A benefit of having met & befriended garden magazine writers, editors, columnists, art directors and photographers is, when they're looking for info or photos on a particular topic, they start asking around to those they know. This is the case with Kerry Ann Moore, Assistant Editor of
Fine Gardening Magazine. She was here last year for
Garden Walk and on occasion has been in touch on other subjects. Sometimes just to comment on
her blog posts. Usually I head inquiries in the direction of a Garden Walk gardener that has a unique solution or approach to the topic proposed.
This time, it was on garden lighting. I didn't have a handle on what other Garden Walk gardeners do for evening lighting, but I did a bunch of posts on my own garden lighting last year,
you can find here. My photos from those posts were too low a resolution for print reproduction, so late last summer, I shot some hi-rez shots -- just to have on hand -- and they chose one of them! So here you see it as it is in the magazine (top of photo, above), as I shot it (right), and what it looks like in the daytime (below).
Fine Gardening's Associate Editor, Michelle Gervais, was the author of the article, titled
Spice Up the Night. It's a great article about appreciating your garden at night from the perspective of sight, sound, and scent, with simple, inexpensive tweaks. You'll have to pick up the magazine to read the article, but it's got a great sidebar of night-blooming and evening-scented, double-duty flowers, and a quick tip for keeping away unwanted bugs.
Are you able to enjoy your garden at night? How do you light up the night?
A benefit of having met & befriended garden magazine writers, editors, columnists, art directors and photographers is, when they're looking for info or photos on a particular topic, they start asking around to those they know. This is the case with Kerry Ann Moore, Assistant Editor of Fine Gardening Magazine. She was here last year for Garden Walk and on occasion has been in touch on other subjects. Sometimes just to comment on her blog posts. Usually I head inquiries in the direction of a Garden Walk gardener that has a unique solution or approach to the topic proposed.
Friendships with great gardeners and garden writers has been a delightful benefit from blogging! Loved the article and have been looking at it closely to get ideas on lighting my garden. gail
ReplyDeletecongratulations, must be a great cick to get your photos published!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Your garden looks amazing. Definitely helpful to have those connections:)
ReplyDeleteGail,
ReplyDeleteThe only trouble with friendships with writers is that, occasionally, they read my blog posts. Not being a writer myself, but having worked around many talented ones of the years, I'm paranoid of sloppy writing, grammar, and spelling!
Stone Art,
It's good to have a photo published. Now I just have to figure out a way to get paid for it!
GardenLighter,
Thanks. There's some good basic info on garden lighting on your site. Wish there were photos!
Jim, that's great! I read the article but am surprised by how different that part of your yard looks during the day! What are you using for the kind of overhead lighting that I see? Love the reflections in the mirrors. Yes, being friends with folks in the garden magazine trade is fun. And now I'm one of those folks as well (hard to believe).
ReplyDeleteJean,
ReplyDeleteIn this view of the patio, there are actually three types of lighting. The "overhead" you refer to is a rope light attached behind the horizontal supports of the arbor-like structure. I have rope lights hidden behind & under things throughout the entire garden. The second source of light is the solar lights mixed into the plants at the bottom. And, the third is, of course, the tiki torches reflecting in the mirrors. The magic happens because the only obvious source of light is the tiki torches, it gives the impression that all the light is generated by those small flames.
Clever idea to place your torches in front of the mirrors to double the glow. Congrats on getting your photo published too.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is hard to get paid for photos (this might be a good topic for conversation at Buffa10). I've received numerous requests from various publications (though none so illustrious as FG yet), garden websites, nurseries, textbook publishers, and ad agencies, with an offer of a photo credit, the thrill of seeing my image in print, and maybe a link to my website. I ALWAYS ask for a photo fee instead because 1) it's fair to pay someone for their work, 2) a link in a magazine is not as valuable to me as hard cash, and 3) it shows that I value my own work (and I do work hard to take good photos).
Most inquirers vanish after receiving my request, but some follow up with an explanation that they can't pay for photos. If the person is a friend or colleague, or the cause is one I believe in, I will sometimes say yes anyway.
On occasion, someone will come back with an offer of a photo fee and a contract. I've sold a few photos this way, and it makes you feel really good to know that your work is valued enough for payment.
My family appreciates darkness falling because it means I'll come inside, and do something, like feed them. If my garden was lit up, I might never come inside.
ReplyDeleteDeirdre