Garden Design Photos
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Dahlias, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Paths and Walkways
Weaving Garden Dreams into Reality: The Art of Designing a Landscape …
Sketching with Dahlias for Color Inspiration Rainy days are studio days. I’ve been indoors on this wet Labor Day, working on a bulb order for a garden I designed and planted last week, and putting together preliminary sketches for two upcoming projects. My painting studio doubles as my garden design space; filled with all of […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Color in the Garden, Conifers, Decorating the Garden, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Structures, Gardening Inspiration, Gardening without Lawn, Hardy shrubs, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Massachusetts, Native Plants, New England, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Pergolas and Arbors, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Replacing Lawn, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest
Renovate! How the Garden Next Door Went from Just Grass to Just Gorgeous …
A Prim & Proper Arbor Goes Drop-Dead Gorgeous in a Sexy New Shade of Sangria It’s been awhile since I last featured one of my residential garden design projects on The Gardener’s Eden. And to be completely honest, I’ve been too busy planning and installing gardens to do much writing these days. But over the […]
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Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, ornamental grass, Texture
The Magic of Morning Light …
A Web of Diamond Dewdrops, Left Dangling on the Balcony … Early morning light is magical in the late summer garden. Soft and warm, the gentle rays illuminate fine textures and shimmering dew drops. I love to stroll the garden paths at this time of day. Sometimes my best design ideas come in the early […]
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Chartreuse, Climbing plants, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Garden Design Photos, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Perennials for summer, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Studio Garden, Summer Flowering Combinations, Summer Flowering Perennials, Summer flowering shrubs, The Seasons, Vines, Vines - Perennial, Wildflowers and Meadows, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Late Summer’s Bold Crescendo …
The Large Drift of Native Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) in my Garden Glows Bright as the Late Summer Sunset After the recent rain –almost overnight it seems– the gardens have exploded in a new wave of bloom. Stepping out with my morning coffee, I am seduced ’round the corner by the sweet and spicy fragrance […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Black Leaves - Trees, Black Plants, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Extending the Growing Season, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hydrangea, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for summer, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Summer Flowering Combinations, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Loveliest Ladies of August: Summer’s Beautiful, Late Bloomers are Well Worth the Wait …
Blush-tinged blossoms and gorgeous, season-spanning foliage make Hydrangea quercifolia one of my favorite native plants (shown here with Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’ and the lingering blue flowers of Adenophora confusa) . Check out this shrub’s autumn coloration here! After last night’s much-needed rain, I awoke to the sound of hermit thrush, sweetly singing in the hemlock […]
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Asian Natives, Black Plants, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, ornamental grass, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Cooling Off in the Dappled Shade: Deepest Violet and Shadow Blue Hues …
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ with Fothergilla x intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’ Out working in the field during this week’s scorching heat and high humidity, I found myself dodging the sun whenever possible; ducking beneath the cover of every shade tree and arbor in order to hide from burning, mid-day rays. Over the past couple of weeks […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Dried Flowers, Evergreens, Ferncliff, Foliage, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Heath & Heather, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Replacing Lawn, rock garden plants, scree gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Summer flowering shrubs, Woody Plants
A Moody, Pale Lavender Haze … Heather-Covered Ledges Soothe the Eye In the Softest Shade of Summer …
The Soft Beauty of Lavender-Colored Heather: Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Knight’ Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Knight’, Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’ and Juniperus x pfizerianna ‘Sea Green’ Along the Ledgy Walkway A Hazy Slope of Heather (Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Knight’) in the Palest Shade of Lavender While much of my garden blooms in brilliant, sunny shades of gold, yellow […]
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Ferncliff, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Paths and Walkways, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Summer Flowering Perennials, Wildflowers and Meadows
The Play of Sunlight and Shadow: Through the Secret Garden Door …
Golden Flowers in a Pool of Sunlight: Through the Secret Garden Door … It’s a busy, busy week here at my studio. With two large garden designs, and three smaller projects shifting from dream to reality, there’s much work to be done behind the scenes. I must confess that paperwork and numbers are not terribly […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Flower Seeds, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Gardening without Lawn, Native North American Meadows, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Propagation, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, seed starting, Seed- Saving, Seeds, Weeds and Weeding, Wildflowers and Meadows, Wildlife
Strolling Along the Wildflower Walk …
A Stroll Through the Wildflower Walk in Late Afternoon The Wildflower Walk may have started as an accidental feature in my garden, but —second only to the Secret Garden— it always generates the most oohs and ahhs. And when the sunny drifts of Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) hit their crescendo in July, it’s easy to see […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark flowers, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Poisonous Plants, Shade Gardening, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Woody Plants
A Bolder Shade of Summertime … Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’
 Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Golden’ with Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’ in the Entry Garden Some like it hot. And, some wither and fade in the mid-day sun. Blossoms come and go quickly at this time of year, but beautiful foliage lasts all season long. Does your garden go through awkward phases throughout the summer; gaps between […]
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Annual Flowers, annuals, Climbing plants, Container Gardening, Dark Plants, Dining Outdoors, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Structures, Living Walls & Fences, Plants for Texture, Vines - Perennial, Water Bowl, Water Features
Al Fresco Dining in the Garden: Fireworks Restaurant’s Lush New Courtyard & Bold Container Design …
My Tiered Container Garden Design and Installation at Fireworks Restaurant in Brattleboro, Vermont Wrapped up a busy work week in the pouring rain yesterday with finishing touches on my garden design and installation for Fireworks Restaurant in Brattleboro, Vermont. This lush, outdoor dining space will soon feature a stone water bowl created by a local […]
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Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Rooms
Studio Days: A Peek at the Process … Designing Gardens & Landscapes
My Studio Desk —With Freshly Cut Sarah Bernhardt Peonies— Overlooking the Steel Balcony and Entry Garden (that’s Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’ viewed from atop the wall/balcony) Currently working on three large landscape designs and several smaller garden projects, I’m taking full advantage of today’s inclement weather to play catch up on work —drawings and planting […]
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Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Native Plants, Nature, New England
Beyond the Rain Speckled Windows: Springtime Showers in the Garden …
Blossoming Beyond the Rain Speckled Glass: Viburnum lentago, Just Outside the French Doors Wild thunderstorms passed through New England this week, bringing with them lightning, high winds, hail and even tornadoes just south of here. Fortunately –although the storm front brought loud claps of thunder, drenching rains and dramatic skies– there was little damage in […]
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Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Nature, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Spring, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Texture, Unusual Plants, Urns and Vessels, Water Gardens, Woodland plants
Dramatic Darmera Peltata: A Native Beauty for Bog Gardens & Damp Shade…
Darmera peltata’s pretty, pink spray of airy inflorescence Darmera peltata… What a lovely, musical name. Often the botanical labels for plants pale by comparison to their intriguing and creative folk monikers. But in this case, I think the name Darmera peltata is far superior to the common alternatives (Indian rhubarb and umbrella plant). Just look […]
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Climbing plants, Dan Snow Stonework, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Spring, Plants for shade, Pots, Pots and Pottery, Rare Plants, Reflections, scree gardens, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, The Seasons, Woodland plants
A Peek Inside the Misty Moss Walls: Springtime in the Secret Garden …
By May, a cool tapestry of springtime color carpets the Secret Garden path… This week my design studio and office began slowly migrating back down to the Secret Garden Room, where plants and paperwork happily mingle from late spring through early November. Each day on my way to and from appointments, I pass through the […]
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Annual Flowers, annuals, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance
Maintaining Defined Beds & Borders: English-Style Edging is the Secret to Elegantly Dividing Lawn and Garden
 One of my client’s gardens: simple and classic cottage design in springtime with  a crisply edged border and dark, shredded bark mulch Later in the season: perennials, herbs and annuals spill casually over the edged border. This garden’s edge holds even with no summer maintenance. I snapped the top photograph above while working at my long-time gardening […]
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Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance
A Beautiful Garden & Time to Enjoy It: Low Maintenance Landscape Design… Free Saturday Seminar at Walker Farm
Maintenance. I’m going to be honest: if you want a beautiful garden, there’s just no way around certain chores. But in spite of the fact that every landscape requires some upkeep, there are an almost endless number of ways to design and plant gardens to reduce labor while enhancing four-season interest. In my fifteen years […]
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Farm Events, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Visits, Gardening Inspiration, Massachusetts, New England, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Inspiration: Cottage-Style Charm… Flowers, Fruit & Vegetables Combine With Whimsical Touches to Create a Colorful, Welcoming Potager…
A Riot of Annuals (Mixed Zinna) Creates a Bold Splash of Color in the Center of Carol Hillman’s Country Potager One of my favorite, near-by New England farms is a one-hundred-and-twenty-five year old orchard, belonging to the owners of New Salem Preserves, Carol Hillman and Robert Colnes. Together, this couple has created a beautiful homestead, […]
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Dining Outdoors, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Rooms, Garden Structures, Gardening Inspiration, Herb Gardening, Kitchen, Uncategorized, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Designing an Enchanting Edible Garden And a Workshop for Vegetable Lovers…
My Backyard Potager – An Edible Oasis in Mid-July Like a butterfly flitting about the garden before deciding where to settle, I found myself drifting in and out of greenhouses and garden centers last weekend, ogling possible additions to my backyard potager. I couldn’t help but notice that the aisles of my favorite farm stand […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Color in the Garden, Container Gardening, Decorating the Garden, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Inspirational Gardens, Organic Insect Control, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Pots, Pots and Pottery, pruning, scree gardens, Succulents, Succulents in Containers, Texture
Un-Flower Pots: Designing & Caring for Spectacular Succulent Container Gardens
Beautiful Container Gardens are all about Color, Form and Texture. Great Designers Work with both Contrasts and Harmonies to Create Stunning Results. Hanging basket available at Walker Farm. Saturday morning I spent the better part of an hour and a half listening to enthusiastic oohs and ahhs at Walker Farm’s Succulent Container Gardening & Hanging […]
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cactus, Container Gardening, Decorating Ideas, Garden Design Photos
It’s Fiesta Time! Add a Cactus Bowl Centerpiece to the Cinco de Mayo Party
Cactus bowl centerpiece with desert rocks and decorative straw flowers… It’s fiesta time in my kitchen. I am planning a holiday party with a menu of Mexican-inspired dishes. To set the mood for margarita sipping and chip dipping, I decided to create a celebratory cactus-bowl centerpiece. Making a dry, table-top garden filled with desert plants […]
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