New England’s weather challenges even the most experienced gardener. The summer of 2013 certainly gave this gardener a dose of humble pie. Spring arrived late but was quite lovely for several weeks. June was cool and adequately moist (some folks in western New England were deluged with rain, but we were happy here with what […]
As we approach the end of October, and yet no frost, we decided to take a few photos of container plantings which we are still pretty impressed with. We have set the standards high. The plants needed to be interesting and complimentary to each other, plus the planting had to be easy to care for […]
Thanksgiving is a bit early this year, which is good and bad. Good, because we can enjoy this autumnal feast among family and friends without paying heed to retailers’ nagging “there’s only 4 weeks left before Christmas.” Bad, because, if you’re like us, there are still more tasks and cleanup to do outside, and we gave […]
Yep, this year is different. Fear of Covid has canceled holiday gatherings, and the urge to go all out with decorating is met by some with the question, “should I bother?” The answer is yes, even if it must be simple. This year, we absolutely need to illuminate the long nights with strings of lights […]
Here we go…the first of a series of container ensembles for 2020. If you’ve followed our postings from previous years, you may remember that our goal is to plant up containers in June which will be easy to maintain and still look fabulous in September. Start with the pot. When I design a container I […]
All summer long Plectranthus ciliatus masquerades as a khaki-colored Coleus. Come early autumn, all of a sudden floral spikes extend and open up into chunky spires of lavender-blue flowers. It does need to be protected from frost. but we’ve solved this problem by covering plants with a blanket on those pre-Indian Summer nights when the […]
Our theory is, if a plant looks fantastic in the September garden, it merits attention. And if it is attractive to pollinators, has winter interest, grows quickly to a reasonable size and is easy to keep happy, then you should absolutely consider finding a spot for it. As I was driving though our little town […]
My goal, when designing containers, is to come up with combinations that are easy care, not too thirsty and will look fabulous right through September. As followers of this blog know, I am a big fan of succulents which you will see featured in many combinations. Here are some of this season’s ensembles. An older […]
Chris and I just returned from visiting southern CA, and it is hard not to be discouraged by the white, gray and brown landscape scene out my window. Spring WILL come. In the meantime, I’ll turn my attention to the splashes of plant candy the SoCa landscape provided. One of our first plant viewing excursions was […]
Hamamelis x intermedia commonly known as Witch Hazel is one of the first shrubs to come into bloom in cold climates. We usually see our first flashes of color in February, (some nearby folks were reporting blossoms before this weekend’s arctic blast). Often you will realize they are in bloom as their fragrance fills the air. Witch Hazels […]