Jan Johnsen discusses the serenity in the garden.

She covers:
-The surprising role that shapes, water, place, trees, and color play in transforming our state of mind outdoors
-The three primary features that are needed for a serenely inspired landscape
-Why north is the direction for contemplative viewing gardens
-How well-placed stones can add a sense of calm to a setting

Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and is a principal, along with her husband, of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. For the last several years, Johnsen has written the popular garden blog, "Serenity in the Garden." She is also a contributing editor for Garden Design Magazine.

Ever since she lived in Japan as a college student, Johnsen has been an advocate of the transformative power of nature upon our wellbeing. Her initial experiences of walking through ancient Japanese gardens made her aware of the power that serene outdoor spaces have to calm and refresh us. She went on to study landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and was further influenced there. Her travels took her back home to New York State, where she worked under a Versailles-trained French gardener at Mohonk Mountain House, learning the secrets of French horticulture and its rigorous all-natural standards.

A speaker for botanical garden and garden show audiences, Johnsen loves to share her insights in the beneficial effects of informed garden design with others. Her unique approach, incorporating ancient practices with contemporary makes for fascinating presentations. She combines the "why" with the "how-to" in an engaging manner. And as always, she adds a large dose of stunning "eye candy" to make everyone realize that heaven is indeed a garden.

For more information, visit www.johnsenlandscapes.com.