Books
-
Annual Flowers, Artful Garden Objects, Books, Color in the Garden, Container Gardening, Decorating the Garden, Front Yard Gardens, Furniture, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Gothic Garden, Luminarias (Tin), Planting Techniques, Pots, Pots and Pottery, Sculpture, Sculpture and Features, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Succulents in Containers, Urns and Vessels, Water Features
Adorn: Flea Market Finds, Discarded Pots and Vessels, Inexpensive Lamps and Found Objects Enhance the Garden…
An Eclectic Collection: Pots, Urns, Vessels and Lamps – Image â“’ Michaela at TGE Most gardeners are obsessed with beautiful flowers, and as you’ve probably noticed, I am no exception. But in truth, there’s more to a great garden than plants. Adding a few artful objects to your garden can bring color, texture, structure and […]
Read More -
Annual Flowers, Artful Garden Objects, Books, Cutting Garden, Dining Outdoors, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Herb Gardening, Kitchen, organic gardening, Planting Techniques, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
The Art of French Vegetable Gardening in Honor of La Fête Nationale…
A Country-Casual Potager from The Art of French Vegetable Gardening by Louisa Jones with photographs by Gilles Le Scanff & Joelle Caroline Mayer A Formal French Garden of Culinary Herbs, Fruits and Vegetables featured in The Art of French Vegetable Gardening (image â“’ Gilles Le Scanff & Joelle Caroline Mayer) In remembering La Fête Nationale […]
Read More -
Books, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Holiday Decorating, Lighting, Luminarias (Tin), Paths and Walkways
Luminous Lanterns & Torches Set Gardens All Aglow…
Photo â“’ Ray Main from Elizabeth Wilhide’s Lighting: A Design Source Book Flickering candles, swaying lanterns, and glowing orbs beneath shadowy, draped vines; an artfully lit garden sets the mood for a memorable gathering or even an everyday evening meal on the deck or terrace. Too often an after-thought —or worse neglected all together in […]
Read More -
Berries, Books, Children and Gardening, Cooking, Fruit for home gardens, Fun in the Garden, Garden projects for kids, Gourmet Garden, Kitchen, Perennial Close-Ups, Recipes, strawberries, The Seasons, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
The Strawberry Shortcake Facial – A (Mostly-True) Country Girl Story, Where Dallas, Dynasty and Falcon Crest Meet Fruit Mush. Plus, a Really Great Recipe for Strawberry Shortcake. I Swear…
Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Butter Biscuits… I grew up in a strawberry patch. Yes, I mean that literally. My family grew and sold organic berries, and when I was a kid, my sister and I spent many hours in the strawberry fields picking and tending the crops. Once you’re a grownup, this sounds pretty idyllic. […]
Read More -
Books, Celebrations, Cocktails, Cookbooks, Cooking, Cutting Garden, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, flowering shrubs, Fresh Cut Flowers, Gourmet Garden, Herb Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Recipes
Mother’s Day Brunch? Garden Fresh Ingredients & Ina Garten’s Chive Rissoto Cakes Help to Make it Special…
Do you love breakfast in bed? I sure do, and when I was growing up, sometimes my sister and I would serve it to our mom as an unexpected treat – especially on Mother’s Day. Part of what made it so special was the ritual of harvesting fresh flowers and herbs from the garden, and […]
Read More -
Books, Cookbooks, Cooking, Gourmet Garden, Kitchen, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening
A Coffee Break with Kick! Lee Bailey’s Sour Cream Corn Bread with Onions, Cheddar and Optional Hot Peppers…
Lee Bailey’s Sour Cream and Cheddar Corn Bread with Onions – Photo © 2010 Michaela at TGE Oochie, Owie, Yowie. Those are my  biceps, triceps and trapezoids speaking. They have been getting quite the workout. Gardening can be physically intense, and I work up a serious appetite raking, dragging debris and edging my client’s gardens. I also […]
Read More -
Books, Bulbs, Cutting Garden, Garden Visits, Gardening Inspiration, Lyman Conservatory, Public Gardens, Smith College Botanical Garden, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs
A Prelude to Spring: Getting Intoxicated at the Smith College Bulb Show…
Tulipa © 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden Lyman Conservatory, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts Situated in one of the prettiest small towns in America -Northampton, Massachusetts- Smith College’s crown jewel, Lyman Conservatory, is a pleasure to visit at any time of the year. This beautiful oasis has always been one of my favorite horticultural destinations. When […]
Read More -
Books, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, soil science, Vegetable Gardening
Organic Manifesto: Maria Rodale’s Unflinching Look at the Perilous State of Farming in America & A Call to Action…
Maria Rodale’s Organic Manifesto, (available at Barnes & Noble today) Last year, when a friend of mine insisted that I rent and watch “King Corn”, I put my name on a long waiting list, even though I am not one to get overly excited about documentaries. I’d heard about the film of course, and after […]
Read More -
Annual Flowers, Books, Building, Conservatory, Green House Gardens, Indoor Gardening, Inspirational Gardens, Terrariums, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants, Winter Garden
Dreaming of a Horticultural Harem Overflowing with Hot House Hotties…
Hot, Hot Hibiscus © 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden Earlier this week in my post, “Ode to the Oscars”, comparing Oscar gowns to hot house flowers, I briefly mentioned that I am “conservatory sitting” for friends.  The owners of this small commercial greenhouse/nursery will be returning from the UK early next week, and sadly, […]
Read More -
Annual Flowers, annuals, Books, Children and Gardening, Cutting Garden, Seeds, Vegetable Gardening
Sowing the Seeds of the Future: Starting Early, In More Ways Than One…
Dharma’s Sunflower Seeds, Photograph © Tim Geiss Is it just me, or does it seem like there are babies everywhere right now? While visiting my sister last week, we stopped in at her local bakery for a quick lunch and the place was just packed with expectant mothers, infants, toddlers and little children. Everywhere I […]
Read More -
Black Plants, Books, Dahlias, Dark flowers, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, Ferns, Gardening Inspiration, ornamental grass, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens
A Heart of Darkness…
Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’, available online at, (and image via): Â White Flower Farm Some gardeners adore bright colors, and other plant collectors crave pastels. There are those who prefer dramatic plants painted silver and gold and a few indecisive types who seek out green tonal shifts and mottled white variegation. These hues are all quite lovely, […]
Read More -
annuals, Books, Garden Science, Gourmet Garden, Herb Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Plant Propagation, Plant Science, Seed Kits, Seeds, Winter Garden
Think Spring: It’s Time to Start Sowing Early Kitchen Garden Seeds …
The kitchen garden at Ferncliff, late May 2009 … It’s always exciting when the first boxes of vegetable, herb and flower seed begin to arrive in the mail. I know, I know. I am a bit like a little kid – but I have to check the mail every day to see if there is […]
Read More -
Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Books, Bug Defense for Gardeners, Gifts for Gardeners, Nature, organic gardening
Providing for our Feathered Friends in the Winter Garden – Part One…
Dark-eyed Junco, (Junco hyemalis) Last week when snowshoeing through the forest, I was amused by a small group of chickadees bouncing from branch to branch in a hemlock stand. With so few sounds in the woodland at this time of year, the chirping birds really stood out and made me laugh. I try not to […]
Read More -
Beneficial Animals and Insects, Books, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Insects/Entomology, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Uncategorized, Vegetable Gardening
A New Year’s Resolution for Gardeners: Making Informed Choices About Gardening Practices and Products to Support a Healthy, Natural Environment…
We  ♥ Mother Earth The new year often brings about a desire for change and personal reckoning. We make promises, resolutions and plans to better ourselves and the world around us. Over the past couple of years, many people have committed to building environmentally conscious, self-sufficient lives. As a result, gardening, particularly vegetable gardening, has […]
Read More -
Birds, Books, Frogs and Toads, Native North American Woodlands, Nature, Recordings
The Calming Echoes of Nature – Soothing Sounds During a Sometimes Hectic Holiday Season…
Echoes of Nature: Morning Songbirds I am about to head out to do a bit of holiday shopping this evening, which unfortunately means that I will be confronted with relentlessly loud music and overbearing crowds. And you know, as much as I enjoy this season of giving, I sometimes find all the bright lights and […]
Read More -
Books, Children and Gardening, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Indoor Gardening, Plant Propagation, Seed Kits, Seeds
Sowing the Seeds of a Gardening Future: Great Holiday Gift Books to Nurture the Little Green Thumbs in Your Life…
Late this fall, I was helping my client and friend Leah design and install a perennial garden at her home, (if you read this blog regularly you will recall that Leah loaned me a copy of The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, by Michael Pollan, turning me on to the author’s […]
Read More -
Books, Garden Design, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, The Seasons, Vegetable Gardening
Cozying up by the Fire: Kitchen – Gardening Guide Books to Give or Get…
My favorite place to read: beside a glowing fire… The photograph above was taken last night from a favorite old chair, where I will be spending my leisure hours reading during the months of January and February. And although a few calendar weeks remain until winter officially begins in the northern hemisphere, I have already started […]
Read More -
Apples, Books, Cookbooks, Cooking, Orchards / Orchard Keeping, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening
Holiday Brunch from the Kitchen Garden and Local Orchard…
Heirloom Lady Apple and Yukon Gold Potato Fry… Anticipation is in the air. Twinkling lights. Aromatic, evergreen boughs. Crackling fires. Stories. There are so many simple things to love about the coming holiday season and winter months. For me, late morning breakfasts always top the December weekend-pleasures list. After a busy year, doesn’t it feel […]
Read More -
Discovering the Botany of Desire…
The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World Like most people, I am a fairly busy person, and I don’t have a great deal of time to wander about bookstores – especially during the growing season. In fact, most of my reading over the past few summers has been limited to the […]
Read More