garden tools
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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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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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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 Journals, Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Herb Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Planting Techniques, Record Keeping, Seed Kits, Seed- Saving, Seeds, The Seasons, Uncategorized, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening
Marking Time’s Passage in the Garden: Beautiful & Practical Journals…
Keeping a permanent record of your garden is one of the keys to horticultural success! I keep records for both my vegetable plot and my ornamental gardens December 2010. It’s hard to believe that another year is drawing to a close, isn’t it? While flipping through my garden journal last week, I couldn’t help but […]
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Electric Garden Tools, garden tools, Gardening Inspiration, Green Living
The Electric Gardener: Guest Post by Ted Dillard of The Electric Chronicles…
“Get that evil, oily, smelly, loud machine out of my garden!† This was the response I got from a dear friend and gardener, as I pointed my 1967 Gravely tractor with the “Power Plow†attachment –– a tool that can only be described as a food processor for soil–– towards the task of turning her […]
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Celebrations, Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Lawns, Paths and Walkways, Reel-Style Lawn Mowers
Father’s Day Post Leads to Old Fashioned Push Mower Shopping… Thanks Dad! Happy Father’s Day!
Detail from a Schlitz beer ad, circa 1950 It all started innocently enough. This morning I wanted to publish a quick ‘Happy Father’s Day’ post for all the dads out there. My dad has always been a fabulous gardener, expert berry grower and lover of native plants and trees… But he hated mowing the lawn. […]
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Garden Maintenance, Garden Seminars, garden tools, Japanese Maple, pruning, Roses, shrubs, Trees, Woody Plants
Prune in June? Well, Sometimes. Wondering What, When and How to Prune? The Basics of Pruning: A Weekend Workshop and a Giveaway…
Horizontal juniper, (photo © 2010 Michaela at TGE), pruned to highlight stonework and clay pot focal point… Japanese maple, (photo © Michaela at TGE), pruned to arch over the Secret Garden doorway… Microbiota decussata, (Siberian cypress), (photo © Michaela at TGE), pruned to highlight the edge of a walkway… Pruning: Why, when, how and what? […]
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Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Garden Seminars, garden tools, Great Growers and Nurseries, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Planting Techniques, pruning
Waking Up the Garden in Spring …. Free Seminar at Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont – Tomorrow…
Early risers: Glory of the snow blooming this month in my garden… Will you be in the Southern Vermont area this weekend? If so, please join me this Saturday morning at 9:30 for the first in a series of free gardening seminars at Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. “Waking Up the Garden in Spring” covers […]
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Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons
Smooth Moves: Gliding Through Spring Cleanup with a Sweet Adjustable Rake. Tool Talk Part Two…
Cleaning Up Without Damaging Bulbs (After photo) Cleaning up with an adjustable rake pulled to a tight setting (During) OK. So I am feeling a little sore tonight. I admit it. Shoulders; triceps; middle back = Ouch. I have been busy with spring clean up in a few of my client’s gardens, among them, the […]
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Garden Maintenance, garden tools, pruning
Selecting Quality Gardening Tools to Last a Lifetime: Part One…
Looks like it’s finally that time of the year: Gardening season! Time to pull out the tools and get to work. Most of my gardening equipment is in pretty good shape, but there are a few repairs and replacements I need to make this year. I can still remember shopping for gardening tools with my father […]
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Cutting Garden, Dahlias, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Great Growers and Nurseries, Rain Gear, Shoes/Boots, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Summer Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons
Guilty Pleasures: Dreams of Spring and Pretty Little Things …
Narcissus ‘Lemon Silk’ in the walkway last spring… Springtime. Why yes… you do remember springtime? The smell of fresh narcissus and damp earth? It’s not so far away. Really, (or so I tell myself). On those blissful days when the mercury rises a bit, and the walkway fills with slush, I can almost picture my […]
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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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Garden Gloves, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Mud Boots and Shoes, pruning, Rain Gear
Great Holiday Gifts for Gardeners – Ideas Under $10, $20, $50, $100
We gardeners have a reputation as ‘hard-to-shop for’ people, especially when it comes to holiday gifts. This may be true, as we often are a bit particular about our likes and dislikes. Sometimes when a non-gardener is shopping for us, the choices can seem overwhelming. By-pass pruner or anvil? Garden gnome or gargoyle? Glass cloche […]
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