Mel’s Musings

Divine Design

Design, General Philosophy

When someone asks me what I do, I tell them that I am a landscape designer.  I will very likely continue on to say that I have a landscape design, installation and maintenance business, because installation and maintenance are a huge part of what we do, but the emphasis is on design.  Clients and friends […]

A Blast from the Grass

Design, Garden Therapy Column

I don’t think I need to tell you again how much I love autumn, but it is my favorite time of year.  It always has been, even growing up in Louisiana when it meant going back to school (which I did not like!).   This year it was a bit of a tease as it seemed […]

More Shady Characters – Ferns

Design, Garden Therapy Column

Planting the perennial layer in the shade garden is the fun part since there are so many great plant choices and they don’t require such an effort to plant.  Also, if you happen to be working on hot day, you’ve got it made in the shade (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). I once took workshops […]

Shady Characters – Trees & Shrubs

Design, Garden Therapy Column

In February I wrote about some aspects of shade gardens and their creation, and promised to follow up with more thoughts and favorite woodland plants.  I got a little sidetracked last month with a trip to Mexico, but now I am back to work and thinking about some new projects with woodland areas. When I […]

Made in Shade – Getting Started

Design, Garden Therapy Column, General Philosophy

This winter I am working on designs for the upcoming season and attending seminars and lectures here and there (busy and happy).   A number of my upcoming projects involve shady areas, so I have been thinking about shade gardens a lot.  I also had the pleasure of hearing Ken Druse, one the shade garden gurus, […]

Balance – The Ongoing Struggle

Design, Garden Therapy Column, General Philosophy

Garden Therapy Column – September 2018 Balance is one of those “mushy” topics that can be tricky to discuss. It has very different colors in different contexts.  While it is pretty clear when trying to stay on the beam or wire, in other scenarios it can be much more subjective.  Struggling for a little balance […]

New Website – New Blog

Random Rant, Zone4 News

We Have  New Website! This is a brand new website; I am so excited!  When I started Zone4 in 2005 I was just coming out of a 25 year run in the software industry so being shy on resources and rich with time, I hand coded the website.  It was a lot of fun and […]