Displaying posts labeled "Outdoors"

Today is another garden day. Unlike yesterday’s post these gardens are more formal. Clipped and manicured, trellised and trained. Elegant and sophisticated and in dreamy far away climes. Olive groves glimpsed over stone walls, terracotta complimenting lush green grass. It’s broad brush strokes and attention to detail. I’m in love with the fantasy of these glorious gardens by Paul Gervais.

A steady rain is falling outside my window. It has been a dry winter and any rain is a blessing. My mind is turning to the coming spring and it’s a perfect time to look into the portfolio of San Francisco based Arterra Landscape Architects. Their work is contemporary and meaningful, sustainable and spirited. I love that they describe themselves as a “diverse and slightly quirky group of creative and nerdy individuals”. Sounds just like the sort of design firm that I’d love to entrust my gardens to.

I love gardening and really appreciate decent landscaping when I see it. I nearly had a coronary when Jeffrey of the firm Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture contacted us and I had a peek at his website. His landscape design skills are incredible and so freaking creative. His firm is based in Los Osos, California, and ‘he has a strong conviction toward a “regional style”, encouraging the owners of his designs to celebrate where they live and create a stronger connection through their landscape‘. I have a slightly different mindset living so far up north (unfortunately) that I love to use tropical plants (succulents are my favourites) so I can pretend I live somewhere far warmer. LOL. In any case, I’m not sure how feasible that driveway in the photo above is for Canadian climate when it would be covered in snow at least half the year and require shoveling but I’d LOOOVE something that non-traditional.

The quest for harmony, serenity and timelessness, atmosphere, universality and context drives the creative processes of Spanish architect Ramón Esteve. Think modern, creative, innovative and dynamic. To me they are monumental works, at one with their cultural history and the land on which they sit while providing a defence against the harsh elements.  A fortress and a home. That’s one way of justifying a spectacular pool… it’s the moat!

Monday was quite a day – 45 degrees celsius here in Ottawa (that’s with the nasty humidex), work all day, a third visit with the florist for the wedding coming up in less than 3 weeks, and then a trip to deliver cat #9 to his new home (he was one of my fiancé’s cats, who wasn’t getting along with my 7). So I’m drained, exhausted and so damn hot (my house has no A/C). When my twin sister sent me a link to a story on Husohem, I figured I’d follow along with Jo’s landscape posts from yesterday and post this gorgeous yard.