Monday, April 12, 2010

Project Central

A little more than 4-months ago when we hosted Thanksgiving for NY transplants, our friend Lynn - a perennial Floridian - brought us a thoughtful piece of her own library as a host gift.

(from the cover) A practical, imaginative guide to every aspect of gardening, The Complete Gardener had my mind filled with spring and summer projects for the gardens of CDLV from the minute we left the dinner table and I thumbed through the hefty hardback. The 380+ page, full color guide is comprehensive, yet practical; combining sound advice and intuitive instruction on everything from organic vegetable and flower gardening, to fence building, to garden planning - all in effort to spread the love of an environmentally friendly, self sustaining garden where we (gardeners) can take full advantage of our natural resources.

Lynn is very thoughtful and mindful of the things we enjoy and collect. Every time we have a dinner she attends, she brings a gift that we love. This book, is one of those ... and as I am sure Lynn knew before she gifted it, there isn't a picture in the book that I don't find inspiring. A few in particular however, were dog-ear worthy, and have inspired a project - or two - here in the gardens.




Now that spring has sprung, here in WNY, there was little holding me back from one project inspired by these pages. My company has been doing quite a bit of renovation and rejuvenation lately, and there has been an enormous amount of red brick, circa 1945 available to claim and reuse, imaginatively. Think you know (based on the images above) what it is that I spent the majority of my weekend doing? Well, guess away - and I'll show you the final product, along with an early tour of the garden (weather permitting) on Wednesday.

If you'd like to buy your own copy of the book, (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT) you can find a copy here.

15 comments:

  1. OMG! Artie, you are SO lucky!! I'd kill for some of that brick as I think I know what you're doing and it will be FABULOUS!! Can't wait for your reveal
    xoxo Pattie

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  2. a timely post for me today .... we are having the current landscaping removed (after 20 years) and replaced beginning today! More of a high desert theme with grasses, boulders, flowering plants and fruit trees thrown in for good measure! The front plan is set ~ but I am now inspired to do something spectacular with containers on both my upper and lower decks.

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  3. It was a gorgeous weekend here in Kansas City and I am so ready for beautiful flowers for my deck and front entry. Beautiful gift Artie!

    Karena
    Art by Karena

    I have a fascinating interview with artist Robert Anders up on my site. Come see....

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  4. Artie, I am soooo jealous! How wonderful to have bricks available to use! I love brick paths, brick walls, brick patios so I can't wait to see what you did with yours.

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  5. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, I think I'm going to need to run out and buy this book ASAP!

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  6. Artie,
    I'm a brick-a-holic! And to think you have reclaimed brick to work with. I can only imagine what you are doing with it, based on the book's inspiration. That 3rd image makes my heart pitter patter. I once did a little garden exactly like that in my back yard. --Delores

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  7. PS: All that rain you had? We have it now. Torrential downpour. Enough already!

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  8. Looks like a great book Artie, I will pick one up.

    Love the brick too!

    xxkelley

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  9. Ahhhhh...I so want an old fashioned garden with brick walkways and cottage flowers, rambling antique roses, vines so heavy with flowers that they inspire poetry. I'm a sucker for romantic gardens and old fashioned varieties of flowers. My Grandma had such a garden...oh...someday...

    Artie...were you able to check those websites I sent you? Doesn't the Bouckville show sound great?

    Tami

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  10. Artie, I'm looking VERY forward to seeing the results and know they will be great. My weekend projects consisting of cleaning beds, raking, cutting limbs and finding out too late I had been in poison ivy!
    G in CT

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  11. very pretty pictures! If work involved bricks, I bet you're very tired! :)
    thanks for visiting and commenting on my giant faux clock! Great idea about the middle. I sometimes wonder if I'm ever going to be done with this clock!
    gail

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  12. *Free* red brick circa 1945? Wow, I dream of opportunities like that! Can't wait to see the final result, and I will definitely be considering adding this book to my collection. I love gardening, and dream of spring and wandering the local flower markets, but finding time to really work at it has been tough. Our yard is big and my results have to be 'big dog friendly'.

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  13. Thanks for stopping by Artie. A friend gave me a branch and said to put half in the ground and a rock on top. You can have them as a bush that has to be trimed back, but I am just letting mine go all along the fence and up into the trees, Kathy

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  14. Lots of hard work Gardening. Isn't it rewarding. lovely post.

    yvonne

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