JHID Portland Chic

I love the lifestyle focus in Portland, Oregon.  Yet, another example of sustainable design coming out of Portland is Jessica Helgerson Interior Design.  Okay, it doesn't necessarily fit into a Garden Blog, but I feel that her down-to-earth aesthetic puts her in that category.  She creates such airy and comfortable settings.  Check out her website here. 

Jessica's home kitchen using reclaimed material to create a rustic and warm space. 

Bright and airy and full of life rancher update.

Green Speedway

I found this picture in my travels.  Unbelievable green space and design. Unfortunately,  there is no other information about it.  Do you know where it is? Let me know.

Affordable Ethical Makeovers

Rosenbaum, a design company out of Brasil has been developing creative landscape solutions for low income homes.  Here's a quick before and after.  Check out there website too.

Enclosed Fire Pit

I'm really inspired by this fireplace design by Haugen & Zohar Architecture.  The purpose is to create an enclosed space for storytelling and fire.  The fire pit is in the centre and the inside perimeter is a benched area for seating.  It creates a beautiful light show in the evening outside of it as well.  Tiny gaps of space exist between the block wood building material, creating a scene like stars in the sky.  Big yard or small yard, I think this piece has a place.  Imagine sitting in this structure in the evening with friends enjoying dinner around a fire?  

MFO Park

This is the most unusual urban park.  Generally a park designer will install trees in circles of soil lined by areas of lawn. A non offensive use of space.  However, reaching beyond may reward you with some brilliant results.  The MFO Park was built in 2002 in Zurich, Switzerland and it has created its own interpretation of a park. Designed by Burckhardt + Partner AG and Raderchall Landschaftsarchitekten AG .  Think vertically when looking for their inspiration for this one.  It feels like you're entering a building.  What looks like scaffolding and guy wires creates the structure for this park. Climbing vines are grown up the wires creating walls and columns of green, replicating stands of trees.  Staircases are built into the design to create different vantage points and areas of contemplation.   Benches are placed throughout. I especially like that different vines were used to create different colours of bloom and foliage throughout the space, like virginia creeper and wisteria.

Charlotte Garden

Okay, I love this garden.  It was designed by the architecture firm of SLA.  Charlotte Garden is located in Copenhagen and was built in 2004. It was designed as an inspiration to an agricultural landscape. The curving lines and contours give the space an organic structure.    Outdoor rooms are created through soft walls of grasses and mass plantings.  Round wooden picnic tables make the area inclusive to visitors (who are primarily locals). Throughout the year Charlotte Garden plays to the senses. The grasses take on different colours throughout the year and create movement.  Even in the Snow covered landscapes of this Scandinavian region, this garden showcases something different, small retaining walls preserve the snow in it's beautiful agricultural shapes.  The grasses house the crystals of snow and the lighting creates a magical evening stroll.

spring

winter

community focussed garden

rooms created through mass of grasses

wooden round tables all season

Vancouver Public Library Rooftop Garden