Public landscapes
I'm really tired of cookie-cutter commercial and public landscapes. It's SO refreshing to bumble on a business with an interesting landscape or a public area that's actually creative and reflective of the surrounding region. This legal office in Portland, Oregon had a lovely landscape. I've found that there's a bit of synergy that can work in a community. If one business starts to do something different, then their neighbor catches on, just like in residential communities (which can be equally unimaginative). How about this oil change place in Asheville, North Carolina? (click on the photo for a larger version) Up and down this busy street, there are now pockets of truly nice plants, in front of offices, furniture stores, quick check places, etc. Parking lots don't have to be a monoculture. A new bank in my town features an elaborate new landscape of lawn, crepe myrtles, Japanese hollies in rows, and purple-leaved heucheras in full-sun (hmmm). It's a con...