Jan loved the Prostanthera. That’s Prostanthera ovalifolia variegata, also known as Variegated Australian Mint Bush, a versatile shrub that’s been blooming its head off for more than a month now. Jan is Jan Nelson, also known as The Mountain Gardener, a versatile designer and garden writer who has been penning her column for the Valley Press […]
Latest News
California Dreaming; Vistas of the West
I grew up surrounded by the oak grasslands of California’s Central Coast. Childhood memories of ones surroundings are always powerful things, so of course that environment has influenced the garden design that I practice and my life-long love of the plants and landscapes of the West. Led by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), the third […]
Evolution of an American Cityscape
Rivers ebb and flow. Empires rise and fall. The mighty phoenix only rises from the ashes of its predecessor, and so on. It was impossible for me to visit Detroit last year and not have these obvious metaphors in mind. The voice-over in the Chrysler commercial says of Detroit “we’ve been through hell and back” […]
Early Spring Performance
The first day of spring is still more than a week away. Gardeners in the east and mid-west are still shivering in winter but here in the west we are enjoying full-on pre-spring. The quince and narcissus have been blooming for more than a month and are starting to take their curtain call. The Pieris […]
Pink Pearl; A Sweetheart of an Apple
It should really be called pink surprise…but that is the name of one of its parents so we can’t do that…wait, let me start again. People often ask me what kind of edibles I grow in my own garden. When the subject of apples comes up, I tell people my personal favorite is “Pink Pearl”. […]
A Garden Room Beckons
I don’t think she was planning to use a designer. She already had an excellent sense of color and she pretty much knew what she wanted; a new retaining wall and a vine on the fence. But she agreed to meet with me, at the suggestion of her contractor, because she did think she could […]
Frosty Beauty
It’s been cold lately, even for my, usually mild, neck-of-the-woods. I find that this is the perfect time to be reminded that the earth gives us beauty in every season and a well designed garden or an eye for natures detail can bring enjoyment throughout the year. When the temperatures drop there can be plenty […]
In Memory of a Gardener
We didn’t always see eye to eye, but we shared a great love of gardening none-the-less. We enjoyed showing each other our latest successes and preparing the fruits of our labor to share with friends and family. My father-in-law passed away this year and he will be greatly missed by the large loving family he […]
Landscape Ideas You Can Use; The Book
Fountains, rock gardens and landscaping for play are three of the categories featured in the new book “Landscape Ideas You Can Use” by Chris Peterson and published by Creative Publishing International. They also happen to be the three chapters that utilize photos of my work, as Albright-Souza Garden Design, in illustrating specific concepts for homeowners […]
Ode to Orange
Orange yes…but specifically Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, that was declared the Color Of The Year for 2012. Sometimes glowing with subdued passion, sometimes erupting into an all-out fire-y blaze, like the tango dancers I enjoyed in Buenos Aires, the color orange is always alive with a sultry warmth. Of course, in the garden, we traditionally […]
