Floating Plants

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Photo by Francesca @Gardenista

I've picked up on a big trend happening, especially in restaurants... flying plants!  Including those at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and at terrain at Styer's.

Laureen Barber, an owner of the sustainable-food mecca, Blue Hill, created the floating masterpieces from Rhododendron 'English Roseum,' Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Lace Leaf Maple (Acer palmatum dissectum), Weigela florida 'Wine & Roses,' Smoke Bush (Cotinus obovatus), and Showy Medinilla (Medinilla magnifica).

And if you havent been to Blue Hill it's worth the trip.  "The main dining room occupies a former dairy barn on the Rockefeller estate, part of a complex of Norman-style farm buildings built in the 1920s. The original barn structures coexist with new architectural elements, framing views of the 80-acre working farm and creating a backdrop to the restaurant’s idyllic Hudson Valley setting."
 

terrain at Styer's
Photo by Whisk and Quill

terrain at Styers, located in Glen Mills, PA,"celebrates the cycle of the seasons and the bounty of the land. Executive Chef Keith Rudolf takes pride in crafting menus from the seasonal harvest of farmers we know and trust."

terrain breaks barriers in design and lead the way with their floating plants in their cafe!

Love them or hate them?

terrain at Styer's

 

Spring has Sprung at terrain

Air Plants in these glass terrariums were everywhere

A Table set with natural and found objects

An overflowing old washbasin

Even the bathroom is awesome!

Spring is popping up all over the place, in our gardens and at terrain at Styers!

Visit terrain in Glen Mills, PA or online. 

@KatieGMG Garden Media Group

Design Sponge Book Party

A couple of weeks ago I was thrilled to attend the Design*Sponge cocktail/book party at the amazing  terrain at Styer's with my GMG pal Karen.

If you're not familiar with Design*Sponge, it's the most popular design blog on the web. It was created in 2004 by Brooklyn-based writer Grace Bonney (pictured here). She recently published her first book, Design Sponge at Home, and was at terrain on her promotional book tour. 

For anyone interested in DIY design, this is the book for you! It features over 400 pages of DIY projects with detailed instructions, beautiful home tours of seventy real-life interiors, before and after makeovers and essential tips on flower arranging.

It was a fun evening filled with great cocktails and yummy eats! If you'd like to meet Grace in person, be sure to check out Design*Sponge to see if she's coming to a city near you.

-Stacey

GMG

Knock Out Fireworks for the 4th of July

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2009 Independence Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the July 4th holiday is looking to be a well-celebrated event, with about 63 percent of the population having a cookout, barbeque or picnic.

That's 114 million people, about 5 million more than in 2008. Two reasons for the increase: July 4th is on a weekend and steadily rising gas prices has everyone taking “staycations” closer to home.

What will everyone be buying? According to the BIGresearch, burgers, ribs and all the trimmings for a July 4th food fest. And patriotic merchandise, of course. Lots of Americans already own flags, decorations and assorted red, white and blue stuff, but about 14% plan on buying more of it. This 4th of July you may want to take your outdoor holiday decorating up a notch.

We went to terrain at Styer’sfor some help creating a “green” red, white and blue “party decoration”. With help from Melanie Miller, one of terrain's garden experts, we paired a classic red Knock Out® rose with veronica 'Icicle', white calibrachoa and the new blue geranium ‘Rozanne'.

Here's the trick. Just put the Knock Out® in its pot in the larger container and arrange the other plants -- still in their containers – around the rose. Top dress with pine straw, moss, coco husk or just drape the trailing plants to cover the tops of the pots. Keep them watered and give them a shot of Liquid Fence Speedy Grow for a little nutrient boost.

With a little imagination, you can create an instant outdoor 4th of July celebration container that will last well past Labor Day.

Gardening: Gardens Up

Bring the outdoors in with a living wall: By Erica O’Brien; Photograph by John Armich/Courtesy Terrain -- WHO NEEDS FAMOUS French botanist Patrick Blanc and his hubbub-causing, internationally chic vertical gardens? Not us. Not anymore. As of this year, we have our very own Terrain at Styer’s, which has two such amazingly upright plots — one of herbs, another of moss, ferns and terrestrial orchids.

What’s more, you can have a living wall, too. Terrain creative director Greg Lehmkuhl says all you need are a plastic mounting panel, soil, your crop of choice (we love bromeliads and small orchids), natural light, proper drainage and hand-watering. Outdoor walls require less upkeep. Indoor installs do best with shade flora. Both improve air quality, save space — and disprove that old rhyme about silver bells and cockleshells growing in a (earthbound) row. Terrain at Styer’s, 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, 610-459-2400, terrainathome.com. Courtsey Philadelphia Magazine.