Happening in Our Vegetable Garden

The bees are loving the summer squash blooms. We find them in the mornings just hanging out inside, either drunk on nectar or taking a nap... not sure which one.

The cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen. The tomato harvest begins... very exciting!

Baby gourds. This is the first year we've ever grown gourds and it looks like we will have an abundance! We are growing the vines to conceal section of chain link fence. Hopefully by fall it will be a beautiful wall of gourds.

Happening in Our Garden

Here is a sampling of what is blooming in our yard this year. The coreopsis is doing well, despite the small amount of sunshine that it receives. I like the way it looks growing around the boulders.



The hydrangea is blooming! (Late Panicle Hydrangea) It glows when the late afternoon sun hits it just right.

The hostas are also blooming.

We also have plenty of ground cover sedum doing it's job and spreading like crazy.

When Man Gets In the Way

I had to get a picture of this when I was in a forested area outside of Omaha recently. You don't want to get in the way of a tree. They mean business.

A Vine Time Part 2

These vine images are from a client's house. I honestly don't know what kind of vines they are, but I thought they were so cool I had share them with you. I like how sculptural the last one is, I don't know if I've ever seen a vine with that much character before. The vine growing up their house does a nice job of breaking up the wall space in their backyard. It is nice to have a different texture. It will look really great once we install the landscape. My favorite thing about vines is their imperfection. They seem to have a mind of their own, but they are fun to work with. I am excited to see how our new landscape plan will work with these established vines. It is going to be beautiful... (it better be)... they are having a wedding in their backyard this fall! (stay tuned for follow up photos).

The Shop

Here is a peek inside our small store/design studio in Rockbrook Village. We carry art, sculpture, pottery and even hand lotion for gardeners. The fire pit pictured above is artisan made.

We are currently having a midsummer sale! Our large pots are 50% off!!

The Gilden Tree lotions are also on sale at 30% off! Fun fact about Gilden Tree... it is made locally here in Omaha and has been featured in magazines for it's popularity on the east coast!

If you are ever in the Omaha area, please stop by and say hi!

Natural Stone Driveway

The intent of this project was to have a third driveway stall that is somewhat disguised from the street and from the neighbors. We also wanted it to have a double life as a patio when desired. The homeowners could set out a table and chairs or a fire pit and have a nice spot to relax in their front yard.

The homeowners are avid art collectors so they included sculptural elements including basalt columns and steel garden art. (btw, we have a very similar steel sculpture in our shop in Rockbrook village available right now!) The smallest basalt column catches water for birds which is cool. They live at the edge of a forested area where there is a lot of wildlife.

We included Weigela and "Little Titch" cat mint.

Since they live in a wooded area it was very important to them to have things looking natural and a little wild.

The boulders add to the rustic, wooded feel to the addition as well.

This is a nice way to add functional space to the landscape without having to pour another slab of concrete. The trees, flowers and the natural stone birdbath will be inviting to both humans and friendly woodland creatures for many years to come!

Coneflower and Liriope

I am really enjoying our coneflower plants this year. I know they are pretty standard issue, but how can you not like them? We planted some several years back, loved them and then they got that yellows disease and we sadly had to rip them all out. Last fall we planted three "Kim's Knee High" coneflowers and they are large and beautiful this year. It's good to have them back.

We are also enjoying an abundance of liriope which makes me happy because we had a harsh winter last year and it seems to be thriving in it's sunny location. I'm looking forward to it's blooms.

A Place to Sit

In a town filled with art, the creators or this bench were no doubt challenged to come up with a unique place to sit. Most US cities are lacking beautiful, creative public spaces, but Santa Fe is filled with them. With a little more thought and design, many a drab city corners could be turned into works of art. Not only does this bench offer a pleasant place to sit, it also has a garden beside it for passersby to enjoy. The bench has also become a nice stone backdrop to that garden. I had to snap a picture of it last time I was there because I was so happy to see some creative city landscaping. Kinda wish I could be there right now...

A Vine Time

This is the time of year when vines really carry their weight in the garden. A well positioned vine can provide a tremendous amount of shade and comfort during these hot summer months. A vine can also transform a space from blah to beautiful. To me, well tended vines on pergolas, homes, or any garden structure takes a landscape to the next level. They are one of those elements like art and water that can really define a space and take the viewer to a different place. Being from the mid west most of my life I feel like outdoor spaces with vines makes my mind wonder to old gardens in Europe or on the coast. As these wisteria vines continue to cover this wine bar patio it will become more and more like a old European vineyard.

Astilbe Love

I've grown to love astilbe this year. It can be a great addition to a "woodland" style garden. I like seeing it in a large mass like this.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Live your Life Outside

A deck doesn't have to be boring. Too many backyards go unused simply because they don't have an inviting transitional space. This deck is inviting and multi-functional. The main area is ideal for dining and everyday use. The pergola provides shade and the fan keeps you cool in the summer heat. There is a secondary, functional landing as well that is perfect for when entertaining a crowd. Finally, there is a rustic, flagstone patio with a fire pit to warm you up doing the colder months. This deck increases the usable space in the homeowner's backyard and invites people to sit and stay awhile... no matter what time of year. We love to design something that looks good, but also truly enhances the functionality of your outdoor space.

A transitional space doesn't have to be a fancy deck either. An herb garden right outside the kitchen is functional and invites us out daily during the growing season. A small patio with some seating and perhaps a fire pit would also do the trick. It is nice if these spaces relate to the adjacent indoor rooms such as a small and private patio for two off of a bedroom or a larger patio designed for entertaining off of the kitchen or living room. There are small things we can do to really increase our homes living spaces and encourage ourselves to step outside!

Take a look at a few of our other decks, patios and structures for some ideas.

Visit our website for more information about our company and what we do.

A Place to Entertain

Here are some images from a project we completed this past spring. There are a lot of fun features including a fire pit, two water features, a built-in grill, and an inviting seating wall.

Cooper, the neighbor's dog even enjoys hanging out here until his mom gets home from work!

This was a really fun project to work on and I am excited to see it once the plants get established.

As you can see, there is plenty of space for entertaining or dining al fresco.

Flower Bombs

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Here are some firework-like plants from our nation's capitol. All taken at the D.C. Botanic Gardens. Beautiful. Have a great holiday weekend!

Hopscotch Anyone?

A good example of how a pathway can be inviting and add interest to an otherwise uninteresting space. Kids would love this to play a little hopscotch too! The plants have surely grown in by now. I need to get out there and get new photos of some of the gardens we have designed. Anyone know where I can find the time to do that this time of year??