kicking off 2014 with a landscape redo and drought tolerant california planting - before pictures

You have probably heard. We are having a drought in California. We showed great reverence for this terrible state of affairs by removing our roses (thirsty girls).

In our household we are exceptionally good at removing things. Not so good at putting things back together. To be perfectly honest, I think I had the roses pulled out about nine months ago. Don't judge.

spiffing up a mid-century modern patio

I brake for vintage and modern.

I scream to a halt for chartreuse.

#dwellondesign 2013: outdoors, gardens and patios (oh my)

Today may be my favorite post. I love garden and patio stuff. When we redo our kitchen, I plan to upgrade an interior courtyard immediately adjacent to the kitchen including roofing it, and making it an outdoor living space. So I am actively hunting down ideas.

The entire middle of the #DwellonDesign convention center space was called Dwell Outdoor. On with the show.

hunt for a mid-century modern garden bench

We landscaped the strip of yard decimated by our bathroom remodel about 9 months ago. The contractor left a small seven foot patch of land bare of plants and specified "bench - owner to supply."

Boo. Big blank spot in pretty garden to the right near the wall.

Can you see the big blank spot to the right. I have been scouring eBay, websites and Craigslist ever since.

#psmw: bringing the outdoors in mid-century style

Something has been weighing heavily on my mind from #PSMW Palm Springs Modernism Week 2013.

Hey good looking. I just can't stop thinking about you.

#psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 garden tour!

Yes, I had to do it. Take a landscaping tour in the desert. We kind of deserved this, but I really wanted to see what the modernists were doing with their lawns.

The answer is, of course, using lots of rocks, succulents and sand. But we still loved it.

#psmw palm springs modernism week: margaret joplin glass lights for landscape

I am blogging to you live from Palm Springs Modernism Week, Feb.14-24, 2013, a marvelous and fabulous celebration of all things mid-century modern in Palm Springs, California. My mom and I arrived here on Sunday, February 18. It has been non-stop mid-century. Dawn to dusk.

I am loving all the mid-century modern houses and will share them shortly, but I had to post these humongous glass beads for the garden.

mid-century halloween at roger's gardens

Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar, California has been selling their ridiculously over-priced gardening and home decorating goods to the citizens of Newport Beach for over 35 years. With their approximate location being less than five minutes from my home, I have been known to drop in. Especially around the holidays.

Intrigued?

a tribute to mexican gardeners

Due to our remodel the first half of the year, we let the yard get completely out of control. The sprinklers got cut by the construction work on one side of the yard, and we never repaired them. The tress and plants look a little overgrown and wilty.

Center courtyard landscape

The picture above isn't a bad angle, it is really the way our side yard looks. This side yard faces the center patio, so I see it every single day, and we use this patio for entertaining. This bit of our yard annoys me on a regular and ongoing basis. 

dwell on design - landscape idea #2 modern wall planters and outdoor furniture

The Dwell on Design show, June 22 - June 24, 2012, at the Los Angeles Convention Center was truly an inspiration for those who love clean-simple lines in their surroundings, and are many times, inspired by modern design of the fifties and sixties. My loyal modern seeking companion and I crossed the Orange Curtain on Sunday, specifically looking for modern landscape ideas. Our second great idea we spotted at the show were these modern planter boxes (our first was the modern trellises).

Potted: For Outdoor Living

dwell on design - landscape idea #1 modern trellis

I popped up to Los Angeles on Sunday for the Dwell On Design show with my friend who has the excellent taste (her beautiful remodeled mid-century here). We were in search of modern and clever ideas for the garden. We were captivated by these architectural trellises designed by Los Angeles landscape designer and artist Jennifer Gilbert Asher of Terra Trellis.

Terra Trellis