Shrubs for Winter Interest
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Early spring flowering plants, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Hamamelis, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Forward March: Signs of a New Season
Vernal Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) greets the sun Although it’s a mostly-winter month —and oh how I dread the lion’s roar!— March is filled with the promise of springtime. Witch Hazel, Pussy Willow, Spring Heath, Snowdrops, Crocus: everywhere I look, the signs appear! And so I venture forth, into the garden, calling out the lamb. […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Design, Color in the Garden, Conifers, Flower Seeds, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hardy Succulents, Hoar Frost, Holiday Decorating, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennial Garden Design, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Winter Interest, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Succulents, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
Crystal-Coated & Sugar Plum Kissed . . . . Late Night Garden Party with Jack Frost
The Entry Walk and Ledges, Sparkling in Sunlight After Jack Frost’s Midnight Ball I love surprises. A life lived predictably seems terribly boring to me and a garden kept under tight control leaves little room for romance. For months now, I’ve been encouraging readers to leave seed pods and other garden remnants standing over winter […]
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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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Climbing plants, Color in the Garden, Conifers, Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Ferncliff, Fire Pits, Fire Pits and Fire Sculpture, Flower Seeds, Frost, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Structures, Gardening Inspiration, Perennials for Winter Interest, Planting Techniques, Plants for Texture, Sculpture, Sculpture and Features, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Shrubs with Textural Bark, Steps and Stairs - Stone, Stone Sculpture, Stone Walkways, stonework, The Seasons, Viburnum, Walkways - Stone, White & Silver, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Winter Solstice
Sparkling Texture & Dramatic Structure: Creating A Beautiful Winter Garden …
The Entry Garden at First Light in Early December, After a Dusting of Snow 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 […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Frost, Fun in the Garden, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Glamorous Gardens, Halloween, Home, Late Autumn Garden, Nature, New England, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shrubs for Winter Interest, The Seasons, Vermont, White Witch, Winter, Winter Garden
The White Witch’s Early Winter Trick: A Morning of Sparkling Autumn Treats
The Trick of Winter: Cornus kousa Fruits & Fall Foliage in Early Snow It seems the White Witch of Winter decided to pay us an early Halloween visit last night. Far more accustomed to her raven-haired sister at this time of year, we were all taken a bit by surprise. And though it’s much too […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Glamorous Gardens, New England, Pumpkins, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Specialty Pumpkins, The Seasons, Trees for Fall Foliage, Winter, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Autumn Swirls in a Dance with Winter: A Fleeting Glimpse of Frosted Fantasy …
An October Snow Squall Temporarily Coats the Scarlet Leaves of This Brilliant Viburnum with Fresh Frosting (V. plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’) A Different Kind of October in the Secret Garden A First For Me; Damask Roses in the Snow (‘Rosa De Rescht’) Candy-Coated Autumn Colors … And Jewel-Like Leaves, Flash Frozen in Time Snow Kissed […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumnal Equinox, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Shrubs with Textural Bark, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Falling for Autumn’s Slow Color Shift …
The Brilliant Vermillion Fruits of Tea Viburnum (V. setigerum) are Striking Against this Silvery-Mauve Screen of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ in My Garden With two large garden design & installation projects to button up before the end of the year, fire wood to stack and countless post-Irene repairs to tackle, it seems the weeks are […]
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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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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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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Foliage, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Textural Bark, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Living Garden: Crow Feasting Upon Staghorn Sumac Berries…
Crows feasting upon native staghorn sumac berries (Rhus typhina) in my garden this morning… This morning while lingering over my breakfast, I heard some loud caw-caw-cawing coming from the edge of the back garden, and then noticed a pair of American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) enjoying an early meal of fruit from staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Ferncliff, Forcing Branches in Winter, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Texture, The Seasons, Vermont, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Come to Me, My Sweet Willow…
Salix discolor. Pitcher by Aletha Soulé. Photo © Michaela at 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? I love the beautiful, soft texture and the sculptural quality of pussy willow branches artfully arranged in a vase. […]
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Cutting Garden, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fragrance, Fresh Cut Flowers, Gardening Inspiration, Indoor Table Arrangements, New England, Plant Spotlight, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, The Seasons, Vernal Equinox, Winter, Woody Plants
First Hints of Spring…
Last Year’s Nest Remains Intact, Decorated with the Pink-Tinted Buds of Viburnum Bodnantense ‘Dawn’ Spring is exactly one month away, and eagerly, the garden awaits her arrival. Already, swollen buds, glowing bark and the sing-song voices of chickadees calling “spring’s here”, fill trees and shrubs with new life… On Warmer Days, Blushing Viburnum Buds Near […]
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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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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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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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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Ground Covers, Hoar Frost, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Other Blogs, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Winter Interest, Purple and Maroon Foliage, rock garden plants, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Stone Walkways, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
A Morning of Sunlit Snow Flurries & Quiet Moments of Wintry Beauty…
Golden, Sunrise Snow Shower Sunlit snow flurries, stark, white tree trunks and icy sparkle at the tips of my toes; it seems that every morning I awake to find yet another golden dawn, illuminating a crystal-and-snow-coated wonderland. And now, as late autumn gently fades —heralding the arrival of early winter— I am dazzled-as-always by the […]
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Candles, Celebrations, Conifers, Ferncliff, Fun in the Garden, Holiday Decorating, Home, Lighting, Nature, New England, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening
The Magical Moment of First Snow…
The Magical Moment of First Snow It seems that suddenly the world is all a’swirl with a dizzying array of frozen, white flakes. Just now running out the door with a million things to do, but I simply had to share the magical moment of First Snow… Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ – First Snow Cotoneaster and […]
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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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