A Culinary Banquet.. Rooftop Garden, Vancouver's Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

Fairmont Waterfront Hotel – Vancouver, British Columbia

Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver - In the Garden Facing Hotel

On a long-awaited visit to Vancouver, British Columbia, I reveled in a blissful stay at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. The room’s comfortable, contemporary decor and great views were a welcome prequel to my tour of the Fairmont’s rooftop culinary garden. Installed around 1991, the hotel’s rooftop array had been on my radar for some time. At 2,100 square feet,  the 3rd floor green oasis holds a place as one of the first living roofs in a city that now boasts the largest green roof in Canada, the nearby 6-acre Vancouver Convention Centre.

Executive Chef Patrick Dore at the Herb Garden Gates Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Vancouver, B.C.

The plantings were refreshed in 2006, and fifteen cubic yards of compost later, the garden layout boasts box hedging that effectively defines the planting beds. Espaliered apples and bay trees add beauty and structure to the design. Not surprisingly, organic gardening practices are employed in these productive gardens, where the Fairmont chefs harvest such delicacies as alpine strawberries, rose blossoms, lovage and calendulas, for the tasty fare at Herons Restaurant. May through September you can tour the garden, or book to see Bee Hive demonstrations: the honeybees are the latest addition to the gardens. Phone or check the web site for tour times. Tours of the Herb Garden can also be arranged along with a lunch reservation in Herons.

Garden Plan - Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Roof Garden Vancouver, B.C.

As you might imagine, these organic gardens are a haven for many species of birds. Here’s a gardening tip revealed on my tour of the garden: Orange pekoe tea with a little bit of soap added is used at times for aphid control.

A Birds Eye View .. Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Roof Garden Plan: The hotel offers guest rooms with views of the garden’s herbs and flowers; also Terrace Rooms featuring private patios that lead to the garden.

June 17th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Culinary Gardens, Foodie Havens, Green Roofs/Vertical Gardens, Hotels & Inns | One comment - (Comments are closed)

Gardens, Art and Architecture - Chicago

The city of Chicago’s lakefront gardens, art and architecture draw locals and tourists, alike, to a year-round destination of cultural and sensual pleasures. May, 2009 heralded the opening of the new wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, designed by architect, Renzo Piano.

Millennium Park Walkway to AIC Wing & Terzo Piano Restaurant (Alice Joyce photo)

Although completed behind schedule, Chicago’s Millennium Park opened in 2004 to demonstrate a crowning achievement for the City, and an international success for Mayor Daley, the man responsible for spearheading the effort. One of the delights of Millennium Park is the 2.5-acre Lurie Garden: Kathryn Gustafson/Piet Ouldolf/Robert Israel design. In 2009 a stunning walkway had recently opened to the public, leading from the Lurie Garden directly to the elegant Terzo Piano Restaurant and another entryway to the Art Institute’s new upper level.

Chicago's Lurie Garden Agastache (Alice Joyce photo)

Art Institute of Chicago New Wing, Sculpture Terrace (Alice Joyce photo)

In the photo, above left, The Sculpture Terrace provides stunning views, looking out over the Lurie Garden, and beyond to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion designed by architect Frank Gehry.

Jay Pritzker Pavilion - Frank Gehry Design (Alice Joyce photo)

Through the sculpture terrace’s glass wall atop the Renzo Piano-designed Modern Wing, the view of the Lurie Garden takes in the rill, which culminates in a sedate waterfall.

View of Lurie Garden from AIC terrace (Alice Joyce photo)

Lurie Garden Rill (Alice Joyce photo)

Margo and Thomas Pritzker Garden: One approaches the Pritzker Garden from the museum’s Griffin Court, in the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Facing Columbus Drive, the space is designed with an elegant simplicity, given a sense of shelter by the flying carpet overhead (photo below – upper left), so named by architect Renzo Piano.

Pritzker Garden with Ellsorth Kelly's 'White Curve' (Alice Joyce photo)

Chartreuse chairs are placed about the crushed stone terrace, the bright enameled seating producing an ambiance that conjures up images of European gardens. Naturalistic plantings of grasses soften the sleek setting, punctuated by the spare placement of trees with peeling bark. White Curve:  A work by Ellsworth Kelly glimmers with the changing light on the museum wall. The sculpture’s reflective surface is animated by reflections of the garden’s columns & trees. Specially commissioned in collaboration with the building’s architect, Renzo Piano, the work is the largest to-date in Kelly’s oeuvre.
May 4th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Chicago, Foodie Havens, Landscape Architecture | 5 comments - (Comments are closed)

Green Roofs Thrive in Eco-Friendly Portland

Multnomah County Building Green Roof (Alice Joyce photo)

Multnomah County Green Roof (Alice Joyce photo)

Portland, Oregon is on top of the Green Scene. Visitors to ‘PDX’  (that’s how most Portlanders refer to their city) discover wildflowers and organic veggies cultivated on the Multnomah County Building: Covering 12,000 square feet, this landmark demonstration eco-roof features amenities such as a stone terrace and educational signage, while the produce grown here is donated.

Multnomah County Roof Garden/Stone Bench (Alice Joyce)

Roof Garden Detail (Alice Joyce)

Enjoy your own up-close look at the Multnomah Building’s eco-roof at 501 S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland: Open to the public during regular business hours – take the elevator to the 5th floor.

For an overview of the project, link to Carlton Hart Architecture.

Portland Central Library Eco-Roof (ALICE JOYCE photo)

Portland’s Central Library, the Multnomah County Library Eco-Roof is located downtown at 801 S.W. 10th Avenue. A high point of my Portland foray was touring the garden with John Cabrera, Facilities Supervisor.

Completed in September, 2008, the structure utilizes 24″ x 24″ pallets, which added to the ease of installation. The 4″ deep soil blends organic and inorganic materials, mixed with Zebra, a water-retentive product made from natural cornstarch.

Portland Library Roof Detail

The benefits of the roof are numerous. Plantings help to capture the majority of stormwater runoff, cut down on the cost of electricity for heating and cooling, and absorb UV rays.

The roof features some 17,000 plants; drought-tolerant sedums and grasses that create a wildlife habitat, and reduce air pollution. An eco-roof is believed to filter the air, actually removing airborne particles, as it absorbs carbon dioxide. The roof’s aesthetic allure comprises a rich textural carpet knit of an abstract pattern that changes with the seasons. The summer scene pictured features peachy pink tones melded with brick red & mahogany hues alongside pale blue-grey & shades of green, with yellow blooms and feathery inflorescences!

Central Library Eco-Roof (Alice Joyce)

Click for information on touring:  Portland’s Central Library Eco-Roof

Portlanders know how to enjoy life!

PDX is not only a most hospitable city, it’s a haven for foodies, wine lovers, and beer connoisseurs. Open 7 nights a week, Noble Rot is a popular wine bar with its own rooftop Culinary garden. The restaurant on East Burnside occupies the 4th floor of an LEED platinum building with an underground aquifer for pure water; the eco-roof factors into the rating.

The 3000-square-foot  kitchen garden is presided over by Chef Leather Storrs. The Chef allowed me to nibble my way through the aisles, and explore the various planting methods, including 50 shallow kiddie pools, with 3 inches of soil and a layer of perlite on the bottom. Chef Leather grows peppers, horseradish, various basils, as well as lettuces, herbs & flowers for his ‘roof greens salad.’ I sampled strawberries, sweet tender cucumbers, a lemony form of cilantro, nasturtium bloom, and the delectable Tromboncino squash.

Noble Rot roof garden (Alice Joyce photo)

It’s a chemical free garden, with a system for composting, and raised planters. Patrons enjoy a great view of the downtown skyline from Noble Rot’s outdoor terrace, situated below the corner of the garden where the eco-roof is planted with herbs and Mediterranean low-water species.

Noble Rot kiddie pool planters (Alice Joyce)

Noble Rot Wine Bar Roof Garden (Alice Joyce)

Noble Rot - View PDX skyline (Alice Joyce photo)

April 27th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Culinary Gardens, Foodie Havens, Green Roofs/Vertical Gardens, Portland | 4 comments - (Comments are closed)
 
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