You can purchase your tickets by clicking here.

If/when we make it over, we will definitely report back with more information!  In the meantime I encourage you to check it out for yourself.. it looks awesome.

Small, sweeping gardens surround the face of this center hall colonial in Merion Station, Pennsylvania.

Nestled on a small cul-de-sac in charming Merion Station, Pennsylvania, this cozy colonial features sweeping gardens that frame its entrance.

Five fastigiate fringe trees occupy a small median strip between driveways, and are accompanied by mounding astilbes, melampodium, and variegated euphorbia.

Magenta sunpatiens carry the eye across the sweeping front garden beds which also include hardy hibiscus, salvia, rudbeckia, phlox, stargazer lillies, hostas, and a large flowering crape myrtle.

This smaller series of gardens are maintained by a consistent and thoughtful owner, and thrives throughout the seasons with its different interest points.

A young Japanese maple tree flanks the right side of the door (not pictured), and will grow into a formidable specimen in the years to come.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and selection we’ve put together!

As always, any questions or comments–please share with us!

Using tropical plants to add an element of luxury and elegance to your outdoor spaces

Tropical plants can be difficult–expensive, fickle, and ill-suited to most of the year’s weather.  And when done incorrectly, a tropical installation can scream “70’s Tiki Party” reminiscent of cheap beer, grilled pineapple, and terrible shirts.  Mind you, all three of these things can be GREAT–just not necessarily what you may be intending to convey when utilizing tropical materials.

But when done correctly, a well-curated tropical installation can hearken back to earlier times when only the Elite could afford to have tropical elements cultivated and shipped on their behalf.

We recently executed a rush installation for one of our new clients in Montgomery County, preparing for a catered and valet’d July 4th party.  Although the actual installation was relatively quick (approximately a day’s work), curating a collection of pristine and coordinated elements can be difficult on short notice.  The basic design was established ahead of time, but some adjustments needed to be made to accommodate current stock at our favorite suppliers.

We created a more formal arrangement in the dual urns flanking the front door.  Elements include pink caladium, oregano, black sweet potato vine, white angelonia, variegated ivy, magenta sunpatiens, tall dark tropical foliage, and a large pink bromeliad.

The garage featured three cocoa-fiber windowbox style wrought iron trough planters, installed below a decorative lattice.  For these three planters we chose a brighter installment–pink mandevilla vine, pink caladium, white angelonia, blue “kauai mix” torenia, and variegated ivy.

Not pictured are two second story window boxes complete with pink begonias, diamond dust euphorbia, and variegated ivy; as well as two tropical mix urns featurining orange hibiscus centerpieces located on the back patio.

The tropical arrangements at this tudor estate complimented its outdoor themes well–the property also features a koi pond, tea house, and other “collected” elements reminiscent of turn of the century luxury living.

If you are interested in more tropical design ideas, get in touch!  Also make sure to check out our tropical feature garden at The Fareway within the Chestnut Hill Hotel outdoor compound.

PLANTS + PUPS OF SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

South Philadelphia–known for its colorful Italian markets, colorful characters, and colorful windows.

You only have to walk at most a block to see some sort of highly cultivated window display–generally some mix of religious artefacts, floral installations (real or, often, fake), or watchful creatures protecting their household from ruffians and solicitors alike.

This post spotlights two South Philadelphia windowbox installs–a large, 3′ wrought iron planter with copper insert, and one of a pair of smaller 2′ cocoa-fiber windowboxes.

Inspired by the silvery mirrored walls, red blush, and black asian lacquered tchotchkes, these window boxes share similar elements in red celosa flowers and silverleaf foliage.

Featured also: ever vigilant guardians of the stoop and window.

South Philadelphia’s Passyunk Avenue is a burgeoning hub of food and flora alike.  Keep an eye out for the “Gateway to Passyunk” installation under construction currently @ Broad & Passyunk Avenue, and enjoy also the planters decorating the Singing Fountain @ Tasker & Passyunk.

Green up your interior space with a quick and easy herb garden that won’t break the bank

Sundays are for sleeping in, binging on netflix, and if you’re like me–cooking.

You can keep fresh herbs available within arm’s reach if you have a few bucks and a sunny window.

For the pictured herb garden above, we used a set of six square, distressed wooden vases.  Each box is lined with plastic to prevent water seepage.

–> You can find the exact wooden vases here at this link <—

Place a small layer of gravel at the base of each box to catch excess water and prevent rot, then simply insert the potted herb into the vase.  A top layer of spanish moss conceals the structure and helps retain moisture.

To maintain, water a little at a time, and often.  You may have to occasionally service the vase by emptying any excess water out.  For 4-inch pots, I found that about an ounce of water every other day was sufficient.  Some plants will require more, some less.  You will absolutely not have any issues growing mint indoors–it is a weed, basically.  Other plants can be more fickle.  Experiment as you like.

The indoors isn’t ideal for certain varieties–these will not have an extremely long lifespan in your kitchen unless they are maintained perfectly.  No matter–herbs are cheap ($3-$5 per pot), so any mistakes you make won’t be too expensive.

For better drainage, use traditional pots and saucers.  I opted for the wooden vases for aesthetic reasons, understanding their limitations.

As always, reach out with any questions.

Enjoy!

Bringing the building blocks of history back to the farm.

We recently received the privilege of outfitting a historic Chester County farmhouse with a new landscape to match its architectural additions.

In the process of expertly expanding the scale of this native stone home, the existing landscape had been trampled until the various large machines and construction supplies needed for the expert buildout.

Phase one of the landscaping process involved new sod, new garden beds, substantial anchor plantings against the house, and a formal boxwood hedge running along the driveway on either side of the main entrance.  We finished this initial stage of development with a historic brick edging.

The owner had secured pallets of historic brick used as the road surface on Market St.–literally, colonial brick edging.  We can imagine Ben Franklin stumbling down on this same street over 200 years ago after one of his storied nights out drinking.  The bricks have an interlocking design and company stamp that gives them a unique character.

With over 150 feet to cover–and a brick width of approximately 3″–this project required a lot of hands on attention, measuring, and careful installation.

We don’t typically go for garden edging–most products lack the elegance we look to create with our installations.  However, this brick edging is a perfect trim piece to this evolving project.

I’m not sure we could replicate this installation, simply because the materials are so rare.  It was a pleasure working with these pieces of history!

Caponata is a sweet and sour vegetable salad that usually contains eggplant and bell peppers. The term first appeared in the early 1700s in Sicily, where the dish may have been born on fishermen’s boats. The acidity of the vinegar would help preserve the vegetables, allowing them to be stored on boats for longer periods of time.

You’ll need:

2 Sweet Dumpling Squashes

½ Cup Millet

1 Small Zucchini

1 Small Eggplant

1 Red Bell Pepper

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Bunch Parsley

2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar

2 TBSP Raw Sugar

1/2 Cup Goat Cheese, Crumbled

Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Cut off the tops of the dumpling squash, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place the squash and their tops on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Drizzle the insides with a little olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Turn the squash cut-side down and roast in the oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned on the outside.

While the squash roast, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley leaves. Small dice the red pepper, eggplant, and zucchini.

Add the millet to the boiling water and cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water. Transfer the drained millet back to the empty pot it cooked in.

After the millet cooks for about 10 minutes, start the caponata. In a large pan, heat some olive oil on high until hot. Add the eggplant, red pepper, zucchini,and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the sugar, vinegar, and half the parsley. (Reserve some for garnish.) Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer the capontata to the pot with the drained millet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully fill each squash with as much of the caponata mixture as possible. (Reserve any extra filling for serving.) Sprinkle a little goat cheese over the top of each. (Reserve some cheese for garnish.) Roast 7 to 9 minutes, or until the squash is completely tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

Divide any remaining filling between 2 plates. Place a stuffed squash on each plate. Garnish with the remaining parsley and goat cheese.

Thank you to Blue Apron!

]]> http://www.philadelphiaoutdoors.com/sweet-dumpling-and-caponata/feed/ 0 http://www.philadelphiaoutdoors.com/delicata-icious/ http://www.philadelphiaoutdoors.com/delicata-icious/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2014 03:44:18 +0000 http://www.philadelphiaoutdoors.com/?p=1118 Continue Reading]]> The recipe below calls for delicata squash, which is really nice to work with because it is relatively small and the peel is delicate and edible (thus the name). One half of a squash is a perfect entree size, or one quarter would be a good side dish. If you can’t find delicata, you could use acorn or any other winter squash.

Full disclosure: I made this by guesstimating amounts and without writing anything down as I went, and I did 16 portions, so the recipe below isn’t precise. But it should be close enough that you can fine tune it to your own preference. You can do most of this recipe a day or two ahead and just heat and garnish when you are ready to serve them. Don’t be put off because the recipe has 12 steps, it actually goes together pretty quick.

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Orzo in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Serves 4 as an entree
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Vegetarian, vegan if you use olive oil instead of the brown butter, gluten-free if you omit the breadcrumbs and substitute a gluten-free pasta or other gluten-free grain for the orzo

• 2 delicata squash
• 8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter
• 3 leaves fresh sage
• 6 ounces orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup pepitas (green, hulled pumpkin seeds – or substitute chopped almonds)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, halved
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (preferably homemade; not panko)
• Handful of fresh pomegranate seeds
• Italian parsley

1. Carefully halve the squash, remove the seeds (a tablespoon or ice cream scoop works well), rub with oil and roast in the oven at 375 degrees until thoroughly tender. When they come out, rub the inside with a little butter.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and allow it to keep cooking until it develops a nutty / caramel aroma and light brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste (carefully), it should have a caramel flavor as well. If not, you haven’t cooked it long enough. While the butter is still hot, tear the sage leaves and add them in, allowing them to steep for awhile.
3. Boil the orzo according to package directions, being sure to leave it al dente, then drain. Strain the brown butter, add the lemon juice, and toss with the orzo. You may not need all of the butter. If you have some left, try it on popcorn or brussel sprouts.
4. Toast the pepitas in a skillet, toaster oven, or oven until slightly browned and smelling good. Add the cranberries and pepitas to the orzo Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Mound the orzo into the squash. At this point you can refrigerate them for later use, or serve immediately.
6. To serve, sprinkle on a good layer of breadcrumbs and heat in oven. If reheating from cold, start covered with tinfoil and remove for the last few minutes. Garnish with the parsley and pomegranate seeds, a good finishing salt and a grind of black pepper.

Note: an even better way to do this ahead would be to make the orzo mixture without the pepitas, and wait to add them and fill the squash just before heating. That way the pepitas will retain their crunch.

Found on Herbavoracious, thank you to Michael Natkin

Helleborus “Silver Dollar”.  How fabulous is that foliage?!  In winter, flowers open a pale green color with prominent yellow stamens, then petals soon transform to white with pink-brushed undersides.

Dwarf Pieris, soon to be incorporated into an evergreen border.

Such a pretty pumpkin,  a gift from Joe Marano, local  nurseryman (Marano Gardens, Bethlehem Pike, Ft Washington)

Tiarella (Foamflower) “Running Tapestry”, excellent shade groundcover with showy white flowers in spring.

Kale, an extra from planter projects.

Lustrous Tassel Fern, earmarked for an upcoming installation.

Swiss Chard.

Illicium (Star Anise), a very interesting evergreen shrub, in flower.

Ornamental Millet, another leftover from planter projects.

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