Monday, October 26, 2009

Style trend: Junipers?

Lately I have been noticing that in the world of popular drought tolerant plants, there is one genus that teeters on the edge of popularity but hasn't quite made it back into style yet. In the debate, I am on the side pushing to bring back the juniper.

Junipers have a reputation: dated. They remind us of gardens that have been neglected since the 1960's. Hollywood Twisted Junipers, especially popular in the 60's, grow very large in their old age, and are by far the plant I remove from gardens the most often.

I think that they are about to see a huge rise in popularity and here is why: They are drought tolerant and they are green. Really green. Green-green in a way that most drought tolerant plants are not.

A few other reasons to recommend them:
They are so easy to grow. In fact, this is why I think they have such a bad reputation. They are still here from the 60's! While many garden plants have long since kicked the bucket, these just keep on growing.
They come in a huge variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. They do not all have to be the huge shrubs we remember. Plenty are only 12"-18" tall, and many others are compact groundcovers.

So here is to rooting for the junipers! The one shown above is Juniperus scandia (18 tall). Below is Juniperus 'Old Gold' (3'), Juniperus 'Blue Chip' (8"), Juniperus 'Armstrongii' (40"), and Juniperus 'Arcadia (24").




Giveaway winner!

The winner of our first ever giveaway is Angela! Congratulations!

Angela- You don't have to do anything, a rep from All Modern will contact you by email.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Our first ever giveaway!

With help from the folks at All Modern, we are hosting our first ever Kate Presents Giveaway! All Modern has a great selection of contemporary furniture and accessories. If you find it a little tough to navigate straight to their modern outdoor section, try clicking here and it will take you straight there. I love that the prices are shown clearly on each piece, so you don't have to wait days for a sales rep to get back to you.

Our giveaway item is this fabulous stainless steel watering can. I love how its clean lines blur the barrier between beauty and functionality. Want it for your very own? Here is what you do:
1.
To Enter This Giveaway, leave a comment on this post

2. Only one entry per person, please

3. Only Continental U.S. Residents are eligible to enter

4. A winner will be randomly chosen on 10-23-09, using www.random.org and will be announced on the blog on 10-26-09.

Thats' it! The more entries the better so please feel free to tell all your friends to try for it as well!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Follow-up on Buddleia's

Thanks to Jeremy for his comment on my last buddleia post. This Buddleia is absolutely amazing- when can we get it here?!

This is Buddleia 'Bicolor', a new two-toned flower in lavender and orange. Does anyone know where to get it locally? Here is where he found it, a British website. If we have any nursery professionals on here, please leave a comment and I'll post it, or if anyone has seen it at a southern California nursery, please do the same.

Got a xeriscape plant you think we should all know about? Post a comment and I'll highlight the plant.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Seeking: designer to share studio space

I have a goregous new studio space on 25th Street in Golden Hill in the 830MXD building. I am looking to share my 350 sq.ft. space with another designer. The rent will be $375 a month, furnished with a "L" shaped desk suitable for a workstation or drafting. The office has it's own bathroom and kitchenette and a small balcony. It is available Dec 1.

If you don't know the building, 830MXD is the brainchild of architects Mike Burnett and Craig Abinella. The mixed use building houses an architecture firm (theirs), a cafe and wine bar called Counterpoint (to open this month), an artist, a graphic designer, a non-profit, live-work spaces and a few apartments. It has recently received quite a bit of press as a key step in the redevelopment of the Golden Hill area.

Please give me a call at 619-618-6410 if you think you might be interested in the space!