Showing posts with label Alice's Garden Travel Buzz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alice's Garden Travel Buzz. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Summer, Sonoma and St. Francis Winery




St. Francis Winery in Sonoma Valley

The cooling effect of a fountain's cascade on a summer day.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Sculpture! Chelsea Flower Show 2011


Chelsea Flower Show 2011: A look at selected sculptural works on view at this year's show.

Above: Laura Antebi - Wire Sculptures

Tom Hare installation: 'The Power of Plants' on exhibit in The Great Pavilion.
Physalis alkekengi: the Japanese Lantern or Cape Gooseberry is said to have use as a sore throat remedy; also to treat eczema, among the plant's medicinal properties.

I particularly liked this eye-intriguing work by Tom Hare - aka Willowman, combining willow elements woven onto a steel framework. At the base, a naturalistic planting, along with woven willow honeybees.
Photos © Alice Joyce

RNIB Garden - Royal National Institute of Blind People:
A silvery gilded figurative work, although not readily apparent, revealed itself to be a 'living' sculpture when slight movements could be detected.

Exuberant oversize blooms...

A discretely minimal form emerged as a central fountain in the M&G Garden designed by Bunny Guinness.
Photos © Alice Joyce

One side note: Strolling on the streets of London near the Victoria Embankment Gardens, a noteworthy architectural element loomed large.

On offer at Chelsea, works in most every style and material.

Tom Stogdon Sculpture
Photos © Alice Joyce
Sculpture figured prominently in all the major show gardens.
For more on design and horticulture at Chelsea, visit my website:  Alice's Garden Travel Buzz and click on 'Chelsea Flower Show' in the Topics.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Bad Tempered Gardener: Anne Wareham


A special day.

My review copy of Anne Wareham's new book, The Bad Tempered Gardener arrived and I'm immersed in reading her chronicle of creating the brilliant garden at Veddw, on the Welsh borders.

Anne's unmistakable voice had me in its grip from the Introduction. And after reading one chapter, I'm impressed by the way Anne turns a critical eye on the act of making gardens.
Her insights on design, and advocacy for thinking about gardens as a distinctive art form are qualities I expected from her writing.




Saturday, April 2, 2011

Meet me at Cottage Gardens! Wine Country Landscape Design

 Should you be in Northern California on Sunday, April 10th around 11 a.m., Cottage Gardens in Petaluma I hope you'll drop by and say hello!  I'm pleased to be a part of the Springtime schedule of events taking place at this wonderful plant nursery. 


Photographed at Darioush Winery
My presentation will feature my favorite destination wineries, along with aspects of landscape design, and...



I'll be giving away a limited number of complimentary wine tasting cards.

Matanzas Creek Winery Dry Stream Bed
Cottage Gardens is located at 3995 Emerald Drive, Petaluma. 
Photos © Alice Joyce
Chateau St. Jean's romantic setting.
Benziger Winery's Biodynamic Flow Form Water Feature in the 'Discovery Trail'

On FaceBook? I'd love to connect with you.

Hope to see you at Cottage Gardens!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Asian Species .. Quarryhill Botanical Garden


Photo: Christine Walker

(Photo: San Francisco Chronicle)
Some years ago one of my San Francisco Chronicle 'Garden Walks' columns
highlighted Quarryhill Botanical Garden
The site is a horticultural paradise that is surprising to discover when touring Sonoma's Valley of the Moon in wine country. What sets Quarryhill apart is the fact that most all the plants - trees, shrubs, bulbs, roses - have been grown from wild collected seed gathered during plant expeditions undertaken by the garden's director, Bill McNamara, who travels extensively to China, Japan and the Himalayas. You can click below to read...
Writing about garden travel is especially gratifying when sharing information about a place like Quarryhill.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Fertility .. Abundance : Pomegranates for Turkey Day!

via Wikipedia .. Illustration by Otto Wilhelm Thome - 1885
Pomegranates - Symbol of fertility and abundance, befitting a Thanksgiving afternoon.
à votre Santé my friends... to your health!

Garden travel enthusiasts are invited to peruse my web site:

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

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:

Friday, August 6, 2010

Garden Alchemy in a Provencal Setting

Le Jardin de l'Alchimiste
(Above photo courtesy the Garden of the Alchemist)
Revisiting an all-time favorite ... A garden rich with atmosphere,
adjoining a lovely country inn located in the village of Eygalieres,
Update:  Mas de la Brune ~ The garden and inn are no long open, sadly.
I pay homage to the amazing landscape in a long post on:

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

What's Happening on Alice's Garden Travel Buzz?




Container array .. Great Dixter
England
Have you visited my new web site?
Click here for a preview! Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

Monday, March 1, 2010

Secret Garden in Granada, Spain






Early 20th Century Modernism: Studio and gardens of artist Jose Maria Rodriguez-Acosta

....down the road from the Alhambra Palace yet hidden from view!
Visit  Alice's Garden Travel Buzz to read more...

Friday, February 19, 2010

Steep Learning Curve .. Designing a Web Site!


The new web site is under construction but the design is moving forward! 

Redirecting to... Alice's Garden Travel Buzz



p.s. Anyone who may have signed up for an RSS feed before this afternoon - Saturday,
will need to sign up again. 
The old feed setting had to be deleted - I spent 7 hours on the phone today straightening out the problem. 
Sorry for any inconvenience.