Garden Maintenance
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Design, Flower Seeds, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance
Beyond the Sweater Drawer: Gardening In Layers for Autumn Color & Texture
Stunning Abelia mosanensis, Backed Up by Lovely Lindera benzoin and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’, Together in a Stellar Second Act.  Getting dressed for October weather in New England usually involves a tank top, t-shirt, bright sweater and weatherproof jacket. As the season grows colder, this list grows to include colorful wool socks, hat, scarf, gloves and […]
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Early Spring Maintenance, Garden Design, Garden Maintenance, garden tools
Cutting Edge Garden Maintenance: Sharply Defining Beds & Borders . . .
 Cleanly cutting the edge of a border with a half-moon edger, and mulching the “V”, helps with maintenance throughout the growing year {Pictured: a client’s newly planted garden with English-style edging. Pretty vessel is by Vermont artist, Stephen Procter} Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and every gardener has their own, unique preference […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Chores, Autumn Garden Design, Garden Maintenance
The Perennial Maintenance Question: When Should I Cut Back the Garden?
Rainy-Day, Autumn Maintenance in My Wildflower Walk: Cutting Back Withered Perennials & Removing Weeds Ah, October. One minute it’s freezing cold and you’re pulling on the wooly socks, and the next you’re stripping to your t-shirt and slathering on the sunscreen. I wonder… Do gardeners in other regions talk about the weather as much as […]
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Annual Flowering Vines, Annual Flowers, annuals, Garden Maintenance, Hanging Baskets
Pots in the Garden, Part Two: Tips for Maintaining Hanging Flower Baskets…
A Tumbling Cascade of Grape & Cherry Hues: Hanging Basket by Walker Farm Ah, the seductive power of summertime annuals! With all of the lush foliage, boldly colored flowers and twisting, trailing vines tumbling from covered porches, it’s hard to deny the romance of flowering baskets. And now that we are in late July, those container-grown […]
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Early Season Garden Maintenance … Free Seminar at Walker Farm, Vermont
English Edging (click here for information on how to create this border line) and Mulch: When a Garden is Properly Prepared, Early in the Season, Maintenance is a Breeze Throughout the Year … Early-season maintenance —or what I’ve come to call ‘waking up the garden in spring’— is one of the keys to a truly […]
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flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Garden Maintenance, Garden Paths, garden tools, Hamamelis, Hardy shrubs, ornamental grass
Marching Forward to Springtime …
Cerise-Flushed Bodnant Viburnum Buds, Swollen in Morning Sunshine (Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’) The sleepy garden is slowly rousing now from her long winter slumber. And as she greets the warmth of each early March morning, I slip on my wellies, grab a few tools and a hot cup of coffee, eager to join in her blushing, […]
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Bark, Books, Garden Maintenance, pruning, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Tree Care, Trees, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Mild Days & Mid-Winter Pruning
Although the Ice and Snow are Beautiful, Winter Damage Must be Cleaned Up Every Year & Now is the Best Time to Tackle Major Structural Tasks (Above: Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’) … Although the old “prune in June” rule applies to certain woody plants in some situations —-those that blossom in early spring, such as lilacs […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Flower Seeds, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Meadow Gardens, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Perennials for Autumn, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for Texture, Summer flowering shrubs
Heavenly as October Skies at Sunset: ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ Aromatic Aster Sparkles in My Autumn Garden …
Raydon’s Favorite aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’/ aka Aster oblongifolius) in the front entry garden in mid-October (Shining gold in the background here: Amsonia hubrichtii and Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’) When it comes to North American native wildflowers, there’s just no way I could ever choose a favorite. My plant infatuations are many; varying […]
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Container Gardening, Garden Maintenance, Uncategorized
Snip, Snip Here & Snip, Snip There: Mid-Season Container Taming Tips …
Pots Filled with Vibrant Annual, Tropical & Tender Perennial Plants Accent the South-Facing Stone Terrace. The Sun & Moon Urn is a Long-Time Garden Favorite I picked up in Mexico. Empty Pots Make Great Accents Between Lush Plantings. Having recently completed a whirl-wind maintenance tour of the Wildflower Walk and Secret Garden, my critical gaze […]
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annuals, Extending the Growing Season, Flower Seeds, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Late Autumn Garden, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Science, Pollinating Insects, Seeds, Wildlife, Winter Garden
Reining in the Tumbling Floral Chaos: Mid-Summer Garden Maintenance …
Summer’s Wild, Tumbling Jumble (Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’, Hydrangea quercifolia, Amsonia hubrichtii, Adenophora confusa, Rudbeckia hirta, Sedum, Hosta and Adiantum pedatum) While out enjoying a morning stroll around the garden, taking in a blissfully cool and misty start to my day, a few flower stalks and juniper branches caught my attention by snapping at my ankles […]
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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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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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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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Pruning Ornamental Trees & Shrubs: Free Saturday Gardening Seminar Sponsored by Walker Farm in Vermont
Lilacs are best pruned immediately after their flowers fade (or, if you like them as fresh cut blossoms, prune and decorate your house with bouquets at the same time). Learn more about how to prune lilacs in this post, and if your looking to improve your pruning skills… I’m presenting a free gardening seminar, “Pruning Ornamental […]
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Asian Natives, Ferncliff, Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Ice Storms, Japanese Maple, pruning, The Seasons, Tree Care, Trees, Winter, Woody Plants
Spring Clean-Up Part One: Pruning Damaged Limbs in Tight Spaces Using The Handy, Folding ‘Grecian’ Saw, Plus… A Special Giveaway!
A young Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ in my garden. This photo was taken last spring during a passing shower, just as the beautifully vibrant red leaves began to unfold I love all trees, but I have to admit that in particular, I am a very, very fond of Japanese maples. And in spite of the fact […]
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Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Garden Seminars, garden tools, pruning, shrubs, The Seasons, Tree Care, Trees, Woody Plants
Spring Clean-Up, Part One: Pruning Winter-Damaged Branches Continues With a Tutorial on Cutting to Alternate & Opposite Buds…
Spring Clean Up Begins in My Garden with the Removal of Winter-Damaged Branches and Limbs on Woody Plants I’ve been tending other people’s gardens for more than a decade, and although I am officially eliminating maintenance from my professional services this year —making more time for design work, teaching and writing— that doesn’t mean I […]
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Garden Maintenance, pruning, shrubs
Spring Clean-Up, Part One: Pruning Winter-Damaged Branches…
Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ blooms early in the season. These flower buds were formed on old wood, last year. In general this shrub is only lightly pruned for shape, right after it has finished blooming. Damaged wood can and should be pruned anytime, as soon as it is observed. After a long, tough winter, it sure […]
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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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Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Ferncliff, Garden Maintenance, Garden Paths, Glamorous Gardens, Hoar Frost, Lawns, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Vermont, Viburnum, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
Sparkles, Drifts, Patterns & Shadows: The Beauty of a Frosty Winter’s Morn…
Frosty Holiday Decorations Oh, the shimmering, glimmering glamour of a frost-covered garden! After days of howling wind, I awoke to a still hush and brilliant sunrise. I simply had to rush outside to greet the glistening morn. Of course, there was no time to change into snow boots and jacket. Oh no. So I grabbed […]
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