landscape

Rock Spring Park

bluehousegardens Great Outdoors, Groundcover, Native Plant, Nature , , ,
New Cedar Growth
Redbud
Cryptomeria Cones
Fothergilla
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Several times a week I jog through Rock Spring Park, one of our wonderful green spaces here in Arlington. There’s always something to stop and admire, whether it be blooms, new green growth, ducks in the water, or someone’s adorable canine pal out for a walk. In addition to Arlington Parks & Rec, a lot of volunteers make sure the park stays healthy, and I appreciate them every time I go through. And if you have part-shade in your garden, you can be sure that anything thriving here in deer territory will do well at your house, too.

2018 Arlington Home Show & Garden Expo

bluehousegardens Garden Structure, Great Outdoors, Landscape Design, Landscape Lighting , ,

Photo of Arlington Garden Expo Garden

I had such a good time at the 2018 Arlington Home Show & Garden Expo yesterday. Thank you to Tony Weaver and Karen Olson Weaver for such a fun day together, to Design Distillery for the gorgeous Fermob furniture, and to everyone who stopped by to talk about their gardens. It was a great way to start the season and we look forward to working with some of the great homeowners we met. Happy Spring, everyone! (Here’s a guide to find these elements or get a similar look.)

Strolling Through The Ringling

bluehousegardens Flowers, Garden Structure, Landscape Design, Plants, Travel, Trees , , ,
Photo of Ringling Museum
The exterior of the Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida.

We had a superb visit to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida. It was a perfect day to enjoy the grounds. In the central museum courtyard are enormous terra cotta pots with bougainvillea as the only color spots- and nothing more is needed. Classic and simple, and I wanted to live there! Although if I did live there, I would add lemon trees. Then nothing more would be needed.

First Day of Spring

bluehousegardens Flowers, Great Outdoors ,

Photo of Forsythia in the Snow

Well, it’s the first day of spring, but that’s no guarantee of anything when it comes to the weather. Here in the DC area we’re enjoying a wonderful snow day, which means no school, hot chocolate, bootcamp in the snow, fellow exercisers pushing my car up a hill afterwards, working at home while looking out the window at sleds and snowballs- oh, and a trip to Livin’ the Pie Life so we can bring a Mile-High Pie to dinner next door. Here’s hoping for another slow day tomorrow!

Susanna Farm Nursery Visit

bluehousegardens Evergreen, Landscape Design, Trees , , , ,

Photo of landscape

If you’re looking for specimen trees, Susanna Farm Nursery is a great destination. It feels more like an arboretum than a trade nursery, and you can easily spend an hour or two strolling through the grounds. I was looking for some good-sized maples to use as accents in a client’s back garden, but I also came across some wonderful willow standards for another project. Well worth the trip for the beauty and inspiration and just a relaxing afternoon out.