Farm House Meadow & Borders
Year two: The pollinator wildflower meadow is taking off while the house gardens fill in. The two gardens share some of the same plants so they connect visually and create a sense of abundance. These are happy gardens. The meadow is wilder and seemly more randomly planted. I used some really tall prairie species to add drama in scale and color and life when they sway in the breeze while the shorter rustle. They ask you to come in for a closer look. And to notice your senses awaking. Hopefully that “pause” finds you savoring...
read moreDecluttering Your Garden
Marie Kondo’s method for decluttering your house works for your garden too. While Reading her book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up I realized I’ve been using my own version for decades for designing landscapes, coaching gardeners, and teaching classes. Turns out that the word “clutter” easily replaces the word “chaos” . Chaos created from “one’s and twos” of a particular plant, miscellaneous forms in random associations, and a myriad of colors that fail to flatter each other or...
read moreModern Farmhouse Gardens
The style, Modern Farmhouse, could be described as a mix of old and new. Textures, comfort, natural materials from antique to industrial, yet spare on accessories describes both the interior design and landscape design style. Wooden arbors, regional stone used for fieldstone steps and walls, and contemporary planters create the elements. Plant color palette honed to a set of complimentary hues paired with one more enhances the chosen focal color. Contemporary planting interweaves drifts of color and texture and form. Plant material inspired...
read moreQuick Fall Harvest/Halloween Containers
Welcoming Fall Harvest Entry Container Arrangements That frosty morning “did in” the flowering annuals in my front containers. I had procrastinated and now dead leaves greeted me. Time to make fall themed containers! The Containers You See are Quickly Made. You can fill your fall and winter containers with branches found in your yard (or the friendly neighbor’s!). Gather the material and shape the shrubs at the same time. This time of year I shape a large rhododendron to gather material for my fall pots. I pick branches that...
read moreFlower Portraits
Flowers draw us in. Closer, so we can see the details and enjoy our senses awakening. These flower portraits share what I see. The textural variation of color, form, light, and shadow pleases our tactile and visual senses. Fragrance, birdsong and leaf rustle, activate smell and hearing. If you eat the daylilies, taste. The following flower portraits engaged my attention in my home gardens and ones I designed. Experiencing these plants took me into the realm of awesome....
read moreMaking a Dream (Plan) Real
The dream starts at the first client meeting. And the landscape plan maps it. Then the installation begins to make the dream real. Below are some images from a landscape I’m working with. Last fall we constructed a curving perimeter stone wall with an arbor entry and installed the Knoll and Rock Sitting Gardens. Now the fieldstone steps were just installed yesterday. The stone foundation Veneer earlier. Working on the patio. Meanwhile the planting were delivered this morning. Here’s some random images from the...
read moreBUILD Magazine Award for Best Residential Landscape Design
BUILD Magazine has announced winners of the 2018 Landscaping and Gardening Awards. Maria von Brincken Landscape Garden Design Best for Residential Landscape Design 2018 – Middlesex County The 2018 Landscaping and Gardening Awards pays homage to those who create the picturesque vistas and accentuate nature’s beauty through thoughtfully designed gardens, parks and outdoor spaces while protecting inhabitants and the eco system alike. Discussing the awards, Kaven Cooper, Awards Coordinator commented: “As the seasons...
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Images from the Boston Flower & Garden Show
Wandering among the exhibits before I speak today on “Color Gardens”, I snapped some images of design elements that illustrate concepts for my clients. Here are a...
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