Create Nourishing Flourishing Home Utopias
How cute is this? We just got an e-mail from a client with the above attached. Is it safe to assume this cat’s afternoon is going purrrfectly?
We love receiving photos from our happy customers. Don’t hesitate to get in touch and share your pics with us- whether it’s you with one of our books or a pet friend.
Find out more about the two books this furry friend is relaxing on: Lifelong Landscape Design and Timeless Landscape Design.
Happy cat napping!
One of our goals here at Dargan Landscape Architects is to heal the planet one garden at a time. In practice, this is an overarching goal as we work to create sustainable landscapes that do more good than harm for our communities and planet-at-large. However, the same plants you use to heal the earth can also be used to heal yourself.
Are You Familiar With the Health Benefits of Elderberries?
Mother Nature has provided free healthcare and remedies via her plants’ roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and plants. Until recently, medicinal gardens were a staple of any home landscape and slowly but surely, the pendulum is swinging back to nature (literally!) as people learn the health benefits of the plants and herbs growing in their gardens. Today, I’m going to talk to you about the health benefits of elderberries, the fruit of an easy-to-grow shrub that is also an aesthetically pleasing addition to your landscape species roster.
Elderberries are the products of a common North American shrub that goes by many names, including elderberry trees, golden elder flower trees, black elderberry or North American elderberry. The berries grow in clusters (although the birds can diminish a cluster in no time leaving only the occasional berry here and there!), and proper treatment of these berries, including the making of teas, bitters, tinctures and even wines and cordials all yield healing benefits.
Elderberry has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. The berries contain high levels of Vitamin C as well as antioxidants. Bioflavonoids and unique proteins lend elderberries antiviral properties as well. The healing benefits of elderberry compounds include:
In some families, elderberry is still the primary go-to source for relief of the first signs of a flu or bug. Check out our video on how to harvest elderberries. Keep posted for more information on how to make tasty elderberry bitters and wines or contact Dargan Landscapes to learn more.
Stress is detrimental to our health and well-being, which is why it’s important that we work toward reducing stress and reversing its effects by treating the “inner self.” One way to take care of our inner self and support our immune and digestive systems, which are also negatively impacted by processed foods and environmental toxins, is to spend time in nature. By creating a garden environment that provides a space for relaxation and rejuvenation, you can reduce stress and enjoy a multitude of health benefits.
Whether it’s a work deadline or a trying relationship, daily stressors raise the cortisol level in your blood resulting in a domino effect of issues that contribute to aging and, in turn, quality of life. But a calming environment such as a garden can help you to relax, lower your blood pressure and reduce the cortisol level in your blood.
Spending time in a beautiful natural environment also activates your senses and releases Endorphins in your body. These feel-good hormones have the power to reduce the need for medications that alleviate pain and other ailments.
A vegetable garden will not only give you organic produce but a chance to intimately connect with nature. CNN recently reported on a new study that suggests gardening as one of the most effective leisure activities for relaxing and relieving stress. In addition to being a great gentle exercise, “The sensory experience of gardening ‘allows people to connect to this primal state,'” as founder and executive director of Urban GreenWorks, James Jiler, told CNN.
But even if you aren’t a gardener, a landscape that allows you to interact with nature can still be significantly beneficial to your mental and physical health. Your landscape, for instance, could have lush pathways that allow you to brush up against plants or a bird feeder that allows you to observe animals in nature.
Better yet, your landscape can be designed to include a sauna or spa that is not only luxurious but advantageous to your mental health.
Dargan Landscape Architects can help you transform landscapes to become a stress-busting havens for relaxation, health and well-being. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you create a stress-free zone on your property. Or learn more about how to turn your yard into a relaxing oasis through our PlaceMakers system, or through Mary Palmer’s book, Lifelong Landscape Design.
There are many things you can do with leaves after you’ve raked and piled them up (and let the kids jump in them a few times, of course). You can stash them in a hidden corner of your yard and forget about them. You can burn them. Or, you can bag them up and put the bags on a curb to be picked up by a city services truck.
But anyone interested in sustainability, gardening or environmentally friendly living would never miss an opportunity to use carbon-rich leaves in order to better their soil and benefit their landscape.
In addition to an increased awareness of the environmental benefits of composting, this gardening practice has become even more popular in many areas throughout the U.S. thanks to new laws that prohibit the dumping of leaves and clippings into landfills.
There are three basic ingredients required to start a compost pile: Browns, greens and water. Browns refer to materials like dead leaves, twigs and branches. Greens include grass clippings, vegetable scraps, fruit scraps and coffee grounds. Your compost pile will need equal parts browns and greens. Check out the EPA’s list of What to Compost for more guidance.
When starting a compost pile, we suggest creating a bin-like structure five or six feet in diameter with simple chicken wire. Pile your greens and browns using a layering technique, making sure to keep it moist by watering along the way. The moisture levels must be just right, as your compost can’t be too wet or too dry.
But composting is more than creating a pile and letting it decompose on its own. You have to regularly maintain your compost pile to ensure it is active and thriving. In addition to being watered, compost piles need to be turned once or twice a month. By springtime, you’ll have a healthy additive to combine with your soil to help plants grow healthy and strong.
If you would like a worksheet about “The Leaf Pile” please save your spot at http//www.landscapeyourlife.com
Will you add leaves to your compost bin this fall? Leave a comment below to share with us!
Are you interested in a master plan for your garden or perhaps a tune-up? Let the specialists at Dargan Landscape Architects help you get started with your next project. We’ll nurture your landscape and heal the earth while also beautifying your property. Let us help you hear Nature speak as we Heal the Earth one Garden at a Time!
It’s going to be an exciting weekend at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Mary Palmer Dargan will be the opening speaker for Live Long and Landscape: Gardening for Health and Happiness on Saturday, October 19th. The day’s seminar will discuss how gardening and healthy living are a match made in heaven.
For the early birds, the day will begin with a refreshing session of Yoga in the Garden, led by Candyce Columbus, who leads Yoga in the Garden classes at the Arboretum on Tuesday mornings, Thursday evenings and quarterly sessions on Saturdays. After that, we’ll dive into discussions on how your health can benefit from gardening.
Mary Palmer will share how to “Turbocharge Your Landscape for Health and Longevity” by discussing eight key points to a healthy and inspired landscape based from her new book, “Lifelong Landscape Design.” In the discussion, she’ll cover topics such as horticultural therapies, as well as sustainable landscape design and how integrating sustainable practices into your daily life is just as essential as many of our other daily tasks that promote overall health and well-being.
The event will also feature lectures on ideal fruits and vegetables to grow in California gardens, landscape feng shui, how to use gardening as a way to workout and herb gardening. Guided garden walks will also take place, as well as book signings and lunch.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the beautiful Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden and discussing how gardening and healthy living go hand-in-hand this weekend. For more information on the event or to register to attend, visit the event website or call 415-441-4300.