#GardenArt | Valentina Expressions

Garden For The Soul | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

07 May 2019 2 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #GardenArt, #GardenDecor, #GardenDesign, #GardenForTheKitchen, #GardenIllumination

In most American homes, usually one must enter the home through the garden. Some people like it beautiful, manicured and structured, some like it a bit natural, low maintenance and some like it made into vignettes (me). I adore going through gardens and find many elements of surprise and various sceneries. A well-designed garden is based on elements of designs or elements of architecture, then textures, forms, colors and clearly marked pathway.

Plants variety enhance the garden and make beautiful sceneries. Follow the rule of sizes for the best look, tall plants go in the back (wall, fence or island), they are the sentinels of the garden, short plants go in the front and then ground cover to finish.
It’s important to study the rotation of the sun around the house. The area with the most sun during the day takes plants that can stand full sun.
Use container planters and potted plants to move around and change the scene. Today, conserving water is of the utmost importance. Consider an easy maintenance xeriscape made of plants that are not temperamental and don’t need much of anything, only water, and seldom nutrients. I sing at my plants.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Corner Vegetation

Colors. Can we ever do anything without thinking of colors? Absolutely not. Have you ever noticed when driving on highways, traveling miles after miles, that the colors of trees change from light to dark, and from monochromatic to complementary colors? The change of colors assures a harmonious drive to avoids boredom and to keep the drivers attentive. Color schemes in the garden are just as important for a great composition of light and dark, soft and bold, cool and warm, they just add pleasure in our eyes.

Succulent making pink flowers when in bloom

Style of the garden – classic with symmetry or free form?
In a classic garden, it’s important to create symmetry. If you look at buildings in Italy, you will see a row of windows with a triangle pediment, and a row with arched windows. Then look down and will see two columns of the same size framing the entry of the building. In classic architecture, details are symmetrical to infuse peace in the eyes of the viewers. It is the same when creating a classic garden. The position and the cut of plants must be symmetrical. Curves are the details of a classically designed garden, which is usually an area with flower beds all around the curves to make us feel embraced. Most often in the center of a curvy area, there is a water source, a fountain, a pond with colorful fish, or a small pool.

Allied Art Round Area Garden

A free form garden is made of whatever you want, just don’t mix the styles. For example, in a Japanese style garden, there will be a small bridge, stone lanterns, maybe a Buddha, stones of different shapes, and some sandy area. In a fantasy garden, there might be fairies and gnomes, whimsical metal sculptures, funky statues and everything that strikes your fancy.

Garden Fairies

Plant an orchard. If space allows it, in between flowers, you might want to cultivate some of the food you eat. We know how effective color blocking is in fashion and in interiors, use the same method to create a color blocking for products in the same family, for instance, red and green romaine lettuce, purple and green cauliflowers, green and purple cabbage, yellow and multicolor corn. You get the idea.

My orchard with funky characters

Lighting – I can’t stress enough how important lighting is for the garden, mainly for security purpose and to beautify. The entry landing should be always well illuminated, that’s where we greet people, the light should feel welcoming. The light around bushes under windows will keep unwanted people away and pathways must be clearly defined. Led lights are the best solutions today – https://bit.ly/2LDa4zU.

Led Solar Light

Following these simple criteria will help to conceive a beautiful garden. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina is an Italian Interior Designer since 1990 designing for the USA and Europe’s markets. She loves to remodel homes and gardens. With her many years of experience, she is able to cover a wide range of design solutions. Often her clients ask to design the landscape concept complete with lighting to complement the interiors she restyles. She creates “exterior rooms” as she calls them and limits the garden design only to vignettes, no structural work. She offers design consultations online anywhere in the world through Skype and Zoom. Valentina is the author of four books available on
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Garden Art | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

20 Jun 2013 4 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #GardenArt, #GardenDesign, #GardenLighting, #MetalSculpture, #RecycledFurniture, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns

Sure this is true, as my found picture says (author unknown), but what else does one need besides books and a garden? Maybe wines.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Garden styles are various and personal. My personal style of garden is a bit rustic, not too manicured and a lot of whimsy. After I create the garden bone, I build around this structure often with recycled items. I find it very easy to create garden art re-using and repurposing items that already had a previous life. You would be surprised how an old bathtub or furniture, such as a unique coffee table, baby crib or an iron bed can be transformed into a beautiful piece of garden art. Just use your imagination and garden art can be almost anything.

Trellises or other walkways are ideal to create secluded area with a romantic atmosphere, or to divide a path from another scene; statues of cherubs and angels with fountains are perfect to recreate a classical style garden, bridges and lanterns for a Japanese style, just to name a few.

Specific plant will determine the style of your garden from tropical to nautical theme, or wildlife habitats.

Metal is not a strange material to include in garden art, it offers many possibilities for benches, arches and sculpture. I would suggest large pieces of metal sculptures, the small things get lost between the foliage. If the metal sculpture gets rusty, don’t worry it looks even better showing the patina of the time. For metal gazebos it might be better to use aluminum looking like old metal, it is less expensive and durable. Personally, I am not into simulations, I prefer the real things, metal must be metal, stone must be stone and wood must be wood. One last thing, have you thought of mirrors as garden art? Keep in mind not to place a mirror directly in the sun, it will catch fire and burn the house down, but placed anywhere in the shadow, under the eave and between heavy foliage will double the beautiful image of your garden.

Rust-Blue-Vignette

Have you thought of what you might see reflected in the mirror other than the opposite image of your garden? I saw myself as an Opera singer in costume warbling my voice out loud while putting flowers and leaves on my face as make-up. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

As a designer in business since 1990, I am interested in helping people designing their interior and exterior spaces to add that feeling of peace and relaxation everywhere.
Find copies of my three books on

Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

A Tango In The Garden | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

12 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #GardenArt, #GardenDesign, #HowToPrepareGardens, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #SpringGarden, #SpringPlanting

Lately, I have listened to the music of Miguel Del Aguila, a new exploration between contemporary classical chamber music and Latin popular folks styles, played mostly with a clarinet. His music has been my inspiration in creating a Valentine’s garden this year, where I want to find a new style of warm and descriptive passion of love through tropical plants, succulent plants and colorful flowers. To achieve that and to get colors that sing at me, I want to reproduce the colors of the Argentinean homes, colors put together without any rules. However, this is still February, days are short and in most places cold too, not much grows in this month, but if I want to enjoy flowers in a few months from now I must plant the kind of dancing beauty now in February. Planting beautiful flowers early allows more growth time for a healthy root system.
(Photo: La Boca Buenos Aires)

Sweet Alyssum can be planted in February in a sunny spot; this species likes not soggy soil, blooms in pink, purple and white. It is a fragrant flower.
Sweet Pea flowers are good to plant a month before the last frost date. Place a net over the seeds to protect them from birds and snails. They are very colorful and can be used for cutting to bring inside the home.
Marigold or Calendula is an annual plant, good to plant in February, but it will bloom in June and up to the next frost. It blooms in yellow, orange, apricot and cream.
Euphorbia, graceful curving stems with loads of tiny flowers blooms in February. Not all colors are available at the same time, consult with your nursery.
Gentiana, a long-lasting trumpet-shaped flowers with straight stems.

I like my February to be bursting in colors with tulips, narcissus, daffodils, crocus and freesia, therefore I made sure these bulbs were in the ground no later than November and now they really sing at me!

In warmer climate zones plant Strawflowers in the family of daisy flowers. They produce yellow, red, pink, orange or white flowers with papery petals. The cut flowers dry well and they do well in flower arrangements. Like petunia and verbena, Strawflower likes lots of sunlight, but protect them from any February frosts. These are flowers that grow and bloom profusely if planted in February, and they continue to look great until late May.

February is a time to do a variety of chores in the garden: harvest winter crops before they bolt; begin to divide perennials; plant bare root roses and fruit trees; continue planting cool season vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, onions.

I wanted to share some of the ideas I have for my Valentine’s garden, hopefully they will be good for your garden too, but whatever you choose to do, remember to add music in your garden as if you are directing an orchestra, do that by using colors freely and not in a structured palette. Music is one thing flowers and plants like very much. On the other hand, you can connect music speakers concealed in fake rocks made of resins, light weight, easy to carry and play that Tango music around your plants. They will reward you with beauty.

Miguel Del Aguila says “life without music would be an error”, I agree. After you plan a Valentine’s garden, take your love for a twirl of Tango. Happy Valentine’s day.

As the professional who is always ready, I shall be prompt and ready to help you with any of your needs, whether it will be decorating, designing, remodeling, or planning your outdoor rooms. Place your name in the box below, leave a comment and I will answer you in within 24 hours. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

Copyright © 2011 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is an interior designer, in business since 1990. She helps people realizing their dream spaces in homes, offices, interiors and exteriors.
She will guide clients in planning gardens with design concepts, selecting hardscapes, plants and accessories. No land assessment.
Check out her books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w