Ferns
-
Edible Gardening, Ferncliff, Ferns, Fiddleheads, Foraging, Freezing, Freezing Produce
Fiddle Dee Dee: Ostrich Fern Harvest
Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) in the Secret Garden Hoo Wee! It’s fiddlehead season again in Southern Vermont, and don’t you blink or you’ll miss it. Normally just two weeks long, fiddlehead season is particularly short with spring’s late arrival this year. So when I noticed bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), and troutlily (Erythronium americanum), beginning to bloom […]
Read More -
Art Inspired by Nature, Artful Garden Objects, Asian Natives, Bonsai, Books, Decorating Ideas, Dish Gardens, Environmental Art, Ferns, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspirations, Gifts for Gardeners, Ground Covers, Hanging Baskets, Home, House Plants, Indoor Eden, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Japanese-inspired Gardens, Kokedama, Moss, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Terrariums
Create a Verdant Indoor Eden with Miniature Moss Gardens: Book Review
Miniature Moss Gardens: Create Your Own Japanese Container Gardens These last few weeks of winter can be the longest and gloomiest of the season. Just when the witch hazel begins to bloom, five inches of snow will fall and smother her glorious, golden petals. Late February and early March is my favorite time of the […]
Read More -
Bulb companions, Bulbs, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Ferns
The Seasons are Changing & It’s Time to Begin Burying Our Bulb Treasures …
A Tisket, A Tasket, A Basket Full of Narcissus . . . Anticipation. True gardeners really know how to revel in the wait. We are, essentially, pleasure-delayers. Gardening differs from many modern-day activities in one significant way: it is not an instant gratification activity. Not at all. Gardeners do a lot of waiting, watching and […]
Read More -
Artful Garden Objects, Conservatory, Container Gardening, Decorating Ideas, Ferns, Garden projects for kids, Garden Rooms, House Plants, Indoor Eden, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Terrariums
Gathering Moss: It’s Terrarium Time …
My Gothic Wardian Case is from H. Potter & the Misty Apothecary Jar is from Amazon A rainy Sunday indoors inspired a bit of renewed terrari-mania yesterday afternoon. After a morning walk through the misty garden —gathering moss and partridgeberry  between raindrops— I set to work refreshing my collection of apothecary jars and wardian cases; […]
Read More -
Ferncliff, Ferns, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens
Pausing as Spring Dances with Summer: A Moment at the Verdant Threshold …
The Secret Garden Door in Late Spring Sunny days and sultry evenings alternate with cool mornings and moody rain showers as Springtime dances toward Summer. The month swept in with dramatic beauty: wild thunderstorms followed by golden sunsets; mist-covered hills illuminated by pink afterglow. This is a busy time of year, but every morning and […]
Read More -
Dan Snow Stonework, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Ferns, flowering shrubs, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Ephemerals, Spring Flowering Bulbs, Steps and Stairs - Stone, Stone Walkways, stonework, Woodland plants
The Moment of Spring: A Walk Along The Secret Garden Path in Magical May
Pretty is the Cool Morning Mist; Softening the Landscape and Intensifying the Fragrance of Springtime So busy is the month of May… Days pass so quickly, I can barely remember to flip the pages of my desktop calendar. Things in the garden change rapidly from day to day, and I try to take a different […]
Read More -
Cooking, Cooking with Kids, Ferns, Fiddleheads, Gourmet Garden, Late Autumn Garden, Mushrooms, Native Plants, Nature, Plant hunting, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Recipes, Shiitake Growing, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Woodland plants
Spring Brunch from the Kitchen Garden: Shirred Eggs with Shiitake & Arugula …
Shirred Eggs with Homegrown Shiitake Mushrooms & Garden-Fresh Arugula I’ve always been a breakfast person. French toast, waffles, eggs, potatoes, pancakes; I enjoy them all. Sometimes, in fact, I would like them all at once. Because of my love affair with breakfast foods, I have developed some pretty liberal ideas about when they should be […]
Read More -
Container Gardening, Exotic Plants, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Gardening Inspiration, Great Growers and Nurseries, Green House Gardens, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Insects/Entomology, Inspirational Gardens, Lyman Conservatory, Plant hunting, Terrariums
Beautiful Gardens Beneath Glass: Terrarium Care and Maintenance…
The Allure of Moisture – Mist and Water Droplets Inside a Garden Beneath Glass. Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’ and Begonia ‘Trade Winds’ with Sphagnum moss and Ceramic Ornament in an Apothecary Jar. We are expecting a bit of snow this afternoon in Vermont. Nothing major is predicted by way of accumulation, but there will likely be a […]
Read More -
Artful Garden Objects, Celebrations, Conservatory, Decorating Ideas, Ferns, Foliage, Fun in the Garden, Garden Design, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Glamorous Gardens, Gothic Garden, Holiday Decorating, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Inspirational Gardens, Moss, Terrariums, The Seasons, Tropical Plants, Wardian Cases, Winter
Have Yourself a Merry Little Terrarium…
Nutcracker Suite Terrarium: An H. Potter Holds a Moon Rise and a Collection of Christmas Toys Gathered Beneath the Tree (Lycopodium obscurum aka Ground Pine Club Moss). Designed and created by Michaela at TGE Nutcracker Suite Terrarium: H. Potter Wardian Case Filled with Lycopodium obscurum “Tree”, Sheet Moss “Carpet” and Miniatures. Terrarium vignette designed and created by […]
Read More -
Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Succulents, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Walkways - Stone, Woody Plants
Behold the Beautiful Autumn Tapestry: A Kaleidoscopic Carpet at Our Feet…
Geranium ‘Brookside’ shows off in sensational shades of red and orange in mid-November Near-metallic gleam: Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’ (Autumn Brilliance fern) Our native ground-covering Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge) provides beautiful and variable autumn color beneath shrubs along my garden’s entryway and along the shady parts of the path Now that I have accepted the skeletal […]
Read More -
Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Hardy shrubs, Home, Hydrangea, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, North American Trees, Ornamental Berries and Fruit, ornamental grass, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Autumn, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, Rain Gear, Raindrops, Shoes/Boots, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, The Seasons, Trees, Trees for Fall Foliage, Vermont, Viburnum, Wildflowers and Meadows, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain….. Vibrant Colors on a Late September Day
Raindrops on Birch – Late September at Ferncliff Grey skies and fog… Are those downpours drumming on my roof? Why yes! At long last, the heavens have opened up; two days and a forecast filled with showers! Suddenly saturated, the colors of early autumn seem to be singin’ and dancin’ in the rain. Chinese orange […]
Read More -
Books, Bulbs, Ferncliff, Ferns, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths
Buried Treasures: From Ruby Tulips & Golden Narcissus, to Sapphire Bluebells, Some of Springtime’s Loveliest Jewels are Planted in the Cool, Autumn Earth…
A tisket, a tasket, a basket full of Narcissus. These bulbs were planted last autumn in my garden… Anticipation. True gardeners really know how to revel in the wait. We are, essentially, pleasure-delayers. Gardening differs from many modern-day activities in one significant way: it is not an instant gratification activity. Not at all. Gardeners do […]
Read More -
Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Black Plants, Butterflies and Moths, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Exotic Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Fragrance, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Gothic Garden, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, The Seasons, Woodland plants
Fashionably Late & Dressed in Maroon: Sweetly-Scented, Autumn Fairy Candles Light Up the Shadowy, Secret Garden…
Actaea simplex/Cimicifuga simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty {also known variously as Fairy Candles, Black Snake Root & Black Cohosh} Actaea simlex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’, here in the Secret Garden with Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’, Lamium maculatum, Helleborus x hybridus ‘Royal Heritage Strain’, Paeonia mouton x lutea ‘High Noon’, Stewartia pseudocamilla, and a background of bronzing Matteuccia […]
Read More -
Artful Garden Objects, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Ferncliff, Ferns, Frogs and Toads, Garden Rooms, Gardening without Lawn, Paths and Walkways, Plants for shade, Roses, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, stonework, Urns and Vessels, Walkways - Stone, Water Bowl, Water Features, Water Gardens
The Secret Garden’s Shadowy Allure & Mysterious Prince Pickerel’s Charms…
Prince Pickerel at the Edge of the Water Bowl in the Secret Garden – Image â“’ Michaela at TGE Cool, quiet and calm; a shady oasis whispers seductively on hot summer days. While blazing orange and yellow hues burn bright as wildfire in the meadow, my Secret Garden shimmers like an emerald in the dappled […]
Read More -
Color in the Garden, companion planting, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Late Autumn Garden, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shade Gardening, Woodland plants
Restful Rodgersia: A Tall, Dramatic Beauty for Secret, Shadowy Nooks and Damp, Dappled Shade…
Rodgersia aesculifolia in the Secret Garden with Matteuccia struthiopteris and Heuchera – Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE Although you will usually find Rodgersia hiding out in dappled corners, boggy nooks and shadowy glens, it’s not because she’s exactly shy. In fact, when you stop to consider her dramatic foliage and statuesque size, Rodgersia is really […]
Read More -
Autumn Color in the Garden, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Ferns, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, Perennials : Vermont, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, The Seasons, Trees, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
“Native Plants: Why We Love Them and How to Use Them” – Free Seminar – This Saturday at Walker Farm in Southern Vermont – Please Join Me …
Native mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, (here a cultivar named ‘Pink Charm’), are durable, evergreen plants suitable for ledgy, exposed sites… far more hardy than their more tender cousins, the rhododendrons. To read more about Kalmia latifolia, click here. I am very fortunate. This place in Vermont, where I live, is a true paradise and I […]
Read More -
Cooking, Ferncliff, Ferns, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials : Vermont, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Recipes, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, The Seasons, Woodland plants
Well Fiddle-Dee-Dee: Unfurling Spring Pleasures in the Forest at Ferncliff…
Fiddlehead ferns unfurling in the Secret Garden – Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia pensylvanica) Lady fern ‘Lady in Red’ (Athyrium filix feminina), in my garden Oh yes, we are smack-dab-in-the-middle of fiddlehead season here in the Northeast; one of spring’s most delightful and ephemeral pleasures at my forest home in Vermont. Here on my ledgy site, Ostrich ferns, […]
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 -
Cooking, Ferncliff, Ferns, Full Moon, Garlic, Gourmet Garden, Indoor Gardening, Nature, ornamental grass, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, Potatoes, Recipes, Winter Garden
Greeting the Wolf Moon on a Chilly January Night with Warm, Creamy Garlic and Potato Soup…
Creamy Garlic and Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs Watching the full moon rise is something of a ritual for me. I note the waxing and waning lunar cycle on my calendar and I pay close attention to the forecast as the moon grows full. Lunar myths and legends have always fascinated me, and I usually […]
Read More -
Bowls, Conservatory, Ferncliff, Ferns, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Lighting, Moss, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Terrariums, Tropical Plants
Lush Foliage for Low-Light Rooms : Terrarium Bowls Continued …
A pedestal-bowl terrarium filled with Adiantum, (Maidenhair fern), Calathea lanceolata and Selanginella kraussiana, (Club moss), warms up a modern metallic vanity in the powder room… Grey. Grey. Grey. Today the sky is one big, dull, expanse of monochromatic ash. On days like this, with thick, low clouds and no sunshine to be found, low-light rooms […]
Read More -
Ferncliff, Ferns, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, North American Trees, Woodland plants
Welcome Autumn…
The first golden leaves. American Beech, (Fagus grandifolia). Thought I would take you along for a stroll through the woodland path on the first day of autumn here at Ferncliff. Early morning fog lifted briefly to reveal a slice of heavenly blue sky and a season’s worth of kaleidoscopic color just beginning to develop in […]
Read More