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Soft, Slow MorningsÂ
 Slowly Down the Garden Path After a very chilly April, May arrived and turned up the heat. Temperatures here shot up to the mid-eighties and nary a raindrop fell. Unpredictable is what we call typical, here in New England. My garden design schedule is purposefully light this year. I have but a few projects on […]
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Back to the Garden
Raking, Pruning and Filling the Secret Garden Water Bowl; It’s Good to be Back in the Garden Finally, a Sunday without sleet or snow and nothing on the schedule but gardening! A quick break inside for a pot of hot coffee and some cookies with you. Hope you are well and getting back to your […]
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Welcome to Spring
 Seasonal Joys W E L C O M E   S P R I N G  ! Our seasons are officially changing. The vernal equinox arrives in the Northern Hemisphere today, March 20 at 22:45 UTC, or 6:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. I’m sure ready to get back in my garden, how about you? […]
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Springtime Joy As Winter Wanes . . .
The Golden Glow of Springtime: Hamamelis vernalis It’s been a long, long, harsh winter in New England. This year, more than any in recent memory, we all seem anxious for any sign that the seasons are about to change. Bodnant viburnum, vernal witch hazel, pussy willow, golden spicebush, snowdrops, crocus; as gardeners we cherish these […]
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A Moment for Peace: Artist’s Talk Friday, March 6th in Brattleboro, VT
 October Thicket, 2014 – Pastel on Paper (limited-edition, archival prints available – click here for details)  I’ve been invited to give a brief talk about the relationship between artist and natural environment as part of the creative process at “Moment for Peace” this Friday evening, March 6th at 5:30 p.m. in Brattleboro, Vermont. The talk […]
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A Little Romance with Miniature Roses
Although I am very fond of winter, I confess that my indoor garden is a great source of pleasure at this time of year. There’s something undeniably delicious about waking up to the sweet scent of roses on a cold morning. Buying fresh flowers is part of my winter shopping routine, but I rarely purchase […]
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Hearty, Potato-Cheddar Soup with Beer & Signs of Life in the Dead of Winter
Winter is Soup Season: A Bowl of Potato-Cheddar Really Warms the Spirits This article was originally published on January 30, 2011 “The Dead of Winter”: I spent a good part of yesterday ruminating on this phrase. Is winter really dead? I suppose it might seem that way if you spend all of your time indoors. […]
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A Bit of Sunshine on a Cloudy Day
 With springtime so far away, weekly trips to the florist are in order Hello friends, I know, it’s been awhile. I confess that garden blogging has taken a back-seat to art-making and showing lately. My winter is quite different this year. There’s much news to share —some happy and some sad— but I’m not quite […]
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Solstice Greetings
Wishing You Light and Joy in the New Season. Happy Winter Solstice! Photography â“’ Michaela Harlow. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior […]
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Winter Garden Guest, Cloaked in White
Mustela erminea, Commonly Known as an Ermine, Short-Tailed Weasel or Stoat Meet the beautiful, white-cloaked ermine (Mustela erminea), also commonly known as the stoat or short-tailed weasel. This curious, swift-moving mammal —closely related to ferrets, weasels, otters, wolverines and badgers— is native to the woodlands, mountainous regions, wetlands and moors of North America, Europe, Asia […]
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On Exhibit: “Who Robbed the Woods?” Paintings from the Vermont Forest
Click on Image to Enlarge Show Announcement Plans to visit beautiful Vermont this December? Please stop by Brattleboro to say hello, enjoy a cup of cider and view artwork inspired by the wilds of Vermont. I will be exhibiting new work this month at 133 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont. This special showing of pastels,”Who Robbed the Woods: […]
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Close Encounters with the Harris Hawk: A Visit to The New England Falconry
 Visiting The New England Falconry & Admiring the beauty of an 8-month-old, male Harris Hawk Over the past few years, as my interest in designing gardens with native plants and creating naturalized landscapes has expanded to include a passion for pollinators, wildlife and habitat preservation, I have become more and more curious about birds of […]
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Welcome November
Welcoming November Light & Leaf-Strewn Wandering Stripped of most deciduous leaves, suddenly the forest is shockingly bright at sunrise again. And now that the clocks have changed, November mornings belong to us early birds once more. It’s a trick of course, and we’ll pay for this daylight loan in afternoon hours —but I’m willing to […]
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Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary … While I Pondered, Weak and Weary … Over Many a Quaint and Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore … While I Nodded, Nearly Napping, Suddenly There Came a Tapping … As Of Some One Gently Rapping, Rapping at My Chamber Door … Was It the Wind, or Something More ? […]
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Late October, Burning Bright
 Late October chores can wait: Taking a moment to pause and enjoy the beauty of imperfection It’s post-frost, tidy-up season in my garden. Time to gather and clean-out seasonal pots, cut-back unattractive perennials, rake-up leaves and button-up the borders with mulch. This has been a busy year for me as I’ve begun to switch my […]
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Welcoming October’s Fire
 Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’ with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ along the Secret Garden Walk  With fiery colors peeking through a misty, morning shroud, October began on a moody note today. The Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’) has turned the brightest shade of red that I can ever remember and beyond, Fragrant Abelia (Abelia mosanensis) and […]
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Gathering Branches, Bramble & Berries: The Allure of Autumn Bouquets
In the Garden with Freshly Cut Tea Viburnum (V. setigerum) & Limelight Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Limelight’) Â Although I love springtime vases filled with fragrant peonies, blue iris and cabbage roses, I equally adore the vibrance and longevity of autumn bouquets. At this time of year, foliage colors and textures are so rich and varied, that […]
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Autumn Potager: Selecting & Planting Tasty Varieties of Gourmet Garlic
Gorgeous, Gourmet Garlic! Bulbs, Clockwise from Top of Ceramic Bowl: German White, Russian Red, Bavarian Purple & Spanish Roja. On Table: Two Heads of Doc’s German & One Each of German Red & Music. In Basket: A Combination of All Garlic Varieties, Plus Continental. Creatures of the night, beware: I grow garlic! Garlic and onion […]
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September’s Swing Season
Henry Eiler’s Conflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eiler’s) & Flame Grass (Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens), Catch Late Summer’s Low, Golden Rays With daylight hours diminishing, and evening chill settling in, the garden’s hues are changing quickly now. Leaves are taking on autumnal tints of red, orange and chartreuse and berries are brightening to shades of wine, purple, […]
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Greeting the Full, Harvest Moon
 This Year, the Harvest Moon is Full Less Than a Day from Perigee. This Will Make the Moon Appear Much Larger on the Horizon. Find More Information on 2014’s ‘Supermoons’ here. The Harvest Moon will rise near 100% full on Monday, September 8th, 2014 at 6:49 PM EDT and set at 5:42 AM EDT on September 9th. […]
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Endless Summer: Preserving the Harvest
Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil – Summertime Red and Gold, Preserved for a Winter’s Day. Click Here for a Simple How-To New England is well-known for long cold winters and short, hot summers. So gardeners here tend to know a thing or two about preserving the harvest for those freezing months ahead. August and September […]
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