‘The best time to plant a tree (or vine) is five years ago.  The second-best time is today.’

– Brad, my gardener (and countless other garden lovers)

These wise words were offered to me when I lamented to my gardener that I had not thought of planting Wandering Fig eleven years ago, when we moved into our current home.  Our garden includes a CMU retaining wall that is functional, necessary, and not particularly attractive.  It’s doing its job, so I wasn’t interested in replacing it.  However, I was interested in disguising its severe, drab appearance.  Since it lands on a paved terrace, for a while I was stuck on the idea that potted plants were the way to go, with mixed success in covering about 30 linear feet of wall. 

A few years ago, it dawned on me that I could plant Wandering Fig in the upper bed and train it to grow down the wall.  It’s been a slow process, but to my great delight the tendrils seem to have established themselves this year, and they are beginning to spread out over the unclaimed real estate that is my CMU wall!

The thing about gardening is that there is the benefit of creative activity in the present moment, but also the sense of contributing to something with a life of its own, that may comfort, calm, or inspire unknown future visitors, beyond the original gardener.

My son travelled to Japan over the summer, and I’ve been completely enchanted with the moss-covered gardens of the Saihoji Temple in Kyoto.  When the temple was conceived 1300 years ago, did anyone imagine how it would evolve and the worldwide allure it would hold?  Even without having been there in person, the photos of the Moss Garden evoke a sense of serenity and ancient wisdom. 

Here in Northern California, I feel a similar reverence and grounding sense of perspective in the Redwood trees, some of which date back well over 1000 years.  When the living world offers so much beauty and tranquility, it’s not surprising that we are drawn to incorporate elements of nature into interior design. 

I’ve been obsessed with this Scalamandre wallpaper lately, and I have my eye on it for an upcoming personal project.  When I can’t actually be hiking in the forest, I’d like to surround myself with the pattern of pine tree branches and needles.

Reclaimed wood slabs are a special way to bring some forest into the home.  An exposed live edge, like the console table above that we recently had made for an entry foyer, offers an even more tactile experience to connect with the tree’s history.  Because these pieces are made from fallen trees, or trees that need to be cleared for forest health, it’s possible to get a larger-sized slab than what is milled for traditional furniture production.  I like to imagine the slab infusing its new home with the stories and quiet wisdom that are embodied in each tree.

Lighting is another way to mimic nature indoors by incorporating shapes found in the natural world and recreating light and shadow patterns that activate a space.  Ever since I saw this Manhattan Loft by Mark Cunningham featured in Milieu in 2022, I’ve been captivated by the way that the whimsical chandelier by David Wiseman softens the urban atmosphere.

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