Glads for My Sister's Birthday

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Today's my sister Melanie's birthday. She has always loved gladiolas. I can't say I've ever been a big fan; at least not when I was younger. Perhaps I was more into the neutral understated wildflowers at the time and like Birds of Paradise, gladiolas have an amazing way of demanding attention. They are loud, colorful and beautiful, which is befitting of my sister, in more ways than one. Another thing I might add, my sister is the spitting image of Nonnie, our grandmother, and just as fiery. Happy Birthday Mel!

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If I could marry a picture... sigh. I don't think there could be a more luxurious tub in the world. Browsing through photos, I found these contemporary modern gardens, designed by garden designer Amir Schlezinger, to be something of a dream.

Excited for Our Garden

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Only two weeks until our return to steamy Savannah and a whirlwind of activity awaits. After our trip to Seoul yesterday and a surprise visit in the Sam Cheong Dong neighborhood, we are more than chomping at the bit to get our own garden going. I love this seemingly simple example of a garden featured in Domino's magazine, "Backyard Paradise"and really hope to incorporate some of these fresh ideas.

For the Bees

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In our gardens we have to remember the need for our friendly pollinators such as bees, butterflies, other insects and even the wind.

This a is a Leafcutter Bee Nest Block made of recycled wood by Andrew's Reclaimed Etsy shop. I love not only the craftsmanship of this piece, but also the detailed information Andrew conveys about the bees:

"Upon selecting a nest cavity, the female Leafcutter Bee starts collecting leaf bits to build an initial partition at the far end of the nest cavity. Fascinating to watch, like a tiny electric can opener, the female leafcutter uses her mandibles to cut nearly perfect semicircular pieces from smooth, lightweight leaves to create cells and line her nests".

I look forward to starting my own garden later this summer when we return to the States and I'd love to see these little guys in it.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Greenest of Them All?

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Let's just say that I am mightily impressed with the shop I found browsing Etsy today. "toHOLD" is modern tillandsia air plant shop selling living decor and terrariums; each piece is individually hand crafted. It goes to show that one can have a green thumb even if his or her time is quite limited. As many of us know, plants oxygenate our homes, but with Kara's designs, form and function truly do meet. I'd love to have this mirror in my home :)

If I Could Live in a Birdhouse ...

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... it would be this one. Of course no garden is complete without some fauna. Russ and I both enjoy birding. I know Nonnie (as did her daughter, my Mom) knew her bird calls. A robin, for instance, sounds like a rusty clothesline. As a child growing up in NYC, I mistook the cooing of morning doves for owls until my summers at Camp Cherith in the Adirondacks when I *really* heard an owl hoot. We'd love to have a vintage airstream of our own, but it just might be for the birds.

Airplant Terrarium

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I remember making a terrarium as a girl scout project around the age of eleven. The whole concept of a mini ecosystem existing simply via evaporation and condensation absolutely fascinated me. From there I learned about the Bell Jar Theory...