Friday, March 7, 2014

 "I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you"
 - Frank Lloyd Wright

In 1945, a rural tract was purchased by a cooperative of young couples from New York City, looking to flee to the suburbs.  They were able to enlist Frank Lloyd Wright to build his “Broadacre City concept.”  Usonia Homes is a planned community in Pleasantville, N.Y. Wright designed three of these homes himself and approved of the other 44, which were designed by several architects that were either protégés, heavily influenced by him or apprentices --  Paul Schweikher, Theodore Dixon Bower, Ulrich Franzen, Kaneji Domoto, Aaron Resnick and David Henken. Fifty Usonian-style houses, with much variety within the common theme, are spread around 100 acres of woodland, with common land and facilities shared as a cooperative. 
The layout of the neighborhood was planned by Wright in a circular manner, which preserved most of the original trees and "encouraging the flow of the land". The balance of the homes were designed to be in the modern, organic style ordained by Wright. 
Benjamin Henken house 1949**

“The Usonian houses would relate directly to nature, emerging from the earth, as it were, unimpeded by a foundation, front porch, downspouts, protruding chimney, or distracting shrubbery.  Surrounded by ample space, they should open up to the elements in contrast to traditional, white colonial boxes arbitrarily punctured with a scatter of windows and doors.  The materials of the Usonian house were to be recognized as natures own: wood, stone, or baked clay in the form of bricks, and glass curtain walls, clerestories, and casement windows sheltered under overhanging soffits. Aesthetically as well as structurally, the Usonian House was meant to introduce a new, modern standard of form following function in home building.”1 
These houses attempted to produce a well-designed, low-cost dwelling that average Americans could buy. The original assumtion were that these house would sell at $5,000, rather like many construction projects, they went over budget and cost about $10,000 each.
“His aim was to develop a truly American, and or as he later renamed Usonian, way of life which was not an imitation of European counterparts to foster creation. He was not entirely against the facets of the existing city, such as the skyscraper, but shunned the notion of large masses of them interspersed by the concrete jungle. Rather, he anticipated fewer of such structures within a open, beautifully landscaped terrain. There was a time when centralization was necessary, but with electrification, mechanical mobilization, and organic architecture there is no longer any difference between a few blocks and a few miles.” 2
Reisley house**

“The simple nature of these homes, dedicated by Wright to the citizens of the United States, represented a reverence to organic life centering around individuality and family life. The homes gave the individual a freedom from others, especially since the 761 dwellings in Broadacre City were spatially placed in the models four square miles. This distanciation of homes in the model city gave it a very low population density. But, the distance between the citizens was bridged by modern technology, namely, the growth of a system of telecommunications (i.e. the telephone) and the prevalence of the automobile. As telephone lines connected people communicatively, the highway (via the automobile) connected people spatially. Another important feature of Broadacre City is Wrights zoning of different institutions in conjunction with "activity and function". For example, the "Community Center" comprised Broadacre Citys entertainment facilities ranging from art to athletics. Also of importance was the social gathering space that consisted of a public arena, a public announcement structure, a religious building, and various other institutions that brought the people of city together to share common experiences.”3
Friedman house**

The common area to Usonia and a few of these residential woodland landscapes, most notably the Reisley house were designed by A.E. Bye. “An advocate of the natural over the formal since the 1950s, Mr. Bye was one of the first to promote the use of native plant materials and the restoration of native woodlands even as other well-known practitioners were installing vast, flat-plane lawns in their translations of corporate modernism into minimalist landscapes.”4

1. Rosenbaum, Alvin. Usonia: Frank Lloyd Wrights Design for America
2. Frank Lloyd Wright: His Life and Work 
3 -Zygas, K. Paul, ed. Frank Lloyd Wright: The Phoenix Papers.
4. -N.Y.Tmes/Obits
**images from Modernism magazine

USONIA

Posted by Bugel on 11:45 PM No comments

 "I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you"
 - Frank Lloyd Wright

In 1945, a rural tract was purchased by a cooperative of young couples from New York City, looking to flee to the suburbs.  They were able to enlist Frank Lloyd Wright to build his “Broadacre City concept.”  Usonia Homes is a planned community in Pleasantville, N.Y. Wright designed three of these homes himself and approved of the other 44, which were designed by several architects that were either protégés, heavily influenced by him or apprentices --  Paul Schweikher, Theodore Dixon Bower, Ulrich Franzen, Kaneji Domoto, Aaron Resnick and David Henken. Fifty Usonian-style houses, with much variety within the common theme, are spread around 100 acres of woodland, with common land and facilities shared as a cooperative. 
The layout of the neighborhood was planned by Wright in a circular manner, which preserved most of the original trees and "encouraging the flow of the land". The balance of the homes were designed to be in the modern, organic style ordained by Wright. 
Benjamin Henken house 1949**

“The Usonian houses would relate directly to nature, emerging from the earth, as it were, unimpeded by a foundation, front porch, downspouts, protruding chimney, or distracting shrubbery.  Surrounded by ample space, they should open up to the elements in contrast to traditional, white colonial boxes arbitrarily punctured with a scatter of windows and doors.  The materials of the Usonian house were to be recognized as natures own: wood, stone, or baked clay in the form of bricks, and glass curtain walls, clerestories, and casement windows sheltered under overhanging soffits. Aesthetically as well as structurally, the Usonian House was meant to introduce a new, modern standard of form following function in home building.”1 
These houses attempted to produce a well-designed, low-cost dwelling that average Americans could buy. The original assumtion were that these house would sell at $5,000, rather like many construction projects, they went over budget and cost about $10,000 each.
“His aim was to develop a truly American, and or as he later renamed Usonian, way of life which was not an imitation of European counterparts to foster creation. He was not entirely against the facets of the existing city, such as the skyscraper, but shunned the notion of large masses of them interspersed by the concrete jungle. Rather, he anticipated fewer of such structures within a open, beautifully landscaped terrain. There was a time when centralization was necessary, but with electrification, mechanical mobilization, and organic architecture there is no longer any difference between a few blocks and a few miles.” 2
Reisley house**

“The simple nature of these homes, dedicated by Wright to the citizens of the United States, represented a reverence to organic life centering around individuality and family life. The homes gave the individual a freedom from others, especially since the 761 dwellings in Broadacre City were spatially placed in the models four square miles. This distanciation of homes in the model city gave it a very low population density. But, the distance between the citizens was bridged by modern technology, namely, the growth of a system of telecommunications (i.e. the telephone) and the prevalence of the automobile. As telephone lines connected people communicatively, the highway (via the automobile) connected people spatially. Another important feature of Broadacre City is Wrights zoning of different institutions in conjunction with "activity and function". For example, the "Community Center" comprised Broadacre Citys entertainment facilities ranging from art to athletics. Also of importance was the social gathering space that consisted of a public arena, a public announcement structure, a religious building, and various other institutions that brought the people of city together to share common experiences.”3
Friedman house**

The common area to Usonia and a few of these residential woodland landscapes, most notably the Reisley house were designed by A.E. Bye. “An advocate of the natural over the formal since the 1950s, Mr. Bye was one of the first to promote the use of native plant materials and the restoration of native woodlands even as other well-known practitioners were installing vast, flat-plane lawns in their translations of corporate modernism into minimalist landscapes.”4

1. Rosenbaum, Alvin. Usonia: Frank Lloyd Wrights Design for America
2. Frank Lloyd Wright: His Life and Work 
3 -Zygas, K. Paul, ed. Frank Lloyd Wright: The Phoenix Papers.
4. -N.Y.Tmes/Obits
**images from Modernism magazine

Rhamnus

A genus of 125 species of trees and shrub that are part of the larger family called Rhamnaceae that includes many more plants. Rhamnus are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and are also native to South Africa, eastern Africa and Brazil.
Most prefer full sun to partial shade on any reasonably fertile soil.
Buckthorns to not like root disturbance and should be transplanted while very small.
Propagation is from sowing ripened seed in autumn, or layering.
Deciduous species can also be reproduced from softwood cuttings taken during early summer. Evergreen species can be reproduced from half hardened cuttings taken during summer.

Rhamnus alaternus ( Italian Buckthorn )
A fast growing, thornless, upright, open, evergreen shrub to small tree, native to the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Some records include: 2 years - 8 feet; 20 years - 20 x 17 feet; largest on record - 47 x 27 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.3 feet.
Tolerant of shearing, it makes an excellent tall hedge or screen.
The finely-toothed leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches in size.
The leathery foliage is glossy deep green.
The small yellowish-green flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during late spring
They are followed by berries during late summer, that are green, ripening to red then black.
The stems are reddish-brown.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 in sun or partial shade on very well drained soil. Italian Buckthorn likes calcium in the soil and hates soils that are poorly drained where root rot may occur. The Italian Buckthorn thrives especially well on the west coast in the U.S. This very tough plant is very tolerant of drought, salt air and pollution.

John Edwards
Very fast growing, longer lived and dieback resistant. The foliage is glossy bright green.

Variegata
Also called Argenteo-Variegata. The very attractive, oval leathery foliage has a gray-green center with a wide white margin.
It is fast growing and bushy.

Rhamnus alnifolia
Native to North America, it reaches up to 4 feet with ovate to elliptical leaves, up to 4 inches in length.
Hardy north to zone 2

Rhamnus alpinus
A deciduous shrub, reaching a maximum height of 13 feet, that is native from Spain to Greece.
The finely toothed leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches.
The tiny bright green flowers, borne during late spring, are followed by red drupes.
The stems do NOT have thorns.
Hardy zones 6 to 9

Rhamnus betulifolia ( Birchleaf Buckthorn )
A deciduous large shrub to small tree, native to moist canyons in the western U.S from southern Nevada to southwest Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas; south into central Mexico. It is very similar to Rhamnus caroliniana.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 25 x 45 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot.
The elliptic leaves, are up to 6 x 1.6 inches in size.
The foliage is
The flowers borne in clusters, during
They are followed by
Hardy zones

Rhamnus californica ( Coffeeberry )
An attractive moderate growing, upright evergreen shrub native to southern Oregon, California, southern Nevada, central & southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 30 x 40 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot.
The finely toothed, elliptical to oval leaves, are up to 5 x 2 inches in size.
The foliage is reddish at first, turning to glossy green.
The bright greenish-yellow unisex flowers borne late spring into early summer.
They are followed by round berries that are red ripening to black.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 tolerating as low as 0 F

Ed Holm
Attractive shrub reaching maximum size of 6 x 15 feet. Glossy mid green foliage.

Eve Case
Attractive shrub reaching maximum size of 5.5 x 7 feet bearing tasty fruit.
Hardy to as low as -7 F

Mound San Bruno
Attractive shrub reaching maximum size of 6 x 15 feet.

Rhamnus caroliniana ( Carolina Buckthorn )
A strong branched, medium size tardily deciduous tree native to eastern North America from central Missouri to northeast Indiana to southwest Virginia; south to central Texas to central Florida. It is not common in the cultivation or in the wild where it is found in moist deciduous forests and river bottomlands.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 3 feet; largest on record - 50 x 20 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.3 feet.
The almost smooth edged, taper pointed, elliptical leaves, are up to 7 x 2 inches in size.
The strongly veined, handsome foliage is glossy deep green, turning striking golden-yellow and orange during autumn.
The greenish-white flowers borne in clusters, during mid spring.
They are followed by persistant, attractive, glossy red, later turning to black fruits, up to 0.4 inches. The flesh is dryer than that of Rhamnus purschiana. This is among the very few Rhamnus species with edible berries.
The slender gray twigs have pale lenticels and yellow-brown buds.
The smooth bark is ashy gray. Very old trees may have slightly furrowed bark.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in sun or shade and is heat tolerant. It transplants poorly and is best grown from seed.

Rhamnus cathartica ( Common Buckthorn )
A thorny deciduous large shrub to small tree native to temperate regions of Eurasia as well as northern Africa. Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 4 feet; 10 years - ; largest on record - 61 x 65 feet with a trunk diameter of 2.5 feet. It may form dense thickets and in parts of North America is considered invasive.
The finely toothed oval to rounded leaves, are up to 3 x 2.5 inches in size.
The foliage is glossy mid green above, furry light green beneath; turning yellow in late autumn to early winter. The leaves appear very early in spring.
The small unisex flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during late spring.
They are followed in autumn with fleshy berries, up to 0.5 inches, that are red, ripening to black and persisting into winter.
The bark on young stems is dark with white lenticels, on older stems dark gray, rough, scaly and ridged. Some trees may have scaly orange-brown bark.
Hardy zones 2 to 7, it is tolerant of both flooding and drought as well as alkaline soil.

* photo taken on August 3 2010 @ University of Guelph Arboretum, Ontario


* photo taken on August 5 2010 in Clinton, Ontario



* photos taken on Aug 4 2013 in Bayfield, Ontario

* video found on Youtube


Rhamnus crocea ( Redberry )
A moderate growing, spreading evergreen large shrub to small tree that is native to all California, the Baja Peninsula, New Mexico and northwest Mexico.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 2 feet; largest on record - 30 x 45 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.5 feet.
The slightly tooth-edge, elliptic leaves, are up to 2.5 inches in length.
The foliage is glossy green.
The flowers are borne in small clusters.
They are followed by red fruit. This is among the very few species with edible berries.
The twigs are often thorny.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 tolerating as low as 0 F, requiring average rainfall between 22 & 50 inches.

Rhamnus dahurica ( Dahurian Buckthorn )
A fast growing, small deciduous tree native to temperate eastern Asia and Japan.
Some records include: largest on record - 35 feet
The leathery, gray-green leaves, are up to 6 x 2 inches in size.
The foliage is
The greenish-cream flowers borne during late spring.
They are followed by red berries.
The stout twigs are spiny.
Hardy zones 2 to 7

Rhamnus fallax ( Carniolian Buckthorn )
An evergreen shrub reaching a maximum height of 10 feet, that is native from southern Europe to the Middle East.
The tooth edged leaves, are up to 6 x 3.7 inches in size.
The foliage is gray-green.
The flowers are borne during late summer.
Hardy zones 6 to 10

Rhamnus frangula ( Alder Buckthorn )
A broadly spreading deciduous small tree to around 20 feet, that is native from Europe into western Russia, as well as northern Africa. It has escaped into the wild in the northeast U.S. and southern Canada and is invasive in some areas, especially moist woodlands.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 3 feet; 20 years - 27 x 17 feet; largest on record - 40 x 25 feet with a trunk diameter of 3 feet.
The smooth edged, oval to obovate leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches in size.
The foliage is glossy deep green above, hairy light green beneath; turning to red in autumn.
The small, greenish, unisex flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during late spring. The flowers attract Honey Bees.
They are followed by fleshy berries, up to 0.5 inches, that are red ripening to black.
The gray bark is smooth with shallow, pale, vertical cracks.
Hardy zones 2 to 7 tolerating as low as -50 F in sun or shade. Young trees should be pruned to a single leader and feathered ( shortening and spacing branches ). Alder Buckthorn can be thinned and cut back hard during early spring. Deer resistant.

Asplenifolia
Reaching up to 15 x 12 feet, sometimes more, with fine textured, threadlike foliage.

Columnaris
Vigorous, tall and narrow; it is great for hedging. Some records include: 10 years - 13 x 4 feet; largest on record - 23 x 6.5 feet.

Fineline
A moderate growing, narrow, upright, columnar shrub, reaching up to 15 x 5 ( rarely over 11 x 4 ) feet, that combines the upright habit of Columnaris with the feathery foliage of Asplenifolia. It makes an excellent architectural plants, great for framing enterences and even for patio planters. It also makes a great narrow screen for townhouses and urban lots.
The finely dissected foliage is deep green, turning to brilliant orange-yellow during autumn. It produces very few fruits and is not invasive.
Hardy zones 2 to 7, tolerating as low as -50 F.

Latifolia
Very rare, native to the Azores. It is less cold hardy ( zone 7 est. ) but has much larger leaves, up to 5 x 3 inches.

Rhamnus glandulosa
Reaches up to 33 feet.
Leaves, up to 3 inches in length.

Rhamnus imeretina
A very attractive, spreading, deciduous shrub, reaching a maximum size of 12 x 15 feet, that is native to the Black Sea region.
The oblong leaves, are up to 14 x 6 inches in size.
The strongly veined foliage is dull green above, felted light green beneath, turning to bronze-purple in autumn.
The greenish unisex flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during summer.
They are followed by fruit that ripens to black.
Hardy zones 5 to 9. Shade tolerant.

Rhamnus infectoria ( Avignon Berry )
A dense handsome shrub reaching a maximum size of 15 x 15 feet, that is native from southern Europe to Iran.
The deciduous leaves are up to 1.5 x 0.7 inches in size.
Hardy north to zone 7

Rhamnus leptophylla ( Narrow Leaved Buckthorn )
A small tree native to China.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 34 x 32 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.6 feet.

Rhamnus prionoides ( South African Dogwood )
A handsome, very dense, spineless, medium size, evergreen tree native to mountains of tropical Africa and those of eastern South Africa. The roots are not aggressive to it can be used in confined areas.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 33 x 15 feet.
The leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches in size.
The strongly veined, leathery foliage is very glossy deep green above, light olive green beneath.
The small creamy flowers borne in the leaf axils clusters, spring into early summer.
They are followed by small red berries that ripen to black.
Hardy zones 9 to 11.

Rhamnus pumila
A beautiful groundhugging deciduous shrub native to mountains of Europe.
It has excellent potential as groundcover, especially on commercial sites.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 5 feet
The finely toothed, elliptic to rounded leaves, are up to 2.3 inches in length.
The fruits, up to 0.3 inches, are black.

Rhamnus purshiana ( Cascara )
An open, medium size, deciduous tree that is native to western North America from British Columbia;south to northern California to central Idaho & western Montana.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 2 feet; 10 years - ; largest on record - 70 x 60 feet with a trunk diameter of 3 feet; longest lived - 60+ years.
The finely toothed, broadly-elliptical leaves, are up to 8 x 3 inches in size.
The foliage is very glossy green.
The tiny yellow-green flowers borne in small axilliary clusters, during late spring.
They are followed by black fruits, up to 0.6 inches.
The smooth bark is gray-brown, with creamy colored stripes. The wood is heavy, weighing around 37 pounds per square foot.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 requiring 40+ inches of yearly average precipitation.
It grows in sun or shade and prefers moist soil. Thrives in the British Isles.
Propagation is from semi-ripe cuttings or seed.

* excellent video found on Youtube

Rhamnus saxatilis
A very twiggy, deciduous shrub, reaching a maximum height of 8 feet, that is native to central and southern Europe.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record -
The toothed ovate leaves, are up to 2 inches in length.
The foliage is medium green.
The flowers are creamy-white.
They are followed by drupes that are red turning to black.
The side shoots are often tipped in spines.
Hardy zones

Rhamnus utilis
A deciduous large shrub to small tree, reaching a maximum height of 27 feet, that is native to China.
The tooth-edged, ovate leaves, are up to 6 x 3 inches in size.
The foliage is glossy deep green above, bright yellow-green beneath.
The flowers are yellowish-green, and are followed by a black berry.
Hardy zones 6 to 9

Buckthorn

Posted by Bugel on 4:45 PM No comments

Rhamnus

A genus of 125 species of trees and shrub that are part of the larger family called Rhamnaceae that includes many more plants. Rhamnus are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and are also native to South Africa, eastern Africa and Brazil.
Most prefer full sun to partial shade on any reasonably fertile soil.
Buckthorns to not like root disturbance and should be transplanted while very small.
Propagation is from sowing ripened seed in autumn, or layering.
Deciduous species can also be reproduced from softwood cuttings taken during early summer. Evergreen species can be reproduced from half hardened cuttings taken during summer.

Rhamnus alaternus ( Italian Buckthorn )
A fast growing, thornless, upright, open, evergreen shrub to small tree, native to the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Some records include: 2 years - 8 feet; 20 years - 20 x 17 feet; largest on record - 47 x 27 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.3 feet.
Tolerant of shearing, it makes an excellent tall hedge or screen.
The finely-toothed leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches in size.
The leathery foliage is glossy deep green.
The small yellowish-green flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during late spring
They are followed by berries during late summer, that are green, ripening to red then black.
The stems are reddish-brown.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 in sun or partial shade on very well drained soil. Italian Buckthorn likes calcium in the soil and hates soils that are poorly drained where root rot may occur. The Italian Buckthorn thrives especially well on the west coast in the U.S. This very tough plant is very tolerant of drought, salt air and pollution.

John Edwards
Very fast growing, longer lived and dieback resistant. The foliage is glossy bright green.

Variegata
Also called Argenteo-Variegata. The very attractive, oval leathery foliage has a gray-green center with a wide white margin.
It is fast growing and bushy.

Rhamnus alnifolia
Native to North America, it reaches up to 4 feet with ovate to elliptical leaves, up to 4 inches in length.
Hardy north to zone 2

Rhamnus alpinus
A deciduous shrub, reaching a maximum height of 13 feet, that is native from Spain to Greece.
The finely toothed leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches.
The tiny bright green flowers, borne during late spring, are followed by red drupes.
The stems do NOT have thorns.
Hardy zones 6 to 9

Rhamnus betulifolia ( Birchleaf Buckthorn )
A deciduous large shrub to small tree, native to moist canyons in the western U.S from southern Nevada to southwest Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas; south into central Mexico. It is very similar to Rhamnus caroliniana.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 25 x 45 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot.
The elliptic leaves, are up to 6 x 1.6 inches in size.
The foliage is
The flowers borne in clusters, during
They are followed by
Hardy zones

Rhamnus californica ( Coffeeberry )
An attractive moderate growing, upright evergreen shrub native to southern Oregon, California, southern Nevada, central & southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 30 x 40 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot.
The finely toothed, elliptical to oval leaves, are up to 5 x 2 inches in size.
The foliage is reddish at first, turning to glossy green.
The bright greenish-yellow unisex flowers borne late spring into early summer.
They are followed by round berries that are red ripening to black.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 tolerating as low as 0 F

Ed Holm
Attractive shrub reaching maximum size of 6 x 15 feet. Glossy mid green foliage.

Eve Case
Attractive shrub reaching maximum size of 5.5 x 7 feet bearing tasty fruit.
Hardy to as low as -7 F

Mound San Bruno
Attractive shrub reaching maximum size of 6 x 15 feet.

Rhamnus caroliniana ( Carolina Buckthorn )
A strong branched, medium size tardily deciduous tree native to eastern North America from central Missouri to northeast Indiana to southwest Virginia; south to central Texas to central Florida. It is not common in the cultivation or in the wild where it is found in moist deciduous forests and river bottomlands.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 3 feet; largest on record - 50 x 20 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.3 feet.
The almost smooth edged, taper pointed, elliptical leaves, are up to 7 x 2 inches in size.
The strongly veined, handsome foliage is glossy deep green, turning striking golden-yellow and orange during autumn.
The greenish-white flowers borne in clusters, during mid spring.
They are followed by persistant, attractive, glossy red, later turning to black fruits, up to 0.4 inches. The flesh is dryer than that of Rhamnus purschiana. This is among the very few Rhamnus species with edible berries.
The slender gray twigs have pale lenticels and yellow-brown buds.
The smooth bark is ashy gray. Very old trees may have slightly furrowed bark.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in sun or shade and is heat tolerant. It transplants poorly and is best grown from seed.

Rhamnus cathartica ( Common Buckthorn )
A thorny deciduous large shrub to small tree native to temperate regions of Eurasia as well as northern Africa. Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 4 feet; 10 years - ; largest on record - 61 x 65 feet with a trunk diameter of 2.5 feet. It may form dense thickets and in parts of North America is considered invasive.
The finely toothed oval to rounded leaves, are up to 3 x 2.5 inches in size.
The foliage is glossy mid green above, furry light green beneath; turning yellow in late autumn to early winter. The leaves appear very early in spring.
The small unisex flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during late spring.
They are followed in autumn with fleshy berries, up to 0.5 inches, that are red, ripening to black and persisting into winter.
The bark on young stems is dark with white lenticels, on older stems dark gray, rough, scaly and ridged. Some trees may have scaly orange-brown bark.
Hardy zones 2 to 7, it is tolerant of both flooding and drought as well as alkaline soil.

* photo taken on August 3 2010 @ University of Guelph Arboretum, Ontario


* photo taken on August 5 2010 in Clinton, Ontario



* photos taken on Aug 4 2013 in Bayfield, Ontario

* video found on Youtube


Rhamnus crocea ( Redberry )
A moderate growing, spreading evergreen large shrub to small tree that is native to all California, the Baja Peninsula, New Mexico and northwest Mexico.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 2 feet; largest on record - 30 x 45 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.5 feet.
The slightly tooth-edge, elliptic leaves, are up to 2.5 inches in length.
The foliage is glossy green.
The flowers are borne in small clusters.
They are followed by red fruit. This is among the very few species with edible berries.
The twigs are often thorny.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 tolerating as low as 0 F, requiring average rainfall between 22 & 50 inches.

Rhamnus dahurica ( Dahurian Buckthorn )
A fast growing, small deciduous tree native to temperate eastern Asia and Japan.
Some records include: largest on record - 35 feet
The leathery, gray-green leaves, are up to 6 x 2 inches in size.
The foliage is
The greenish-cream flowers borne during late spring.
They are followed by red berries.
The stout twigs are spiny.
Hardy zones 2 to 7

Rhamnus fallax ( Carniolian Buckthorn )
An evergreen shrub reaching a maximum height of 10 feet, that is native from southern Europe to the Middle East.
The tooth edged leaves, are up to 6 x 3.7 inches in size.
The foliage is gray-green.
The flowers are borne during late summer.
Hardy zones 6 to 10

Rhamnus frangula ( Alder Buckthorn )
A broadly spreading deciduous small tree to around 20 feet, that is native from Europe into western Russia, as well as northern Africa. It has escaped into the wild in the northeast U.S. and southern Canada and is invasive in some areas, especially moist woodlands.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 3 feet; 20 years - 27 x 17 feet; largest on record - 40 x 25 feet with a trunk diameter of 3 feet.
The smooth edged, oval to obovate leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches in size.
The foliage is glossy deep green above, hairy light green beneath; turning to red in autumn.
The small, greenish, unisex flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during late spring. The flowers attract Honey Bees.
They are followed by fleshy berries, up to 0.5 inches, that are red ripening to black.
The gray bark is smooth with shallow, pale, vertical cracks.
Hardy zones 2 to 7 tolerating as low as -50 F in sun or shade. Young trees should be pruned to a single leader and feathered ( shortening and spacing branches ). Alder Buckthorn can be thinned and cut back hard during early spring. Deer resistant.

Asplenifolia
Reaching up to 15 x 12 feet, sometimes more, with fine textured, threadlike foliage.

Columnaris
Vigorous, tall and narrow; it is great for hedging. Some records include: 10 years - 13 x 4 feet; largest on record - 23 x 6.5 feet.

Fineline
A moderate growing, narrow, upright, columnar shrub, reaching up to 15 x 5 ( rarely over 11 x 4 ) feet, that combines the upright habit of Columnaris with the feathery foliage of Asplenifolia. It makes an excellent architectural plants, great for framing enterences and even for patio planters. It also makes a great narrow screen for townhouses and urban lots.
The finely dissected foliage is deep green, turning to brilliant orange-yellow during autumn. It produces very few fruits and is not invasive.
Hardy zones 2 to 7, tolerating as low as -50 F.

Latifolia
Very rare, native to the Azores. It is less cold hardy ( zone 7 est. ) but has much larger leaves, up to 5 x 3 inches.

Rhamnus glandulosa
Reaches up to 33 feet.
Leaves, up to 3 inches in length.

Rhamnus imeretina
A very attractive, spreading, deciduous shrub, reaching a maximum size of 12 x 15 feet, that is native to the Black Sea region.
The oblong leaves, are up to 14 x 6 inches in size.
The strongly veined foliage is dull green above, felted light green beneath, turning to bronze-purple in autumn.
The greenish unisex flowers borne in axilliary clusters, during summer.
They are followed by fruit that ripens to black.
Hardy zones 5 to 9. Shade tolerant.

Rhamnus infectoria ( Avignon Berry )
A dense handsome shrub reaching a maximum size of 15 x 15 feet, that is native from southern Europe to Iran.
The deciduous leaves are up to 1.5 x 0.7 inches in size.
Hardy north to zone 7

Rhamnus leptophylla ( Narrow Leaved Buckthorn )
A small tree native to China.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 34 x 32 feet with a trunk diameter of 1.6 feet.

Rhamnus prionoides ( South African Dogwood )
A handsome, very dense, spineless, medium size, evergreen tree native to mountains of tropical Africa and those of eastern South Africa. The roots are not aggressive to it can be used in confined areas.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 33 x 15 feet.
The leaves, are up to 4 x 2 inches in size.
The strongly veined, leathery foliage is very glossy deep green above, light olive green beneath.
The small creamy flowers borne in the leaf axils clusters, spring into early summer.
They are followed by small red berries that ripen to black.
Hardy zones 9 to 11.

Rhamnus pumila
A beautiful groundhugging deciduous shrub native to mountains of Europe.
It has excellent potential as groundcover, especially on commercial sites.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record - 5 feet
The finely toothed, elliptic to rounded leaves, are up to 2.3 inches in length.
The fruits, up to 0.3 inches, are black.

Rhamnus purshiana ( Cascara )
An open, medium size, deciduous tree that is native to western North America from British Columbia;south to northern California to central Idaho & western Montana.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 2 feet; 10 years - ; largest on record - 70 x 60 feet with a trunk diameter of 3 feet; longest lived - 60+ years.
The finely toothed, broadly-elliptical leaves, are up to 8 x 3 inches in size.
The foliage is very glossy green.
The tiny yellow-green flowers borne in small axilliary clusters, during late spring.
They are followed by black fruits, up to 0.6 inches.
The smooth bark is gray-brown, with creamy colored stripes. The wood is heavy, weighing around 37 pounds per square foot.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 requiring 40+ inches of yearly average precipitation.
It grows in sun or shade and prefers moist soil. Thrives in the British Isles.
Propagation is from semi-ripe cuttings or seed.

* excellent video found on Youtube

Rhamnus saxatilis
A very twiggy, deciduous shrub, reaching a maximum height of 8 feet, that is native to central and southern Europe.
Some records include: 10 years - ; largest on record -
The toothed ovate leaves, are up to 2 inches in length.
The foliage is medium green.
The flowers are creamy-white.
They are followed by drupes that are red turning to black.
The side shoots are often tipped in spines.
Hardy zones

Rhamnus utilis
A deciduous large shrub to small tree, reaching a maximum height of 27 feet, that is native to China.
The tooth-edged, ovate leaves, are up to 6 x 3 inches in size.
The foliage is glossy deep green above, bright yellow-green beneath.
The flowers are yellowish-green, and are followed by a black berry.
Hardy zones 6 to 9

Garden Designers Are So Far more Than Straightforward Gardeners
Garden designers are really much more when compared with simple home gardeners. Why? Properly, lets take a look at what the typical gardener really does first, after which well evaluate it from what a designer are able to do. The difference ought to be enough in order to convince anyone, and anybody else, that getting a garden designer really does seem sensible.

simple garden designs




A novel reader can be compared more to a person who knows plants and flowers effectively. They can recognize what a garden soil needs whether or not this should be deficient something. Theyre able to tell the way to resuscitate a diminishing lawn, and they also probably will use a pretty good understanding of how a back garden should be organized for ease and the way they look, as well as what exactly is best for the things which grow right now there.

Some home gardeners may be far more expert when compared with that, nevertheless by and large that is your common gardener. An artist can usually proceed much additional. They require a more alternative view of the backyard. The custom will start having a garden review taking every facet of the garden under consideration before trying the planning period. Nothing will end up out along with everything will be presented full focus.

A designer can be someone who totally understands that the garden functions. They will have in mind the kind of vegetation that prosper best in the spot they operate in. They will additionally know that plants and flowers do not work well in your town. This alone could help you save a lot of time and cash.

The planning of the garden consists of using any kind of key panorama elements on their best benefit. It will have a look at water water drainage, overall garden soil condition, parts of light and also shade, just about any micro-climates that need guarding or modifying, and much more. Excellent garden designers will include almost everything possible inside the assessment as well as planning phase to ensure the most beneficial outcome.

There are numerous skills an artist needs to have that the gardener normally does not need to have got. A designer must be an receptive listener. Once you hire one particular you want them to rework your garden in the dream idea that you have. When they can listen to what you need and mood it in what can happen, speaking about the best way forward each and every stage, then your designer is performing a good task.

simple garden designs pictures

The initial evaluation of the back garden will reveal precisely what is possible and whats best for a garden. If your suggestions can be noticed without any issues, then the preparing stage will come next. The following the artist has to placed your ideas on paper. A strategy is picked, tweaked as well as modified, and soon you, the client, is pleased with the consequence.

The developer then should know which in turn kinds of flowers and plants you would like to possess and exactly where. This information may need to be modified a bit according to what will work most effectively for your back garden. The artist will cater to your needs as much as possible, yet be directed by virtually any advice presented.

simple garden designs small garden


Buying abilities is a good attribute for a developer to have. Which means they know where youll get the best offers and indeed, the very best plants. This could save you lots of money and ensure how the plants you have are the best in each and every way. Which means that you will end up using the garden you have always wanted, because garden designers are very much more compared to simple home gardeners.

images garden designs small gardens

simple garden designs

Posted by Bugel on 9:30 AM No comments

Garden Designers Are So Far more Than Straightforward Gardeners
Garden designers are really much more when compared with simple home gardeners. Why? Properly, lets take a look at what the typical gardener really does first, after which well evaluate it from what a designer are able to do. The difference ought to be enough in order to convince anyone, and anybody else, that getting a garden designer really does seem sensible.

simple garden designs




A novel reader can be compared more to a person who knows plants and flowers effectively. They can recognize what a garden soil needs whether or not this should be deficient something. Theyre able to tell the way to resuscitate a diminishing lawn, and they also probably will use a pretty good understanding of how a back garden should be organized for ease and the way they look, as well as what exactly is best for the things which grow right now there.

Some home gardeners may be far more expert when compared with that, nevertheless by and large that is your common gardener. An artist can usually proceed much additional. They require a more alternative view of the backyard. The custom will start having a garden review taking every facet of the garden under consideration before trying the planning period. Nothing will end up out along with everything will be presented full focus.

A designer can be someone who totally understands that the garden functions. They will have in mind the kind of vegetation that prosper best in the spot they operate in. They will additionally know that plants and flowers do not work well in your town. This alone could help you save a lot of time and cash.

The planning of the garden consists of using any kind of key panorama elements on their best benefit. It will have a look at water water drainage, overall garden soil condition, parts of light and also shade, just about any micro-climates that need guarding or modifying, and much more. Excellent garden designers will include almost everything possible inside the assessment as well as planning phase to ensure the most beneficial outcome.

There are numerous skills an artist needs to have that the gardener normally does not need to have got. A designer must be an receptive listener. Once you hire one particular you want them to rework your garden in the dream idea that you have. When they can listen to what you need and mood it in what can happen, speaking about the best way forward each and every stage, then your designer is performing a good task.

simple garden designs pictures

The initial evaluation of the back garden will reveal precisely what is possible and whats best for a garden. If your suggestions can be noticed without any issues, then the preparing stage will come next. The following the artist has to placed your ideas on paper. A strategy is picked, tweaked as well as modified, and soon you, the client, is pleased with the consequence.

The developer then should know which in turn kinds of flowers and plants you would like to possess and exactly where. This information may need to be modified a bit according to what will work most effectively for your back garden. The artist will cater to your needs as much as possible, yet be directed by virtually any advice presented.

simple garden designs small garden


Buying abilities is a good attribute for a developer to have. Which means they know where youll get the best offers and indeed, the very best plants. This could save you lots of money and ensure how the plants you have are the best in each and every way. Which means that you will end up using the garden you have always wanted, because garden designers are very much more compared to simple home gardeners.

images garden designs small gardens

Why mastering this high maintenance style will make you a better gardener.


The British perennial border has been out of vogue in the last decade. Cast off as high-maintenance relic of old estates, the perennial border has never really found a place in the American landscape. Our yards are too small. And so many of the great British examples have full time garden staff to take care of them. But the final blow to the perennial border has been dealt by bold visionaries like Piet Oudolf ( the Dutch “New Perennial Garden”), Oehme, van Sweden (“New American Garden”), Dan Hinkley, Beth Chatto, and many others who have busted perennials out of the border and spilled them into the larger landscape. This new aesthetic eschews high maintenance dead-heading, watering, and transplanting required by a perennial border and instead embraces plants’ natural forms, patterns, and ecological succession.

I consider myself a devotee of this new approach to herbaceous planting. I even wrote a series about getting beyond the perennial border. But this past spring I have had a revelation: the old-fashioned, high maintenance, not-particularly-American perennial border matters. Not only does it matter, but mastering the perennial border will dramatically improve your skills as a gardener and designer. This is particularly valuable for all you naturalistic and native gardeners. Let me tell you why.

Sissinghurst
My wife and I began a garden in a new house last summer. We bought a rather generic-looking midcentury ranch house and decided that the best way to make the house look better was to drape it in gardens (distraction is our only hope). We planted a perennial border in our sunny side yard. The idea to plant a perennial border was not so much because we love the look; instead, it was more a strategy to deal with my obsessive plant collecting. Quite frankly, I needed a place in the yard that could absorb my manic garden energy. What better than a fussy, British-style perennial border? Other parts of the garden will be more intentionally serene and restrained, but the sunny border is meant to be an over-the-top riot of color and texture.

So when I started last year, I approached designing the border the way I do with larger landscape plantings: I selected a bunch of voluminous, ground-covering, filler perennials. While filler perennials—that is, vigorous perennials that spread quickly and “fill-in” the ground—work well in larger landscape settings, the end result of my border was a rather soft, hazy blob. It was like looking through a blurry camera—there was nothing sharp or distinct to give the garden focus. In larger landscapes, big masses of filler perennials create contrast and variety from the sheer scale of the massing. But in this smaller border, it was monotonous.

Frustrated by my initial attempt, I decided I needed to expand my education. I’ve arranged perennials for years, but I’ve never really studied a British-style border. How do they get pop week after week? I knew exactly the source to turn to: Christopher Lloyd.


The late British plantsman Christopher Lloyd is the undisputed king of the mixed border. His garden at Great Dixter, including his iconic Long Border now expertly maintained by Fergus Garrett, continues to be one of the most colorful, whimsical, and delightful moments in any garden in the world. The Long Border is a horticultural masterpiece. It is one of the most influential and innovative stretches of planting on the planet. Lloyd rocked the traditional border with his brash arrangements of color and his complex layering of bulbs, perennials, shrubs, annuals, and tropicals. Lloyd and Garrett were fervid experimenters, but they placed every success they had into the Long Border. Garrett described the process as “pure innovation.” He said, “Everything was considered, and if it didn’t work, it was changed.” The Long Border is the magnum opus of succession planting. Succession planting was Lloyd’s technique of layering plants with one wave of color after the next. The border changes almost daily, but that change is choreographed so that there is never a down moment in the garden.

After my miserable first year, I knew I needed to focus on plant succession. But it wasn’t until I read Lloyd’s Succession Planting for Year-Round Pleasure that I realized how complex and brilliant this technique is.

Lloyd and Garrett are master mixologists. No one in the world is as skilled in integrating plants of different reproductive cycles—bulbs, self-sowers, woody perennials, herbaceous perennials, and shrubs—and weaving them together into a glorious tapestry. Mixing tulips, for example, among various perennials is incredibly tricky. Their leaves can easily smother newly emerging perennials. But Lloyd and Garrett understood exactly what perennials can co-exist with hundreds of tulips. They rely heavily on temporary fillers such as annuals like the Queen-Anne’s Lace look alike, Ammi majus, to carry down moments between certain perennials. They understand what plants are year-round anchors (Cynara cardunculus), what plants provide a sweeping moment of color (Poppies), what plants are dramatic punctuations (Verbascums), what plants carry the border for long stretches (Persicaria orientalis), and what self-seeding plants knit it all together (Verbena bonariensis).

Suddenly, I began to think about plant composition differently. Before, I always understood one plant as inhabiting one place. But this new succession approach meant that multiple plants can inhabit the same space; they just emerge at different times. Some plants last, while others disappear entirely.

And then it hit me: this is exactly the way plants grow in nature. The great irony is that this absurdly artificial, fabulously fabricated border style more closely resembles the way plants compete in nature than my supposedly naturalistic style of planting. Lloyd’s border approach does not treat plants as fixed objects, but rather ephemeral moments in time. To do succession planting well, one must be intimately familiar with the plant’s reproductive strategies. The timing of when a plant flowers has everything to do with how the plant reproduces itself in a competitive environment. And I can’t imagine a more competitive environment than Lloyd’s border. While the end result of the Long Border is entirely artificial (non-stop bloom), the means to achieving that goal rely on understanding the plant ecologically through time.

Of course, the perennial border itself has limited applications. But the principles used to arrange plants successionally have endless applications, particularly for designers and gardeners interested in naturalistic and native plantings. It requires you to think of your plant not just in its moment of glory, but the way it changes week by week. It requires you to understand how to mix plants of different competitive strategies into a harmonious whole. Creating a border is the most intellectually challenging task a gardener could ever master.

Want to stretch yourself as a gardener or designer? Designing a border is the planting design equivalent of training for a triathlon. It is the purest distillation of all the principles of planting design. Whether your garden style is modern or old-fashioned, whether you like perennials or are more comfortable with shrubs and annuals, learning to understand how a plant emerges and blooms within a complex community of plants is among the most valuable planting skills you will ever have. Master the border, and you will be a master.

To learn more about succession planting, check out any of Christopher Lloyd’s excellent books.

Why the Perennial Border Matters

Posted by Bugel on 2:15 AM No comments

Why mastering this high maintenance style will make you a better gardener.


The British perennial border has been out of vogue in the last decade. Cast off as high-maintenance relic of old estates, the perennial border has never really found a place in the American landscape. Our yards are too small. And so many of the great British examples have full time garden staff to take care of them. But the final blow to the perennial border has been dealt by bold visionaries like Piet Oudolf ( the Dutch “New Perennial Garden”), Oehme, van Sweden (“New American Garden”), Dan Hinkley, Beth Chatto, and many others who have busted perennials out of the border and spilled them into the larger landscape. This new aesthetic eschews high maintenance dead-heading, watering, and transplanting required by a perennial border and instead embraces plants’ natural forms, patterns, and ecological succession.

I consider myself a devotee of this new approach to herbaceous planting. I even wrote a series about getting beyond the perennial border. But this past spring I have had a revelation: the old-fashioned, high maintenance, not-particularly-American perennial border matters. Not only does it matter, but mastering the perennial border will dramatically improve your skills as a gardener and designer. This is particularly valuable for all you naturalistic and native gardeners. Let me tell you why.

Sissinghurst
My wife and I began a garden in a new house last summer. We bought a rather generic-looking midcentury ranch house and decided that the best way to make the house look better was to drape it in gardens (distraction is our only hope). We planted a perennial border in our sunny side yard. The idea to plant a perennial border was not so much because we love the look; instead, it was more a strategy to deal with my obsessive plant collecting. Quite frankly, I needed a place in the yard that could absorb my manic garden energy. What better than a fussy, British-style perennial border? Other parts of the garden will be more intentionally serene and restrained, but the sunny border is meant to be an over-the-top riot of color and texture.

So when I started last year, I approached designing the border the way I do with larger landscape plantings: I selected a bunch of voluminous, ground-covering, filler perennials. While filler perennials—that is, vigorous perennials that spread quickly and “fill-in” the ground—work well in larger landscape settings, the end result of my border was a rather soft, hazy blob. It was like looking through a blurry camera—there was nothing sharp or distinct to give the garden focus. In larger landscapes, big masses of filler perennials create contrast and variety from the sheer scale of the massing. But in this smaller border, it was monotonous.

Frustrated by my initial attempt, I decided I needed to expand my education. I’ve arranged perennials for years, but I’ve never really studied a British-style border. How do they get pop week after week? I knew exactly the source to turn to: Christopher Lloyd.


The late British plantsman Christopher Lloyd is the undisputed king of the mixed border. His garden at Great Dixter, including his iconic Long Border now expertly maintained by Fergus Garrett, continues to be one of the most colorful, whimsical, and delightful moments in any garden in the world. The Long Border is a horticultural masterpiece. It is one of the most influential and innovative stretches of planting on the planet. Lloyd rocked the traditional border with his brash arrangements of color and his complex layering of bulbs, perennials, shrubs, annuals, and tropicals. Lloyd and Garrett were fervid experimenters, but they placed every success they had into the Long Border. Garrett described the process as “pure innovation.” He said, “Everything was considered, and if it didn’t work, it was changed.” The Long Border is the magnum opus of succession planting. Succession planting was Lloyd’s technique of layering plants with one wave of color after the next. The border changes almost daily, but that change is choreographed so that there is never a down moment in the garden.

After my miserable first year, I knew I needed to focus on plant succession. But it wasn’t until I read Lloyd’s Succession Planting for Year-Round Pleasure that I realized how complex and brilliant this technique is.

Lloyd and Garrett are master mixologists. No one in the world is as skilled in integrating plants of different reproductive cycles—bulbs, self-sowers, woody perennials, herbaceous perennials, and shrubs—and weaving them together into a glorious tapestry. Mixing tulips, for example, among various perennials is incredibly tricky. Their leaves can easily smother newly emerging perennials. But Lloyd and Garrett understood exactly what perennials can co-exist with hundreds of tulips. They rely heavily on temporary fillers such as annuals like the Queen-Anne’s Lace look alike, Ammi majus, to carry down moments between certain perennials. They understand what plants are year-round anchors (Cynara cardunculus), what plants provide a sweeping moment of color (Poppies), what plants are dramatic punctuations (Verbascums), what plants carry the border for long stretches (Persicaria orientalis), and what self-seeding plants knit it all together (Verbena bonariensis).

Suddenly, I began to think about plant composition differently. Before, I always understood one plant as inhabiting one place. But this new succession approach meant that multiple plants can inhabit the same space; they just emerge at different times. Some plants last, while others disappear entirely.

And then it hit me: this is exactly the way plants grow in nature. The great irony is that this absurdly artificial, fabulously fabricated border style more closely resembles the way plants compete in nature than my supposedly naturalistic style of planting. Lloyd’s border approach does not treat plants as fixed objects, but rather ephemeral moments in time. To do succession planting well, one must be intimately familiar with the plant’s reproductive strategies. The timing of when a plant flowers has everything to do with how the plant reproduces itself in a competitive environment. And I can’t imagine a more competitive environment than Lloyd’s border. While the end result of the Long Border is entirely artificial (non-stop bloom), the means to achieving that goal rely on understanding the plant ecologically through time.

Of course, the perennial border itself has limited applications. But the principles used to arrange plants successionally have endless applications, particularly for designers and gardeners interested in naturalistic and native plantings. It requires you to think of your plant not just in its moment of glory, but the way it changes week by week. It requires you to understand how to mix plants of different competitive strategies into a harmonious whole. Creating a border is the most intellectually challenging task a gardener could ever master.

Want to stretch yourself as a gardener or designer? Designing a border is the planting design equivalent of training for a triathlon. It is the purest distillation of all the principles of planting design. Whether your garden style is modern or old-fashioned, whether you like perennials or are more comfortable with shrubs and annuals, learning to understand how a plant emerges and blooms within a complex community of plants is among the most valuable planting skills you will ever have. Master the border, and you will be a master.

To learn more about succession planting, check out any of Christopher Lloyd’s excellent books.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

So while doing my daily research, some call it do-diligence, on the latest fire pit news, I came across an article from the Elmhurst (Illinois) Patch on how the suburbs should "Ban All Fire Pits!"

What??!?! Is the author guy of this article crazy, or just perhaps ill-informed? True, WOOD burning fire pits emit noxious fumes and smoke that is damaging not only to your lungs and your neighbors lungs, but wood burning is also, bad for the environment, shoots out flaming embers and can pose a safety hazard if not monitored correctly, but to suggest a COMPLETE ban on all fire pits is a bit excessive.

How about option? In fact, the author DID suggest in one line to install a "install a non-polluting gas fire pit" which was the best thing he could have written in the article. But instead of offering up some safer and cleaner suggestions, the author suggested a full outright ban on fire pits.



Well, I will just have to jump in here and say this, natural gas and propane fueled fire pits are the solution! Gas fueled fire pits are safer for the environment, you can control the flame height, you can turn them on and off with the flick of a switch, they do not shoot harmful smoke and embers into the air and they are safer overall.

So instead of a complete ban on fire pits, when you get the inkling to fire up your natural instincts and play with fire, why not install a custom gas burning fire pit in your backyard or patio entertainment space? Your neighbors wont even notice unless they are peering over the fence, or if they are lucky enough to be invited to join in your celebration around the fire; no harmful smoke, no embers, no campfire smell invading neighboring homes and airspace, just a nice clean burning, easy to control fire pit.

Also, Warming Trends Crossfire Burning system achieves twice the flame height of conventional fire rings systems while burning half the fuel. Now thats thinking GREEN, as in safe for the environment AND saving you money.

So when you are ready to install a safe non-wood burning fire pit in your backyard, come check us out.

Certain Cities in the Mid West Want a Complete Ban on Fire Pits

Posted by Bugel on 8:06 PM No comments

So while doing my daily research, some call it do-diligence, on the latest fire pit news, I came across an article from the Elmhurst (Illinois) Patch on how the suburbs should "Ban All Fire Pits!"

What??!?! Is the author guy of this article crazy, or just perhaps ill-informed? True, WOOD burning fire pits emit noxious fumes and smoke that is damaging not only to your lungs and your neighbors lungs, but wood burning is also, bad for the environment, shoots out flaming embers and can pose a safety hazard if not monitored correctly, but to suggest a COMPLETE ban on all fire pits is a bit excessive.

How about option? In fact, the author DID suggest in one line to install a "install a non-polluting gas fire pit" which was the best thing he could have written in the article. But instead of offering up some safer and cleaner suggestions, the author suggested a full outright ban on fire pits.



Well, I will just have to jump in here and say this, natural gas and propane fueled fire pits are the solution! Gas fueled fire pits are safer for the environment, you can control the flame height, you can turn them on and off with the flick of a switch, they do not shoot harmful smoke and embers into the air and they are safer overall.

So instead of a complete ban on fire pits, when you get the inkling to fire up your natural instincts and play with fire, why not install a custom gas burning fire pit in your backyard or patio entertainment space? Your neighbors wont even notice unless they are peering over the fence, or if they are lucky enough to be invited to join in your celebration around the fire; no harmful smoke, no embers, no campfire smell invading neighboring homes and airspace, just a nice clean burning, easy to control fire pit.

Also, Warming Trends Crossfire Burning system achieves twice the flame height of conventional fire rings systems while burning half the fuel. Now thats thinking GREEN, as in safe for the environment AND saving you money.

So when you are ready to install a safe non-wood burning fire pit in your backyard, come check us out.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)