Pandora, Pockets and a Gala in the Garden

October 10th, 2010

The San Diego Botanic Garden recently held their annual Gala in the Garden to honor the person responsible for bringing authenticity and realism to the extra-terrestrial flora found on Pandora in James Cameron’s blockbuster film Avatar. Botanist Dr. Jodie Holt received the Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence for her work as botanical consultant on the film and for her ongoing work promoting the beauty of nature and educating the public.

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Our good friends at Olive Hill Greenhouses had the brilliant idea to use our Woolly Pocket frames on wheels to decorate the Open Air Pavilion at the garden. They used a plethora of their amazing indoor plants to create an otherworldly environment of greenery with splashes of colorful bromeliads! Artistic Director René van Rems added his gemlike table pieces to complete the effect!

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Dr. Jodie Holt, Julian Duval, president and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden and Paul Ecke III

Congratulations Dr Holt and thank you for spreading your infectious love for and admiration of plants so far and wide!

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The Arrangement’s Living Walls

October 4th, 2010


LOGO TV
airs their newest reality show “The Arrangement” tonight (Monday, October 4th) at 11pm/10c!  If you’ve loved Top Chef, and always wished for the Floral Design version, your dreams have now come true.

All over the set you will find lush Woolly Pocket Living Walls!  Behind the judges’ table, filling empty windows in the workroom, and above the couch in the “kiss and cry” room – Wallys are everywhere!  Islands, too, hang out around the set, also filled with tropical indoor plants.

Set your Tivos and DVRs and see who will be “weeded out” weekly.  And of course, check out the amazing floral designs! LA Times’ David Keeps said “I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and I hope to see a lot more.”


Image ©suthi picotte

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Hanging Gardens of Detroit

September 27th, 2010

Our friends at Lushe from ‘down under’ recently blogged about a little project we had a woolly hand in:

On 21 May 2010 the Hanging Gardens of Detroit team joined the University Cultural Center Association and Greening of Detroit to create the city’s first vertical garden.

Read all about it and see more amazing photographs on their comprehensive blog dedicated to vertical gardens:

http://www.lushe.com.au/2010/08/17/hanging-gardens-of-detroit/

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Tropical Wally woos PIA

September 11th, 2010

Last week, Wally put on his “tiki shirt” and went to San Diego for the CalScape Expo. Installed on several moving walls, Wally created instant, lush backdrops blooming with bromeliads, colorful crotons, and other healthy beauties from our friends at Olive Hill Greenhouses!

One Wally wall shared the Woollypockets booth with Lil’ Meadow triplets (in matching tropical regalia) and our new “Woolly Bar” – a place for Pockets to hang out at Garden Centers and Nurseries while they wait for you to take them home!

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Wally dressed all in white (and green) to grace the stage and hang with the speakers and the beautiful competition arrangements.

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A third tropical wall hung out in the show lobby, waiting for Honorees, Award Winners, and Special Guests to take pictures with him! Here’s a few of our faves…

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Floral Design Superstar, René van Rems, and his inspiring new book René’s Bouquets

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Wally was especially thrilled to stand behind his hero, Bill Wolverton, the scientist who’s pioneering work for NASA started the indoor plant revolution. Loved his speech, especially this part; “Modern high efficiency buildings need plants & soil microbes for indoor air quality!” A lifetime of achievements, indeed! And we are all anxiously awaiting his new book Plants: Why We Can’t Live Without Them, available in October.

Congrats also to Dick Ott, 2010 PIA Professional Hall of Fame Inductee! He won over the crowded room of professional plantscapers, when he said “We’re very fortunate to be in our industry, making others smile!” Couldn’t agree more!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi! And look for Wallys full of beautiful and well cared-for plants in lobbys, restaurants and stores near you!

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ASLA 2010 – Wally’s Here!

September 10th, 2010


Stephanie, our Resident Expert On All Things Woolly, sends us this dispatch from Washington DC where she is attending the
ASLA 2010 Annual Meeting & EXPO!

We are super thrilled to be included in Garden Design Magazine’s “Ultimate Outdoor Home” at this year’s ASLA EXPO.  Landscape Architects, if you haven’t seen Woolly Pockets in action yet, this is your chance! Just look up and keep an eye out for the giant living chandelier (off to the right when you walk in).  We’ve also crafted a double-sided living wall in the “Lounge” area, adding a bit of privacy under the shady pergola.

AND our Pockets (along with the rest of the UOH) are brimming with beautiful Monrovia plants.  Be sure and check out the first crop of their fab new blueberry in the garden!

In case you’re curious, here are the plant lists for the walls.  On the Lounge side, we wanted to create a soothing, shade tolerant meadow of grasses and grass-like perennials.  On the Hedge side, a sunnier habitat garden – an excellent backdrop for your vegetable plot perhaps!  Almost everything is appropriate for Washington DC’s Zone 7, a good thing as we’re sending these walls to nearby schools and parks after the show (recycling is kinda our thing)!

LOUNGE

SILVER DRAGON LILYTURF/ Liriope spicata ‘Silver Dragon’ (zone 6-11)
CREEPING LILYTURF/ Liriope spicata (z. 5-11)
EMERALD GODDESS LILYTURF/ Liriope muscari ‘Love Potion No. 13’ (z. 5-11)
VARIEGATED LILYTURF/ Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’ (z. 6-11)
BLACK MONDO GRASS / Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (z. 5-10)
CAPE RUSH/ Chodropetalum tectorum (z. 8-10)
TASRED FLAX LILY/ Dianella tasmanica ‘TR20’ (z. 7-11)
DWARF FOUNTAIN GRASS/ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (z. 4-9)

HABITAT GARDEN

CREEPING LILYTURF/ Liriope spicata (z. 5-11)
DWARF FOUNTAIN GRASS/ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (z.4-9)
VARIEGATED LILYTURF/ Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’ (z. 6-11)
RED BUTTERFLIES MILKWEED/ Asclepias curassavica ‘Red Butterflies’ (z. 8-11)
BLUE DAZE EVOLVULUS / Evolvulus glomerata ‘Blue Daze’ (z. 9-10)
FESTIVAL GRASS CORDYLINE / Cordyline x ‘Jured’ (z. 9-11)
FIREPOWER HEAVENLY BAMBOO / Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ (z. 6-11)
VERA JAMESON STONECROP / Sedum x ‘Vera Jameson’ (z. 4-9)
PURPLE HEART /Setcreasea pallida (z. 7-11)


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Woolly Design Star: Dweller West

August 24th, 2010

A few weeks ago, we received a woolly e-mail from a contractor in Orange County who recently discovered and was using Woolly Pockets for a new project!

I just wanted to take a moment to share my green wall project that incorporated Woolly Pocket. A neglected cookie-cutter residence in Orange County is hardly the kind of home that would garner a second look. However, we had a distinct vision for the house and landscape redevelopment that included a living green wall. The final design is fun, sophisticated and beautiful.

The homeowners love their living wall and the woolly’s have the neighbors gossiping. Look forward to future project with the woolly.

We loved his living wall installation so much that we asked if we could interview him for our Designer Of The Month blog spotlight! Without further ago, please meet our first Designer of the Month, Derrick T. Muska of Dweller West!

Name: Derrick T. Muska
Company Name: Dweller West
Website: www.dwellerwest.com
Location and Areas Served: Southern California
Derrick, the living wall images you sent us were amazing! So what services do you offer specifically?
Dweller West is a design-build general contractor in California. We specialize in design and construction of custom residential and commercial projects. Our firm leads our client’s from conceptualization all the way through the most excellent day of all—planting day. In fact, our tag line is Design-Build-Grow.

So how did you get into landscape design?

First off, I went to San Francisco State University for art however my favorite class was botany! I loved learning about cork cambium and all that fun stuff. I am always on the lookout for interesting landscaping and get inspiration from living in Southern California.

What’s your design philosophy?

Functional and reflective. It’s my belief that all good designers provide clients options and opportunity. My designs must reflect the end-user’s personality, soul and desired environment.

What are some of your favorite plants for Woolly Pockets?

I’d put my dog, Dexter, in a Woolly pocket if I could. The Woolly is a very versatile and fun product. I liked experimenting with a variety of plants and watching what happens over time.


Is this your first installation using Woolly Pocket?

Yes, and it won’t be my last. The installation has all the neighbors gossiping.

What was the client’s initial response to installing a living wall? And the end result?

From the start, my client was intrigued by the thought of a living wall. I was asked a lot of questions. How is it installed? More importantly, how much does it cost?
The living wall was the dominate statement in their design, so we had to get it right. We poured concrete stem walls with embed rebar and bolts to help with wind loads. Then we connected the stem walls to our framing members, as well as related hardware. Finally, we used copper clapping to create a sculptural experience, which will patina over time. I think it looks amazing.
It’s chic and my client loves showing it off to friends and neighbors, as well as enjoying the afternoon shade it creates.

What do you see as the greatest benefit of using Woolly Pockets?

It’s flexible to many applications and it’s affordable. I have some many ideas for its use, both indoor and outdoor.

Do you have any concepts or ideas for new installations using Woolly Pocket? How/where are you planning to use Woolly Pockets next?

My wife is a teacher working with children with special needs and she and her class tend to their school’s gardens. We were discussing incorporating Woolly Pockets into their school’s garden and designing a living wall over a brick one that is in the garden at this time.

At the request of our cat, Tofu, I am planning on using a “Lana” island and planting catnip. Tofu demand s and enjoys fresh tasting catnip.

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Best Of Show IGC 2010

August 19th, 2010

Woolly Pocket won Best Of Show at the Independent Garden Center Show 2010! We’re so thrilled with the amazing response we’ve received in both Chicago and New York this week with our Woolly Road Show! Thanks so much for this incredible honor! Yay!

Woolly Pocket Wins Best of Show at IGC 2010

Woolly Pocket Best of Show at IGC 2010

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Getting Woolly in New York and Chicago!

August 18th, 2010

We’re having a great time spreading Woolly Love in the Big Apple and Windy City! Here’s some pictures of our time spent on the road!

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Chicago, meet Wally!

August 15th, 2010

While preparing for the IGC show, we’ve had some time to explore Chicago a tiny bit, mostly from the El Train. So many patios!

So many planters tied to railings for the summer, and such incredibly lush tropical plants spilling out of every container and bed.

Clearly, Chicagoans loves to garden when (and where) you can.

Wally’s here to help!  Not only is he very reasonably priced, but he’s also easy to store away for the winter.  Just dump the potting soil and spent annuals into your compost bin, let him dry out, and then introduce him to your vacuum cleaner.  He’ll be happy tucked away in a closet while its cold outside, and he can switch places with your hat and mittens come springtime.

Just zip-tie him to your railing, alone or with friends.  Your plants will love him too, as his felt gently holds water for them to drink, making him more water-efficient between those summer rainstorms.

Wally, and the plants and soil to fill him, is even available locally at the outstanding Gethsemene Garden Center, which we know you were just looking for an excuse to visit again soon!  We stopped by to pick up some supplies, and were charmed by this weekend’s arts fair. Truly an inspiring place.  They even sell Wally already planted, in case you’re a bit busy right now.

And after Wally wins your heart (with easy, affordable gardening fun of course), maybe next spring think about giving him a friend, or making it a party.  Two stacked rows will give you some privacy on that balcony, and room for more plants!  Let’s see, mint in one for cocktails and tea; flowers for cutting in another; salad mix, of course:  then oregano, parsley and basil for the dressing… sounds like Wally’s got you, and your balcony, covered all summer!

Happy Gardening!

Woolly Pocket is currently on tour in Chicago at

Independent Garden Center Show Booth T66
Dates: August 17th – 19th
Hours: Tuesday, August 17 2pm – 6pm. Wednesday, August 18 10am-6pm. Thursday, August 19 10am-3pm
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue

& New York at

New York International Gift Fair Accent on Design Booth 3947
Dates: August 15th – 19th
Hours: 9 AM – 6 PM daily; 12 noon close on Thursday, August 19
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th Street

If you’re coming do let us know! We’re just a Tweet away and our Wall is always…Wally!

Photos by Stephanie Bartron (1-4) and Josh White (5-6)

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New York & Chicago, Prepare to be Woolly’ed!

August 12th, 2010

photo by Josh White

Woollys are on the move! We’re hitting the summer trade show circuit starting with stops in the Big Apple and the Windy City! If you’re in the area, please come visit us and see the latest and greatest in the World of Woolly!

NEW YORK

New York International Gift Fair Accent on Design Booth 3947
Dates: August 15th – 19th
Hours: 9 AM – 6 PM daily; 12 noon close on Thursday, August 19
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th Street

CHICAGO

Independent Garden Center Show Booth T66
Dates: August 17th – 19th
Hours: Tuesday, August 17 2pm – 6pm. Wednesday, August 18 10am-6pm. Thursday, August 19 10am-3pm
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue

If you’re coming do let us know! We’re just a Tweet away and our Wall is always…Wally!

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