Debra and Bill - all that hard work has finally paid off!

Bill Wright and I are blessed with friends and family who rallied together to celebrate the publication of Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways!

Sandy set up a comfy wicker table for our book-signing

Whereas tomorrow, Tuesday, April 29th, is the book’s ”official” publication date, we jumped the gun and decided to pop the cork yesterday, April 27th.

Gathering in Sandy Koepke’s Beverly Hills courtyard with friends; Debra catches up with “shedistas” Joseph Marek and John Bernatz, whose Santa Monica backyard studio is pictured in Stylish Sheds.

We signed lots of copies!

The setting: Sandy Koepke’s awesome, romantic, Beverly Hills farmhouse and courtyard. This talented designer’s much-published and welcoming home and garden lured no fewer than 80 guests to the Stylish Sheds book launch.

The hostesses: Sandy (left, with Debra), Paula Panich (right, with Debra) and Cristi Walden (seen above with her dad, plantsman Jack Stevenson).

The menu: Tea party fare, including delicious sandwiches, scones, and breads made by my three dear and generous friends. Plus: Shed-shaped cookies (shown above), decorated by my mom, Anita Prinzing.

The temperature: nearly 100-degrees at 4 p.m.! Yes, in April!!!

The guest of honor: Bill Wright, photographer and collaborator extraordinaire, who flew down from Seattle for the occasion. His fellow photographer-friend Winston Hughes was a great addition to the party.

My special guests: Husband Bruce and sons Alex and Benjamin Brooks, my family; plus, my college roommate, Karen Page, who flew down from Seattle for the party.  

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Deb and Karen - visiting Lotusland on Friday

Thank you to all who attended and purchased a copy of Stylish Sheds. Proceeds from the book sales benefit the new patio at Phoenix House, a project that will be completed during Big Sunday, next weekend. Sandy Koepke has redesigned a livable and nurturing space for Phoenix House residents in Venice Beach.

We’re off to Austin in 2 days to continue the party!

This posting is intended to THANK the wonderful members of Piedmont and Orinda Garden Clubs for hosting me on Thursday morning. These two groups in SF’s East Bay invited me to fly up to Oakland and visit their beautiful communities. The opportunity to talk about Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways was particularly “sweet,” because even though the event was scheduled five days before the April 29th publication of our book, I was able to show a slide preview of our book and sign advanced copies, shipped especially for this event.

One of the things I noticed immediately was the sense of connection between gardeners and the idea of seeking out a separate, private getaway in the landscape. After the lecture many people in the audience mentioned their own desire for a backyard “shed” or “shelter,” including ideas sparked by seeing Bill’s photographs of some of the best shed designs around.

Joyce Nelson, past president of the Orinda Garden Club, invited us to stop by her place after lunch to see her Hansel-and-Gretel-inspired playhouse. Her grandchildren are growing up and Joyce confided to me that during my talk she looked at Bill Wright’s wonderful photographs and thought of all the new ways she could use and enjoy the gingerbread-style structure. I am waiting to see if Joyce adds an adult-sized door, tosses away the toys and replaces them with a wicker armchair and footstool. Here, she can enjoy quiet afternoons reading mystery novels or perusing seed catalogs!

I flew home last night to Burbank feeling gratified that my “launch” was warmly welcomed by wonderful new friends, including Lani Schulte, my hostess for the 24-hour visit. Thank you, Lani! I know we’ll see one another again.

Bill and I have a big week ahead. Our first big book publication event is scheduled for this Sunday, April 27th, in Sandy Koepke’s Beverly Hills garden. Sandy, Cristi Walden and Paula Panich are hosting the debut of Stylish Sheds. These talented women are baking up a storm - tea party sandwiches and more! But my contribution to the party is a batch of shed-shaped cookies. Yes, the idea took hold and I couldn’t ignore it! I found cookie-cutter choices in the shapes of a cottage, dog house, gingerbread house and barn. I baked dozens of cookies and my mom, Anita, helped decorate them last weekend.

On Wednesday, we fly to Austin for 2 “Shedista” parties, a TV show and a special book-signing at Big Red Sun, a hot Austin garden center. This is going to be a blast….

Where has the time disappeared to? What have I done to fill my days since last posting on March 20th?

Ignoring the chance to write here is like ignoring my running schedule because of “work” demands. Oh, the work will always be here, but the creativity (and exercise), now that’s something I shouldn’t neglect. Even though the promotion and travel schedule for Stylish Sheds is looming, I have been telling myself not to let another day go by without posting here.

Yet, I find I’m always “catching up” and apologizing for it. Replying to emails of friends’ and professional colleagues with the opening line: “I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch; I’m playing catch-up on 100 unanswered emails,” or “I’m catching up on housework, or the bills, or the gardening, because I just finished a killer deadline.” It’s sort of the everyday currency of my life. I borrow from time and then I have to pay it back. Choices, choices. I choose to accept assignments that interest, intrigue or challenge my curiosity. Then I choose to neglect everything else that’s non-essential in order to report and write the article. Then I choose to set keyboard and telephone aside so I can “catch up” on grocery shopping, garden-tending and family-time.

Catching up, I think: What have I been up to? Here’s a brief recap, for as far back as my memory serves (about one month, these days):

Day One, Death Valley

In late March, we spent several days in Death Valley for spring break. Let’s just say Mom had more fun than her two sons, who tired of all the driving, hiking, heat, intense sun, and more. Yet, being with dear friends Sara and Malcolm (a gifted tour guide) made it all the more worthwhile. As I tell my boys, “We need to meet our surroundings, up close and personal. As we learn more about California’s geography, geology and history, we feel more like Californians.” Yikes! That’s why we went to Death Valley.

God’s creation overpowers the frail human efforts of emulating the colorful rock formations at Artist’s Palette, Death Valley

Sunrise over Zabriskie Point. Worth getting out of bed early to experience. Truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring

While en route, however, we couldn’t resist stopping for photo-ops in a little blink-of-a-town called “Pearsonville.” It is known as the hubcap capital of the world. Seriously. Here are the photos to prove it.

These roadside attractions gave us a glimpse of California’s quirky nature. And hey, now you know how to turn a wayward hubcap or two into a gleaming expression of kitschy garden art! 

In early April, on April 1st to be exact, I spent no fewer than 14 hours and 205 miles behind the wheel of my ol’ Subaru, ushering Justin Hancock around LA to see local gardens. Justin is the “Garden Doctor” for Better Homes & Gardens’ web site, bhg.com. You can read him here. He is truly one of those “next generation gardeners” that everyone in the green industry is striving to attract. Yet, Justin is miles ahead of most of us, a true plantsman who takes seriously his craft as an editor, educator and communicator. We actually filled our time, our hours on the freeway between stops, gabbing away about plants, gardening and all sorts of ideas about new media. Look for big things coming from this guy.

BH&G’s Justin Hancock, touring Shirley Bovshow’s lovely garden

Justin and Marilee Kuhlmann, touring her project in Santa Monica. They are seen here, intently discussing a plant combination

Other than these outings, I’ve been spending lots of time interviewing great gardeners, designers, architects and artists, and thinking of ways to promote the heck out of Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways. The book will FINALLY be published on April 29th. To hear my recent radio interview with Fran Halpern, host of “Beyond Words” on KCLU (Ventura/Santa Barbara county’s NPR station), follow this link.