New meadow opens up Lakewood property

For eight years now, Dave and the owners of this Lakewood estate have been working on restoring the landscape around their historic O'Neil Ford house. The original long meadow had been obscured by privet, bamboo and small trees. It was cleared several years ago, and trails through the privet were cut for kids, dogs and adults. Recently as they bushwhacked, they came upon these grand old cedar trees buried in thickets of privet, and an idea took root.

He and Dave considered different options and began clearing the woods around it. It looked like this to start:

As the thickets gave way, rolling topography and trees of great character emerged. Tying into the original long meadow designed in the 1930s, the new greensward opens sweeping vistas and beguiling views of the house from afar.

A shade-tolerant variety of zoysia grass needs only an occasional mowing for weed control. Now, family and friends have new vistas to discover, new trees to climb and new spaces for contemplation.

Summer break 2: Patrick in Atlanta

Senior designer Patrick Boyd recently checked out the new Edible Garden and Canopy Walk at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. He took a zillion pictures, only a few of which we can share here! His slow-food dinner group will be receiving the full report....

Edible garden designers see food plants as ornamentals,  letting you harvest your home landscape. The Atlanta Botanical Garden has green walls covered with herbs, fruit orchards and vegetable beds where area chefs wander the 'aisles' picking the best-looking produce--then turn it into sumptous feasts in the demonstration kitchen. Further blurring the line between art and food, the art of Cohn-Stone glassblowers mingles with real fruit and flowers.

The Canopy Walk is a rare treat in an urban setting. Like New York's incredible popular High Line park, it gets you airborne and looking at nature--and the city--from a different angle. It just feels cooler walking up there, with the leaves rustling in the breeze and your feet swaying ever so slightly. For those of us who haven't climbed any big trees lately, it's a reminder of how much fun that was!