Thursday, May 17, 2018

"The Desert Next Door" — my garden is in Sunset Magazine's June issue!

I like to think of it as a little Ruth Bancroft magic. Back in August of 2016 I attended the the media preview party for The Bold Dry Garden, the fantastic book from Timber Press on Ruth and the garden she built. Johanna Silver, the books's author, and at that time garden editor for Sunset Magazine, was there and we chatted. One of the things we talked about was my garden — she brought it up, really! Johanna kept in touch and then pitched my story to the decision makers at the magazine, they loved it, especially my then and now post from October of that year.

Nearly a full year later, last July 29th — a scorchingly hot one, as luck would have it — Sunset flew a crew of three up from the Bay Area and they spent the day photographing my garden. I was told the article would run in the May 2018 issue. I shelved my excitement and got on with things. In the following months Sunset was sold, Johanna and Sunset parted ways, and I thought my story would be filed in the "oh well, we thought it was a good idea" bin. But nope, it's real!

The two page spread as it appears in the magazine...

The June issue hits the news-stands tomorrow, Friday May 18th. The article is also available online, here, but the online version has a different headline: "How to Grow a Desert Garden Anywhere". I'm kind of giddy about the print headline: "The Desert Next Door", it just makes me smile.

And again, the two page spread...


It was an interesting process; seeing what caught the eye of their photographer, Thomas J Story, working with the writer Elizabeth Jardina, and senior garden editor Mike Irvine. The layout must have morphed a dozen times as they asked for plant IDs in a handful of photographs one day, only to be followed by more the next (many of which don't show up in the 5 page story). But, it's gonna be on newsstands tomorrow...and I'm thrilled!

Weather Diary, May 16: Hi 65, Low 55/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

66 comments:

  1. OH, wow! This is so cool. I will have to actually go buy a copy! Congratulations, Loree - they were no fools when they chose your garden to be featured. What a gem, in so many many ways. Cheers.

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  2. Congratulations, what a lovely feature and thankfully we can see the online version before it hits the newsstands. Read it immediately as soon as it popped on FB, your garden is amazing!

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  3. Thank god this is seeing the light of day! Sunset just got infinitely more cool in my eyes...

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    1. Now if they'd just publish that other garden... (any news?)

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  4. Wow! This is so awesome! Congratulations!

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  5. Can't wait to read it! I love the textures in your garden. So many cool plant shapes. I wish I could get that syneilesis to grow in my garden.

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    1. What!? Any ideas why it won't? That's crazy. My mom can even grow it up in Spokane. Maybe not enough summer water?

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  6. Congratulation ! nice pictures of your garden

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  7. Impressive read (thx for posting), and that article's "The Desert Next Door" title is The Best!! Congrats, Danger.

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  8. Congratulations! I started picking up Sunset in line at the grocery store in a couple months ago, paging through, looking for your garden and being disappointed. Very exciting that tomorrow's the day! Will you have a story release party?

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    1. Hmm, party. Does Andrew and I toasting count?

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  9. I'm so happy for you! Sunset is the big time! This is a wonderful tribute to your garden, and isn't it nice to know that your garden, for that moment in time, will live on no matter what? I'll be looking for my copy on a local newsstand.

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    1. I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes!

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  10. Congrats! I will have to go pick up a copy as well.

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  11. Congratulations! I'm so glad your garden is getting magazine recognition. Thanks for posting the online article - I don't think I have access to the print copy in my area. Now I'm off to read it.

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  12. Wow - congrats! Just so you know, you were my inspiration for trying Syneilesis (my 2 year old clump of three little palms pales in comparison next to your forest) as well as my growing (potted) agave collection. Thanks for the inspiration, and congrats, again. Well deserved.

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    1. Yay! Happy to have helped you acquire some cool plants. Those three Syneilesis should bulk up quickly.

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  13. This is great and so exciting, Loree! I've let my Sunset subscription lapse but you can bet I'm going to pick up a copy. Congratulations! You are your garden deserve acclaim.

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  14. Congratulations Loree, I enjoyed the online article and will look forward to seeing the hard copy when it arrives.

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  15. Congratulations! I must go buy a copy of the magazine immediately!

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    1. Maybe wait a day? I don't think it's supposed to be available until Friday.

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  16. Very nice! Always shocking to see the "before" photos again.

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    1. I'm wondering if the previous owner of the house might happen to see this and recognize the before photos...

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  17. I finally had a chance to read it. (It turns out the magazine arrives weeks ago but nobody told me.) As expected, great article and great photos. But where's the "w" word? I could find it!

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    1. The "w" word is used in point #4 under "front yard game changers"...grrrr!

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  18. Congrats, Loree, that is really exciting! Now you're really famous. ;)

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  19. Congratulations Loree! What an affirmation for all of your work. It is fun to see one's own garden through the eyes/lens of others.

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  20. If Sunset covered more gardens like yours, we may have kept subscribing. Congratulations. This is very cool. I laughed out loud at the "w" word. I know you love it even more than I do.

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    1. At least I didn't have any beckoning pathways...

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  21. Way cool. I like the print title, too. Congratulations.

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  22. Its great to see some good garden content in Sunset at last, and one that is not a couple hundred grand worth of hardscape with a few plants scattered about and owners that don't garden. And a garden I've been too ! How cool is that ? This is an issue I will definitely keep.

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    1. Well we've got a couple grand worth of hardscape.... ;) Truth be told though this is that rare garden where the cost of the plants out runs the cost of the hardscape!

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    2. as it should be !

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  23. How exciting! And how inspiring for readers to see the before photo. Hard to believe it is the same property.

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    1. Painting the house dark made such a difference!

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  24. I seem to remember saying years ago that your garden should be in 'Sunset' . Congratulations !

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    1. Can you predict lottery numbers too? ;)

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  25. Very cool, Loree! They did a good job on the photos. Your garden looks wonderful. Congratulations!

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  26. How awesome, congratulations! I can't wait to read it, and see the details they picked up.

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    1. Speaking of details, there were some great detail photos they didn't use. I wonder if I'll spot any in future Sunset articles?

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  27. That is wonderful Loree - congratulations!

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  28. Your garden fits the Sunset theme to a tee. What an honor, for them and for you. So many lovely photos. My only disappointment: no photo of you and Lila.

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    1. The photographer suggested a couple shots with Lila (and took a couple of me), he wanted her posed in ways she never would have cooperated with though. Pugs are not your typical "eager to please" dogs! Considering the size of the article I'm glad they didn't feel the need to include a photo of me, let the plants shine!

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  29. How exciting, always great to have recognition for all our hard work x

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  30. Congrats! You have a good reason to toot your own horn!

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  31. Sunset is the best. So thorough. When they reviewed my gardening book years ago, they actually sent me their copy to review. And it had no mistakes. As opposed to a bunch of other local newspapers whose articles were chock full of mistakes.

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  32. Loree, congratulations!
    I hope to see your own book one day in not-so-far future!
    (Sorry, I am a bit late - all these trips to Oregon with its fabulous nurseries...)

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  33. Congratulations, Loree! I'm so pleased for you!

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  34. Congrats, Loree! I'm so thrilled to see this finally happened. You and your garden deserve it. I saw this post while I was away but it's a hassle to comment using just my phone, since I didn't bring the laptop. I'm off to check out the link.

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