OLANDER GARDEN DESIGN
outdoor living | design + inspiration
Visit the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden and Go Native
Two months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden, located in Claremont, CA. Plants I once considered 'ho hum' when I lived in Southern California, (in my defense, I didn't have my degree in horticulture yet) I now have a new...
Revolution Design House – Love What You Own
For the designers at Portland, OR based, Revolution Design House, the philosophy is simple, "Love what you own." I first became aware of Revolution Design House at the 2014 Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Their Belmont Lounge Chair played a feature role in the...
Santa Barbara’s Lotusland: A Horticultural Fantasy
I'd first heard of Lotusland in 1997 while still a student at UC Santa Barbara. A friend had recently come back from touring Lotusland for a photography class. She raved about the succulents, the cactus, the shell encrusted pools, the endless themed gardens...she...
Bryant Mid-Century Modern: Two Visions Become One
When a husband and wife have very different ideas about how they envision a garden... how do you tie it all together while still giving them everything they want? I recently had the opportunity to work on a landscape design for a wonderful couple who'd just purchased...
Succulents Seduce at the 2014 Northwest Flower and Garden Show
Year after year, I'm impressed by the horticultural extravaganza that is the Northwest Flower and Garden Show - the 2014 show was no different. Between the awe inspiring show gardens, the floral displays and vendor booths, it's exactly the jolt to my "garden battery"...
POT Inc: Inspired Container Design
I'm always on the look-out for inspiring contemporary design. This time, my hunt lead me to the marvelous work of design team, Todd Holloway and Teenah Monkman, of POT Incorporated. POT Inc. serves clients in and around the Vancouver, BC area - meaning their choice...
The Palm Room: Seattle’s Little Shop of Botanical Curiosities
Two weeks ago I had some friends from Southern California visiting. I wanted to give them what I consider a true Seattle experience, so we decided to explore Ballard. As we strolled down Ballard Ave NW we came upon a little shop of horticultural curiosities. The...
Sensuous Seating Found on a Vashon Island Garden Tour
Gardens are meant to be experienced. It's true this sometimes means appreciating from afar, but for me my most pleasurable and memorable moments in gardens have come when I've had the opportunity to stop, sit and take in the sights, sounds and smells - to truly be...
Jeffrey Bale Pebble Mosaics
The outer spirals of this design represent the full moons of the year and is made with green and black pebbles and iridescent glass marbles. Two nights ago I attended an NHS lecture by Jeffrey Bale, titled, "The Pleasure Garden". And what a pleasure it was! Audible...
Welded Wire Livestock Panels in the Garden
I love the idea of finding alternative uses for things. Livestock or utility panel fencing is one such example of this. Just as the name implies, livestock panel is traditionally used to fence in horses, cows, goats... It's made of thick, approximately 4 gauge,...
Driftwood Mounted Staghorn Ferns
Check out these gorgeous driftwood mounted staghorn (or elkhorn) ferns, Platycerium bifurcatum, created by Matti at Far Out Flora in San Francisco. They're modern, yet have a 70's vibe to them and can function as interesting wall art in the home. Try grouping a few...
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