PLANT Architect in the garden

Phew! I've been racing toward a couple of big deadlines recently in my consulting work, and so blogging has taken a back seat recently -- as you've probably noticed from the deafening silence here at NestingBlog. I've spent a good portion of the last couple days sleeping, though, and today I'm feeling like myself again.

Evidence of this is that I actually had the time and energy to entirely devour the most recent issue of Garden Design this morning. I loved some of the Toronto-area landscape designs I found featured there, and so I went online to see what else these firms had done. The outdoor spaces created by PLANT Architect (a versatile group that does not only architecture and landscape design, but also furniture design, art installations, and graphic design) particularly stood out to me. I was impressed by their innovative use of simple materials to create interest and depth in even the humblest of backyard gardens. Take a look at a few examples from their website:

The above carport-pergola-wood storage structure looks to have been created with just simple lumber and fiberglass panels. The transparency of the whole thing creates long sight lines and makes this small backyard feel bigger. (Euclid Avenue project.)

I love how they've used the lumber in this project. Contrasting wood tones, differing sizes, and interesting spacing make this simple gate and fence compelling. (Prince George Drive project.)

The broken slate ground cover. The steel spring serving as a "vase" to hold seasonal cuttings. The simple ipe railing transforming the wrought iron fence from Victorian to modern. Brilliant, no? (Tranby project.)

Here are a few more images from their online portfolio, just for your viewing pleasure. You can see many more pictures and read a little about the various projects on their website.