Garden Design Photos
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Color in the Garden, Container Gardening, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Seminars, Succulents, Succulents in Containers, Un-Flower Pots, Unusual Plants, Urns and Vessels
Behold the Brilliant, Jewel-Like Treasures! How Will I Contain Myself? Playing with Pots: An Annual Obsession
Echeveria ‘The Pearl’, Kalanchoe pumila and Portulacaria afra variegata – An indoor garden pot, slowly acclimates to the great outdoors on my steel balcony It’s an annual question. How will I contain myself? Although the vast majority of my gardening takes place in the ledgy pockets of soil here on my land, every year I create […]
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Books, Bowls, cactus, Container Gardening, Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Exotic Plants, Ferncliff, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Indoor Gardening, Inspirational Gardens, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Pots, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Studio Garden, Succulents, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants, Urns and Vessels
Dusting Off, Cleaning Out, Taking Stock & Getting Ready for Gardening Season… Plus Another Giveaway!
The bright gold of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a cheerful welcome in a chair beside my front door. I like using natural baskets as decorative covers for inexpensive, recycled plastic flower pots. I do a similar thing with plants placed outside in summer, using everything from wooden crates and baskets to tin cans and flea market […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Cold-Climate Vegetable Gardening, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Container Gardening, Cooking, Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Deer, Flower Seeds, Fragrance, Fresh Cut Flowers, Front Yard Gardens, Fruit for home gardens, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Journals, Garden Maintenance, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Home, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Planting Techniques, seed starting, Seeds, soil science, strawberries, Tomatoes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Dreaming of Springtime’s Sweet Veggies: Planning a Lush, Welcoming Potager…
A tumbling jumble of nasturtiums creates a warm welcome for people and pollinators alike Sweet seats! In June, the potager becomes my outdoor living/dining room Wide pathways and mounded-earth beds give me plenty of room to work and maneuver about with carts and wheelbarrows Winter is a wonderful season —I’m still having fun snowshoeing and […]
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Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Rooms, Glamorous Gardens, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Mudroom, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, pruning, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening
Indoor Eden: Simple,Verdant Beauty… Twisting & Twining English Ivy
Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ – English Ivy Twists and Twines Round a Metal Chair in the Secret Garden Room Busy about the Secret Garden Room this morning –potting, pruning and moving plants around to make room for new seed starts– I suddenly found myself driven to delightful distraction by my gorgeous friend, Ivy. Positioned as she […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Conifers, Evergreens, Ferncliff, Foliage, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Ground Covers, Hardy shrubs, Hydrangea, Late Autumn Garden, Living Walls & Fences, Night Garden, Plant hunting, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, pruning, rock garden plants, Secret Garden Room, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Unusual Plants, Wind Breaks, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
A Tough Broad for all Seasons: This Sulfur-Tipped, Ice-Blue Chameleon Really Knows How to Wear the Pants…
Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’ atop the Secret Garden Steps in January It’s easy to get gardeners excited when I talk about big stars like hydrangea, azalea and viburnum. And most everyone swoons over those voluptuous and intoxicating bombshells: the roses, French lilacs and tree peonies. But junipers? Why they’re a lonely and oft-neglected group of garden […]
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Bark, Climbing plants, Color in the Garden, Frost, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hoar Frost, Naturalistic Garden Design, New England, Ornamental Berries and Fruit, ornamental grass, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Texture, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Golden Light & Glistening Gardens on a Frosty Winter’s Morn…
Sunrise on the Frosty Tufts of Miscanthus sinensis As a winter snow storm swirls about outside, my thoughts drift back to yesterday’s frosty morning, and the glistening, pink-gold sunrise. If today she reveals her wild fury, I am reminded that this tempestuous season more often shows us her beauty… Morning Light on Humulus lupulus (Golden […]
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Ferncliff, Fun in the Garden, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow…
The Ornamental Grass Border, Swirling with Snow Flurries (Miscanthus sinensis and Physocarpus opulifolius) At last, Winter has truly arrived in New England… And it’s a beautiful wonderland! Out come the sleds, the snowshoes, the skis and the shovels. On go the mittens and hats, the long, woolen scarves and the tall, sheepskin boots. Fire up the […]
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Fun in the Garden, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Party, Garden Rooms, Garden Structures, Gardening Inspiration, Other Blogs, Outside Architecture, Treehouses, Trees, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening
Winter Dreams and Frosty Fantasies: Magical, Snow-Covered Tree Houses…
Treehouse by Amazon Tree Houses – UK – This UK-based company designs and builds some of the most beautiful treehouses I have ever seen. They are truly fuel for fantasies and fairytales… Imagine being awakened by a gentle rocking sensation as wind sways your nest; watching snow flurries dance, high up in the treetops. Could […]
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Bark, Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Hardy shrubs, Hydrangea, Japanese Maple, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Nature, New England, North American Trees, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Shrubs with Textural Bark, Texture, The Seasons, Trees with Textural Bark, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Papery, Peeling, Striped & Shaggy: Textural Bark Brings Warmth & Beauty To Stark, Wintery Landscapes…
From peach and cream to reddish brown, the peeling bark of our native, paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is one of my favorite textures in the winter landscape… Brr… It sure is cold outside. With temperatures hovering around 15 degrees fahrenheit here in Vermont, it takes an awful lot to stop me in my tracks for […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Conifers, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Hoar Frost, Ice Storms, Inspirational Gardens, Moss, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, North American Trees, ornamental grass, Outside Architecture, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Winter Interest, Planting Techniques, Plants for Texture, rock garden plants, Sculpture, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Stone Walkways, stonework, The Seasons, Vines - Perennial, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Garden Structure & Seasonal Texture: White Lace and Sparkling Silver Tulle Dance and Flirt in a Prelude to Winter…
The Entry Garden at First Light on December 11th I often wonder why I bother to mourn the end of autumn when there’s so much magic and beauty to be found in the garden during this quiet time of the year. As we near the winter solstice, I find myself every bit as enchanted by […]
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Celebrations, Decorating the Garden, Ferncliff, Foliage, Fun in the Garden, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Party, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Ice Storms, Late Autumn Garden, Native North American Woodlands, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, The Seasons, Trees, Viburnum, White Witch, Winter, Winter Garden
Jack Frost and the Sugar Plum Fairy Debut Sparkling Holiday Horti-Couture At Last Night’s Spectacular & Exclusive Secret Garden Icicle Ball…
An Explosive Night of Decadent Elegance at the Chilly, Secret Garden Icicle Ball   (Acer palmatum x dissectum ‘Seiryu’ and Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’) My old friends Jack and Sugar were here again last night with their chilly and fabulously chic entourage. As usual, they danced and partied ’til dawn. From the look of things […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Dried Flowers, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Late Autumn Garden, New England, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, stonework, The Seasons, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
The Subtle Hues of November’s Garden Play Softly in Low Light & Gentle Mist…
The Remaining Fruit on this Tea Viburnum Gleams Like Candy Store Gumdrops (Viburnum setigerum) Against a Background of Honey-Colored Miscanthus Surprised by a late November warm spell —gardens enveloped by quiet rain and soft fog— I found myself shrugging a few responsibilities and wandering around in the late afternoon light. Everywhere, tiny droplets of rain […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Conifers, Cutting Garden, Decorating Ideas, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hardy shrubs, Hoar Frost, Holiday Decorating, Home, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Ornamental Berries and Fruit, Plant hunting, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
Bright, Red Winterberry & Juniper Magic: Lovely, Native Ilex verticillata Sparkles & Glows on Grey, Chilly Days…
Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’, paired here with Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’ In the last weeks of late autumn —after the leaves have all fallen and deciduous trees stand naked and rattling in cold wind— the conifers and fruit-bearing shrubs reign supreme in my garden. Late fall and early winter days —laced with hoar frost and sugar-coatings […]
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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 […]
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Asian Natives, Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Chores, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Rooms, Planting Techniques, Reflections, Rodent Damage Prevention, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, The Seasons, Tree Care, Trees, Trees for Fall Foliage, Unusual Plants, Winter, Winter - Preparations, Winter Garden
Preparing the Garden for Winter: Protect Young, Ornamental & Fruit Trees from Gnawing Rodents…
My young Royal Frost birch (Betula populifolia x Whitespire ‘Royal Frost’) tree’s golden-orange foliage in November Several years ago, when my father had heart surgery at the VA hospital in Boston, I was away from home quite a bit during the last three months of the year. Preoccupied with my dad’s health and juggling various […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Chartreuse, Climbing plants, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Conifers, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Hardy shrubs, Japanese Maple, Late Autumn Garden, New England, ornamental grass, Perennials for Autumn, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Trees for Fall Foliage, Unusual Plants, Water Bowl, Water Features, Woody Plants
The Grand, Fall Foliage Finale: November Photo-Notes from Ferncliff…
Acer palmatum x dissectum ‘Seiryu’ and Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’at the Secret Garden Entry in Early November It seems to me that the first week of November flew by in a complete blur. This morning I awoke to howling wind and the unmistakable sound of sleet blasting the windowpanes. In one short week, the vast majority […]
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Asian Natives, Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, companion planting, Fragrance, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Hoar Frost, Late Autumn Garden, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Woody Plants
Fire and Ice: The Flaming Red Foliage of Abelia Mosanensis Sizzles Beside Cool Blue Juniper Horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’…
Fragrant abelia (Abelia mosanensis) and Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’ (aka ‘The Blue Rug’) They say opposites attract —think Bogie and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy, Lady and the Tramp, Bert and Ernie— in passionate relationships. Â And it’s certainly true that sparks tend to fly in nature, as well as on the silver screen, when something hot and […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Naturalistic Garden Design, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for fall color, The Seasons, Trees for Fall Foliage
Autumn Light…
Edge of daylight… Autumn light, like golden honey dripping from branches, sweetens the chill of mid-October days. A stroll through the garden reveals a sunlit patch of earth —still empty. My eye follows the low rays, looking for opportunities to play with light and texture; a potential spot for a luminous shrub, feathery grass or […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hydrangea, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Autumn, Pergolas and Arbors, Planting Techniques, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, The Seasons, Woody Plants
Opposites Attract: Autumn Golds Glow Beside Vibrant Violets, Pale Plums & Lovely Lavenders…
An October knock-out: Clematis viticella ‘Polish Spirit’ (my new favorite) sings harmony at the edge of the golden-chartreuse fields of autumn Oh beautiful, technicolor October, my favorite month of the year. On glorious fall days like today, I live to be outdoors from dawn to dusk, playing in the garden’s golden light. With all of the […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Candles, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Party, Gifts for Gardeners, Lighting, Luminarias (Tin), Night Garden
Shadows Lengthen & Darkness Falls: Illuminate Autumn’s Velvety Nights…
Simple Tin Buckets filled with Sand and Tea Lights Line the Stone Steps at Ferncliff Twilight in the garden: dusky violet skies and long shadows brush the horizon. Night falls, and the silhouettes of flowers and feathery foliage sway dramatically in the fading light. This is my favorite time to walk through the garden, watching […]
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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 […]
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