Garden Maintenance
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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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Asian Natives, Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Chores, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Rooms, Planting Techniques, Reflections, Rodent Damage Prevention, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, The Seasons, Tree Care, Trees, Trees for Fall Foliage, Unusual Plants, Winter, Winter - Preparations, Winter Garden
Preparing the Garden for Winter: Protect Young, Ornamental & Fruit Trees from Gnawing Rodents…
My young Royal Frost birch (Betula populifolia x Whitespire ‘Royal Frost’) tree’s golden-orange foliage in November Several years ago, when my father had heart surgery at the VA hospital in Boston, I was away from home quite a bit during the last three months of the year. Preoccupied with my dad’s health and juggling various […]
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Asian Natives, Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, companion planting, Fragrance, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Hoar Frost, Late Autumn Garden, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Woody Plants
Fire and Ice: The Flaming Red Foliage of Abelia Mosanensis Sizzles Beside Cool Blue Juniper Horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’…
Fragrant abelia (Abelia mosanensis) and Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’ (aka ‘The Blue Rug’) They say opposites attract —think Bogie and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy, Lady and the Tramp, Bert and Ernie— in passionate relationships. Â And it’s certainly true that sparks tend to fly in nature, as well as on the silver screen, when something hot and […]
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annuals, Building, Cold Frame Construction, Extending the Growing Season, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Green House Gardens, Herb Gardening, The Seasons, Tomatoes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Winter Garden, Winter Solstice
Shelter Me: Keeping the Kitchen Garden Warm and Productive as Temps Drop…
Basil and Calendula cozy up beneath a misty dome in my garden… The first frost of autumn sparkled on my lawn when I awoke Saturday morning. And although it wasn’t a true ‘killing-frost’ —the morning glories slipped right through Jack’s chilly hands— a few things were nipped here and there in my potager. Most of […]
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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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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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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, 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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Celebrations, Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Lawns, Paths and Walkways, Reel-Style Lawn Mowers
Father’s Day Post Leads to Old Fashioned Push Mower Shopping… Thanks Dad! Happy Father’s Day!
Detail from a Schlitz beer ad, circa 1950 It all started innocently enough. This morning I wanted to publish a quick ‘Happy Father’s Day’ post for all the dads out there. My dad has always been a fabulous gardener, expert berry grower and lover of native plants and trees… But he hated mowing the lawn. […]
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companion planting, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, organic gardening, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Seeds, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Weeds and Weeding
I Know They Are In There Somewhere! Companion Planting in the Vegetable Garden: Guest Post by John Miller of The Old School House Plantery…
Radishes and Carrots Together Again at the Market, (photo © Michaela TGE) “They”, in this instance, being carrots and parsnips. In my previous post I mentioned how farmers use plug sown onion transplants to overcome the problems associated with the slow germination time of onions. Onions are not the only vegetables that exhibit long germination […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Flowering Trees, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Replacing Lawn, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woody Plants
Front Yard Gardens: A Peek at the Design Process…
Front Yard Garden Design Proposal – Early Autumn View – Drawing © 2010 Michaela at TGE Just look at this sweet little house! It’s easy to see why my clients Laura and Dan fell in love with this place, isn’t it? I was instantly charmed by this classic New England home. From the slate-covered hip […]
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Garden Maintenance, Garden Seminars, garden tools, Japanese Maple, pruning, Roses, shrubs, Trees, Woody Plants
Prune in June? Well, Sometimes. Wondering What, When and How to Prune? The Basics of Pruning: A Weekend Workshop and a Giveaway…
Horizontal juniper, (photo © 2010 Michaela at TGE), pruned to highlight stonework and clay pot focal point… Japanese maple, (photo © Michaela at TGE), pruned to arch over the Secret Garden doorway… Microbiota decussata, (Siberian cypress), (photo © Michaela at TGE), pruned to highlight the edge of a walkway… Pruning: Why, when, how and what? […]
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Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Garden Seminars, garden tools, Great Growers and Nurseries, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Planting Techniques, pruning
Waking Up the Garden in Spring …. Free Seminar at Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont – Tomorrow…
Early risers: Glory of the snow blooming this month in my garden… Will you be in the Southern Vermont area this weekend? If so, please join me this Saturday morning at 9:30 for the first in a series of free gardening seminars at Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. “Waking Up the Garden in Spring” covers […]
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Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Gifts for Gardeners, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons
Smooth Moves: Gliding Through Spring Cleanup with a Sweet Adjustable Rake. Tool Talk Part Two…
Cleaning Up Without Damaging Bulbs (After photo) Cleaning up with an adjustable rake pulled to a tight setting (During) OK. So I am feeling a little sore tonight. I admit it. Shoulders; triceps; middle back = Ouch. I have been busy with spring clean up in a few of my client’s gardens, among them, the […]
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Garden Maintenance, garden tools, pruning
Selecting Quality Gardening Tools to Last a Lifetime: Part One…
Looks like it’s finally that time of the year: Gardening season! Time to pull out the tools and get to work. Most of my gardening equipment is in pretty good shape, but there are a few repairs and replacements I need to make this year. I can still remember shopping for gardening tools with my father […]
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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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annuals, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, soil science, Vegetable Gardening
Rich, Beautiful, Dreamy Dirt…
A nice delicious bowl of…. dirt? Has someone been making mud-pies? Sometimes I think I got into gardening because I never grew up. Yes, I know, that is a silly photo. But I couldn’t help myself. All the cooking blogs and magazines showcase gorgeous, slightly-off center bowls filled with the most mouthwatering food. So I […]
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annuals, Cold Frame Construction, Garden Design, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, organic gardening, Planting Techniques, soil science, Vegetable Gardening
Gardening Beyond the Harvest Moon: Extending the Growing Season with Hoop-House Cold Frames…
September’s Harvest Moon It may seem a little premature to be writing about cold frames and frost on a beautiful late summer day, (sunny with daytime temps in the 70’s here in Vermont). But the gorgeous Harvest Moon this past weekend served as a reminder that we are nearing the end of the growing season […]
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Garden Gloves, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Native Plants, Weeds and Weeding
The Zen of Weeding…
I often recycle my old wicker laundry baskets for weeding chores. Not only are they inexpensive, lightweight and easy to move in and out of tight spots, but once they begin to fall apart, I can just break them up and add them to the compost pile! As I sat down to write this article, I […]
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