A Story (Source Unknown) - One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. Upon return from their trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh, yeah,” said the son. “So what did you learn from the trip?” continued the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to leave on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.” The boy’s father was speechless. Then the son added this last remark: “It showed me how poor we truly are.”
The young boy demonstrated that his focus created a new reality and allowed him to see with “new eyes.” Individual leaders can also exchange “old eyes” for “new eyes.” For example, individuals who react without thinking to the negative attitudes of others give away their own personal power. By creating a new reality in which they keep their personal power, they begin to see how they can lead through positive attitudes.
By remembering that our reality is created from our past and current experiences and that we “see” pictures in our mind when we hear words, we can initiate change while simultaneously encouraging new attitudes through these new words. Seeing with “new eyes” can be the first step in changing the “landscape” within any individual. Marcel Proust many years ago understood the importance of changing our perspective when he penned these words: “The voyage of true discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes.”
Leanne Hoagland-Smith is President of ADVANCED SYSTEMS, The Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business and education experience, she partners with her clients to connect the 3P’s of Passion, Purpose and Performance to affect sustainable change in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation with a variety of industries. Her ROI solutions align the strategies, systems and people to develop loyal internal customers leading to loyal external customers. She is the co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential:Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for June 205 release. Leanne also speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please call Leanne a call at 219.759.5601 or email leanne@processspecialist.com if you are seeking sustainable results for your business or yourself.
Copyright 2005 Leanne Hoagland-Smith, http://www.processspecialist.com
Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).
Tags: attitude, change, communication, focus, leadership, parent, perception, results, role model, success, youthattitude, change, communication, focus, leadership, parent, perception, results, role model, success, youthShare This
Cottages are a retreat for our soul. Places where we can both unwind and regenerate our families and ourselves.
Generally our cottages are nestled in areas of raw bush and craggy rock. The mistake many people make with their cottage garden is to ignore their rugged landscape and attempt to create a structured or “city style” garden.
The best cottage gardens are those that take advantage of and enhance the stark beauty of the wild. As the saying goes, “you can’t improve on Mother Nature“.
Rather than “affecting” a design, plant a mixture of indigenous and hardy shrubs, perennials and wild flowers that will thrive in your local. Not only will this save you needless heartache and hours of maintenance, it will save you money from continually replacing your “ill-suited” plants.
Begin by selecting a variety of shrubs that will give your garden a sense of structure, such as “Blue Rug” Junipers, Cotoneaster horizontalis and for those especially difficult area’s, Juniper Sabina. The Sabina will actually thrive in extremely rocky, poor soil areas; just remember to plant in full sun locations only.
Perennial Geraniums, also known as cranesbills, are the perfect cottage perennial. The cransebill is a hardy, adaptable perennial that is disease and pest resistant. Whether your garden is a full sun or predominantly shady location, there are a variety of cranesbills all in a marvelous array of colours (white, mauve, purple, magenta, blue, and pink).
For complete shade locations try G. macrorhizum, a strong spreader with delicate mauve blossoms. In semi-shade areas try G. maculatum, particularly in a rock garden location. In full sun gardens try G. cinerum (ballerina). All of these species are drought tolerant, aromatic and will spread evenly in your garden but not invasively.
Another “perfect fit” for a cottage garden are Sedums (also known as stonecrop and orpines). This family of plants is extremely varied with species that will thrive from full sun to semi-shade. They are incredibly durable, well suited to poor soil conditions and come in a veritable rainbow of colours. Try S. spurium, a dwarf variety stonecrop best suited for billing in gaps in rock gardens and S. album and S. kamtschaticum for “clumping” or featured plants in your garden.
Mix in with these a variety of hardy grown daylilies, irises, Martagon lilies and ornamental grasses. All of which are hardy, adaptable and beautiful. The Martagon lily is especially well suited to the cottage landscape due to its ability to thrive from southern locals to the Yukon and in nearly every soil type.
Don’t forget to carefully consider and plan your hardscape elements before installation, such as retaining walls, terraces, decks and steps. You will need to examine the drainage pattern on your property and take into consideration the effects of fall frost and spring thaw. Consider speaking to a professional landscaper for these hardscape elements, as you will want them to last for years to come.
Try to naturalize your seating (patio) areas by using local “flatstone” or flagstone. Using a natural medium will both soften the appearance of your cottage and make it your seating area more inviting. Natural stone also makes the perfect stair material, as it won’t rot, is perfectly suited to the landscape and will give your cottage a sense of “permanence”.
The “golden rule” of cottage landscaping is to create an oasis of peace, beauty and relaxation. “A cottage is a friend you can visit anytime…” This saying conveys how we feel toward our cottages and our beliefs in their restorative powers. Our cottages are a place of hope, of exploring not only nature but also ourselves and for nurturing and deepening our relationships with our families. All of this occurs in our little parcel of rural landscape, or as many passionate cottagers refer to their cottage; their “Garden of Eden”.
Great Design in essence is about the creation of an exquisite stage for the beauty and quality of life we all desire. From ultra urban to ornate opulence, Robin and his team have passionately and successfully designed it all. Robin’s interiors have graced the pages of magazines Worldwide. Robin has designed interiors for feature films, major retailers such as Home Depot (Style Ideas Magazine) and the Designer Showhouse. From smaller scale interior projects to full scale restorations and developments, Robin’s passionate and creative eye overseas all aspects. While fluent in all design trends and philosophies, Robin is most passionate about historic preservation and the creation of elegant, functional and memorable spaces that convey the best attributes of each owner while respecting and celebrating the architecture that encompasses them. Visit http://www.robindegroot.ca
Tags: cottage, design, garden, gardening, landscape, plantings, Robin De Groot, suggestions, Tipscottage, design, garden, gardening, landscape, plantings, Robin De Groot, suggestions, TipsShare This
Gardeners, like all artists, use the power of colour to create and enhance the mood and impact of their landscape design. Through our understanding of the properties of colour we can elevate our compositions balance and unity.
Each colour holds its own lexicon of meanings, both personally and globally. Whether you fall into the category of a pictorial landscape gardener or and avid horticulturist, the colours you select in your garden will determine its emotional value and character.
Some techniques that will aid your colour palette selection include placing the blossoms of your selected plants together to see how their colours interact. It is also beneficial to place differing background materials (vines, shrubs, trees, plants) against your blossoms to see which ones best aid your colour design, and whether you want your leaves to complement or contrast your blossoms. Colour themes that you can create in your garden include:
Monotone Gardening
This glamorous gardening concept, first used by Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst, refers to the use of a solitary colour (in Vita’s case white) with your various greens as your background. Colours that work best are white, pink, yellow and blue. (Actually blue-grey, as true blue is almost impossible to find for an entire growing season.) Monotone gardening is particularly effective in a parterre garden or balcony situation. If you decided to monotone garden remember to balance your blossoming times throughout the year and to use a background leaf that has grayish hues in it as it will create a softer background for your colour choice. Also, avoid using various tones of red. If you choose to attempt a monotone red garden, beware mixing blue-reds with yellow-reds. A white monotone garden will look particularly beautiful at dusk and in the evening.
Analogous Colour gardening
Analogous gardening was used to spectacular effect by England’s Gertrude Jekyll. This gardening colour regime refers to the use of any 3 consecutive colours on the colour wheel. (In Gertrude’s example, Red - Crimson - Violet) An analogous garden is generally a theatrical, yet visually delicate experience. This colour scheme works best in a “secret garden” or in a sweeping border backed by a copse of trees. However, keep in mind that analogous gardens are rarely restful, as they demand attention to their modulations of colour. Plantings that work well for this colour theme include opium poppies, mallows and lobelias in shades of pink, crimson and scarlet.
Complementary Colour Gardens
This refers to the usage of colours directly opposite each other on the colour wheel (such as Red and Green). Gardens created with this colour scheme evoke a strong sense of power by intensifying each of the colours chosen. Colours opposite each other, such as yellow and violet, compete with each other for visual dominance by pulling our eye back and forth between them. This gardening style is exciting and intense. Some combinations that are effective include yellow Primroses set against a grouping of violet Grape Hyacinths. The paintings by Gaugain show this to a spectacular effect. Monet’s gardens at Giverny used complementary colour schemes in its borders to create visually powerful designs.
Mixed (Clashing) Colour Gardens
Walking through a garden with a mix of all the colours of the rainbow enlists joy and delight. It’s nearly irresistible when you are at a nursery or ordering online, to resist each successive colour and plant you encounter, for each one holds its own history and meaning. A mixed scheme will look vibrant and fun. It is generally the garden we remember from our childhood, and depending on the time and light of the day, each colour will “hold court” for a short period of time. When working with this colour scheme remember to use plenty of white to separate, refresh and strengthen your colours. The majority of Monet’s Gardens at Giverny and those in his paintings were mixed colours
What colours mean
Blue - Symbolizes authority, dependability and truth. Blue in your garden will cool surrounding colours, while it gives your composition a sense of serenity. However, keep in mind that sky blues will lift your spirits, while grey-blues will add a hint of melancholy.
Red - Conveys passion, power and Drama. Red is the colour of love, and conversely hate. Use red in your garden in all its guises (crimson, scarlet, magenta, cerise, etc.) to bring excitement and vivacity.
Yellow - Symbolizes happiness, spontaneity and fun. Yellow in a garden creates visual motion, drawing the eye from blossom to blossom. It also captures the sun in your design and enhances the sense of effortless, airy design.
Violet - Conveys spirituality, aristocracy and mystery. Violet adds a sense of majesty to the landscape and mixed with yellow, creates an arresting image of beauty and youth.
Green - The background of all gardens. Green is the colour of vitality, growth and regeneration. The colour green has the power, depending upon its intensity and clarity, of dimming, brightening, refreshing or overpowering your garden design. Its predominance in your landscape makes it the colour you most need to analyze in your design.
Orange - Symbolizes equality, peace and luxury. The usage of orange in the garden creates an inviting and outgoing design. Orange is also the colour of autumn, and depending on its hue, will give a warm hue throughout its location
Colour Hints
Vivid, bright colours in a distant flowerbed will make it appear closer to the viewer.
Blue tones will make a bed recede into the distance.
Warm colours near a patio will give it a more outgoing and “fun” feeling.
Separate clashing or mixed colours with white blossoms.
Use scarlet blossoms to make the green of your leaves more intense.
Great Design in essence is about the creation of an exquisite stage for the beauty and quality of life we all desire. From ultra urban to ornate opulence, Robin and his team have passionately and successfully designed it all. Robin’s interiors have graced the pages of magazines Worldwide. Robin has designed interiors for feature films, major retailers such as Home Depot (Style Ideas Magazine) and the Designer Showhouse. From smaller scale interior projects to full scale restorations and developments, Robin’s passionate and creative eye overseas all aspects. While fluent in all design trends and philosophies, Robin is most passionate about historic preservation and the creation of elegant, functional and memorable spaces that convey the best attributes of each owner while respecting and celebrating the architecture that encompasses them. Visit http://www.robindegroot.ca
Tags: colour, Garden Design, gardening, landscape design, perennials, stylecolour, Garden Design, gardening, landscape design, perennials, styleShare This
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