Row upon row of heirloom fruit trees —including apples, quince, peaches, plums and pears, as well as berries— fill the orchard at Scott Farm.
With Tristam Johnson now serving as interim executive director at Landmark Trust, the springtime excitement at Scott Farm has reached an all-time high. Kelly Carlin, office manager, has been updating Scott Farm’s website, and long-time orchard manager and heirloom fruit tree expert, Ezekiel Goodband has recently begun blogging; journaling about day-to-day orchard keeping, as well as posting updates on fruit tree sales, educational programs and community activities at the farm. There’s a springtime renaissance happening at Scott Farm, and the entire orchard is buzzing with the lively energy of a newly invigorated hive. Be sure to visit the Scott Farm website throughout the growing season for information about the availability of ecologically grown orchard fruit and berries, as well as seasonal events and educational opportunities at Scott Farm.
A heart-felt thank you goes out to Landmark Trust’s new, Executive Director, Tristam Johnson, Scott Farm’s Office Manager, Kelly Carlin and Scott Farm Orchard Manager, Ezekiel Goodband for extending a warm welcome on my visits, both aerial and terrestrial. Wishing everyone at Scott Farm a bright and happy new growing season!
And a very special note of thanks to William Bonnette, offering flight training, photo flights and aerial photography services in New England, and beyond. Thank you so much for donating your time, expertise and use of your aircraft for this flight! Click on image below for more information or to schedule your own flight above New England!
Photography & Text ⓒ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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It’s been a raw and chilly April in Vermont, and yet springtime songbirds, undaunted by the lingering chill, have flocked to my garden in search of sustenance. Some species are merely passing through, but others will settle and set up summer residence. This month’s standout is the Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus, pictured above), with plum-stained plumage and a sweet, rich, warbling song. An occasional winter-guest at my bird feeders, the Purple Finch may be scouting for nesting territory (learn more about this beautiful native species at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, here). I am grateful for the brilliant-colored beauty and musical backdrop provided by my winged, garden guests and the delicate buds and blossoms, decorating my hilltop.
With cold, grey days and bare branches on trees, I find my eyes drawn to even the slightest hint of color. Blossoming maple —ruddy tipped twigs glowing against low clouds— stain the hilltops a subtle shade of raspberry. With cooler-than-usual temperatures, native Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) and shrubs like Vernal Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis), have extended their early-spring show. I love how the early-season buds and blooms catch light; like drops of berry-colored jam and sweet, golden honey in the sun . . .
Crocus tommasinianus in Morning Light
A Flower I Normally Associate with March, Vernal Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) Continues to Seduce with Luminous, Golden Beauty and Honey-Sweet Fragrance
Sunlit Crocus: Beautiful, Brilliant Colored Reward for Garden Clean-Up
Photography & Text ⓒ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Finally, as the snowbanks reluctantly recede, Spring has decided to make her fashionably late arrival. Of course we all smile in eager anticipation —watching her seductively saunter up the garden path— even if she always makes us a bit impatient in our wait. Hello gorgeous, we sure have missed you . . .
Sweetness to Melt the Snow: The Golden Blossoms of Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’ Sparkle Like Drops of Honey, Begin to Open in the Late Afternoon Sunlight (Read More About this Lovely Witch Hazel Here)
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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My Secret Garden Path, Fragrant with Woodland Phlox (P. divaricata), in April of Last Year
Somewhere, beneath the melting snow, the garden is stirring; restless to feel the sweet kiss of springtime sunshine . . .
Have only just returned from my travels —busy downloading photos and editing stories to share— but wanted to pause for a moment to say hello and welcome the fresh new season. Welcome Spring. Won’t you drop your cold shoulder and show us a little tenderness?
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Caramel-Drizzled Coffee Cake Takes the Edge Off a Winter Storm
Late winter snow storms are real heart-breakers. And it seems that, no matter how many times we’re hit by an early March ‘weather event’, I’m always caught by surprise. Songbirds are returning, buds are swelling on trees, and clocks are about to spring forward to daylight savings time (p.s. Don’t forget to move clocks ahead an hour before you turn in tonight, as DST starts 3/10/13).
It’s just starting to feel like a new season, and then. . . It hits. A wet, heavy snowstorm. Doesn’t seem quite fair!
At times like these, I usually feel the need to bake something to lift my weary spirits and give me energy to dig out; something warm and golden and just a little bit gooey. What to do? I scanned the kitchen and my eyes focused in on my Finca Rosa Blanca coffee beans, sitting on the countertop. Mmmm. That’s it! Something like . . .
Caramel-Drizzled Coffee Cake
(ingredients for one 10-inch tube cake or two smaller cakes)
1/2 lb (2 sticks) of butter at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup sour cream or plain, Greek yogurt (full fat or 2%)
1/4 cup espresso or very strongly brewed French roast coffee, cooled*
5 teaspoons vanilla extract (or rum for a twist)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Caramel Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Method
This is a very simple cake, but first, make yourself some espresso or some very strong French roast coffee to wake yourself up. Then, set aside 1/4 cup of espresso/coffee to cool and preheat your oven to 350° fahrenheit. Butter and flour a 10″ tube or Bundt pan (you can also use other shapes and types of pans of similar size, or make two cakes in 8″ spring-form pans, as I did for the photo). Now go gather your ingredients.
In a large bowl, blend the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together with a fork. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream or Greek yogurt with the espresso (or coffee) and 5 teaspoons of vanilla, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl (I use a stand mixer), beat the butter for a few seconds, add in the sugar and beat a minute or two. Add in three eggs at room temperature and beat until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Very slowly, combine the dry ingredients to the large mixing bowl, and beat until smooth. Add in the sour cream or yogurt/coffee/vanilla mix and beat the mixture a bit longer.
Pour the cake batter into the buttered/floured pan, stick it into the oven and set your timer to bake for 45-50 minutes. It’s done when the top is golden colored and a stick pulls out clean from the center of the cake. When done, let rest for 5 or 10 minutes and then remove the cake form/invert to cool. Flip the cake onto a serving platter. Now, at this point, I like to prick little holes in the cake with a stick or fork so that some of the caramel drizzle gets inside. That’s up to you.
To make the caramel drizzle: combine the brown sugar, yogurt and vanilla in a small bowl and stir well until blended. Set aside until cake is cooled and then drizzle over to your heart’s content (and set some aside for sinfully delicious dipping).
*If you’d rather not add coffee (even decaf?), you can omit this ingredient and instead use one full cup of yogurt or sour cream in the main cake.
Now, if you’re like me, you hate waiting, so you go outside to shovel while your cake bakes. This gives you the heart to clear snow from the roof, which has slid down and piled atop the already snow-covered terrace and drifted into the walkways. Finish that off, then come in, drizzle the coffee cake, have a thick slice, and then go back out to clear the pathways, cars, truck, tractor and utility areas. Meanwhile, your partner-in-crime plows and pushes back snowbanks, while troubleshooting a stalling engine on the ’86 Chevy. Winter sure is a lot of work!
I recently read that shoveling snow by hand burns something like 400 calories (or more) per hour. Of course, the heavier the snow the harder you work, and the more calories you burn. Oh, and don’t worry, this probably won’t be the last work out you get before spring. Keep that shovel ready. You’re gonna need a LOT of coffee cake to clear the nest!
Frosted Viburnum trilobum Along the Sunlit Walkway
To the Southwest: Warm, Lavender Hills
Sunset in the Northwest Gardens, After the Storm
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Although March belongs, in large part, to Winter, this never seems to stop Spring from sending flirtatious hints our way. Just step outside, and already you will hear her sweet song in the treetops. Beneath the snow, below the cool, naked branches and icy stone, sap is running and life is stirring . . .
The buds of native, Vernal Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) wait patiently for a warm sunny day, to release their honey-sweet scent into the breeze. Read about the Vernal Witch Hazel here.
So when March snow falls softly, coating trees and obscuring the view, I remind myself that these are the last few weeks of Winter. Soon, her icy beauty will vanish and we’ll be saying hello again to coquettish Spring . . .
Ever-wary of predators, a Black-Capped Chickadee surveys the feeding stations for safety before swooping in for a snack . . .
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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A Soft, Snowy Farewell on the Last Day of February
A foot of new snow fell on the hilltop yesterday, coating the last morning of February in a blanket of soft white. With longer days and warmer temperatures ahead, there’s much to look forward to in March. But for now, there’s the beautiful stillness of my sleeping garden to enjoy at apricot-tinted dawn and smoky-pink sunset . . .
A Dramatic Season from Start to Finish . . .
Winter Still Holds the Garden Seat . . .
Laces the Treetops . . .
Blushes the Sky . . .
And Paints the View
February is the Shortest Month . . .
But She Always Seems to Linger the Longest . . .
Clinging with Chilly Fingers to the Hills
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Time is relative, and it always seems to pass most slowly when you’re waiting. At this time of year, many of us in New England start to feel a bit down. Winter is a long season here, and in spite of what the calendar might say, it often lasts well into early spring. For me, living in the future —counting the days until apple trees blossom— only makes the winter seem longer and more brutal. When I was a child, like most children, I loved winter. Back then, snow storms meant adventure: cancelled classes, homemade cookies, sleds and snow forts. Of course once you grow up, other realities —shoveling, plowing snow, power outages and rising fuel costs— begin to steal the fun away from wintertime.
This year, I decided to take back winter, and focus on the joy. Instead of longing for the scent of moist earth and the colors of springtime, I turned my attention to the delights of snow and ice. I chased away the February blahs on a fast-moving toboggan and lightweight snowshoes; entertaining myself by flying down the driveway and rediscovering the joys crashing through paper-thin ice. Amazing what a bit of fast-paced activity will do for your mood!
A Half-Frozen Brook, Filled with Fallen Beech Leaves . . .
And Torn Specks of Orange on Ice . . .
Naked Branches Dancing in Chilly Pools, Swaying with Winter Worn Leaves and Hints of Spring Green
My twelve-year-old dog, Oli adores the winter. And why not? There are animals to track and snowballs to chase and opportunities to roll in fresh, white powder. He lives for a belly-deep blizzard; the chance to grab an enormous stick and “lead” the plow down my long, winding drive. He whines and wiggles and wags his tail, impatiently waiting for the engine to turn over so his fun can begin. Oli never seems to mind the cold when he’s moving. In fact, I can often see him smiling though the snow; digging to China as I struggle to connect an extension cord and charge yet another dead battery. “Winter is great fun.”, he says, “Quit your complaining and you’re bound to notice.”
The Joy of Finding Abundant Beauty and Surprise in Snowy Forest, on a Sunny Winter’s Day
Oli’s right, of course. Winter is both fun and amazing. And so I vow from this day forward to end the seasonal lament. No more waiting for the arrival of sweet springtime. She’ll be here soon enough. And if you find yourself suffering from the blues, join me in building a snowman. And remember, as Stephen Stills once sang . . .
From a Recent Flight Above the Valley: Winter Sunset Above Barton Cove, Gill, Massachusetts
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Winter is a drama-queen. In she sweeps on her snowy chariot, with a chilly air. She bears little resemblance to her sisters; coquettish Springtime, carefree Summer, or even melancholy Autumn. Wrapped in sheer white lace and silver sequins, Winter certainly possesses bare-boned beauty and elegance, but she can also be cruel, cold and unforgiving. How will she treat us in the coming year? Let us hope she keeps her dark shadows to a minimum and her stormy drama light; enchanting us with blue velvet evenings, sparkling, moonlit nights and shimmering, sun-kissed mornings…
Wrapped in White Satin & Crystal-Coated Lace…
She Danced & Swirled About the Garden with a Long, Heavy, White Cloak, Covering Everything in Her Path…
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Welcome December. Late Autumn greets Winter as we prepare to celebrate the coming solstice. Long, dark nights bring flickering candles to the dinner table and twinkling lights along the garden paths. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be gathering pinecones, winterberry, evergreen boughs and bittersweet for wreaths, swags and garlands to create a warm welcome at the door.
It’s a beautiful time of the year . . .
Welcoming the Coming Solstice with Candlelit Garden Paths
Snow Flurries! Just in Time for the First Weekend of December
Gathering Evergreen Boughs and Pinecones from the Forest
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Ladybells (Adenophora confusa) Spill, Languid Blossoms to the Lawn
August is a languid month; hazy, verdant hills saturated with the weight of humid air. It’s mid-summer, and the fields are ripe. Come stroll with me through the blowzy gardens and wildflower meadow; gathering Black-eyed Susans, Ladybells and Queen Anne’s Lace for carefree bouquets. It’s time for fruit picking in the peach-filled orchards, cocktails on the sun-warmed terrace and drifting off to sleep beside the deep blue lake …
Like an August Sunset, Woodside Daylily Mix adds Fiery Heat to the Entry Garden
Queen Anne’s Lace and Goldenrod in the Wildflower Meadow
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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Summer begins tonight at 7:09 pm ET, and though her days are long, they are also fleeting. Make time to pack a picnic from the garden, roll up a lavender-scented blanket and slip off to the lake. Oh, and don’t forget the sparklers for twirling in twilight’s blue hour. You’ve worked hard all spring, now it’s time to relax…
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, articles and content on this site, (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Visits the Mountain Laurel Along the Secret Garden Path
Early this morning, warm sunlight streaming through dewy fog lifting from the valley, I slipped outside for my last springtime walk through the garden. The seasons change tonight —7:09 pm ET marking the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year— as we say goodbye to Spring and hello to Summer. How to celebrate? With so many lovely options, I’ve yet to decide. How will you ring in this much-anticipated season? A swing in the hammock? A cool cocktail? Maybe a dip in the lake?
But before she slips through the gate, let us wish a fond farewell to sweet Springtime. She shall ever remain in our hearts!
Springtime Sunshower in the Secret Garden
Spring Dances with Summer at the Secret Garden Door
Farewell to Springtime’s Sweet Ephemerals: Blushing Aquilegia and Fragrant Woodland Phlox
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, articles and content on this site, (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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The Secret Garden Steps and Path, Yesterday Evening (Blooming Here and Below: Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’, Muscari armeniacum, Ajuga reptans ‘Purple Brocade’, Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’, Fothergilla major ‘Mt Airy’, Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’, in a Sea of Emerging Wildflowers)
It’s a rainy Monday morning in May, and I’m at my desk catching up on all of the things that have fallen by the wayside during this garden designer’s spring rush. Overwhelmed with professional commitments, projects, and twelve-hour planting shifts, I find myself a stranger in my own garden these days. But yesterday evening, after hanging the hammock between trees at forest’s edge, I took a break from my chores to stroll around the garden; drinking in the delicate beauty of May…
Having self-sown along the wildflower walk, fragrant woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’) fills the air with a ever-so-subtle, spicy scent, accented by sweet and fruity grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum). Bees buzz and bounce about the ajuga-lined stone path, gathering pollen from the rich, violet-blue carpet of blossoms. Nearby, hummingbirds —just recently returning from their winter travels— sip nectar from the throats of silverbells, dangling from twin Halesia trees (H. tetraptera). As I walked, I realized that my personal experience of spring is no different from all of nature; it’s quite simply a bustling, beautiful time of year…
Inside the Secret Garden, Emerging Tufts of Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechola macra ‘All Gold’) Adds a Bit of Bright Chartreuse to the Woodsy Tapestry: Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia pensylvanica), Spurge (Euphorbia), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’), Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’), Foam Flower (Tiarella Cordifolia), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Tree Peony (Paeonia mouton x lutea ‘High Noon’, Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestevium) and various Narcissus
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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Trout lily (Erythronium tuolumnense), Daffodils (Narcissus ‘Snipe’), Coral Bell Leaves (Heuchera americana) and Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’). (Click here to read more about Erythronium)
Happy May Day! Here in Vermont, we begin the new month with a day of much-needed rain.
May is a busy month for gardeners. Thirty one days of planning, prepping, planting, weeding and harvesting early crops. Luckily, longer days make all of our harried, summer-time preparations possible. Temperatures in the northeast can still be quite chilly at this time of year and I always check the forecast on clear nights and protect tender plants when the mercury drops.
Still, as we steadily wind our way toward summer, the May nights grow warmer and sweeter. We shed our layers, kick off shoes and wiggle our bare toes in newly-mown grass. It’s May Day at last, and the gardener celebrates; dancing to the percussive beat of raindrops and the symphony of birds in springtime song…
The Return of Cooler Temps Extends the Bloom-Time of This Deliciously Fragrant Burkwood Viburnum (V. x burkwoodii ‘Mohawk’)
Creamy-White Witch Alder Blossoms (Fothergilla major ‘Mt. Airy’) and Golden Spicebush Buds (Lindera benzoin) Add Scent to the Damp, Thick Air. (Click here, and also here, to read more about season-spanning beauty of North American native Witch Alder, and click here to read more about North American native Spicebush)
And at the Secret Garden Door, a Water Bowl Catches Raindrops as They Bounce from the Mossy Rock
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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The Pink Moon (Shown Here, Rising on April 4th) is Full this Friday, April 6th, at 3:19pm ET
Longtime followers of The Gardener’s Eden will recall that this starry-eyed gardener has a particular fondness for April’s Pink Moon. Previous posts (such as this one, here ) have also included links to Nick Drake’s beautiful song by the same name, and various pink-hued flowers; including the moon’s namesake, phlox.
Last night as I was driving home from a late-day meeting with a design client, I happened to notice our nearly-full, celestial neighbor, flirting above the horizon in a pouf of pinkish clouds; perfection between budding trees. And as I rounded the bend between historic farms, there she was again; rising beauty, high above the wet, April fields…
The Pink Moon will be full this Friday —coinciding nicely with the start of Passover and Good Friday— at 3:19pm, and will rise at 7:38pm ET. Of course, at 98% full tonight, the Pink Moon will be a pleasure to watch a bit earlier this evening (rising at 6:20pm ET on 4/5/12). And you can bet I will be raising a glass to the first full moon of this sweet new season (even if it is still just a wee bit nippy outside).
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina for The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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Well, it seems that Spring has decided to give New England the cold shoulder this week. We’re all complaining —it’s the local pastime— but of course we have no choice but to wait for her, so she knows she can get away with it. After all of that early sunshine and sweet perfume, this morning I woke up to an icy glare, bitter blast and spitting snow. In fact, overall, Spring seems rather raw today! Just when we’d gotten used to frolicking about in short sleeves and sipping evening wine on the terrace, she’s back to her moody ways. Oh, we all knew this would happen, and of course, this is just the sort of tormenting and teasing that makes us want her more. She’ll come ’round again, and we know it, so patiently we don our lined coats and strike a fire in the stove. There will be waiting. Then there will be more waiting. And after that, there will be some additional waiting. The waiting will continue for an almost an intolerable amount of time, until finally —finally— she comes back to us again …
Looking Down the Secret Garden Steps in Late March (Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’, Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’, Cornus alba ‘Siberica’)
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina for The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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The Carpet of Rose-Tinted Spring Heath (Erica carnea) is Blooming a Full Month Early on the Ledges (read more about this lovely plant here) in My Garden This Year
More often than not, the first day of spring arrives with a bit of blustery snow, sleet or freezing rain here in Vermont. But if there’s one thing no New Englander can ever predict, it’s the weather. With sunny days and balmy temperatures reaching up to the seventies, this year, the Vernal Equinox seems a mere formality. Spring arrived weeks ago, and she’s really strutting her stuff. Should I trust this notoriously coquettish season? Is she here to stay or just to flirt? Only time will tell, but for now, I will stretch out like a satisfied cat on the sun-warmed terrace and enjoy the sweet seduction …
Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ Just Beginning to Unfold Along the Walkway
A Chilly, Naked Frog Warms Itself in the Sun, After Emerging From Cold Leaves and Mud
I Try Hard Not to Play Favorites, but Viburnum bodnantesnse ‘Dawn’ Always Melts My Winter-Weary Heart with Her Sweet, Cerise Color and Intoxicating Scent (read more about this exquisite shrub here)
Nature’s Beauty Suddenly Surrounds: Welcoming Pussy Willow on the Kitchen Island
In Full Bloom, The Stand of Vernal Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) in My Garden Fills the Air with a Honeysuckle-Like Fragrance, Attracting Swarms of Buzzing Bees from the Meadow and Beyond (read more about the season-spanning beauty of witch hazel here)
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Beauty in Full Bloom: Above the Apple Orchard, Scott Farm, Vermont
Row upon row of heirloom fruit trees —including apples, quince, peaches, plums and pears, as well as berries— fill the orchard at Scott Farm. 
