Behind the Scenes-Country Gardens Photoshoot
Hi Friends! Thanks for stopping by today! I recently shared on my Instagram and Facebook that our garden is being featured in this month’s issue of Country Gardens magazine and the response was just incredible! It was a dream come true to have our yard photographed and published in such a prestigious magazine and many of you asked for more details about how this came about and what happened on the shoot. So today I thought I would give you a behind the scenes look at our Country Gardens magazine photoshoot and show you a few pictures that didn’t make it into the magazine!
Let me begin by telling you that this all started a year ago when Better Homes and Gardens came to my home to shoot a Christmas feature. That is a whole other crazy story, but suffice to say, I was a nervous wreck and of course, wanted everything to go smoothly. That shoot ended up being SO MUCH FUN and the whole team was awesome. I got along great with the editor (her name is also Karen!) and we chatted the whole day about her job and my blog and everything in between. We even went to dinner that evening and I was asking her where she comes up with ideas to feature in the magazines she works with.
Long story short, she said she was always looking for beautiful gardens to feature in Country Gardens magazine so I asked if I could send some photos of my yard in spring when all of the flowers are blooming. (Remember this was February and my garden was bare!)
And that was that…Three months later, she came back to shoot our yard and I was doing a big happy dance!!
Karen arrived with a photo order that contained many of the images that I had sent over as inspiration for the shoot. The concept was to show how I use the flowers from my garden to make arrangements and centerpieces for my home.
Of course, nothing could be more natural or authentic for me, so we jumped right in and started creating arrangements with fresh cut flowers from the garden. Thankfully, we timed the shoot just right and literally every single flower was in bloom in my yard!
We decided to use one of my old copper buckets for one of the arrangements. I gathered a bundle of iceberg roses, flowering potato vine, and lavender to create a natural garden look that was simple and pretty.
The second arrangement we made was created from a grouping of Eden roses mixed with dusty miller and variegated pittosorum. This is another example of how I love the simplicity of a single variety flower mixed with foraged greenery.
I was surprised to find that one of the photos that was requested was a portrait of me, in my garden.
I prefer to be behind the camera at this stage in my life, but I was honored to be asked to pose for a photo looking out our kitchen door.
I was also thrilled to include our furry friends in our garden photoshoot. We have three dogs and two horses that live with us in California, and the truth is, they are part of our family and life.
Ultimately, Winston, our English Springer Spaniel, made the cut in the final publication and Oliver our sweet English Golden Retriever did not. Fortunately, the photographer, Ed Golich, was kind enough to share a few outtakes with me!
While Winston looks a bit miserable to be forced to “stay” in his place, Oliver was perfectly happy to ham it up for the camera!
Have you ever seen a dog smile? Take a close look at Oliver running down the garden path!
The final arrangement we made was based upon a photo I had taken in our kitchen the previous year. It incorporates foxglove, delphinium, and iceberg roses and is truly so simple to put together!
Above is the inspiration photo from the year prior.
And finally, we made it out to the barn where our two horses live. This is one of my favorite places in our yard because it is unexpected to find a barn with horses in the suburbs of Los Angeles,
Whiskey, was being his usual mischevious self, trying to eat the bucket of greens we had just picked. It made for the perfect capture!
It was such an incredible experience having Country Gardens magazine come to shoot our yard for their spring issue. It was a beautiful day filled with all of the things I love most but the best part was that I made some great new friends along the way!
See more of my country garden by clicking HERE.
I hope you enjoyed a little behind the scenes look at our Country Gardens magazine photoshoot. It makes me happy to share the exciting experiences that happen around our home with you all!
Have a beautiful day!
Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your dreamy garden.
Thanks so much for stopping by Teryl!
Dank voor u mooie foto’s , zeer mooi Gr Sonja uit België:!!!!!
oh my gosh, what a lovely collection of photos. Your gardens are a sight to behold and i luved seeing your fur babies included in some of the shots.
Thanks so much, Erika! I do love that Country Gardens wanted to include our fur babies!
Karen congrats! Your home is just the perfect setting for a photo shoot, and you certainly rocked it in FRONT of the camera as well as behind! My favorite is that beautiful horse of yours “smelling the roses.” I still think you should publish an English garden and horses wall calendar! ❤
Haha! What a great idea Ahna! I really appreciate your kindness and support!
Such beauty! Your garden is ‘living artistry’. How wonderful that we get to share it too.
Thanks so very much for your kind compliment!
Your garden is lovely! I know that roses, etc. do not flourish without good care and watering. Would love to hear how you keep them that way, ie. are they on a drip system or spray, how often do you fertilize, any tricks for winter pruning? I love a good garden and would love to improve mine in Northern California near the Sierra Foothills.
Hi Susan,
You are correct, they take a bit of care! Our flower beds are on both spray and drip systems, depending on their location. We do fertilize in the early spring and again later in the season. As far as pruning, I have to admit, I leave that to my gardener. He is amazing at know when and how much to prune!
Oh Karen, how extraordinary! What a treat for you – and for us all! Your home and gardens – and you and your 4 legged family members are absolutely beautiful.
Thank you for sharing – this makes me so happy for you. ♥♥♥
Thanks so very much, Michele! I really appreciate that!!
Your sweet Golden on the garden path is my favorite!
Mine too…shhhh, don’t tell! ; )
Truly wonderful in every way!! Your gardens are the stuff of dreams. So lovely and thank you for sharing this with us!
Thanks for your sweet comment, Debbie!
so nice
Thanks so very much, Amelia!
WOW! My home in Heaven will be a lot like yours! 🙂
Oh gosh, Deb! That’s so kind of you. Thank you!
Sensational, spectacular, splendid and superb sums up the loveliness of your glorious garden. I saw it first in the magazine but it was even more enjoyable to gather more details from you here. Thank you for inspiring me.
Oh thanks so much Sherry! I really appreciate that!
What a wonderful experience Karen! I love your beautiful garden and your homes! So much inspiration!
Thanks so much Kim! I really appreciate that!
Absolutely love your garden and home and of course your dogs. So beautiful!
You have such an eye for design in every way. I am curious how do you decide on plants and where to locate them? And do you have people to help you in your garden? It is a lot to maintain.
Congrats on the magazine
Hi Judy!
Thanks so much for your kind comment! As far as plant placement, we pay attention to sunlight and try to make sure that the plants that we choose are appropriate for the exposure. We do have a gardener who comes weekly to trim the grass and help with some of the big chores. Thanks for stopping by!
When I see your garden I feel like I’m in a beautiful dream and don’t want to wake up… I go to a very soft place in my soul just by looking at all of your pictures. I just found your blog and have been enjoying so much your style and have been inspired by you! Thank you for sharing
Thank YOU Rosa! I’m so happy you’re here and appreciate your kind comment!
Hi Karen,
I’m sooo happy I discovered your page. I just love reading it. I noticed you have Eden roses by the side of your kitchen door. Do you mind sharing if they are in pots or in ground? If in pot, how big should the pots be? Also do they have to get full sun throughout the day?
I recently became obsessed with Eden Climbers and really appreciate to get some tips for growing them in Southern California. I live more inland and the summer heat gets over 100F sometime.
Again, thank you for sharing your techniques and stories.
Hi Hazel! Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here! The eden roses by the door are in the ground, but I also have some in 20″pots that are also thriving. They are my absolute favorites! It gets over 100 degrees here in the summer as well, but somehow they survive! Enjoy the season!
I follow many bloggers, but you far surpass all of them. Your home is a combination of exquisite elegance and incredible comfort and homeyness. I would love to jus tbeam myself over there . If I was creating a home, I would not change a thing.
Wow, Suzanne! Thank you so much for your kind comment! I really appreciate your support and encouragement!
I just love reading your blog. It is a favorite and I love the dogs. Elliott our Berner Rescue puppy (now 2) is a frequent visitor to my blog and instagram! laura
Thank you so much, Laura! I really appreciate that! I’m loving Elliott as well!
Oh!!! To dream of spring!!! I love your blog! Can’t wait to see more! What are the paint colors of your home exterior? Lovely!
Thank you, Heidi! The exterior shingles came pre finished with that color. The trim is Decorators White from Benjamin Moore.
Your home is such an inspiration! I am so glad I found your site. It’s absolutely lovely! It’s making me dream of spring. Would you mind sharing your house exterior paint color? It’s is beautiful!!!
Hi Heidi-Thanks for your note. The exterior shingles came “pre-finished” so I don’t have an exact paint color to share. I’m sorry I cant be more help.
where did you find those lovely inspiration wood blocks. This is a gorgeous setting you have and love the fur babies. An added bonus
Hi Natalie,
The wood blocks were purchased at a local boutique in Los Angeles. I have found several beautiful options online as well. Here is a link: https://rstyle.me/+kplQMc9ZlYbMkJSdeN4A5g
I hope that helps!