also be pruned selectively by cutting out non-flowering shoots and training it into a skeletal shape that produces individual sprays of flowers instead of tangles of them, leaving a giant bird’s next shape in winter.
Above: Celastrus orbiculatus at Oxford University.
“I don’t purposely choose plants to experiment with,” says head gardener Claire Shepherd. “It’s more to do with whether I can visualize a shape or style that would suit the plant and its position.”
In addition to being an excellent accessory for your Halloween devil’s costume, a pitchfork is the perfect tool to turn compost or to toss a mulch of straw onto your edible garden. A pitchfork’s slender, curved tines are better suited to tossing than to most digging chores. (See Best Tools: 10 Favorite Garden Forks for diggers and grubbers.)
Here’s a roundup of our 10 favorite pitchforks:
Above: Also shown in the top photo of this post, a Clarington Forge Border Fork is handmade in England and has a compact 37-inch ash handle to make it easy to maneuver in tight spaces such as compost bins. It is $78 from Terrain.
Above: Hand-forged in Holland, a stainless steel Compost Fork By Sneeboer has a 45.5-inch ash hardwood handle (made from FSC-certified, sustainably harvested wood). “With four long, thin tines, this compost fork easily pierces into mulch, hay, compost and other loose materials when moving it from one place to another,” notes the retailer. It is $159 at Garden Tool Company.
Above: A Stainless Steel Spading Fork “can be used to move light, loosely packed material like compost, mulch or hay from one place to another.” Lightweight and with narrow tines to loosen earth, it is €40 from Manufactum.
Above: A four-tine Forged Manure Fork has a 48-inch handle and is $27.64 from Zoro.
Above: Made by Burgon & Ball in the UK, a compact Craftsbury Stainless Border Fork with an ash handle also can be used “for breaking up soil and aerating beds,” notes retailer Gardener’s Supply; $67.46.
Above: A Spear & Jackson Manure Fork with a 32-inch handle has a hardwood shaft and is £15.95 from Tooled Up.
Above: An all-steel Professional Mulching Fork with five tines is made in the US; $99.95 from Garrett Wade.
Above: From Germany, an SHW Compost Fork comes with either a 44- or 54-inch handle and ranges in price from $40 to $44 depending on handle length at Earth Tools.
Let’s talk about biennials. A few springs ago, I planted a couple of foxglove plants. If you’ve been reading my Garden Decoder or Your First Garden posts, you know that plants, in general, don’t seem to like me very much. But those foxgloves, man, they adored me. They grew fast and strong, presenting me with multiple stalks, each heavy with healthy, large, bell-shaped flowers. Those two over-performers were a godsend, distracting the eye from the rest of my dreary garden with their showboating beauty.
The next year, though, they ghosted me. It’s as if I had dreamt the prior summer’s flush of blooms. Where did my foxgloves go? What did I do to offend them? I chalked up their abandonment to my black thumb. Most of the other plants in my garden hated me. Of course, they would, too.
But I needed closure, so I started to search for some answers. Turns out, it wasn’t me, it was them. Read on for everything you need to know about biennials:
First, let’s define the term’s better-known counterparts: annuals and perennials. Annuals (like zinnias, petunias, snapdragons, and sunflowers) have a life cycle of just one growing season; after they flower and produce mature seeds, they die. Perennial flowers (think: lavender, asters, day lilies, and peonies), on the other hand, continue to grow and bloom for three years or more.
I have never understood the appeal of annuals (what’s the point of growing plants that last just a few months?), so I’m sure that I didn’t find the foxgloves in the annuals section of the nursery. They must have been placed in the perennials section, yet they’re not quite perennials, either. Enter the third category of plants: biennials.
Biennials—including foxgloves, evening primrose, and Iceland poppies—have a life cycle that takes two years. In the first year, they grow from seeds into small plants; in the second, they bloom.
Keep in mind: Plants are classified as annuals, biennials, or perennials based on their behavior in their native region. For instance, tulips are technically classified as perennials, and in parts of the world where they’re native (e.g., eastern Turkey or the foothills of the Himalayas), they, indeed, come back year after year. However, here in the US, they behave like and are treated as annuals.
Do biennials self-seed?
Above: Self-seeded honesty (Lunaria) in the crook of a tree. Photograph by Jim Powell for Gardenista, from Gardening 101: Honesty.
Yes, many do. In fact, most flowers that self-seed are either annuals or biennials. (This explains why a small foxglove plant showed up this year just a couple feet away from where I had originally planted my foxgloves.) So even though a biennial mother plant may die after two years, its offspring may sprout up spontaneously elsewhere on your property. Other reliable biennial self-sowers include forget-me-nots, sweet Williams, honesty flowers, and black-eyed Susans.
Are the biennials sold in stores in their first or second year?
Most biennials you find in nurseries are already flowering and in their second year—which means you’re essentially taking home an annual when you buy a biennial. It will grow and bloom and likely won’t come back the next year. If you want to experience its full two-year cycle, sow the seeds yourself in the summer and transplant the seedlings into their flowering spot in your garden in autumn; they should flower the next spring.
To the genius who invented the idea of bringing flower bulbs indoors to force them to bloom in winter months: Thank you for figuring out how to fill the house with color and scent in cold months.
Maybe your forced bulb of choice is amaryllis, hyacinth, paperwhite, or tulip. In any case, nothing could be easier than coaxing it into bloom in a vase of water:
Above: A green glass case, Hyacinths ‘Fulgor’ is about 11.25 inches high and is 229kr (about $25.20) at Zeta’s.
With its mossy hue, a green glass vase enhances the color of foliage.
Above: Also suitable for simple arrangements of fronds or small amaryllis bulbs, the bulb vase can be grouped with others on trays for greater visual impact.
See more tips for forcing flower bulbs in our curated design guide to Bulbs & Tubers 101. Read more:
“A matte black faucet is a bold statement, but it’s also one that’s versatile (think graphic Scandi or extreme gothic) and is generally trend-resistant,” writes Alexa. Read more in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.
Simple Shaker Stools
Above: A Simple Stool has a black Shaker tape seat.
From her house and studio “in a small, wooded homestead,” furniture maker Heide Martin builds simple, hard-wood furniture that draws on a long tradition of New England sensibility. Read more in Shaker, Reincarnated: A Young Furniture Maker in Midcoast Maine.
Black Candles
Above: The Hygeia Bust Candle in black is in the shape of the Greek goddess of body/mind health; €99 at Sophia in Greece.
Black candles “appeal to our inner Goth, especially at this time of year,” writes our UK-based contributor Christine Chang Hanway. See more in Going Goth: 10 Sculptural Black Candles.
Science Lab Kitchens
Above: Thanks to a tip-off from a salvage dealer, a couple collected lab castoffs from the horticultural department of St John’s University in York.. Photograph by Jan Baldwin.
A few years ago I called Francis Mallmann, the eccentric Argentinian chef who lives on an island in remote Patagonia, from my office in New York. The interview was supposed to be about pasta—a chorizo and gnocchi dish he’d created for Food & Wine—but Mallmann kept coming out with wisdom about how to live a wild and romantic life. For example, he told me: “It’s very important to have opposites in life. You sleep one night in a beautiful hotel, and then the next night you sleep under a tree.” He added: “If you always sleep in a palace, it’s very boring. And if you always sleep under a tree, it’s sort of chilly.”
You might remember Mallmann from his episode of Chef’s Table, in which he paddled out to remote Patagonian islands to stage rustic outdoor dinners on long tables. buried root vegetables and slow-cooked them under the earth for days, and seared hunks of meat over tall, open flames. Now, Mallmann has partnered with outdoor outfitter Best Made Co. as their creative advisor (he bonded with the company’s founder when he bought a half dozen axes from the shop), and together they’ve launched a new collection, out this week. Our favorite offering? The towering, multi-functional steel grill, a “veritable alter to the flame,” so you can cook over an open fire in your backyard, wear a poncho, eat with your hands, take a swig of Malbec from a bottle, and pretend you’re in the wilds of Patagonia. Take a look.
Above: Mallmann’s Grill is eight feet tall, weighs 130 pounds, and is made entirely in Argentina. It’s $2,298 and is only available online. Here, you can see Mallmann using it to sear meat and cook whole chickens and pineapples, all at once.
Above: The grill “enables home cooks and chefs alike to sear, simmer, smoke, and roast simultaneously,” according to Best Made Co., thanks to multiple cooking areas: a ventilated “fire box” that acts like a Patagonian chulengo (an enclosed grill, to protect flames from the wind), two types of cooktops (shown here: the flat plancha-style cooktop), and an overhead rack for hanging “fruits and meats.”
Above: The flat cooktop can be swapped for a grated grill, shown here, for direct exposure to open flames. Best Made Co. notes that the two cooktops can also be stacked for even more cooking possibilities.
“Fully cranked, the grill clocks in at 750°F, meaning it’s more than capable of searing a thick steak to perfection or roasting a whole bird to a bronzed crisp,” says Best Made Co. Should you want to travel further to use the grill—on a camping trip, or to a remote destination for a wild outdoor meal, Mallmann-style—the grill can fully collapse and be carried (though it’s heavy).
Above L: The plancha stacked above the ventilated fire box. Above R: Whole “fruits and meats can be hung from the overhead rack for smoking or gentle roasting,” according to Best Made Co.—no chopping or butchering needed.
Above: Either wood or charcoal can be used in the fire box, which closes with a steel latch.
Above: Once you’ve cooked your meal, fruits to meats, over an open fire, hunker down under a tree to enjoy it—even in cold weather. (Mallmann sits on the Caravan Chair with a Leather Tote alongside, also part of the collection.)
Macrame plant hangers were in (1970s) then out (for decades), then in (2012) then out, and now… making one is just a calming way to spend the day. There’s a workshop in LA this weekend; check it out.
In case you are wondering, the weather on Mallorca can be quite pleasant in October. In November too. Enjoy it vicariously with a visit to the sunny gardens of a 300-year-old palazzo in Felanitx, which has medieval architecture dating to the 1200s (and is a 10-minute drive from Portocolom and one of the area’s loveliest beaches).
Above: From the street, the stone face of the palazzo gives away no hint of the gardens behind the facade
Before being remodeled 20 years ago, the building housed a wine bar. Converted into a single-family home, the palazzo has eight rooms on three floors, several courtyard and terrace gardens, and a swimming pool.
Above: The palazzo blends in seamlessly with the other stone facades on the street.
Courtyard Garden
Above: Sheltered by dry stone walls, a courtyard garden with a swimming pool and sauna. Exuberant pink bougainvillea climbs a wall and a 50-foot palm tree was transported to the space by helicopter.
Above: A rooftop garden with a view over the town (including the local church spire) is home to potted lemon and olive trees.
If you live in a Mediterranean climate, get more growing and design tips for Olive Trees, Lemon Trees, and Wild Grape Vines. See more of our favorite Mediterranean-style gardens:
Above: Consider it training wheels for a topiary. “This classic ‘Cone’ topiary shape, formed from galvanized wire, is hinged to enable it to be fitted around established plants and/or removed after trimming is completed,” notes retailer The Potting Shed.
Above: The topiary frame measures 60 centimeters high (about 23.5 inches) and has a 30-centimeter diameter (about 12 inches) at the base.
We have the 19th-century Parisian urban planner Georges-Eugène Haussmann to thank for our ideas about how a Parisian balcony should look:a graceful filigree railing set against a facade of cut stonework, with sweeping views of the grand boulevards below and pretty potted plants spilling over with flowering vines.
Haussmann’s vision of an airy Napoleonic city of light created countless narrow balcony gardens in the center of the city. Part of his legacy was to create the casually chic balcony garden. Here are seven favorite Parisian balcony gardens from our archives:
10th Arrondisement Aerie
Above: In actress and script writer Diane Valsonne’s 10 Arrondisement flat (also shown in this post’s top photo), a pair of French doors swing open to connect a living room to a balcony garden. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.
You can create a layered look by thinking of a balcony as a space with three separate zones for plants: a facade (where trained vines can grow up the wall), a floor (where potted plants can cluster), and a railing (for window boxes full of herbs and sun-loving flowers). See more of Valsonne’s charming garden in How to Garden Like a Frenchwoman: 10 Ideas to Steal from a Paris Balcony.
Roof with a View
Above: On a roof in the fashionable 8th arrondissement, landscape architect Camille Muller designed a 650-square-foot roof garden with trellised apple and pear trees, untamed raspberry bushes, and horsetails growing beside a miniature pond. Photograph by Marion Brenner.
Above: Above: A hidden rainwater tank collects water, which is recycled to irrigate the garden beds. Photograph by Marion Brenner.
Skylight, with a View
Above: A glimpse onto the street in Paris’ 14th arrondissement from architect Nicolas Soulier and ceramist Cécile Daladier’s rooftop. The garden was “planted with a casual gardening philosophy and because of the lack of sun and shallow soil, the couple appreciates a mix of wild herbs, weeds, and climbing ivy,” writes Alexa.
Above: Situated between Montorgueil and the Marais, the Hotel National des Arts et Metiers in Paris has guest rooms with balcony gardens. Photograph via Hotel National des Arts & Métiers.
Above: Photograph via Hotel National des Arts & Métiers.
Awnings shade the balcony gardens from hot midday sun.
Montmartre Mini Balcony
Above: Tiny balcony, “expansive view of Montmartre,” writes Margot. Photograph by Marie Hennechart.
A 452-square-foot studio apartment overlooking the rooftops of Montmartre includes a small balcony, from which documentary-style photographer Marie Hennechart enjoys the view in a collapsible butterfly chair. See more in Photographer Marie Hennechart’s DIY Parisian Studio Apartment Makeover on Remodelista.
Indoor Balcony
Above: Above: A cascade of ferns and vines creates a curtain of mystery and privacy for an entryway in a Parisian apartment building. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.
Above: A second-floor balcony garden overlooks homeowner Tom de Fleur’s small courtyard garden. He blurs the boundaries between the two with a tapestry of textures and allows plants to overlap and grow together. For a similar look, train vines and climbers to grow up a wall to create a backdrop layer of foliage. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.
I’m known for being color-averse, particularly when it comes to things in and around my home. It’s all white linens and black steel lights and concrete patio furniture. Then I traveled through France and Italy for five months and started a love affair with the color sage green. It all started with the iconic Fermob chairs scattered around the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. Then there it was on Parisian balconies, on the pull-down shades in the shop windows of Avignon, painted doors in Milan, and as garden furniture in Rome. I’m now convinced there should be no other color in the garden, furniture- and decor-wise, than that perfect shade of muddy sage green. Here are 10 outdoor chairs, á la Luxembourg.
Above: Fermob chairs, the Luxembourg Chair, was designed for Paris’ Jardin du Luxembourg. Photograph by Alexa Hotz.
Above: The Fermob French Bistro Folding Chair is available in a few shades of green, one of which is Willow Green as shown. A set of 2 is $232 at Horne.
Above: From Italian company Fast, the Niwa Chair in Sage Green is made from lacquered aluminum; $456 at Connox.
Above: The Hay Palissade Armchair in Olive is designed by the Bouroullec brothers for Hay; $289 each from Finnish Design Shop.
Above: The Mila Chair in Green is designed by Jaime Hayón for Magis; $190 at Finnish Design Shop.
Above: The style and shade of green in the Jardin du Luxembourg is Fermob’s Luxembourg Chair in Cactus. A set of 4 is $1,524 at Lekker. You can find the chairs sold individually for $350 each at Horne.
Above: The Kartell Piuma Chair in Sage Green is made of technoplastic polymer and carbon fiber; $515 at Hive.
Above: Another Portuguese outdoor chair, this time from brand Adico, is the Portuguese 5008 Chair in Green. It’s available for £125 at The Conran Shop.
There’s a reason you cannot walk past a florist’s shop in Paris without tripping over a metal flower bucket or two. The galvanized pails are weather-resistant and available in a variety of shapes (there’s a perfect size for every stem). Here are five of our favorites:
I’m not much for tough guys; I prefer the sensitive artist type—except when it comes to perennial grasses. I admit to liking leafy ones that can hold their own, take care of themselves, not fuss and can just…deal. This is why I use Australia native Lomandra in so many of my garden designs. For my clients’ sake, I like to use a good portion of plants that look good year-round and sometimes stand up to rough dogs and marauding deer. If this potential partner intrigues you, please keep reading to learn more about this grass-like future mate.
Above: Lomandra spicata. Photograph by Peter Woodard via Wikimedia.
When I need an evergreen plant that can masquerade as a grass, I use Lomandra. When I need a plant that is low maintenance, isn’t a prima donna begging for copious amounts of sun, and just plain looks awesome year-round, I call in Lomandra.
A particularly impressive quality of this perennial herb is its versatility. Lomandra is happy in growing conditions that vary from quick-draining sandy soil to swampy, moist locations. Also, Lomandra can happily exist in a variety of light conditions, although the tonal quality of the blade may dim in low light and the leaves might not be as perky as they are in full sun. Lomandra’s structured yet soft appearance will undoubtedly impress in most every garden setting, even when left to its own devices.
Above: Lomandra cylindrica. Photograph by Gardenology via Wikimedia.
Native to Australia, Lomandra also is called basket grass because it could easily be part of the ornamental grass family for its long, narrow blade-like leaves. Another common name is mat rush, because Australian Aboriginal people apparently weaved the leaves into mats. My favorites:
Above: Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’ is the most widely used Lomandra variety in the world, prized for its compact habit, tolerance for shade, and the fact that it looks and feels like a true ornamental grass. Photograph via Dig Plant Co.
L. longifolia ‘Breeze’ sports bright, pine-green foliage and is drought-tolerant and evergreen even in areas where temperatures can dip close to zero degrees. It gracefully arches and weeps, forming symmetrical clumps that can grow to a diameter and height of 3 feet.
Above: Lomandra longifolia ‘Platinum Beauty’. Photograph via Peacock Horticultural Nursery.
L. longifolia ‘Platinum Beauty’ is tough yet totally pretty. Creamy white-edged blades will brighten garden spaces and pair perfectly with white and silver foliage and flowers. This drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plant stands up to challenging environments.
Cheat Sheet
Lomandra is perfect for mass plantings, will add airiness to container plantings, and makes an excellent, simple border for a pathway.
Seaside, this grass-like choice sways and swishes to the breeze most attractively.
Deer-resistant and dog hardy.
Lomandra blends with most garden styles and will complement cottage, modern, and Japanese garden designs.
Above: Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’. Photograph via Alpine Nurseries.
Keep It Alive
For best long-term performance, space Lomandra plants 2.5 feet apart.
Basket grass is a hardy perennial in USDA growing zones 7 to 11.
Is troubled by few insect or disease issues.
If the blades appear frost damaged or show signs of wind or time abuse, simply trim back to 6 to 8 inches from the ground and the blades will spring back wonderfully.
Most lomandras are comfortable in full sun to mostly shaded spots.
Average watering and feeding produces a fuller and more lush plant.
We have a beautiful dogwood in our front yard. Like the other few plants on our property that are actually thriving, this tree was here long before we arrived—and long before I started gardening (or what I like to call, killing plants with my good intentions). Trouble is, an arborist recently told me that our dogwood, which grows sweet white flowers in the spring and turns a gorgeous orangey maroon in the fall, doesn’t have many years left. He suggested I start growing a new tree near the dying dogwood so that when it finally putters out, there will already be a new one taking root to replace it.
Aside from the fact that the strategy seems very Machiavellian, with overtones of Sunset Boulevard, the idea of planting a tree is daunting. I have problems growing flowers; how on earth can I succeed at growing a tree?
I consulted with Rowan Blaik, director of living collections at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, for some advice. Here’s what I learned.
Q: When is the best time to plant a tree or shrub?
A: Blaik says the better question to ask is, When is the worst time to plant them? “There are times of the year that are really bad for planting a new tree or shrub. In the winter, the ground is frozen; in the height of summer, you have to water loads to keep the soil moist enough.” Basically, the weather conditions in those seasons put too much stress on new plants. If the tree is an evergreen, fall and spring (when temperatures and conditions tend to be mild) are optimal. If it’s a deciduous specimen, fall is best; planting deciduous trees in the fall, when they start to slow down anyway, offers a gentler entry for new transplants.
Q: Why are some trees and shrubs so much more expensive than others?
A: There’s a premium on unusual plants, so the rarer a specimen, the more expensive it tends to be. There’s also often a difference in price because of size. Larger trees or shrubs tend to be more expensive, since the buyer doesn’t have to wait as long for them to mature. And last, prices go up for field-grown trees, says Blaik, as opposed to container-grown specimens. Field-grown specimens are usually found balled and burlapped at nurseries; this means the root ball has been dug up and wrapped in burlap. Container-grown specimens, planted and grown in pots, tend to be smaller. You’ll find many of the latter type at mass-market retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s. Trees are sometimes also available at nurseries in a third form, bare root, but Blaik doesn’t recommend that option for beginners.
Q: How do you know if a tree or shrub is healthy before you buy it?
A: How many times have you seen a wilted plant in a store and wondered when its last watering was? Clearly, not all plants in stores get the treatment they need. Here are some warning signs to look out for, according to Blaik. Are there roots growing out of the pot? Are there weeds on top? Is it lopsided? Are there dead leaves or branches on it? Is there a gap between the root ball and the sides of the container (a sign of under-watering)? If the answer is yes for one or more of these questions, move on and look for a healthier plant.
Q: What are best practices when it comes to planting a tree or shrub?
A: First, prepare the area where you plan to dig the hole for the tree or shrub before you bring it home. Find the spot and clear it of debris and weeds. When you bring the root ball home, submerge the entire thing (container and all) in water for 10 to 30 minutes to ensure it’s well-watered before you plant it, says Blaik. Dig the hole to a depth no deeper than the rootball (so that the top of rootball is even with the ground); the width should be about three to four times wider than the root ball or container. If the ground is really compacted, he recommends tilling the sides and the bottom of the hole—but not too much, he cautions: “If you make it too soft and fluffy, you will think the root ball is planted at the right depth, but it will eventually sink.”
Q: How much water does a young tree or shrub need?
A: “It’s vital that you water newly established plants,” says Blaik, but it has to be the right kind of watering. “Shallow watering will give you shallow roots. Deep watering every now and then is better than lots of superficial watering.” Mold the soil around the base into a little basin so that the water soaks in where it’s needed (and doesn’t dribble off elsewhere). And don’t just turn on the hose and disappear. He recommends hand-watering and paying attention to the soil as you do it. “Water, pause, watch the water disappear, then repeat until the time it takes for the water to soak in gets slower and slower. When the ground is well-saturated, the water will take a while to disappear into the soil.” A fail-proof way to ensure your new tree gets watered well: wrapping the base with a tree gator. Blaik is a big fan of these zippered bags for the summer months. One bag holds up to 15 gallons of water that will gradually seep into the soil around your tree over the course of five to nine hours, thereby ensuring a deep water saturation.
