2023-01-30 21:40
A gentle reminder to stop and enjoy a cup of tea. It's important and this explains why:The Foolishness of Things Read More
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Serenity In The Garden Blog
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A blog about about garden design, flowers and plants.
2022-03-30 12:06
I wrote this post in my new substack 'Jan Johnsen's Gardentopia' - go here to read it and see the photos:https://janjohnsen.substack.com/p/music-for-the-eye?s=w Read More
2022-03-07 12:44
Life moves on and so do I. I am going from being a Blogger to a 'Substacker'!Please follow me there:Go to Jan Johnsen's Gardentopia and please subscribe. Every week I will post som… Read More
2021-07-03 14:31
Gaudi’s Curves The visionary Barcelona architect of the early 20th century, Antonio Gaudí, studied the spirals and curves of nature and utilized them in all his projects. … Read More
2021-06-03 13:23
Join me as we discuss a charming tale about a reclusive old man and a budding children's book author and how they bonded through a discovery of gardening.A lovely film that includes ga… Read More
2021-04-14 13:27
Montrose White Calamint from Rare RootsI wrote this post years ago and now, in 2021, Lesser Calamintha has been named 2021Perennial Plant of the Year... So here is my post on it a… Read More
2021-03-31 21:12
Last week I was interviewed by Christy Wilhelmi on her podcast for Gardenerd.She has a great website and says that Gardenerd is designed for people who have a healthy sense of humor abo… Read More
2021-03-15 19:39
My new book Floratopia is out!I am so happy to finally be able to share flower garden design ideas with everyone. I have been working with annual and perennial flowers in all my landscape pr… Read More
2021-03-07 21:45
"How do adults recapture that feeling of joy that children get from play?"This is what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wanted to know. He is a Croation-born professo… Read More
2021-03-07 15:26
Coreopsis loves hot sunny areas and lights up a garden - photo Jan JohnsenIn my part of the world, deer are rampant. Walking down the streets of my village, chomping on our plants like a fre… Read More
2020-06-08 17:29
ZOOM TALK -June 9 at 6 pm EST Sponsored by the Los Angeles Association of Professional Landscape Designers - Go here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gardentopia-with-jan-johnsen-tickets-1… Read More
2020-04-21 20:12
Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea - photo by Sandra Reed So you want to plant a native shrub that tolerates half shade (shade in afternoon), has big blooms in the summer&n&hell…Read More
2020-04-10 13:06
Now More than Ever - Lets Get Kids Gardening - When did we abandon the simple pleasures of growing carrots in milk cartons, planting hollyhocks along old fences or having fragrant lilac… Read More
2020-04-04 11:59
Just as a forest is connected by an underground fungal network, enabling individual trees to communicate with each other, and can warn each other of danger by releasing chemicals into the ai… Read More
2020-04-02 13:33
2020-03-21 12:55
On April 29, 2010 Anne Raver of the New York Times asked:"How does Tony Avent, the horticultural mythbuster, grow so many plants successfully in his garden? Rule No. 1: he uses the same… Read More
2020-03-19 11:17
In these times, I look to one of my favorite Shakespare passages. They say being outside is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy. This is so apt for these times - "Exempt… Read More
2020-03-18 14:26
During this time of Covid-19, we must cultivate outselves, our well being and our gardens. Plants can be a soothing balm for troubled times. This is modified from the Nation… Read More
2020-03-15 14:42
'Angel Wings' Variegated Solomon's Seal I was talking to someone in my town who had shade in their yard and deer problems..and I suggested Variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum o… Read More
2020-01-23 14:19
The “meadow planting” style of gardening that is so popular now includes plants from various German breeders. Of course you can plant the original native species to help our poll… Read More
2020-01-16 14:50
“The closer we live to the ground that we live from, the more we will know about our economic life; the more we know about our economic life, the more able we will be to take res… Read More
2019-12-25 16:42
Lamb's Ear One of my assignments to my graduate students in the landscape design program at Columbia University was to take a paragraph from the book, 'The Hidden Dimension' b… Read More
2019-11-24 23:14
Are you feeling a little down? depressed?Well here is a way to fix that - go out and plant something...Studies have found that an hour of gardening a day reduces the risk of heart… Read More
2019-10-23 12:08
Sanguisorba candensis - photo by Jan JohnsenDo you have a slightly wet piece of ground? American Burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis) is an under-appreciated native perennial plant that migh… Read More
2019-10-05 13:17
2019-10-01 00:05
I must admit I first discovered Drumstick Allium when I could not find any other allium bulb to buy...It was late fall and I had waited too long to buy the popular Globemaster… Read More
2019-08-09 01:29
Mexican Salvia - Vermilion Bluffs® Do you want Hummngbirds to live in your garden next year? Well, hummingbirds love red and they love salvia flowers. So next spring plant the… Read More
2019-08-04 20:29
"Many gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery that it is often made out to be.Some people find in it a kind of soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free… Read More
2019-08-02 12:31
I am thrilled to say that I was invited to be one of the 30 book authors signing books this evening in Sharon, CT for the benefit of the Hotchkiss Library there. Please join us ! Read More
2019-07-25 23:18
Sometimes I find something that makes me so happy - I just read this post which was written several years ago by Kurt Fromherz in his Natureworks blog - https://naturework.com/jan-johns… Read More
2019-07-21 13:44
I am sharing excerpts from my new garden design book, Gardentopia:The screen here (a deer fence) acts to 'hide' where the walk is leading. One of my landscapes - Jan JohnsenIf you want a sma… Read More
2019-07-12 22:26
Its 92 degrees outside. Sweltering. The air hangs like heavy drapes upon the landscape. There is no breeze. The garden quietly endures.So what can you do to lighten the oppressive atmosphere… Read More
2019-07-08 14:45
stone bench by Johnsen Landscapes & Pools In the summer, gardens in my part of the world, are a tangle of foliage, flowers and dense tree canopies.We know we should start cutting ba… Read More
2019-07-07 18:59
I must admit - I love Tardiva Hydrangea.Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' is a loose, carefree shrub that defines exuberance. It is one of the panicle hydrangeas that received a 2010 Cary… Read More
2019-07-06 13:45
This is the most popular blog post in Serenity in the Garden so I decided to re-post it...The wonderful Deer Resistant Blue Angelonia flower.(Angelonia with Helichrysum, petunia, Johnsen Lan… Read More
2019-07-05 14:02
The colors of Little Quick Fire flowers in the fallThe outstanding Quick Fire® Panicle Hydrangea can grow to be as high as seven feet tall...But what if you have a small outdoor space, s… Read More
2019-07-04 13:23
Love the earth and sun and the animals.Despise riches, give alms to every one that asks. Stand up for the stupid and crazy.Devote your income and labor to others...Re-examine all y… Read More
2019-07-04 11:25
Jewel tones are rich colors that resemble gemstones including emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red, topaz yellow, sapphire blue, tourmaline green, and turquoise blue.A jewel to… Read More
2019-07-03 11:25
Swami Radhananda, the director of Yasodhara Ashram in British Columbia, Canada, has sage advice for the overstressed denizens of the 21st century:“When you desire peace, visu… Read More
2019-07-02 12:18
photo courtesy of Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic LabThe Smoke Bush rules in June and July! I planted a red-purple leaved variety of Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria) in my small f… Read More
2019-06-30 14:49
garden by Jan JohnsenThe best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.~ George Bernard ShawBeing in a garden elevates us and inspires many of us...That is the why I write… Read More
2019-06-25 22:42
courtesy of Proven WinnersWhen the American Horticultural Society decided to create a large meadow at their headquarters, River Farm, in Virginia the first plant they seeded w… Read More
2019-06-13 11:59
Here's a tip: white flowers are a STAND OUT!Who would think that simple white flowers would be so remarkable?Amidst green foliage and gray skies white petalled flowers sparkle and… Read More
2019-06-08 01:11
NY Botanical Garden Groundbreakers photo by Ivo Vermeuelen“A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson The long-mal… Read More
2019-06-07 03:50
On June 8, 2019 the NY Botanical Garden will open their new exhibit dedicated to Roberto Burle Marx! I visited it this week in a preview and it is spectacular! You have to see it - #pl… Read More
2019-06-06 12:07
I am teaching a landscape design class today at the New York Botanical Garden. It is called Learning from Before & After I share photos and use them to teach landscape Design P… Read More
2019-05-30 02:41
BoscobelHeaven is home. Utopia is here. Nirvana is now. - Edward Abbey Read More
2019-05-29 12:17
Lucky white Lantana and butterfly - by Jan JohnsenHappiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you… Read More
2019-05-28 10:44
You can buy seeds for Ms Mars sunflowers from here . I love sunflowers. And the variety known as Ms. Mars (Helianthus annuus 'Ms Mars') has crazy merlot-colored petals that ra… Read More
2019-05-27 14:52
I echoed the pink color using sedum, begonias and hydrangeas - I also spread it around the bed - a few here and more there. Try it - spread it all around. Garden Design is part e… Read More
2019-05-25 12:15
It’s a sunny spring morning, the air is crisp and the sky is blue. I am reveling in the lovely green setting of my backyard garden and am entranced by the water drops glistening a… Read More
2019-04-21 18:40
Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor SpacesJan Johnsen. Countryman, $29.95 (288p) ISBN 978-1-68268-396-5Readers with even the slightest interest in beautifying an… Read More
2019-04-21 11:27
I am happy to say that I will be signing copies of my new book, Gardentopia, after a screening of the great film, Five Seasons - The Gardens of Piet Oudolf on Thursday April 25 a… Read More
2019-04-13 22:02
I adore Fothergilla gardenii Mt Airy. (wonderful photo of fothergilla leaf from Quercus Design blog) Fothergilla is native to the Appalachians, is deer resistant and sports fragrant, h… Read More
2019-04-06 17:26
This is tip #134 from my brand new book, Gardentopia- so happy to share with you.134. “MELLOW YELLOW” SPIREASpirea is considered a common shrub, but ‘Mellow Yellow’ s… Read More
2019-04-03 12:10
Spring has sprung! I am happy to announce the publication of my new book Gardentopia- Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces.Publishers Weekly just released its wonderful review… Read More
2019-03-27 04:05
What blooms earlier than forsythia, has a delicate fragrance and is an easy-to-care for compact delight ? That is also hardy to USDA Zones 6-9 and native to Japan and Taiwan?Phot… Read More
2019-03-06 22:25
Turn Your Thumbs & Your Backyards Green With This Book From A Gardening Expert Read More
2019-03-06 22:10
My backyard dry stream - Jan JohnsenIf small is beautiful then....smaller must be more beautiful.At least that is what I tell myself as I survey my postage stamp of a backyard. I remind myse… Read More
2019-03-04 22:58
Trees emanate a palpable energy. Stop next to a tree, be quiet, and you can feel it.In my book, Heaven is a Garden, I have a chapter titled, 'Calling on the Trees'. It touches upon the unsun… Read More
2019-02-28 23:18
In 2013 the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) announced its "Plant of the Centenary" - the best plant introduced at the Chelsea Flower Show in the UK in the last hundred years (1… Read More
2019-02-26 20:00
Time to try some luscious flowers in a pot or in the garden....here are some for your consideration:PEONY 'SORBET' (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sorbet’)The unusual pink and white 5-7" do… Read More
2018-10-22 20:08
rose hips photo by Jan Johnsen Allow your roses to form hips. Did you know that, like many plants that produce fruit, the formation of rose hips is a signal to the rose to go… Read More
2018-09-30 19:03
'Blue Paradise' Little Bluestem courtesy of Proven Winners Deep wine purple fall color.When the American Horticultural Society decided to create a large meadow at their headquarters, Ri… Read More
2018-09-28 11:17
Check out 'Ideas for a Fall Garden' on gardendesign.com. I share some ideas I have used in my landscape projects. Please click on the article name above for some great end-of… Read More
2018-09-14 03:10
Imagine if there were no street names, no names of places, no identification of any kind...our world would be very difficult to navigate. A name is essential - it gives form, meaning, and cr… Read More
2018-09-11 15:29
Do you want to be immortalized? Just have someone name a fabulous plant after you. Honorine Jobert was a very lucky lady because this flowering Japanese hybrid anemone - Anemone x… Read More
2018-09-09 17:45
Lady's Mantle is a dew catcherThis is the time of 'White Dew on the Grass' in JapanSept 8 - 12Microseason 43: 白露 Hakuro (White dew) Now is when you notice w… Read More
2018-07-18 13:02
(Jan Johnsen - angelonia, vinca and dusty miller) Annual flowers - those that bloom all summer into late fall then give it up for good - are the secret to a joyful and colorful… Read More
2018-07-17 11:02
FireMarshallBeeBalmGeneralBeebalm is a favorite for the perennial border, with a striking display of richly-colored flowers through the summer months. 'Fire Marshall' Bee Balm (Monarda)… Read More
2018-07-16 12:02
The infographic below illustrates some current garden design ideas. It helps to have some visual inspiration. You can spruce up with lights or add an Indian fire pit . This i… Read More
2018-07-15 23:06
The following is an excerpt from a post on the blog, Creative Countryside. The post is Solitude, Spontaneity and Sanity written by Sarah Hardman."Give yourself a bit of breathing… Read More
2018-06-27 13:03
Peter Sellers in 'Being There' One of my favorite movies is "Being There," a 1979 film starring Peter Sellers. It was directed by Hal Ashby, adapted from a novella by Jerzy Ko… Read More
2018-06-23 12:18
Hakonechloa, catmint, perennial salviaThe design of the landscape is all encompassing. It includes urban spaces, civic squares, meeting areas, parks, gardens, linear nature corridors, w… Read More
2018-06-16 11:32
Red Obelisk European BeechRed Obelisk European Beech is a 2015 Cary Award winner and for good reason:it is a narrow, columnar tree with wavy, lustrous, burgundy-black foliage all spring… Read More
2018-06-13 10:33
Chris Hansen 'Chick Charms' Sedum in his gardenSunSparkler™ SedumsIf you have a hot, dry garden and want almost 2 months of vibrant color then try Chris Hansen's collection of&nbs&hell…Read More
2018-06-10 13:48
For hummingbirds plant something RED. 'Major Wheeler' honeysuckle is a selection of a native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler') that produces a blanket of tubular… Read More
2018-06-02 11:50
Pink Perfume LilacLilacs are classic spring-flowering shrubs. Their reliable blooms and sweet fragrance make them a favorite plant and associated with the best of spring.sweet fragrant… Read More
2018-05-17 16:54
O sweet spontaneousby: e.e. cummings (1894-1962) O sweet spontaneousearth how often havethedoting fingers ofprurient philosophers pinchedandpokedthee, has the naughty t… Read More
2018-05-03 23:29
I took this photo at NY Botanical Garden - wow The Tradition of HanamiWhen I lived in Kyoto, Japan I was lucky to see Hanami in action. In Japan, the seasonal bloom… Read More
2018-04-10 10:42
From the garden book, Heaven is a GardenWe all love to sit in a protected corner looking out to a view. This is why people seek out the proverbial “table in the corner&rdqu&hell…Read More
2018-04-08 14:26
I adore Fothergilla gardenii Mt Airy. (wonderful photo of fothergilla leaf from Quercus Design blog)Fothergilla is native to the Appalachians, is deer resistant and… Read More
2018-04-02 16:26
Ivory Silk Tree Lilac in landscape - Johnsen Landscapes & Pools photo- Jan JohnsenYears ago I moved to Northern Vermont (Montpelier) and worked as a landscape designer for a d… Read More
2018-03-21 11:21
Amsonia Blue Ice by Monrovia NurseriesThe Blue Star perennial family - Amsonia tabernaemontana -has a hybrid cousin, Amsonia 'Blue Ice' that is an amazingly vigoro… Read More
2018-03-18 14:08
Winter is the time to get your garden tools in shape... hand tools such as shovels, picks, trowels, loppers, etc. should be cleaned, sharpened and well oiled.Steel wool can clean off any rus… Read More
2018-03-15 02:24
"The world is moving into a phase when landscape design may well be recognized as the most comprehensive of the arts." Geoffrey Jellicoe, 'The Landscape of Man: Shaping the E… Read More
2018-03-13 11:26
What blooms earlier than forsythia, has a delicate fragrance and is an easy-to-care for compact delight ? That is also hardy to USDA Zones 6-9 and native to Japan and Taiwan?Phot… Read More
2018-03-11 12:24
'Serenity in the Garden' is my way to gladden someone's day and to share my wonder at people' s creativity and Nature's beauty. Here are a few garden marvels:photo by Jan Johnsen I work… Read More
2018-03-10 20:05
The best homemade plant labels come from aluminum soda cans.from Greylustergirl blogThey are inexpensive, durable, attractive and fun to make. And in the garden their reflective qualities ac… Read More
2018-03-04 12:58
Palladio wrote in his Four Books of Architecture:What contributes also to the convenience is that the rooms for summer be ample, spacious and turned to the north; and those for th… Read More
2018-02-24 15:12
Worm tubes from National Gardening Association Want to know a great way to enhance biological activity in your garden? Think of it as adding probiotics to your soil....Wo… Read More
2018-02-21 02:43
Electric Blue Gecko Elephant EarsWant to create a bold statement in your garden this summer? Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) sport large, colorful leaves and give your garden a… Read More
2018-02-18 16:59
never use hot wood ash.... Now that winter is coming to a close you can utilize a valuable soil amendment from your fireplace: Wood ashes.They are rich in Potash which “sweetens&r&hell…Read More
2018-02-16 13:07
from Debs GardenWhat is evergeen, deer resistant, thrives in shade, has flowers and comes back every year?You could answer Andromeda (Pieris) - but it doesn't really like shade.Perhaps… Read More
2018-02-14 13:16
Longhouse Reserve - Easthampton, NY - a great place to visitValentines’ Day is synonymous with RED - red roses, red hearts and red carnations.Red, the hottest of the warm col… Read More
2018-02-09 12:50
What blooms earlier than forsythia, has a delicate fragrance and is an easy-to-care for compact delight ? That is also hardy to USDA Zones 6-9 and native to Japan and Taiwan?Phot… Read More
2018-02-08 11:45
“In Hindi, seed is bija or ‘containment of life." Vandana ShivaAh, so true.... One of the most alarming films I have seen in a long time is Seed the Untold Story. … Read More
2018-02-07 18:01
Plants are always talking - you just have to take the time to listen. Eeyore is very wise.They peek their heads out and say, 'Hey look at me!'They hang over the edge of a planter and look up… Read More
2018-02-04 19:03
This is from Proven Winners Read More
2018-02-02 14:27
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