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| Jan Kirsh Landscapes and Studio |
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Greetings!
As much as I love hot, hot weather, day after day of intense summer heat has made me especially grateful for my glorious shade trees and the vine covered pergola running across the front of my house. Photos below of quick growing trees and shade structures present ideas for ways to beat the heat. Either way, you'll be adding style
and beauty to the place you call home.
As always, I continue to wear my 'multiple hats' this season as I design some very cool gardens (with pools, privacy shrub borders, and native buffer plantings) and take additional steps to introduce my fruit and vegetable sculptures.
My new Chile Pepper #2 sculpture will make it's debut appearance in Napa California this fall...more on that later.
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| Sculpture News | | |
Five Asparagus have been juried into a Sculpture Show at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, MD. Opening is September 16th (5:30-7:30 p.m.). It's co-sponsored by Baltimore Sculptors Inc and Pierce Gallery. The asparagus with knives and forks carved into their stems will be appropriately sited in the courtyard garden at trendy Tark's Restaurant until March 2011.
Interior Designer Victoria Lyon from Old Greenwich CT and I met at the Architectural Digest Show in NYC. My Fruit & Vegetable Sculpture was featured on her blog this month. http://blog.victorialyoninteriors.com/slider/something-delicious-for-your-outdoor-patio/
A 7' Leek Sculpture like the one pictured here at The Hermitage during the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage was recently commissioned and is underway - to be installed in a garden in Chevy Chase, MD later this fall.
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| Need Shade? | | |
Choose Shade Trees Carefully
Habit, mature size, density of branching structure, speed of growth, leaf size and texture all matter. Want Flowers, Fall Color, Interesting Bark? I have an ever expanding favorite tree list. Great trees add value to your property in multiple ways.
Don't take this personally, but like a good housemates, some trees are tidier companions than others. Be careful when choosing trees for your garden.
The Lace Bark Elm is a quick grower
Dura Heat River Birch has fabulous bark and is fast grower; it looks splendid in groups
Another option for quick shade is a pergola, arbor or shade structure. Plan a custom built shade structure that reflects the style of your house. Add a quick growing vine for much needed shade. Even an 'eyebrow' trellis can support a gorgeous flowering vine.
This arbor has a lattice 'roof' that provided instant shade; the annual vine adds color.
Want to talk it over?
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| New Shoreline Regulations are in Effect | | | If you are planning to do a construction project and live on the waters surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, a shoreline Buffer Management Plan may very likely need to be included when you request a building permit.The new laws went into effect in early March. Native plantings are meant to help mitigate the impact that new construction makes on the Bay's water quality.
Call or email the office for details. We can walk you through the process.
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| Looking for Late Summer Color? | | | I have been tromping around a couple of nurseries scouting out and tagging trees for fall. More than one of my growers has some outstanding specimen quality trees and shrubs.
Shade trees, flowering shrubs, evergreens for privacy and windbreaks are all growing well.
Late Summer color is hard to resist.
Three good choices. New varieties of old favorites:
Crape Myrtle - with so many new introductions; I have a tough time choosing a favorite. Check out the Deep Red 'Dynamite,' or new white form called 'High Cotton,' or the luscious pink 'Pink Velour.' Single stem Crape Myrtle are less commonly grown, but are an elegant addition to a small garden. The trees we chose for the Town of St Michaels a few years ago are doing splendidly.
Hydrangea Paniculata - The old fashioned 'grandiflora' was your Grandmother's favorite, but the improved form called 'Limelight' puts on a splendid show this time of the year, and is better behaved. Allow it room to spread a bit as it's nearly 10 'x 10' at maturity.
Salvias - a couple of the perennial forms are reaching their full height and gearing up for a late summer show. For something glitzy check out the Salvia leucantha, or Mexican Bush Sage. It has a showy purple/white flower that looks almost 'velvety'. Or, for a little more restrained late season show try Salvia 'Black and Blue'; the blue flowers (above) are almost iridescent. These are both butterfly and hummingbird magnets.
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| Bulbs | | | Planning ahead just comes naturally to some of us.
It may seem far away now, but if you want armloads of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips for cutting or in the garden next spring, NOW is the time to think about it. Don't procrastinate: We try to order our spring bulbs now for the best selection. Then we're all ready to plant when Fall arrives.
Where to place them? Which bulbs work best in your area? Which bulbs are most fragrant? Need help imagining a sweep of color for your spring garden?
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Jan Kirsh
Jan Kirsh Landscapes and Studio
410.745.5252 |
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