Wing House Landscape: Embraced by Nature

Wing House Detail - Architect, David Hertz

Above: Zauschneria & Below: Ceanothus (Photos: Wikipedia)

Countless indigenous wildflowers rise up in the Santa Monica Mountains. While exploring the Wing Ranch landscape with horticulturist Aaron Landworth, I spied a host of blue varieties of California Lilacs appearing alongside the pathways, and white-blooming species, as well.

Ceanothus crassifolius

Having talked with Patrick Blanc only last week about his inclusion of the hummingbird magnet, Zauschneria (Epilobium canum) for the design of the new Drew School Vertical Garden, it was exhilarating to find myself in a natural habitat where this and so many native species prosper.

Francie Rehwald's incredible Wing House is nearing completion. Driving up to the house's hilltop site, one is struck by the breathtaking 360-degree views: The use of a 747 jet in the construction sets these buildings apart. Such an amazing project! 

You're about to enter a totally unique setting with a noteworthy history, associated with the artist/designer, Tony Duquette.

Collection of tumbled glass fragments & abalone shells to be used in

decorative mosaic elements.

Stone boulders serve as impressive garden seating.

The Chosen Few .. Botanical Assets

Blue Lotus

Photo: Little & Lewis

A final '2010' recap, looking afresh at scintillating botanical assets that contribute to a sense of place and style in 3 very different settings. In the new garden created by artist/ plantsmen...

Little & Lewis of Bainbridge Island, Washington, a blue lotus lures garden visitors to a lush spot in the landscape: Representative of the sculptural and horticultural tableaux associated with this exceptional team of artist/designers, and the unmistakable vitality of their work.

Eye-catching in its simplicity of design: the Moss Walkway at Stone Edge Farm.

There's nothing quite so exciting as visiting a landscape for the first time, and being stopped in one's tracks! Faced with a distinctive prospect such as this planting reminds me of why I revel in traveling from one garden to the next, never knowing what surprises await.

Leucadendron salignum growing and glowing in the Wave Garden.

There's little that can be said about this stunning member of the Proteaceae family that is not apparent in the photograph. Yet, when I think how very recently these magnificent, drought-tolerant South African plants have become widely available in California and other U.S. regions where they may grow and thrive, I'm deeply thankful to be gardening at this time, and and in this place!

Looking Back .. Going Forward!

2010 draws to a close: The time of year to look back, moving forward!

Above... a new garden installation at Cornerstone Sonoma

'Cocoons' by Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot -- created with 5 miles of colored monofilament wrapped around a laser cut stainless steel armature fabricated by William Massie, architect. Forms that turn and spin in the windy, open landscape in wine country.

Since early 2010, I've focused more on regional destinations, news & events on this blog: Bay Area Tendrils, and have taken to highlighting garden settings and public landscapes near and far on Alice's Garden Travel Buzz.

Below:

La Cocina que Canta Cooking School - Rancho La Puerta

When I look back over 2010, my dream journey to Rancho La Puerta in Tecate stands out. You may recall the flowing form of this dry-stone bench; an element of the garden's site-appropriate hardscaping.

I'll always have fond memories of my spa week at Rancho La Puerta

Sky at Dusk .. Tecate, Mexico.

I'll recall the beauty of the cultivated gardens, and especially the surrounding natural landscape, which is protected open space.

A lush vignette from my Springtime sojourn to Britain: a Tamarisk at the Chelsea Physic Garden: I wrote about a treasure trove of English Gardens & a rare Welsh landscape on:

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

A recent sojourn to experience the legacy of Rene & Veronica di Rosa in Napa Valley.

A Celebration of Art and Nature at:

di Rosa Preserve

Visit di Rosa and enjoy a nature walk through the Sculpture Meadow: Learn about the Preserve's restoration efforts of riparian areas, and wildflower plantings.

Ron Mann Sculpture - Stone Edge Farm and Winery

2010 opened my eyes to ancestral English estates, verdant autumnal walks, and to artists and designers who continue to push at boundaries as a means of personal expression.

Only Snowmen Round Here! Cornerstone Sonoma

Although the San Francisco Bay Area may not boast any real snowmen, after having lunch at Sage this past Friday -- the Cafe at Cornerstone Sonoma in Wine Country -- I found a cheery installation to celebrate the season.

Holiday Hugs & Best Wishes for a Peaceful, Healthy 2011 to All!

Garden Art That Stirs the Imagination

Turquoise Lotus

(Photo: Courtesy of Little and Lewis)

Click below to be redirected to the art and gardens of Little and Lewis, featured on:

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

Alexander the Great! - Little and Lewis Garden Gallery

Little and Lewis Garden Gallery ... gracing the cover of Pacific Horticulture magazine.

Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander'

Here is yet another perennial that I've grown for years, yet it is only coming into flower this summer. I'm aware that 'Alexander' can be invasive in many situations, but in my dry garden setting, with meager hand-watering, it barely survived in the ground.

A couple years ago I lifted and moved him to a large container with a couple other specimens. Here 'Alexander' can get his feet wet: A required condition for good growth. Still, it took time for the plant to settle in, and now, bloom at last!

I've a very nostalgic attachment to this perennial, having been introduced to it in the glorious Bainbridge Island gardens of artist/sculptors/superb plantsmen, Little & Lewis. (Sadly, all my images are 35mm slides that have yet to be digitized, and so can only be shared in garden talks.)

In David and George's incredibly lush landscape, 'Alexander' grew in a pair of handsome urns that 'contained' the plant's exuberance.

Artful Surroundings .. Enrich and Invigorate

Rancho La Puerta - Part III

A profusion of drought-tolerant rosemary - shrubbery and swathes of the prostrate form,

blooms endlessly during the winter months.

At times, as I explored the grounds in silent meditation,

I would stop abruptly, enveloped by the fragrance of sweet alyssum!

Rounding a bend along a walkway, or gazing out at a serene landscape,

one finds life-size bronzes by acclaimed Mexican artist, Víctor Hugo Castañeda,

which appear as eye-catching focal points

throughout the property.

Conjoined eyebrows are key to revealing a work as a depiction of the artist, Frida Kahlo.

Perhaps the sculpture pictured below is associated with Kahlo more often.

A scrambling cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) 

weaves through the lively ironwork design 

of the entryway gate.

Stained glass casts glowing patterns,

 encountered as one approaches the reception area at check-in.

Mosaics embellish a spot where I stopped to read this quote from H. G. Bohr:

"The soul is not where it lives, But where it loves."

Among a grouping of sculptures of Frida Kahlo displayed in the main building;

this piece stands as a powerful reminder of the artist's self-portraits.

Aficionados of Kahlo's paintings will be intrigued by the collection on-view.

 (Madonna and I apparently share this fascination!)

Link to Part II - Rancho La Puerta 

 Landscape / Hardscape

Link to Julie Gallaher's .. thingsyoushoulddo

to find out more about the bloggers in my group.

21st Century Gardens .. at the Marin Art and Garden Center

21st Century Gardens: Movements, Trends, Projects 

A Presentation on Landscape as Art.

This Thursday I'll be presenting a talk to the Garden Society of Marin.

My musings on landscape at art will braid together gardens designed by Ossart & Maurieres,

land artist Alain Idoux, 

and tree sculptor - work pictured above - Marc Nucera: the subject of a recent book.

My talk takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Marin Art & Garden Center 

Arrive early and you can stroll through the lovely gardens on this historic property.

Photo: San Francisco Chronicle - for my Garden Walks Column.

To read more about the MAAGC gardens in Ross, California,

link below to one of my San Francisco Chronicle  

'Garden Walks' columns.

Another contemporary Paris parkland that has been featured on 

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz ~ click on link below:

Parc André Citröen

gives rise to compelling design elements that are highlighted in the presentation,

along with major private gardens in Provence created in the new millennium. 

Hudson River Valley .. Eliasson at Bard College Pt 2

The Parliament of Reality - Part II

Photos:  Deborah Esrick

Environmental artwork created by Olafur Eliasson

at Bard College

Hudson River Valley, NY

Summer  2009

Bluestone island, dolomite boulders, circular pond, trees, & latticework tunnel.

A garden landscape for contemplation and dialogue.

Photos: Deborah Esrick

Link to Part I:

Nature .. Man-Made - Olafur Eliasson at Bard

Nature .. Man-Made - Olafur Eliasson at Bard

photo: Bess Reynolds

Parliament of Reality ... an Installation by Olafur Eliasson

Commissioned for the Bard College campus in upstate New York 

by the Center for Curatorial Studies (CCS Bard)  

Photo: yooperann 

Born in Denmark to Icelandic parents, artist Olafur Eliasson created 

The Parliament of Reality as a setting for reflection and dialogue, 

finding inspiration for the work in the Icelandic Parliament - the Althingi.   

photo: Bess Reynolds

The Parliament of Reality encompasses a circular pond surrounded by a ring of 24 planted trees. In the center of the pond, the shape of a circle is repeated in an island paved with distinctive stones: their twelve-point pattern references the meridian lines of nautical charts and the compass. Access to the island is via a bridgeway covered by a steel latticework passage. 

photo: Bess Reynolds

The Parliament of Reality ... in a field near the Frank Gehry–designed 

Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

photo: Bess Reynolds

Eliasson's new work is located on the North end of Bard's campus,

in the Hudson River Valley landscape.

Bard's Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts is my alma mater.

Olafur Eliasson Studio:  http://www.olafureliasson.net/

Bard Center for Curatorial Studies:  http://www.bard.edu/ccs/ccs/

Summer's End .. Millennium Park, Chicago

Millennium Park burst on the scene in 2004, albeit, a few years past the planned opening 

at the turn of the century. 

Still, it's the place to be on a summer day in Chicago. I'm proud of my home town,

a greener, more vibrant and energetic urban setting than ever.

The Crown Fountain's upright 50-foot towers deliver a welcoming splash and flow;

the multi-media water feature designed by Jaume Plensa, a Barcelona artist.

A shallow pool spans the space between the glass-block towers,

their colorful video projections featuring a panoply of faces.

1,000 Chicagoans... their changing expressions creating a riveting display.

These giant faces are full of surprises....

Blink.... smile... ... spout!

Cavort, if you like,

or take up residence on a bench while you wait for friends to arrive.

More... Chicago, in the days ahead:

The Lurie Garden with Piet Oudolf plantings

Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Pavilion

Installation of Sculptures by Chinese Artists

& new Renzo Piano designed wing of The Art Institute of Chicago

The Late Show Gardens - Visual Impact

Resting Dragon by Stephen Glassman

The site-specific installation arises from a grassy expanse in John Greenlee's 

Mediterranean Meadow Garden.

Materials: Planed and stained, and natural bamboo; stone; gambions.

After the Fall

....a sculptural installation by sculptor and award-winning landscape architect, Jack Chandler.

Chandler breaks new ground at The Late Show Gardens, moving away from the picturesque, contemporary settings designed by the firm of Chandler & Chandler.

Chandler pulls no punches here, offering up a design "not drenched in fantasy, but ...the reality of a world warmed and polluted by our own hands."

The artist, Simple's lighthearted creation made from harvested grasses.

Simple's Horticultural Art Gallery is located in Douglasville, PA.

Succulents & Stone 

Complementary and contrasting - shapes, textures and alluring color:

Displays from Artefact Design & Salvage, 

on the grounds of Cornerstone Sonoma.

Art of Bamboo - A Sculptural Installation

Five Elements - Water 

by Master Tetsunori Kawana

National Gallery of Victoria Sculpture Garden - Melbourne, Australia

Thanks to my friend, Tina for sharing her photos:

Link to Tina's blog:

The Garden Design Chronicle

.... Master Kawana's sculptural installation constructed of Madrake bamboo - on

exhibit through October 4, 2009.

Listening to Trees ... Marc Nucera Le Sculpteur d'Arbres

Marc Nucera - Sculpteur en Arbre  

(Tree Sculptor)

A l'ecoute des arbres  (Listening to Trees)

Actes Sud, May, 2009

Aline Dautresme photographs/Anne Hauben text