Ann the “Gardening Girl’ is from Nebraska. Chris is a transplanted British landscape consultant.
Two Projects we Designed & Built
Together, we have many years of experience. We have both spent much of our working lives designing, building and managing beautiful landscapes.
Creating and managing these wonderful landscapes is lots of work. It is a fun, very rewarding occupation.
Our work has encompassed, small and large gardens, roof gardens, city parks, streets, shopping centers, schools, golf courses, museums, estates even the odd museum and royal palace.
Press Day at Chelsea
Using many traditional materials. Such as natural stone, water, metals, bricks and timber.
Or incorporating more modern materials, such as glass, fiberglass, lighting, mirrors, and irrigation.
Treated Timber Trellis prior to staining
Working with nature is often a challenge. The weather frequently disrupts how a project progresses.
Materials sometimes act in unpredictable ways. Achieving a constant quality finish is the true art of the craftsmen.
Moon Gate
We invite you to come take a look with us. See what is possible.
I was taught from an early age that : “Quality is remembered long after the price has been paid.”
Landscape Knowledge Is all about people. People who are passionate about their environment, their gardens & landscapes. Along with the experts that helped to create them.
Ann & Chris discuss traditional landscapes. Trends, techniques, plants and materials from across the globe. Our many years of experience has produced a wealth of knowledge. As well as pictures and ideas for you to enjoy. We have included a growing list of interviews with colleagues and other experts.
Here are some examples of what you can find within these pages :
Ann and I were fortunate to interview Jenny Peterson, just after her new book was published. Jenny is an amazing, extremely positive lady who is an inspiration for us all.
A Garden that Heals
Pittsburgh, Pa. (October 5, 2015): When Jenny Peterson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, it rocked her world. Her cancer treatment was hard, emotional and often deeply depressing. But Peterson, a garden designer and Master Gardener, did not let the cancer diagnosis define her. She used her desire to garden and dig in the dirt again to pull her out of the darkness. And she discovered that gardening is good medicine –for the body, mind and spirit.
The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion: Cultivating Hope, Healing and Joy in the Ground Beneath Your Feet
(St. Lynn’s Press, January 2016) tells Peterson’s story and explores the therapeutic benefits of this vital “earth connection,” including inspirational profiles of other cancer survivors, both men and women, whose gardens became their partners in healing.
With gentle empathy, beautiful photographs and easy how-to steps, Peterson shows others how to create their own backyard haven for healing – a personal restorative garden – with well-grounded guidance about diet, exercise, mental focus and spiritual renewal. Her book adds a fresh voice to the growing fields of horticultural therapy and therapeutic gardens.
What others are saying about The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion:
“Jenny’s tips for incorporating gardening into your life for mind, body, and spiritual health are ingenious! As a cancer coach, I will definitely be suggesting this book to my clients.” – Susan Gonzalez, BSN, CPCC, co-author of 100 Perks of Having Cancer Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It, and editor of The Savvy Sister blog
“Jenny’s beautiful book reminds us all that life can be found in the healing, meditative act of gardening. By lovingly tending a garden, we can learn to nurture ourselves, restoring our mind, body and spirit in the process.” – Ray Anne Evans, Executive Director, Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas
“Jenny’s connection with gardening, garden design, and simply being in nature remained strong throughout her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. In fact, it was part of what helped her through. And now she is helping others to learn from her powerful experience.” – Naomi A. Sachs, Founding Director, Therapeutic Landscapes Network; co-author, Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces
The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion will teach readers how to use the garden to heal, find hope and feel joy.
About the Author
Jenny Peterson is a landscape designer and Master Gardener specializing in xeriscaping and small urban spaces. She is a cancer survivor who found hope and healing in her garden, even during the darkest days of chemotherapy and radiation. In the process, she made deep connections with the cancer support community, including physicians, nutritionists, bodywork practitioners, psychologists and spiritual counselors. Peterson co-authored Indoor Plant Décor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013) with Kylee Baumle. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her fiancé, 19 chickens, two dogs, two quails and a goat.
Ann and I had the pleasure of interviewing Linda Stanley after she had completed this 1000km walk in Australia.
Linda.
Linda undertook this walk on her own. It took the best part of 8 weeks to complete and more than three months to prepare for.
Linda isn’t your average walker by any means. She suffered some serious injuries, breaking her back in an accident. Being a somewhat determined lady she set about challenging herself to literally get back on her feet again.
We interviewed Linda in her new home, a beautiful chestnut farm in Nannup, Western Australia.
‘Grandy’s Long Walk’ is written for young children, superbly illustrated about her walk.
Linda wrote the book out of a concern that children today are spending less and less time with nature. Spending instead more and more time in front of the small screen. She hopes to encourage more children to get outside. Discovering the same senses of wonder and joy of nature that she had experienced on her long walk in the forest.
Listen to her telling us all about this amazing journey.
We were so curious about this really long walk, that during our research we found some youtube videos of other people who travel from all over the world to walk this track.
Darren is one such person, he created a video and kindly gave us permission to include it in this article. His video is just a part of the walk, you can view it here Bibbulmun track video
Darren is raising money for Diabetes you can see his web site here Darren’s website
There is also a specialist web site filled with information for those who want to plan their own walk..The Bibbulman Track
Kerry Mendez has a passion for gardening, in her latest book “The right-sized Flower Garden” she discusses how to develop a garden that you can manage. Often this will reduce the amount of work involved. As she explains it’s all about making the right choices, whilst at the same time making simple design changes.
Here is a practical book with sensible tips, lists, time and energy saving suggestions that will help the beginner and the experienced.
Come take a listen, I’m sure you will learn something new.
“The right-sized Flower Garden” she discusses how to develop a garden that you can manage, often this will reduce the amount of work involved. As she explains it’s all … Continue reading →
Ann & Chris continue their interview with Bill Sosinsky , CEO of Energime University. Bill has recently returned from a trip to China. He talks to us about how the Chinese are adapting, planning and coping with the enormous growth the country has seen over the past few years.
We all have moments that become pivotal in our lives. Setting us on a course that sets us on the journey to …….
Mine was learning to sail around the age of 9 years – well 8 years if you include the first time I went sailing. In what appeared to be a very slow gaff rigged, slow sailing boat.
Being shipped off to boarding school at a tender age. My father was a merchant ships Captain.
The school had a lake with a mixed fleet of dinghies. I learned to sail first in a Cadet – a small but lively dinghy you could race. Of course, we did with some success.
The school also had quite faster ‘Enterprise’s ‘ which provided a very pleasant afternoons racing, not to mention quite a workout…
Progressing to 420’s a much more modern design and an impressive workout. I preferred to helm, flying around on a trapeze whilst fun was a sure way to get soaked.
On leaving school, the opportunity to sail diminished somewhat until a friend who Ocean sailed invited me to crew on a Contessa 32, suddenly sailing became serious, a superb yacht with great handling characteristics, a rather steep new price back in 1979. A vessel still going strong today..
Field Hockey
When sailing wasn’t possible I played grass Hockey across London for over 25 years…it was a different level of energetic playing from September until April with tournaments across Europe in the summer, my favorites were trips to Hamburg and Amsterdam, although I did arrange one to Lyon which was a little different.
On moving to the USA in 1999, it took me a little while to rediscover lake sailing.- Lakes here are much larger , with commensurately larger sailing boats. It’s way more fun and convenient.
Sailboat Racing
Sailing over the weekend, a pastime that is both enjoyable, exciting, fun and yet very calming. The winds were as always very variable, around 10 mph gusting to perhaps 20mph – sufficient to heel our boat, driving her forward quickly.
“Stiletto” – our Capri 25
The question is – how long can you keep the cocktail upright?
On a more peaceful run down the lake we talked about ‘Those Moments that stand out in your life”
Sedate Sailing
We still own ‘Stiletto’ but have added a rather more salubrious Catalina 28. ‘Quinley’ has many more creature comforts as our ages march onward. A galley, showers, a wheel, bimini, open transom, inboard diesel power, hot and cold pressurized water. all manner of instruments. Recently new sails and a bowsprit…
Work
When we reached work moments, some were amusing. I was asked to write them down. So here are a few. Let me know what you think ?
During college days we, that is the student committee – I was Social Secretary, liked to produce lighthearted pranks from time to time. Being Social Secretary it fell to me to help create, vet and often implement said pranks..
We often had outside groups visit the college for talks, or demonstrations or even just to visit.
This particular day, the Women’s Institute was coming for some reason, the day was warm and sunny, so the night before we decided to ‘decorate’ a crab apple on the lawn just outside the main house.
When the coach arrived the next morning the ladies were confronted with a new strain of ornamental fruiting tree – “The Spaghetti Tree” was fully covered with over 20 lbs of the very best spaghetti, soaked for 10 mins and boiled until soft enough to adorn the tree. The tree was also attracting a large colony of birds who took particular liking to the delicious fare.
Many pictures were taken of this phenomenon as a sign explained the tree only fruited once every 12 years !
This spurred on to more things horticultural, so a few weeks later yet another plant was discovered , this time outside the refectory a paving slab had been pushed up and a new strain of oak tree had emerged – Quercus australis inverta was indeed a site to see, this Upside Down Australian Oak Tree had it’s trunk buried in the ground with a full compliment of roots spreading out to a height of 5ft.
Some years later I came across this amazing tree…the Andansonia
We have some great interviews planned for the next few months.
Our first is with Bill Sosinsky , CEO of Energime University. Bill has recently returned from a trip to China. He talks to us about how the Chinese are adapting, planning and coping with the enormous growth the country has seen over the past few years.
The interview is one of those must listen to events… we all have seen or heard of the Great Wall of China, a quite amazing feat of building, as seen here.
I wonder how many of us can comprehend the current building program? 100 million homes in the next 5- 10 years…!
Truly a monumental task of ingenuity, engineering and collaboration, Ann and I were just amazed talking to Bill about the growing issues they are trying to solve.
We will have two parts to this fascinating interview you can listen to the first part here – www.growingtrends.org
We would love to hear from you with ideas or suggestions on programs, either fill in the form below or just send us an email to info@grotrends.com
Ann & Chris have been busy preparing a new series of podcasts for you all to enjoy.
We have interviews with experts in the field of sustainability, recycling, food production, hydroponics and aquaponics. Our list of author interviews is growing all the time, we’ve recently added children’s book authors connected with nature.
In our second interview discussing the changing market for Garden Centers.
Ann visits Paris, France to talk to Valerie Langendorff, President of a Women’s Garden Executive Club.
Valerie looks at Garden Centers from the ladies perspective in France. Her ladies group have identified a number of interesting trends..
Women make 70% of the purchase decisions.
Currently 90% of Garden Centers are managed by men.
Their Executive Club have developed an annual awards program judged by women.
Ladies nights are arranged in the Garden Center – in our earlier interview we heard that a Garden Center in Switzerland had ‘Pole Dancing’ nights for ladies, as a way to exercise !
They have an award for the most women friendly Garden Center.
They have discovered that women like innovation more than men……
You can listen to this fascinating interview here or on iTunes
Hits: 32
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