Recent Posts
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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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Celebrations, Christmas Trees, Holiday Decorating, Home, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Solstice
Wishing You All Things Merry & Bright
P E A C E  on  E A R T H ***
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Cocktails, Recipes, The Seasons, Trees, Winter, Winter Solstice, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Celebrating the Winter Solstice: Welcome the Season with a Sparkling Ode to Krampus…
The Ode to Krampus As the final hours of Autumn slip away with the low sun, and Winter arrives in her frosty chariot, I’ll be celebrating the Solstice this evening with friends and family. Marking the Winter Solstice is one of my favorite holiday traditions. And this year, while searching for a special cocktail to […]
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Cooking, Gifts for Gardeners, Glamorous Gardens, Gourmet Garden, Green House Gardens, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Kitchen, New England, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Recipes, The Seasons, Trees for Fruit, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants, Woody Plants
Love in the Afternoon: Delightfully Decadent, Lemony French Toast…
Love in the Afternoon: Delightfully Decadent, Lemony French Toast Oh yes. I know what you’re thinking. What is she doing, lounging about in the afternoon with a plate of French Toast? Oh the sloth, the sloth! It’s just nothing but wickedness {smirk}. OK. Yes, Santa Baby, I have been a little —how shall we say— […]
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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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Books, Cookbooks, Cooking, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Holiday Gifts for the Gardening Cook…
Gifts for the Gardening Cook I was out holiday shopping yesterday afternoon in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts, and I found myself drifting like a snowflake —in and out of book shops and kitchen stores—dreaming of springtime gardens and fresh, leisurely meals on the sun-drenched terrace. Of course —as usual— while checking off my gift-list, I had […]
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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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Red Riding Hood’s Delightfully Tart Cranberry Christmas Cake…
Red Riding Hood’s Cranberry Christmas Cake For an adult, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about fairytales (as you may have noticed). And no, I don’t mean those saccharine, watered-down characters you find at Disney amusement parks. I’m talking about the dark, weird, fantastically-twisted and sometimes frightening characters from the Grimms Märchen (Grimms Fairytales, […]
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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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Artful Garden Objects, Celebrations, Conservatory, Decorating Ideas, Ferns, Foliage, Fun in the Garden, Garden Design, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Glamorous Gardens, Gothic Garden, Holiday Decorating, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Inspirational Gardens, Moss, Terrariums, The Seasons, Tropical Plants, Wardian Cases, Winter
Have Yourself a Merry Little Terrarium…
Nutcracker Suite Terrarium: An H. Potter Holds a Moon Rise and a Collection of Christmas Toys Gathered Beneath the Tree (Lycopodium obscurum aka Ground Pine Club Moss). Designed and created by Michaela at TGE Nutcracker Suite Terrarium: H. Potter Wardian Case Filled with Lycopodium obscurum “Tree”, Sheet Moss “Carpet” and Miniatures. Terrarium vignette designed and created by […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Bowls, Celebrations, Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Ferncliff, Fun in the Garden, Glamorous Gardens, Holiday Decorating, Home, Indoor Table Arrangements, Lighting, Night Garden, Outside Architecture, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Solstice
Starry, Starry Night: A Festival of Light…
Fire and Ice December evenings are often incomparably beautiful; the big, black sky serving as an endless canvas for celestial works of art. Last night, as I stood outside in the frosty quiet, I must have counted fifty shooting stars. The air was so crisp and clear, so still and cold, that every luminous dot […]
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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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Celebrations, Christmas Trees, Ferncliff, Lighting, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden
Welcome December: Season of Sparkling Celebrations and Luminous Landscapes…
Welcome Glittery Nights… And Frosty Mornings… Ice-Laced Branches… And Sudden Snow Squalls… Welcome Fizzy Celebrations… Snow-Capped Mountains… Sparkling Moments… And Tiny, Frost-Covered Treasures… Welcome December ! *** Article & Photographs â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE All content on this site, (with noted exceptions), is the property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be used […]
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Children and Gardening, Container Gardening, Garden Rooms, Garden Science, Gifts for Gardeners, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Pets and Gardens, Poisonous Plants, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Succulents, Succulents in Containers, Terrariums, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants, Winter
Dangerous Beauty: Poisonous Plant Information for Homes with Small Children & Pets…
Outside, Looking In: Dreamy —But Poisonous— Kalanchoe mangini Sits High Up in a Bedroom Window Like many cold-climate gardeners, now that the growing year has ended —and my outdoor garden pursuits are limited to vegetables in raised beds beneath hoop-houses— I find myself catering to a large Indoor Eden of overwintering plants. Throughout the cold […]
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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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Artful Garden Objects, Candles, Celebrations, Decorating Ideas, Dried Flowers, Flower arrangements, Holiday Decorating, Home, Hydrangea, Indoor Table Arrangements, Other Blogs, Thanksgiving, The Seasons
A Time for Gathering Friends & Family, Harvest Dinners & Giving Thanks…
Happy Thanksgiving ! In this season of giving thanks, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for following The Gardener’s Eden. Thank you for  your many delightful comments and email correspondence, and thank you for sharing this site with your friends. I truly love hearing from you, both here on the […]
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Celebrations, Cocktails, Home, Late Autumn Garden, Recipes
Savoring a Quiet Moment & Raising a Glass to Friendship and Good Company: Soul-Warming, Spicy Mulled Wine…
Mulled Wine and a Thanksgiving Toast to Friendship The last few days and hours before a holiday are always a busy time. With all of the necessary preparations —shopping and cooking, packing and travel— it’s easy to lose sight of the more important aspects of our gathering amid all the hustle and bustle. Sometimes it […]
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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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