Gardening Inspiration
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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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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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Electric Garden Tools, garden tools, Gardening Inspiration, Green Living
The Electric Gardener: Guest Post by Ted Dillard of The Electric Chronicles…
“Get that evil, oily, smelly, loud machine out of my garden!† This was the response I got from a dear friend and gardener, as I pointed my 1967 Gravely tractor with the “Power Plow†attachment –– a tool that can only be described as a food processor for soil–– towards the task of turning her […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Black Plants, Butterflies and Moths, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Exotic Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Fragrance, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Gothic Garden, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, The Seasons, Woodland plants
Fashionably Late & Dressed in Maroon: Sweetly-Scented, Autumn Fairy Candles Light Up the Shadowy, Secret Garden…
Actaea simplex/Cimicifuga simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty {also known variously as Fairy Candles, Black Snake Root & Black Cohosh} Actaea simlex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’, here in the Secret Garden with Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’, Lamium maculatum, Helleborus x hybridus ‘Royal Heritage Strain’, Paeonia mouton x lutea ‘High Noon’, Stewartia pseudocamilla, and a background of bronzing Matteuccia […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Building, Ferncliff, Fire Features, Fire Pits, Fire Pits and Fire Sculpture, Fun in the Garden, Garden Party, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Gothic Garden, Sculpture, Sculpture and Features, stonework, The Seasons, Urns and Vessels, Water Features
The Art of Fire: Creating a Glowing Garden Atmosphere on Chilly Evenings…
Dan Snow Fire Sculpture – Peter Mauss photo courtesy Dan Snow Though September’s noontime hours may still be warm and humid, the clear, cool nights of late summer hint at things yet to come; glowing embers, wool blankets, and velvet skies filled with stars. On chilly evenings, my garden comes alive with pops, cracks and […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Berries, Fun in the Garden, Furniture, Garden Dining Rooms, Garden Rooms, Garden Variety / Barnes & Noble, Gardening Inspiration, Nature, ornamental grass, Other Blogs, Wildflowers and Meadows
Barefoot August: Splendor in the Grass and Sweet Bohemian Dreams…
Splendor in the Grass – Impromptu Straw Bale Seating from Paige Gilchrist’s   The Big Book of Backyard Projects Image â“’ Janice Eaton Kilby Long, languid, hazy days… August and everything after. Grab a baguette on the way home and some herb-scented cheese. Toss aside your iphone and kick off your shoes. Spread an old […]
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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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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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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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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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Bulbs, Celebrations, Cocktails, Cooking, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Home, Recipes, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui. Sunday Afternoon Delights in the Early Spring Garden…
La Mimosa de Minneola de Michaela Could there possibly be a more lovely weekend for Easter Egg hunts, Sunday brunches, garden strolls and chilled mimosas? I think not. Here in New England the weather is simply spectacular, and swollen flower buds are bursting open to greet the glorious day. The pink bodnant viburnum ‘Dawn’ at […]
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Books, Bulbs, Cutting Garden, Garden Visits, Gardening Inspiration, Lyman Conservatory, Public Gardens, Smith College Botanical Garden, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs
A Prelude to Spring: Getting Intoxicated at the Smith College Bulb Show…
Tulipa © 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden Lyman Conservatory, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts Situated in one of the prettiest small towns in America -Northampton, Massachusetts- Smith College’s crown jewel, Lyman Conservatory, is a pleasure to visit at any time of the year. This beautiful oasis has always been one of my favorite horticultural destinations. When […]
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Conservatory, Exotic Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Green House Gardens, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Rare Plants, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants
Ode to the Oscars: If They Were Flowers Botanical Stars Shine on the First Annual ‘Conservatory Awards’ Red Carpet…
Dress by Agapanthus, ‘Lily of the Nile’ © Michaela TGE As worn by ethereal Rachel McAdams © Steve Gratnitz/Wireimage via Yahoo.com The great Bard Shakespeare once wrote that “all the world’s a stage”. Well, the thought certainly crossed my mind today as I worked, surrounded by hundreds of surreal beauties inhabiting a small greenhouse temporarily […]
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Black Plants, Ferncliff, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, North American Trees, ornamental grass, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Winter, Winter Garden, Woodland plants
The White Witch Cometh…
The Morning after the Storm… The White Witch roared back up the hill last night in her icy chariot. My oh my, is she a beautiful and treacherous queen. She was angry, and she swirled her crystal scarf and heavy cloak in a fit of rage. Behind her, the cold sorceress dragged a wet blanket […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Birds, Black Plants, Cooking, Dark Plants, Garden Design, Gardening Inspiration, Herb Gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Spotlight, Purple and Maroon Foliage, Vegetable Gardening, Virginia Wyoming Pottery, Winter Garden
The Gothic Gourmet: Black Beauties and Dark Delights of the Potager…
Pasilla Bajio (the little raisin) – from White Flower Farm Imagine gleaming, glossy, black peppers, shiny as patent leather shoes. Picture dark red, tell-tale-heart tomatoes and ebony eggplant polished to a satiny patina. Now visualize amethyst hued basil, purple kohlrabi and blue-black cabbage. Intrigued? Welcome to the slightly sinister, and delightfully decadent world of gothic-gourmet […]
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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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