Recent Posts
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Front Yard Gardens, Gardening Inspiration, Gardening without Lawn, Great Growers and Nurseries, Ground Covers, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Insects/Entomology, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Replacing Lawn, Shade Gardening
Go a Little Less Green for the Environment: Rethink Your Lawn…
The Front Wildflower Walk in my Garden in June… Lush, wide, green and rolling; in America we love our lawns. We like to sprawl out on the grass for a picnic, gather on the neighbor’s lawn for a game of touch football , and set up our folding chairs and tiki-torches in the backyard green […]
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Black Plants, Books, Dahlias, Dark flowers, Dark Plants, Ferncliff, Ferns, Gardening Inspiration, ornamental grass, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for shade, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens
A Heart of Darkness…
Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’, available online at, (and image via): Â White Flower Farm Some gardeners adore bright colors, and other plant collectors crave pastels. There are those who prefer dramatic plants painted silver and gold and a few indecisive types who seek out green tonal shifts and mottled white variegation. These hues are all quite lovely, […]
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Art Inspired by Nature, Bill Dwight Photography, Flower arrangements, Fresh Cut Flowers, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Holiday Decorating, Indoor Table Arrangements, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs
Art Inspired by Nature: The Luminous Allure of Bill Dwight’s Flowers…
The delicate silk of a white tulip, luminous petals unfolding in morning light; freesia caught in a glowing rouge blush; the timeless, feminine allure of flowers, all beautifully captured here by artist Bill Dwight. Intoxicatingly fragrant and sensual to the touch, flowers can change a mood, stir a memory, calm the senses. The undeniable, transformative […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Candles, Celebrations, Decorating the Garden, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Holiday Decorating, Lighting, Luminarias (Tin), The Seasons, Winter Garden
Create A Glowing Garden in Any Season: Handmade Tin Luminarias…
Tin Luminarias Glowing on the Winter Garden Path A few years ago, I attended a beautiful winter party at a friend’s house. She took the time to make the night special, and I will always remember the warmth and glow of her house, lit from within by hundreds of candles, as I arrived on that […]
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annuals, Books, Garden Science, Gourmet Garden, Herb Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Plant Propagation, Plant Science, Seed Kits, Seeds, Winter Garden
Think Spring: It’s Time to Start Sowing Early Kitchen Garden Seeds …
The kitchen garden at Ferncliff, late May 2009 … It’s always exciting when the first boxes of vegetable, herb and flower seed begin to arrive in the mail. I know, I know. I am a bit like a little kid – but I have to check the mail every day to see if there is […]
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Cocktails, Gifts for Gardeners, Recipes, The Seasons
Valentine’s Day Fun with Flowers: Introducing The Wild Hibiscus Royale…
I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day. This probably comes as no surprise. Of course I love any celebration that involves flowers, food and drink. But there is something special about a holiday that exists just to say ‘I love you’. And although we tend to think of romance and candlelit dinners on Valentine’s Day, […]
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Art Inspired by Nature, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Inspirational Gardens, Lighting, Photographers, Photography Tips/Techniques, Ted Dillard Photographer
Taking Better Photos of Your Garden: Guest Post by Ted Dillard…
Photo â“’ Ted Dillard Of all the questions and comments I receive via this blog, email and through this site’s Facebook Page, the most common by far are related to photography. I am a new, amateur photographer, (that is a nice way of saying that I have no idea of what I am doing), and […]
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Cooking, Ferncliff, Ferns, Full Moon, Garlic, Gourmet Garden, Indoor Gardening, Nature, ornamental grass, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, Potatoes, Recipes, Winter Garden
Greeting the Wolf Moon on a Chilly January Night with Warm, Creamy Garlic and Potato Soup…
Creamy Garlic and Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs Watching the full moon rise is something of a ritual for me. I note the waxing and waning lunar cycle on my calendar and I pay close attention to the forecast as the moon grows full. Lunar myths and legends have always fascinated me, and I usually […]
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Gourmet Garden, Great Growers and Nurseries, Green House Gardens, Seeds, Shade Gardening, Vegetable Gardening, Winter Garden
Lovely, Luminous Leaves: Potager Purples, Reds and Rainbow Bright Lights…
Stained Glass Lettuce Though the wind is howling and the temperature has dropped into the single digits, visions of sun-drenched gardens and glowing vegetables colored my sweet dreams last night. The first box of seed arrived from Botanical Interests this week, and more orders from around the country are on the way. Although I won’t […]
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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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companion planting, Cookbooks, Cooking, Gourmet Garden, organic gardening, Recipes, Root Cellar Storage, Vegetable Gardening
What’s Up Doc? Waskilly Seeds and a Recipe for Velvety Baked Carrots…
Baked Velvet Carrots Beautiful Bolero … Flat leaf Italian parsley from the windowsill herb garden… Sliced Bolero Carrots… We all know that old Elmer Fudd thinks Bugs Bunny is a terribly, waskilly wabbit. But frankly I think Elmer has it wrong. I think it’s Bugs Bunny’s carrot that’s a bit waskilly – at least as […]
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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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Cooking, Ferncliff, Herb Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Seeds
Indoor Gardening with Herbs: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme on the Kitchen Countertop…
Windowsill Herb Basket Hmm… how about a couple of basil leaves and some fresh oregano in the tomato sauce? Yes? And why not add some chopped rosemary to the bread dough? Of course you would like a little sprig of mint in your tea, wouldn’t you? I really enjoy cooking, and I love food – […]
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Gourmet Garden, Herb Gardening, Indoor Gardening, organic gardening, Plant hunting, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Potatoes, Recipes, Root Cellar Storage, Seeds, Storing Winter Vegetables, Vegetable Gardening
Gourmet Gardening: Seed Potatoes – Plus an Easy Recipe for Oven Roasted Fingerlings with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan Cheese…
Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan in an oven-table baking dish by Emile Henry… Look a little tempting? I confess I just finished off my second bowl of fingerlings about an hour ago. Mmmm. Delicious. As you may remember, last week I touched on the subject of gourmet potatoes in my post […]
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Bowls, Candles, Reflections, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, The Seasons, Winter Garden
A Prayer for Haiti…
Sending Hope. Sending Help. Sending Prayers. Send what you can to Haiti… American Red Cross United Nations World Food Programme Stand With Haiti – Partners in Health *** All content on this site, (with noted exceptions), is the property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be used or reproduced without express written consent. Please […]
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Bowls, Conservatory, Ferncliff, Ferns, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Lighting, Moss, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Terrariums, Tropical Plants
Lush Foliage for Low-Light Rooms : Terrarium Bowls Continued …
A pedestal-bowl terrarium filled with Adiantum, (Maidenhair fern), Calathea lanceolata and Selanginella kraussiana, (Club moss), warms up a modern metallic vanity in the powder room… Grey. Grey. Grey. Today the sky is one big, dull, expanse of monochromatic ash. On days like this, with thick, low clouds and no sunshine to be found, low-light rooms […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Books, Bug Defense for Gardeners, Gifts for Gardeners, Nature, organic gardening
Providing for our Feathered Friends in the Winter Garden – Part One…
Dark-eyed Junco, (Junco hyemalis) Last week when snowshoeing through the forest, I was amused by a small group of chickadees bouncing from branch to branch in a hemlock stand. With so few sounds in the woodland at this time of year, the chirping birds really stood out and made me laugh. I try not to […]
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Cooking, Recipes, Root Cellar Storage, Storing Winter Vegetables, Vegetable Gardening
Potato Leek Soup: The Antidote to Brrr ! Plus Tips on Storing Leeks in the Root Cellar…
Potato Leek Soup Brrr is certainly the word. It’s really cold here in the northeast. I keep hearing rumors of rising temperatures, but so far they are just that – rumors. I take comfort in the fact that there’s a good snow-cover insulating the garden, and inside, my wood stove is cranking out some serious […]
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Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Paths, Native Plants, Nature, North American Trees, Sculpture and Features, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, The Seasons, Tracking, Tracking animals in snow, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Tracking Animals in Snow and the Woodland Garden in Winter…
The woodland path at the edge of the garden… On a wintery day earlier this week, after a fresh snowfall, I headed outside with my warm alpaca hat and a pair of Atlas Snowshoes. In January, the native forest at Ferncliff is living fairytale; papery beech leaves rustle in wind, and lacy shadows dance on […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Books, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Insects/Entomology, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Uncategorized, Vegetable Gardening
A New Year’s Resolution for Gardeners: Making Informed Choices About Gardening Practices and Products to Support a Healthy, Natural Environment…
We  ♥ Mother Earth The new year often brings about a desire for change and personal reckoning. We make promises, resolutions and plans to better ourselves and the world around us. Over the past couple of years, many people have committed to building environmentally conscious, self-sufficient lives. As a result, gardening, particularly vegetable gardening, has […]
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Cooking, Herb Gardening, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Recipes, The Seasons, Vegetable Gardening
Rosemary No-Knead Bread from the Windowsill Herb Garden …
Light snow is falling outside and the temperature here in Vermont is hovering around 30 degrees fahrenheit. A winter storm is expected tonight and it is predicted to continue throughout tomorrow. Meteorologists are promising us six to twelve inches of fluffy, new snow here in the Green Mountains. It sounds like I will be doing […]
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