Garden for Mind, Body & Soul

I feel complete and utter peace when I'm alone in my garden covered in dirt, pulling weeds, planting and watering.  Sometimes I've wondered its a bit odd to enjoy such simple, ritualistic tasks. But turns out, I'm just experiencing what scientists are now confirming - a link between mental health and gardening.

How to Make an Eco-Friendly Hat Rack

            
                                                  Do-it-Yourself Eco-Friendly Hat Rack

Get out your glue gun gals!  It's time for your monthly Martha moment!  I'm going to show you how to make an incredibly easy and useful closet accessory.

I was never a hat wearer until I moved to California and realized that I really needed to get my face out of the sun. Actually, it was my dermatologist who pointed that out by quipping, "If you don't stay out of the sun you are going to look like you are 70 when you are 40."  That did it!

So, I started collecting hats.  First, I put them on shelves. Then, as my collection grew, I piled them up on top of each other. The result was a mess, and when I did find my favorite hats, they were mashed and completely out of shape.  So here's what I came up with. All you need is a glue gun, a CD or DVD and a glass bottle.

La Jolla Garden Paradise

I fantasize about gardens like most people do about homes. That said, I discovered my dream garden recently. I was on the La Jolla Historical Society Tour when I stumbled into sheer paradise.

This incredible garden, on La Jolla Farms Road, occupies 6 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The homeowner, a successful litigation attorney, told me, “I worked at a nursery in college and fell in love with gardening.  I work out here every day doing something, watering, cutting back etc.”  He doesn't go it alone. Five gardeners work here, full time, five days a week.

                 

                                                                     The Rose Garden
It wasn’t just the sheer scope and size of the property that impressed me. It was the incredibly way plants and flowers were displayed – as if each one was a star in its own right. One of the most stunning arrangements was over by a majestic fountain near the swimming pool pictured above..  It was encircled with large rectangular, ceramic planters overflowing with red sun begonias.  Spectacular!

Put Some Sparkle in Your Spread this 4th!

There's something really fun about the fourth of July - the bright colors, the fireworks, and the festive mood.  When I was little, my Dad used to buy these big packs of fireworks from vendors on the side of the road in southern Maryland. We'd all assemble in lawn chairs at dusk and watch him set them off all night. Then we'd squeal with delight doing hand-held sparklers and those nasty, unraveling snakes of ash. It was the next best thing to Christmas!

Whether your putting on your own big explosive shin-dig or simply spending the occasion with someone special, here are a few way to add some sparkle to your 4th!

Dynamite Desserts

Go to a cake or bakery supply store and get one of those inexpensive cupcake stands. Sometimes they are made of wire and tiered. Other times, they're multi-leveled platforms.  Bake some cupcakes and decorate them with red, white and blue icing. Top some with coconut or hot red candies.

A Moroccan-Inspired, Hand Painted Floor Transforms Pergola

 Having her home selected to be the South Pasadena Beautiful annual garden tour of historic South Pasadena homes inspired Joan Estes Lindskog to re-do her garden,  “I wanted succulents, and sub tropical cacti. I just felt like that was what belonged here.” And, as is so often the case with home improvements, that re-design lead to something else. 

"As I talked to my gardener about what we were going to do he said, 'God, Joan now you'll have to paint the floor in the pergola.' It suddenly occurred to me, he was right! I hadn’t done anything with pergola since moving in a year ago. I’d originally envisioned something mediterranean. Then, I changed my mind.  It happened when I bought some furniture and enlisted the design services of Alyssa Ashton Shah at Design Mix Furniture on La Brea. I'd bought these really great Moroccan lamps and after seeing those in the pergola, Alyssa suggested a Moroccan painted tile floor. That idea really got me going!"

Elegant Place Settings for Beach or Al Fresco Summer Dining

Whether you're planning an outdoor summer dinner or going to a wedding for a couple with a beach house, you might want to take note: there are some really beautiful place settings and dish ware available.

One of my favorites is the hand-painted china by Anna Weatherley. You can get it at Neiman Marcus.  The detail on the leaves, dragonfly and butterfly are works of art! 

The exquisite setting is paired with a festive, gold and white "pom pom" napkin ring by Kim Seybert - seen below - and a crisp, white embroidered napkin. 

 

 

  

Patio Perfect: An Ingenious Homemade Seat Cushion Cover

 While visiting a home in seaside La Jolla a few weeks ago, my eye was immediately drawn to this lovely outdoor patio ensemble - specifically the colorful purple, blue and green seat cushion covers.  When I asked the hostess where she purchased them, I was surprised to discover she, not only made them herself, but she created them from napkins!

An Expert's Top Five Tips for Growing Potted Herbs

 Mike Lieberman is an expert on gardening in small space.  In fact, running the website Urban Organic Gardener and with his popular twitter handle CanarsieBK (as in Canarsie, Brooklyn, his hometown)  he has become the go-to guy on the topic.  We got such a good response with last week's post on herbs, I thought I'd get Mike's tips two-cents worth for a follow up.  Here is Mike aka CanarsieBK on his top tips on herb growing in pots.

Value

You are going to get the dollar value if you grow your own herbs. How many of us go to the store buy a bushel of herbs just to use 2-3 sprigs and the rest rots away. By growing your own, you can clip off what you need and let the plant continue to grow. 

Selection

When deciding what herbs to grow, grow ones that you use most frequently such as parsley, cilantro, mint, oregano or basil. 

Basil

Many of you might be inclined to grow the popular herb basil. A word of caution about basil :  it does not like cold weather at all. If the weather dips into the low 50's or 40's, bring it indoors during the night time.   Or, it will do perfectly well all day long in a nice sunny window.

Gardening in Small Spaces: Potted Herbs

Having herbs in your garden is not only pretty and wonderfully aromatic, but, as most cooks will agree, it makes darn good sense! There is nothing easier than taking a few steps outside and snipping fresh herbs to add flavor to a dish. Plus, you don't have to waste the rest of the gigantic herb bunch you bought at the grocery store - something that always makes me feel bad. 

And, here's the best part of all. You don't have to have a large yard - or any yard for that matter to enjoy herbs of your own. Recently, while doing the La Jolla Historical Society's Secret Garden Tour, I noticed how cleverly people were using herbs.  One woman had a stunningly vivid green basil growing in a pot next to a display of flowers on a step. It was displayed as a beauty all of it's own - right next to the more labor intense, expensive arrangements.  At another home on the tour, the owners filled the bark bed underneath a palm tree with potted herbs. It looked quaint and lovely - as if the herbs simply belonged there!

Pretty in Pots: Fuchsias

My mom and I went to the La Jolla Historical Society Annual Secret Garden Tour last weekend. One of the most gorgeous flowers I saw at five out of the six houses on the tour was fuchsias. Whether they were planted solo, in a unique container like the swan below, or along with other shade loving plants, the colors were simply smashing.  We saw deep purples, hot pinks, and raspberry hues in the tear-dropped shaped flower with colors so vivid they literally took your breath away.