Recent Posts
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Cooking, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Cool as a Cucumber: Tante Maria’s Gurkensalat & Summer Memories…
Tante Maria’s Gurkensalat – Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE Tante Maria (my aunt Maria) lives in the southernmost tip of Bavaria, in a small town near München (Munich) Germany. My mother comes from a very, very large family —all still living in Europe— and although I have many aunts, uncles and cousins, I will always […]
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Books, Decorating the Garden, Dining Outdoors, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Home, Inspirational Gardens, Lighting, Outside Architecture, Pergolas and Arbors
Inspiration Provence: Romantic Gardens, Casual, Country-Style Furnishings & Candlelit Dinners Beneath the Stars…
Michel Klein’s Garden – Image â“’ Provence Interiors by Lisa Lovatt-Smith Provence… What an incredibly evocative word. Even the sound of the letters, rolling sensuously across the tongue, seems to magically slow time. The Mediterranean landscape seduces with golden light; teasing as it flickers through massive plane trees. My memories of southern France are bound […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Birds, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Hardy shrubs, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Summer flowering shrubs, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Delightful Doublefile Viburnum ‘Shasta’: Ripe with Fruit & Filled with Songbirds
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ â“’ Michaela at TGE (fruits in July) Graceful, elegant and generous are but a few of the words that spring to mind when describing Doublefile Viburnum, (V. plicatum var. tomentosum); one of the most delightful species in my absolute favorite genus of woody plants. Although this shrub wears no perfume […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Ferncliff, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Organic Disease Control, Organic Insect Control, Reflections, Sculpture and Features, stonework, Tea Gardens, Water Bowl, Water Gardens
Inspiration: The Japanese Tea Garden… Water Bowls Reflect Quiet & Calm
Image â“’ Linda Younker from Gardening with Stone by Jan Whitner Calm, cool and serene; even the tiniest pool of water can create a quiet, contemplative mood in the garden. In summer’s sweltering, mid-day heat, a few stolen moments in a shady oasis can refresh and rejuvenate the spirit. Whether constructed from hypertufa, carved from […]
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companion planting, Cooking, Garden Maintenance, Gourmet Garden, Homemade Remedies: Anti-Fungal, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Sweet Summertime Risotto with Zucchini, Basil & Golden Peppers & Cultural Notes and Tips from the Kitchen Garden…
Summertime Risotto â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE Endless summer. Between the deep green leaves in my kitchen garden, zucchini plants offer up their tender, young fruit and bell peppers glisten in the morning sun. Green and purple basil plants —pinched to form bushy mounds— brush my ankles, scenting the air as I walk along the […]
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Annual Flowers, Artful Garden Objects, Books, Color in the Garden, Container Gardening, Decorating the Garden, Front Yard Gardens, Furniture, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Gothic Garden, Luminarias (Tin), Planting Techniques, Pots, Pots and Pottery, Sculpture, Sculpture and Features, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Succulents in Containers, Urns and Vessels, Water Features
Adorn: Flea Market Finds, Discarded Pots and Vessels, Inexpensive Lamps and Found Objects Enhance the Garden…
An Eclectic Collection: Pots, Urns, Vessels and Lamps – Image â“’ Michaela at TGE Most gardeners are obsessed with beautiful flowers, and as you’ve probably noticed, I am no exception. But in truth, there’s more to a great garden than plants. Adding a few artful objects to your garden can bring color, texture, structure and […]
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Garden Maintenance, Gourmet Garden, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Chinese Proverb: The Best Fertilizer is The Gardener’s Shadow…
The Gardener and Her Shadow Delivering Fish Emulsion to Cippolini Onions… Photo â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE Morning Chores After the Rain Storm. Photo â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE High winds, driving rain, thunder and lighting; a violent band of storms shook me wide awake last night and when I heard hail on the tin […]
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Color in the Garden, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Maintenance, Perennial Close-Ups, Plants for sun, Purple and Maroon Foliage, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, soil science, The Seasons
Long-Distance Garden Design: Creating Structure & Year-Round Color for an Elegant Residence on Long Island…
A summertime border of mixed colors and textures: Deciduous and evergreen shrubs anchor a perennial garden planned for season-spanning interest… In winter: Red rose hips and glowing dogwood twigs will add brilliant color to the entry garden, punctuated by verdant conifers and broadleaf evergreen shrubs… Rosanna, my new friend and client, lives on Long Island […]
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Cooking, Ferncliff, Garden Maintenance, Gourmet Garden, Kitchen, Plant Spotlight, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Some Like it Hot! Keep Things Cool & Enjoy Long, Slender Haricots Verts: Chilled Green Bean Salad with Feta…
Chilled Salad of Haricots Verts with Feta – Photo â“’ 2010 Michaela Medina The Long, Hot Summer. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Some Like It Hot. I don’t know about you but I just love a sultry summer, and we are sure getting one this year in the Northeast. Summertime humidity… It makes your […]
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Annual Flowers, Artful Garden Objects, Books, Cutting Garden, Dining Outdoors, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Herb Gardening, Kitchen, organic gardening, Planting Techniques, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
The Art of French Vegetable Gardening in Honor of La Fête Nationale…
A Country-Casual Potager from The Art of French Vegetable Gardening by Louisa Jones with photographs by Gilles Le Scanff & Joelle Caroline Mayer A Formal French Garden of Culinary Herbs, Fruits and Vegetables featured in The Art of French Vegetable Gardening (image â“’ Gilles Le Scanff & Joelle Caroline Mayer) In remembering La Fête Nationale […]
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Dining Outdoors, Ferncliff, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Gourmet Garden, History in the Garden, Outside Architecture, Pergolas and Arbors, Terraces
Leisurely, Alfresco Lunches & Summer Garden Inspiration: Italian Style…
Dining Italian Style – Inspiration from Italian Country by Robert Fitzgerald Food, wine and alfresco dining beneath the shade trees… I can’t stop thinking about Italy’s Amalfi Coast today, and I am going to go ahead and blame it all on my new Italian friend, Rosanna. I am working on an interesting, long-distance landscaping project with […]
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Books, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Holiday Decorating, Lighting, Luminarias (Tin), Paths and Walkways
Luminous Lanterns & Torches Set Gardens All Aglow…
Photo â“’ Ray Main from Elizabeth Wilhide’s Lighting: A Design Source Book Flickering candles, swaying lanterns, and glowing orbs beneath shadowy, draped vines; an artfully lit garden sets the mood for a memorable gathering or even an everyday evening meal on the deck or terrace. Too often an after-thought —or worse neglected all together in […]
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Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Seeds, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
The Pleasure of Growing Semi-Leafless Peas: Guest Post by John Miller of The Old School House Plantery…
Semi-leafless Peas – Photo â“’ John Miller of the Old School House Plantery In this part of New England, peas are a traditional vegetable to serve with July 4th meals, as well as in various summertime bar-b-que and picnic salads. I am sitting here, having just picked my first pod of the year (the pea’s […]
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Art Inspired by Nature, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Cutting Garden, Ferncliff, Flower Seeds, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening Inspiration, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Paths and Walkways, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Replacing Lawn, Stone Walkways, The Seasons, Walkways - Stone, Wildflowers and Meadows
The Accidental Gardener: A Short Story About a Dog Named Oli and His Wondrous Wildflower Walk…
The Wildflower Walk in July at Ferncliff â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE As a professional garden designer, I take a certain amount of pride in my work. My clients always seem quite pleased with the gardens I create, and I think I’m a pretty good designer. Yet every July I am served a very large […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Flower Seeds, Garden Design, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for summer, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture
Asclepias Tuberosa: Bold, Beautiful Butterfly Weed is the Life of the Midsummer Garden Party…
Butterflyweed, North American native Asclepias tuberosa â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE Oh to be a butterfly! Just imagine fluttering upon this delightful blossom; saturated in golden-orange color and loaded with sweet nectar. What a feast! Why I’d flit from flower to flower, happily sharing precious pollen with hovering hummingbirds and buzzing bees, from sunrise to […]
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Celebrations, Cocktails, Container Garden Fruits, Herb Gardening, Recipes, strawberries
Celebrating Fourth of July Weekend: Garden-Fresh Strawberry-Mint Mojitos & Flowers Exploding in the Night Sky…
Strawberry-Mint Mojitos – One of the Summer Garden’s Greatest Pleasures !  Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE An explosive ‘bouquet’ in the night sky â“’ Michaela at TGE Look at those great big sparklers! Oh yes, I do love a little pyrotechnic excitement now and again – don’t you? In honor of America’s birthday, I’m going […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Berries, Birds, Container Garden Fruits, Fragrance, Garden Maintenance, Gourmet Garden, Indoor Gardening, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Propagation, Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, strawberries, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Ruby-Red, Fragrant Fraises des Bois: Life’s Sweetest Little Luxuries…
Fraises des Bois, or alpine strawberries, offer a continuous supply of summertime fruit – Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE Oh the magic of Fraises des Bois! To me, they look as if they belong at the center of a tiny table in an enchanted forest; one set just for leprechauns, fairies, nymphs and elves. Alpine […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Cutting Garden, Ferncliff, Fresh Cut Flowers, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Native Plants, Old Fashioned Flowers, ornamental grass, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Summer Flowering Combinations, Summer Flowering Perennials
Penstemon, Rudbeckia and Veronica: An Easy, Breezy, Flowering Combination for Mid-Summer Meadow Gardens…
A Sunny Combination of Meadow Flowers for a Long-Blooming, Informal Summer Garden. Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE Bees buzzing in the garden, sun-tea brewing on the terrace, and books piled high beside the hammock; sweet summertime is here at last. I love waking up to early morning sunshine playing upon the warm, summery colors in […]
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Annual Flowers, annuals, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, Foliage, Fragrance, Fresh Cut Flowers, Indoor Table Arrangements, Old Fashioned Flowers, Roses, Vases
I’ve Got Blooms on the Brain: Tips for Snipping & Clipping Fresh Cut Flowers…
Fresh cut, country-casual flowers on the kitchen island. Photo â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE Is there anything sweeter than waking up to the scent of fresh flowers? I love setting a vase of blossoms beside my bed every evening, and my kitchen and dining room table are always dressed for dinner with a fresh bouquet. […]
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Cooking, Garlic, Gourmet Garden, Herb Gardening, Kitchen, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
It’s Time for the Great Scape: Harvesting And Enjoying Flavorful Garlic Greens…
Scapes forming on hard neck garlic in my potager… Curious looking things aren’t they, the garlic scapes? In fact, whenever I look at them, I can’t help but think of ET. You do remember ET, don’t you? The friendly little alien flying around on a bicycle, trying to phone home? Of course you do. I […]
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Celebrations, Fragrance, Fresh Cut Flowers, Herb Gardening, History in the Garden, Summer Solstice, The Seasons
Dreams on a Midsummer Night’s Eve & Fragrant Bouquets Beneath Pillows…
A Midsummer Night’s Bouquet for Beneath the Pillow â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.” – William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act ii, Scene 1 Gathering the Ingredients for […]
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