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The layout of the kitchen revolves around an island measuring 8 by 3⅓ feet. “We placed seating on three sides of the island so that during gatherings people could have conversations across the island. Also, our clients like to eat breakfast together here,” Rachaman says. The island contains storage and a microwave drawer. The light fixture overhead adds a modern touch, and its barely-there silhouette preserves views of the garden.
One of the homeowners loves to cook and bake. The other’s interest in the culinary arts lies primarily in enjoying food. “The cook had a lot of specialty tools and gadgets he wanted to use,” Rachaman says. “He cooks Asian food a lot and wanted specific places to put things like the small bowls he likes to serve it in.” The designers planned storage to house items like this, as well as spices, mixing bowls, baking sheets and cutting boards. The homeowner also has a large cookbook collection, and the designers tailored the island to house them.
One quirky part of the renovation involved one of the homeowners’ cold morning swims in Lake Washington. “He hangs his wetsuit to dry in the coat closet,” Emhoff says. “He wanted the fridge to back up to this closet so the heat coming off it would help dry the wetsuit.” There’s a vented wall between the back of the fridge and the coat closet.
Cabinetry: Bellmont Cabinet; cabinet paint: Olympic Range, Sherwin-Williams; wall paint: Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball
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7. Turn to Technology
Automate as many maintenance chores as you can. A good place to start is with your irrigation systems. You can add timers to in-ground systems, drip systems and soaker hoses. These systems allow for watering all parts of a garden without having to drag a hose from place to place. In-ground systems with a timer also reduce the possibility of tripping over a garden hose. You can set the timers for the times that are best for both you and your garden, such as during the night.
Take it a step further by adding other automated features, such as motion-activated lights that come on when you step out at night or lights that turn on and off on a regular schedule.
New smart and automated garden products and features are rapidly coming on the market as well. Look through gardening magazines and websites, and talk to the staff at nurseries and hardware stores about what automated features they would recommend.
Bonus: An automated watering system, particularly one with smart features, ensures that your garden will get the water it needs when it needs it, and often results in using less water.
Plus, automating both your irrigation and your lighting will allow you to go on vacation without scouring the neighborhood for someone to tend to your plants or, if it’s in a front yard, worrying that your home will look empty.
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Tile
If you live in an area with a warm-winter climate, you might want to consider a tile path.
Tiles can be less expensive than concrete, stone and brick while still delivering plenty of style. Options include terra-cotta and clay tiles as well as unglazed ceramic and porcelain tiles.
Glazed terra-cotta or clay tiles, with their rustic appeal, earth tones and natural variations, are a great choice for paths in the Southwest, but they also can feel at home in other warm-climate areas. These tiles can take day-to-day wear; between the two, terra-cotta tiles are less prone to cracking. You can set either on a concrete or sand-and-gravel base, although the former will provide more stability. Clay tile can be more slippery than terra-cotta tile when wet.
The porous nature of terra-cotta and clay tiles makes them more susceptible to stains, fading and surface damage. To keep them looking their best, clean up dirt and debris regularly and address any stains as soon as they appear. Applying a sealant can help protect against discoloration and wear, but keep in mind that resealing every few years would be necessary to maintain that protection.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Tile
If you live in an area with a warm-winter climate, you might want to consider a tile path.
Tiles can be less expensive than concrete, stone and brick while still delivering plenty of style. Options include terra-cotta and clay tiles as well as unglazed ceramic and porcelain tiles.
Glazed terra-cotta or clay tiles, with their rustic appeal, earth tones and natural variations, are a great choice for paths in the Southwest, but they also can feel at home in other warm-climate areas. These tiles can take day-to-day wear; between the two, terra-cotta tiles are less prone to cracking. You can set either on a concrete or sand-and-gravel base, although the former will provide more stability. Clay tile can be more slippery than terra-cotta tile when wet.
The porous nature of terra-cotta and clay tiles makes them more susceptible to stains, fading and surface damage. To keep them looking their best, clean up dirt and debris regularly and address any stains as soon as they appear. Applying a sealant can help protect against discoloration and wear, but keep in mind that resealing every few years would be necessary to maintain that protection.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
4. Wild Urban Spaces
Bringing some of the health benefits of the wilderness to busy urban lives was another trend seen across the show. The most striking example of this was the Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat balcony garden (pictured) by ssh scapes — Sonia Kamel, Sally Giles and Helier Bowling — and inspired by the wild landscape of the Scottish Cairngorms mountains.
This small urban space was designed for a busy professional couple “who love the outdoors and, in particular, the Cairngorms in Scotland, and want to recreate the environment for daily health benefits on their high-rise city balcony,” according to the RHS.
At the heart of the space was a copper bath perfect for a cold-water dip, which was surrounded by wild planting reminiscent of the grassy heaths, rocky outcrops and mossy glens typical of the area.
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Bringing reminders of loved ones into our living spaces is part of what makes our homes special. You can do the same in your garden by adding plants and features that symbolize those you have loved, honoring their lives and focusing on what they meant to you. While every memorial garden is unique and deeply personal, the ideas below offer inspiration to help you begin creating a heartfelt space in your own landscape.
As you plan your memorial garden, it’s important to think about the person your loved one was — “their quirks, their favorite things, their hobbies, their funny and inside jokes, their favorite words or sayings, their pets,” says Kristin Taunton, who worked with a design team on a memorial garden seen below. These personal touches can help shape a space that not only honors the person’s memory but also brings comfort and a lasting sense of connection.
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Jeff True, Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors, Bolingbrook, Illinois
Chicago is known for its brutally cold winters and hot, dry summers. “Just a few hours north and south of here is a very different climate,” says Jeff True.
Turn to native hardwoods. True says that native hardwood trees can handle weather extremes and are often his starting points. These include several maples, such as red maple (Acer rubrum, zones 3 to 9), sugar maple (A. saccharum, zones 3 to 8; shown here), silver maple (A. saccharinum, zones 3 to 9) and Freeman’s maple (A. x. freemanii, zones 5 to 8).
Native white oak (Quercus alba, zones 3 to 9), which is the state tree of Illinois, is also a tried-and-true favorite, as are swamp white oak (Q. bicolor, zones 3 to 8), Chinquapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii, zones 5 to 7) and shagbark hickory (Carya ovata, zones 4 to 8). “I personally love Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus, zones 3 to 8) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis, zones 2 to 9),” True says.
He adds that the new elm varieties resistant to Dutch elm disease, such as Triumph elm (Ulmus ‘Morton Glossy’, zones 4 to 7), are fast-growing, allowing them to fill in spaces quickly.
8 Reasons to Plant a Great Tree
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3. Dine Al Fresco
Move meals outdoors if weather allows. If mornings and evenings are still too chilly, take advantage of the warm, gentle sunshine for brunch, lunch and afternoon gatherings.
Re-create your indoor dining setup outside to turn even a quick meal into an elevated garden experience. Set a table, complete with placemats, dishes and glassware. A potted plant can serve as a centerpiece both for meals and the rest of the day.
Tip: If you find yourself heading outside often for meals or a coffee break, think about investing in outdoor-friendly tableware. Store it in a spot that’s easy to access when it’s time for a meal.
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This garden in Excelsior, Minnesota, grows in memory of Beau Taunton, who tragically passed away at 22 years old from a fentanyl overdose. His mother, Kristin, wanted an area at her home where she could honor Beau, raise awareness and welcome friends, family and neighbors to gather and celebrate his life. Working with Mom’s Design Build, she transformed her front lawn into a peaceful, uplifting space for joy, love and reflection.
Photos by Spacecrafting
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Kristin Taunton, a mother
Location: Excelsior, Minnesota
Size: 2,400 square feet (223 square meters)
Landscape designer and contractor: Mom’s Design Build (lead designer: Heather Sweeney)
Kristin envisioned her front yard in this tight-knit neighborhood as a communal space, where loved ones could be together, remember Beau and celebrate who he was. She didn’t want to conceal what had happened or focus too heavily on loss. Instead, she chose to honor his life through this garden.
The team asked Kristin to share with them what Beau had loved, what his interests and hobbies had been, so they could capture and best express his spirit in their design. “I wanted more than a pretty garden for my son. I wanted a garden that told his story and was bold like him,” Kristin says. Special touches such as a custom sculpture and a QR code linked to his obituary allow people walking by to connect with the memory of Beau.
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Before: The front yard was mostly lawn, with a brick walkway and a small set of stairs leading from the sidewalk to the front door.
It was important to Kristin to preserve the existing trees, particularly the maple, whose canopy we can see on the left side of this photo. Beau liked to climb and spend time in this tree, and his mom would often keep him company on the ground below.
After: In the redesigned yard, Bobo panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata ‘ILVOBO’, USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone) greet visitors from the sidewalk and project above a new stacked-bluestone wall like radiant white candles. “They are the highlight of the garden,” designer Heather Sweeney says. These spring-to-fall-blooming shrubs set a joyful tone for the space and will eventually reach 3 feet tall, enhancing privacy without obscuring the yard and its main features.
How to Design Your Garden for More Meaning and Connection
On the other side of the hydrangeas, and throughout the yard, more flowering plants add color, life and brightness across seasons. Some plantings, including ‘Summer Beauty’ allium (Allium ‘Summer Beauty’, zones 4 to 9), attract bees and other pollinators.
Little Trudy catmint (Nepeta ‘Psfike’, zones 4 to 9) was planted for Beau’s cat, Keegan, who lives with Kristin now. The designers stuck to a blue, white and pop-of-pink color palette, choosing beautiful plants that would encourage Kristin to spend time outside.
Some of the other species featured include: Dakota burgundy beardtongue (Penstemon ‘TNPENDB’, zones 3 to 8), Royal Candles spiked speedwell (Veronica spicata ‘Glory’, zones 3 to 8), ‘Pink Cotton Candy’ betony (Stachys officinalis ‘Pink Cotton Candy’, zones 4 to 8), ‘PowWow White’ purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘PowWow White’, zones 3 to 8), blazing star (Liatris sp.) and boxwood (Buxus sp.).
A memorial sculpture made of Cor-Ten steel anchors one side of the yard. The piece spells out Beau’s name and stands at roughly the height he was. Beau was very artistic and a fan of graffiti art, Sweeney says, and the sculpture’s material and style nod to the rustic, industrial spaces where you might see that kind of work.
A recirculating fountain carved from a basalt boulder gently bubbles in front of the Beau statue. It’s autofilled through a drip irrigation system the team installed in the yard. Bluestone pavers and Mexican beach pebbles surround the water feature.
Next to the fountain sits another, slightly smaller, carved stone. Water collects in the basin when it rains, creating a birdbath for the garden’s winged visitors.
10 Ways to Cope With Grief During the Holidays
Beau also liked to skateboard, and the team propped a Cor-Ten steel board next to the water feature, which Kristin can move around the yard as she likes. Beau’s friends will often sit on the stone beside the fountain and skateboard around to take in the space.
Sweeney says that since these photos were taken, friends and family have left objects and mementos around the sculptures and water features. “Beau’s friends use [the space] all the time, and at night when it is lit, you can see his name,” she says. If Kristin moves, she’ll be able to bring the sculptures with her.
Rumbled coco clay brick frames a grassy path that connects the sculptures and water feature to this fire pit lounge. The subtle detail allows other design elements in the yard to shine and also complies with the site’s hard paving restrictions.
Regrading the front yard created the flat, usable outdoor space this seating area occupies. (The team was careful not to disturb the maple tree during construction.) The patio is Greydon sandstone. Four Adirondack chairs surround a concrete gas fire pit, which can be easily turned on and off from a switch inside the house.
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Winters in Minnesota are extremely cold, so Kristin turns off and drains the fountain and covers the fire pit and furniture for the season. When spring rolls around, the front yard will be ready to be enjoyed again.
For those inspired to create a memorial garden of their own, Kristin offers this advice: “Spend time with [your] landscape design company and convey to them as much as possible about what kind of person [your] loved one was. Tell them their quirks, their favorite things, their hobbies, their funny and inside jokes, their favorite words or sayings, their pets — and share pictures with them. Don’t hold back, so your design team can see the whole picture.”
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Przygoda-Montgomery, who designed the shaded patio in Oro Valley, Arizona, seen here, says that a way to assess whether your yard is guest-ready is to actually host something. “If people are left standing awkwardly or are unsure where to gather, it’s a sign that the space needs better flow and a better furniture arrangement,” she says.
How to Create an Inviting Outdoor Seating Area