flowering shrubs
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Berries, Black Plants, Color in the Garden, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Fresh Cut Flowers, Garden Design, Gothic Garden, Hardy shrubs, Native Plants, Plant Spotlight, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Summer flowering shrubs, Woody Plants
Midnight Maroon: Dark, Mysterious Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’…
When you’re strange, no one remembers your name – Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’ Oxblood, maroon, deep violet and ebony; dark plants are one of my greatest horticultural passions. From the statuesque Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ gracing my Secret Garden, to the massive, dark cloud of Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’ forming a shadowy hedge at the back […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Birds, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Hardy shrubs, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Summer flowering shrubs, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Delightful Doublefile Viburnum ‘Shasta’: Ripe with Fruit & Filled with Songbirds
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ â“’ Michaela at TGE (fruits in July) Graceful, elegant and generous are but a few of the words that spring to mind when describing Doublefile Viburnum, (V. plicatum var. tomentosum); one of the most delightful species in my absolute favorite genus of woody plants. Although this shrub wears no perfume […]
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Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Paths, Gardening without Lawn, Hardy shrubs, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Plant Spotlight, Summer flowering shrubs, Woody Plants
Isn’t She Pretty in Pink? A Peek at a Few of June’s Blushing Young Beauties: Mountain Laurel, Lupine, Indigofera, and More…
Kalmia latifolia ‘Pink Charm’ with Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland’s Gold’ and Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’ in the background, and Rudbeckia hirta and Miscanthus in the foreground… Garden Design and Photo © Michaela at TGE Kalmia latifolia ‘Pink Charm’ – Photo © Michaela at TGE Kalmia latifolia ‘Pink Charm’ in the Entry Garden – Design and Photo […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Hardy shrubs, shrubs, Summer flowering shrubs, Weigela, Woody Plants
Seduced by the Charms of Old Fashioned Flowering Weigela…
Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’ tumbles over the wall at Ferncliff, spilling blossoms into the Secret Garden below. Stonework by Vermont artist Dan Snow… To look at the voluminous cascade of crimson blossoms spilling over my Secret Garden wall this week, you’d never guess that this Red Prince (Weigela florida)Â is positioned in the toughest, most exposed […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Flowering Trees, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Replacing Lawn, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woody Plants
Front Yard Gardens: A Peek at the Design Process…
Front Yard Garden Design Proposal – Early Autumn View – Drawing © 2010 Michaela at TGE Just look at this sweet little house! It’s easy to see why my clients Laura and Dan fell in love with this place, isn’t it? I was instantly charmed by this classic New England home. From the slate-covered hip […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Berries, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Native Plants, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Viburnum, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Season-Spanning Garden Design: Springtime Shrubs to Enjoy Now and Love Again Later – Three Favorites…
Fothergilla major ‘Mt Airy’ in May – Native American Witch Alder Is there anything more delightful than the sweet scent of blossoms on a sparkling spring morning? Nature never ceases to amaze me. I often marvel at the seasonal cycle here in my cold climate. In spite of my garden’s success, I still find it […]
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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 […]
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Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Raindrops, Reflections, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, shrubs, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, stonework, The Seasons, Water Features, Woodland plants
Thunderstorms and Beautifully Saturated Spring Color…
Wind-Driven Rain at Forest’s Edge… Spring thunderstorms kick up suddenly in New England. One minute the air is still and the birds are singing, and the next -WHAM- a bolt from the blue! Such was the case yesterday afternoon when I went to work in my garden. The passing storm was spectacularly violent and brief; […]
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Asian Natives, flowering shrubs, Syringa vulgaris, The Seasons, Tim Geiss, Viburnum, Woody Plants
Happy May Day!
Image © 1895, Walter Crane, via Yale University Library online Welcome, welcome, sweet month of May! Melodic bird song and the intoxicating, clove-like scent of Mayflower viburnum, (also known as Korean spicebush, Viburnum carlesii), were the first pleasures to greet me on this first day of one of the loveliest months of the year. Special […]
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Bulbs, Celebrations, Cocktails, Cooking, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Home, Recipes, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui. Sunday Afternoon Delights in the Early Spring Garden…
La Mimosa de Minneola de Michaela Could there possibly be a more lovely weekend for Easter Egg hunts, Sunday brunches, garden strolls and chilled mimosas? I think not. Here in New England the weather is simply spectacular, and swollen flower buds are bursting open to greet the glorious day. The pink bodnant viburnum ‘Dawn’ at […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Birds, Blueberries - growing tips, Cooking, flowering shrubs, Fruit for home gardens, Garden Design, Garden Science, Gourmet Garden, Ground Covers, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, pruning, Recipes, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Vaccinium, Vegetable Gardening, Woody Plants
A Rhapsody in Blue: Selecting and Planting Vaccinium corymbosum, (Highbush Blueberry), Plus a Favorite Recipe for Blueberry-Lemon Bread…
A Rhapsody in Blue What would you say if I told you that I know of an amazing cold-hardy shrub, with creamy, bell-like spring flowers, glossy green leaves, brilliant fall foliage, colorful winter stems and an attractive, well-rounded form? Interested yet? It may come as a surprise that the shrub I am describing is none […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fresh Cut Flowers, Garden Design, Old Fashioned Flowers, Plant Spotlight, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, The Seasons, Viburnum, Woody Plants
How To Describe the Beautiful Scent of Bodnant Viburnum ‘Dawn’ ?
Anticipation! Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ – buds swollen in cold spring rain… I have always found it a bit frustrating that -at least in English- fragrances don’t have names of their own. Have you noticed? When we describe smells, we use similes, (smells like…), or we borrow other words, because scents have none. Often we use […]
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flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Hamamelis, Late Autumn Garden, Plant Spotlight, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, The Seasons, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Sorceress of Springtime: Spellbinding Witch Hazel ‘Diane’…
Hamamelis x intermedia, ‘Diane’ blooms mid March in my garden. Photograph © 2010 Michaela at TGE Today’s grey clouds ushered in the first spring rain, and with it, the slightest breeze from the south. It’s still quite chilly, but every morning I am drawn outside by the promise of chartreuse-green bulb-tips, glowing as they break […]
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Aletha Soule, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Children - gardening with, Cutting Garden, flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fresh Cut Flowers, Garden projects for kids, Garden Science, Home, Indoor Table Arrangements, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Nature, North American Trees, Plant hunting, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, The Seasons, Winter Garden, Woody Plants
Welcome, Soft Harbinger of Spring: Oh Come to Me, My Sweet Willow…
Salix discolor: North American native pussy willow © 2010 Michaela at TGE Salix discolor, North American native pussy willow – Pitcher by Aletha Soulé. Photo © Michaela TGE Welcome! Oh welcome sweet, silver-tipped harbinger of springtime. Is there anything that makes a heart race faster than the sight of the first pussy willow catkins in […]
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Flower arrangements, flowering shrubs, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fresh Cut Flowers, garden tools, Indoor Table Arrangements, Plant Spotlight, shrubs, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, Vases, Viburnum, Winter Garden, Woody Plants
Bringing Nature’s Beauty Indoors: Force Early Blooming Branches for a Bit of Springtime on a Winter Day…
Forced Blossoms – Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ An Early Whiff of Spring Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’,  forced in a turquoise vase… What a gift! A beautifully warm, clear, blue-sky day in midwinter. I am itching to pull on my boots and go play. The frost coated snow drifts outside sparkle and tempt like cream-puffs with sugar icing. I have so […]
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flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Plant Science, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Woody Plants
On a Cold, Wet November Morning the Red Twigs of Tartarian Dogwood are Still Burning Bright…
Tartarian dogwood, (Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’), at Ferncliff in November… There’s nothing like a dose of brilliant scarlet color to lift the spirits in dreary weather! On this damp, grey November morning, the twigs of Tartarian dogwood glow like red-hot embers in a bonfire. Isn’t it spectacular? Nature can be quite the artiste! This glorious woody […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Late Autumn Garden, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Shrubs for fall color
Must be the Season of the Witch Alder : The Spellbinding Late Autumn Color of Fothergilla…
Witch Alder, (Fothergilla major, ‘Mt. Airy’), in the sunny entry garden in mid November; luminous against the Secret Garden wall… Oh, would you look at this beauty. Look at the magical, bright orange and yellow color, glowing in the grey November light. Is it any wonder they named her Witch Alder? She’s completely enchanting. All […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennials for Autumn, Planting Techniques, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Winter Garden
Late Autumn Texture Studies, Part Two: Plants that Play with Low Light…
The native forest on an early November morning… The light of late autumn is pure poetry – bathing the forest in bronze radiance. In the early morning fog, dark, vertical tree trunks move in and out of focus; playing off the back-light and textural forest tapestry. A walk through the woods reveals stunning seasonal change […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Gardening Inspirations, Ground Covers, Hoar Frost, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Winter Garden, Woody Plants
Late Autumn Texture Studies, Part One: Plants Sparkling with Sugary Frost…
Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’ – Sweet Treat of the Sugar Plum Fairy… Jack Frost and the Sugar Plum Fairy had a party in my garden the other night. Â Â I wasn’t invited. But my naughty guests did leave behind plenty of outrageous evidence and a few party favors. In the morning I awoke to find […]
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Asian Natives, Autumn Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Ground Covers, Japanese Maple, Late Autumn Garden, North American Trees, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Trees, Trees for Fall Foliage, Viburnum, Winter Garden, Woody Plants
Autumn Brilliance Part Three: Plant Partners for the Late Show and Early Winter Marquee…
Acer palmatum x dissectum ‘Seiryu’ in late October By late October, much of the foliage in the forest surrounding my garden has passed its peak. Although the woods are still basking in the glow of golden birch and poplar, lemony striped maple, rusty red oak and amber colored beech –  the vibrant orange and red maple leaves […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Dried Flowers, Exotic Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Fresh Cut Flowers, Garden Design, Hardy shrubs, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Hydrangea, Late Autumn Garden, Old Fashioned Flowers, Plant hunting, Plant Spotlight, Raindrops, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Woody Plants
Autumn Brilliance Part Two – Plants for Spectacular Fall Color…
Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Issai’ (Purple Beautyberry) Could a gardener be diagnosed with OCD if she compulsively checks her ornamental shrubs for changing berry color? Can a collector’s passion for a particularly beautiful cultivar cross the line, where she becomes a stalker of plants? Sometimes I fear I’ve gone too far; slipped off the raft; teetered past […]
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