Search Results for: ninebark
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Second Thoughts & Encores . . .
With a Backdrop of Golden Clethra alnifolia and Side-Show of Blackened Rudbeckia Pom Poms, Glistening Asclepias tubersoa (Butterfly Weed), Parachutes Await a Breeze Some things in life are one-hit wonders, and others are worth a second thought or three. When it comes to gardening in a cold climate, I’m always looking to get the most […]
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Welcome Back, Purple Finch
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus), Lights Upon Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) The Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus, pictured above), with its raspberry-stained plumage and sweet, warbling song, is an occasional guest at my bird feeders during the winter months. With color scarce at this time of year, I am grateful for the brilliant-colored beauty and musical backdrop provided by this […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths
Welcome, Pretty Papillon! Attracting Butterflies & Moths to the Garden
Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in My Wildflower Meadow, Visiting Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus) on Lilac Blossoms (Syringa vulgaris ‘Mme. Lemoine’ ) in My Garden- Read More About This Lovely Butterfly in My Previous Post by Clicking Here. Fritillary on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) – Read More About This […]
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Burnished Bronze & Jewel Tones: November Light in the Garden . . .
 Stepping into Late Autumn, Through the Secret Garden Door Jack Frost arrived a bit late to the garden this year, and so far, he’s breezed through only lightly. Though the calendar says it’s November, Black-eyed Susan and her pretty, pink Wind-Flower companions have thus far eluded his fatal kiss. The maples have all shed their […]
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Lost in a Late Summer Reverie . . .
 On the Terrace: Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’ and Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface Dark Violet’ Out watering containers this morning —listening to the chorus of crickets in the meadow and cedar waxwings in the viburnum— I found myself lost in a late summer reverie. With Dahlias, Summersweet, fragrant Lilies, Garden Phlox and Hydrangea in bloom, ornamental grasses sending […]
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Sunshine on a Cloudy Day: Welcome July
 Rain on the First of July Rain-streaked windows and shiny black wellies; it’s a wet start to a new month in Vermont. Yesterday’s heavy showers and blustery wind knocked dozens of flowers to the ground, so I spent a bit of time early this morning, gathering fresh posies for informal arrangements. I’ve been working from the […]
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Native North American Meadows, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennial Garden Design, Perennials for summer
Summertime’s Sweet Carolina Lupine: Basking in Her Graceful, Golden Glow
 Lovely North American Native, Carolina Lupine (Thermopsis caroliniana, aka Thermompsis villosa) with Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus) Oh sweet, sweet Carolina… I love how your golden blossoms illuminate the evening garden like the glow of candlelight. And on these early summer days, Carolina Lupine (Thermopsis carolina, also known as Thermopsis villosa), is quite literally covered with butterflies […]
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Moonlight in the Garden . . .
 June’s Strawberry Moon Rises Above the Ninebark, in Full Bloom A Strawberry Super Moon and a June garden in full bloom… Could there be a more lovely way to celebrate the first weekend of summer? The Strawberry Moon is full on Sunday, June 23rd, at 7:33 am ET, and the full moon is at perigee […]
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Birds, Birds in the Garden, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Music in the Garden, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, The Seasons, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Purple Finch & Springtime Blossoms: Rejoicing as Sleeping Beauty Awakes . . .
 Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) in Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) 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 […]
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January Twilight . . .
Wolf Moon Rise in the Twilight Mist of Condensation-Coated Glass Is this really the last week of January? Impossible! The weeks have flown by with several exciting garden designs on my drafting table and daily painting sessions in my studio. It’s been a busy month, and I’ve been away from my computer. Good to take […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Singing for Their Supper: Gardening to Attract Migratory Songbirds . . .
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ Fruits in the Garden – A Cedar Waxwing Favorite Late in summer, when tall grass sways in golden light and crickets sing long into morning, the garden begins to ripen in shades of red, orange, violet and plum. In August, migratory birds —making their way to exotic, tropical destinations— flock […]
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Light & Shadow: Sunset Color Play …
The Colors of a Summer Sunset (Clockwise from Bottom Left: Rudbeckia hirta, Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia ‘Palace Purple’, Cotinus coggygria, Fothergilla ‘Blue Shadow’, Fagus sylvatica ‘Riversii’, Chelone lyonii, Filipendula ulmaria ‘Variegata’, Hakonechloa macra ‘Beni Kaze’) Pale yellow, brilliant gold, violet-maroon, mauve, blue-shadow and thunder-cloud grey; the colors of a summer sunset. Stormy skies —filled with […]
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Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, shrubs, stonework, Studio Garden
Slip Beyond the Misty Walls & Linger Within My Secret Garden…
Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’ Tumbling Over the Secret Garden Wall. Stonework by Vermont Artist Dan Snow. Read More About W. florida  by Clicking Here. It’s mid-June —showtime for some of the season’s prettiest perennials, flowering trees and shrubs— and the garden is always dressed to the nines. Even within the shady depths of my Secret Garden […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, Wildflowers and Meadows
Wild Blue: The Beauty of Baptisia…
The Beauty of North American Native Plants: Wild Blue Indigo (Baptisia australis) & Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus) in My Garden. This Flowering Combo is Backed Up by “Nativars” (Native Plant Cultivars):Â Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’ &Â Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’ In my work as garden designer, I often find myself doing overtime as PR agent for native plants. […]
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Annual Flowers, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars, flowering shrubs, Flowering Trees, Garden Design, Hummingbird Moth, Hummingbird/Butterfly
In Praise of the Poetic Papillon: Attracting Butterflies, Moths & Other Pollinators to the Garden…
Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in My Wildflower Meadow, Visiting Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus) on Lilac Blossoms (Syringa vulgaris ‘Mme. Lemoine’ ) in My Garden- Read More About This Lovely Butterfly in My Previous Post by Clicking Here. Fritillary on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) – Read More About This […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Dahlias, Dark flowers, Foliage, Fun in the Garden, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos
In Concert: Fall’s Brilliant Fantasia …
Flames of the Apprentice: Cotinus coggygria (Smokebush) Turns up the Volume on the Mid-October Music For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by the relationship between color and sound. My mom had a fairly eclectic record collection —from classical to kitsch— and as a child, I loved listening to music while […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
A Light in the Autumn Fog …
North American native Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Shines Brightly in a Clear, Luminous Gold (for a detailed profile on this fantastic plant, click here and to see her spring blossoms, be sure to click here) Most people don’t get excited about dark, dreary days. After all, it’s hard to jump up and down when you’re weighed […]
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Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, ornamental grass, Texture
The Magic of Morning Light …
A Web of Diamond Dewdrops, Left Dangling on the Balcony … Early morning light is magical in the late summer garden. Soft and warm, the gentle rays illuminate fine textures and shimmering dew drops. I love to stroll the garden paths at this time of day. Sometimes my best design ideas come in the early […]
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Chartreuse, Climbing plants, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Dark Plants, Garden Design Photos, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Perennials for summer, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Studio Garden, Summer Flowering Combinations, Summer Flowering Perennials, Summer flowering shrubs, The Seasons, Vines, Vines - Perennial, Wildflowers and Meadows, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Late Summer’s Bold Crescendo …
The Large Drift of Native Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) in my Garden Glows Bright as the Late Summer Sunset After the recent rain –almost overnight it seems– the gardens have exploded in a new wave of bloom. Stepping out with my morning coffee, I am seduced ’round the corner by the sweet and spicy fragrance […]
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Bark, Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Hardy shrubs, Hydrangea, Japanese Maple, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Nature, New England, North American Trees, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Shrubs with Textural Bark, Texture, The Seasons, Trees with Textural Bark, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Papery, Peeling, Striped & Shaggy: Textural Bark Brings Warmth & Beauty To Stark, Wintery Landscapes…
From peach and cream to reddish brown, the peeling bark of our native, paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is one of my favorite textures in the winter landscape… Brr… It sure is cold outside. With temperatures hovering around 15 degrees fahrenheit here in Vermont, it takes an awful lot to stop me in my tracks for […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Dried Flowers, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Late Autumn Garden, New England, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, stonework, The Seasons, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
The Subtle Hues of November’s Garden Play Softly in Low Light & Gentle Mist…
The Remaining Fruit on this Tea Viburnum Gleams Like Candy Store Gumdrops (Viburnum setigerum) Against a Background of Honey-Colored Miscanthus Surprised by a late November warm spell —gardens enveloped by quiet rain and soft fog— I found myself shrugging a few responsibilities and wandering around in the late afternoon light. Everywhere, tiny droplets of rain […]
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