Ferncliff
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Ferncliff, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening
Misty Mountain Top: Painted Ledges & Secret Garden in Summertime Fog …
The Entry Garden on a Misty, Late June Morning (Left to right foreground:Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’ & Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’- see descriptions below for other plantings) Sunny summer days are glorious; filled with shimmering, gold fields and blue, shadowed valleys. I love long strolls through garden paths with the sun’s warmth on my skin. […]
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Of Raindrops & Rose Petals …
Rosa ‘Bibi Maizoon’ with Raindrops In and out of the studio today, I’ve been more than momentarily seduced —and completely delayed— by the scent of English roses along the Secret Garden path. The spicy, rich fragrance of Rosa ‘Bibi Maizoon’ —reminiscent of much older cultivars— fills the damp, heavy air on this rainy afternoon. I […]
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Ferncliff, Ferns, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens
Pausing as Spring Dances with Summer: A Moment at the Verdant Threshold …
The Secret Garden Door in Late Spring Sunny days and sultry evenings alternate with cool mornings and moody rain showers as Springtime dances toward Summer. The month swept in with dramatic beauty: wild thunderstorms followed by golden sunsets; mist-covered hills illuminated by pink afterglow. This is a busy time of year, but every morning and […]
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Color in the Garden, Dining Outdoors, Ferncliff, Home, Recipes, Summertime Cocktails, The Seasons
Honey Colored Evenings in the Garden And Iced Tea with Lime & Peppermint…
An Evening on the Terrace in Sultry, Honey Colored Mist Voluptuous French Lilacs Drape to the Ground Vanilla Sky: Garnet-Hued Japanese Maple Leaves, Luminous at Sunset June evening. It’s late in the day, and the glow of mist-diffused sunlight –warm and sweet as honey– filters through the perfumed garden. It’s time to relax after a […]
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Annual Flowers, annuals, Artful Garden Objects, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Color in the Garden, Dining Outdoors, Ferncliff, Fun in the Garden, Furniture, Garden Art, Garden Design, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
A Long Weekend in the Garden & Breakfast on the Misty Terrace …
Fallen Silverbells and Breakfast on the Terrace A Pot Filled with Calibrachoa ‘Callie Orange’ Brightens the Morning And a Bottomless Cup of Coffee & Bright Red Chair Help to Wake the Sleepy Gardener There’s much work to do in my garden this weekend. I’ve annuals and vegetable starts to plant out in the potager and […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Dining Outdoors, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Flowering Trees, Foliage, Garden Design, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Nature, North American Trees, Plant Spotlight, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Springtime’s Shimmering Silverbells: Halesia tetraptera in Full Bloom…
Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) Carolina Silverbell Blossoms Attract Bumble Bees and Hummingbirds Looking up from the Terrace Dining Table, Into Thousands of Tiny White Bells Halesia tetraptera When it comes to the springtime show in my garden, Carolina Silverbell really knows how to steal the stage. Smothered in […]
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Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Nature, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Spring, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Texture, Unusual Plants, Urns and Vessels, Water Gardens, Woodland plants
Dramatic Darmera Peltata: A Native Beauty for Bog Gardens & Damp Shade…
Darmera peltata’s pretty, pink spray of airy inflorescence Darmera peltata… What a lovely, musical name. Often the botanical labels for plants pale by comparison to their intriguing and creative folk monikers. But in this case, I think the name Darmera peltata is far superior to the common alternatives (Indian rhubarb and umbrella plant). Just look […]
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Climbing plants, Dan Snow Stonework, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Furniture, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennials : Vermont, Perennials for Spring, Plants for shade, Pots, Pots and Pottery, Rare Plants, Reflections, scree gardens, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, The Seasons, Woodland plants
A Peek Inside the Misty Moss Walls: Springtime in the Secret Garden …
By May, a cool tapestry of springtime color carpets the Secret Garden path… This week my design studio and office began slowly migrating back down to the Secret Garden Room, where plants and paperwork happily mingle from late spring through early November. Each day on my way to and from appointments, I pass through the […]
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Dan Snow Stonework, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Ferns, flowering shrubs, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Ephemerals, Spring Flowering Bulbs, Steps and Stairs - Stone, Stone Walkways, stonework, Woodland plants
The Moment of Spring: A Walk Along The Secret Garden Path in Magical May
Pretty is the Cool Morning Mist; Softening the Landscape and Intensifying the Fragrance of Springtime So busy is the month of May… Days pass so quickly, I can barely remember to flip the pages of my desktop calendar. Things in the garden change rapidly from day to day, and I try to take a different […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Birds, Books, companion planting, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, Spring Ephemerals, Wildflowers and Meadows, Woodland plants
Ephemeral Woodland Wildflowers & Return of the Ethereal Hermit Thrush…
Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) There’s no place quite like New England for experiencing three seasons in one day. Sunday morning I rose to find a chilly house and snow covered gardens. Soon –with the sun shining brightly outside– temperatures soared to 63°. Breakfast in the snowy garden … Well, why not? I threw open the entryway […]
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Books, Bowls, cactus, Container Gardening, Decorating Ideas, Decorating the Garden, Exotic Plants, Ferncliff, Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Indoor Gardening, Inspirational Gardens, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Pots, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Studio Garden, Succulents, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants, Urns and Vessels
Dusting Off, Cleaning Out, Taking Stock & Getting Ready for Gardening Season… Plus Another Giveaway!
The bright gold of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a cheerful welcome in a chair beside my front door. I like using natural baskets as decorative covers for inexpensive, recycled plastic flower pots. I do a similar thing with plants placed outside in summer, using everything from wooden crates and baskets to tin cans and flea market […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Bulbs, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Ground Covers, Insects/Entomology, Lawns, Naturalistic Garden Design, New England, Old Fashioned Flowers, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woody Plants
Hazy Color Drifts Carpet the Garden: Tiny Gifts of Early Spring…
Spring Heath (Erica carnea) Begins Blooming in Early April (click here to revisit my Erica carnea plant-profile post from last year). Here, Sprawling Across the Ledge  in the Entry Garden… The Pink, Hazy Blur of Spring Heath is Particularly Lovely Against Grey Sky and Cool Stone. On a Blustery Day, I Can’t Help but Think […]
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Asian Natives, Ferncliff, Garden Maintenance, garden tools, Ice Storms, Japanese Maple, pruning, The Seasons, Tree Care, Trees, Winter, Woody Plants
Spring Clean-Up Part One: Pruning Damaged Limbs in Tight Spaces Using The Handy, Folding ‘Grecian’ Saw, Plus… A Special Giveaway!
A young Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ in my garden. This photo was taken last spring during a passing shower, just as the beautifully vibrant red leaves began to unfold I love all trees, but I have to admit that in particular, I am a very, very fond of Japanese maples. And in spite of the fact […]
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Bulbs, Cold-Climate Vegetable Gardening, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, The Seasons
Getting Down to Earth in the Garden…
First Flowers: Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae ‘Gigantea’) What a difference a day makes! Yesterday, my hilltop was nearly invisible; blurred grey and white by snow squalls, sleet and driving rain. But today, all of the new snow has melted, the sun is shining and the sky is clear blue. Ah, New England. As they say: if […]
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Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fragrance, Hamamelis, Hardy shrubs, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, North American Trees, Uncategorized, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Sweet Scent of Springtime: Bewitching Hamamelis Vernalis…
Sweetly Fragrant Hamamelis Vernalis: North American Native Vernal Witch Hazel, Cut from My Garden and Forced Inside Copper-Orange Tassels of Witch Hazel Glow in the Afternoon Light March, much like November, is a different month every year in New England. Some seasons, March skies are grey and late winter winds are cold; heavy snow falling […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Ferncliff, Forcing Branches in Winter, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Texture, The Seasons, Vermont, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Come to Me, My Sweet Willow…
Salix discolor. Pitcher by Aletha Soulé. Photo © Michaela at TGE Welcome, oh welcome sweet, silver-tipped harbinger of springtime. Is there anything that makes a heart race faster than the sight of the first pussy willow catkins? I love the beautiful, soft texture and the sculptural quality of pussy willow branches artfully arranged in a vase. […]
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Cutting Garden, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fragrance, Fresh Cut Flowers, Gardening Inspiration, Indoor Table Arrangements, New England, Plant Spotlight, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, The Seasons, Vernal Equinox, Winter, Woody Plants
First Hints of Spring…
Last Year’s Nest Remains Intact, Decorated with the Pink-Tinted Buds of Viburnum Bodnantense ‘Dawn’ Spring is exactly one month away, and eagerly, the garden awaits her arrival. Already, swollen buds, glowing bark and the sing-song voices of chickadees calling “spring’s here”, fill trees and shrubs with new life… On Warmer Days, Blushing Viburnum Buds Near […]
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Cold Frame Construction, Cold-Climate Vegetable Gardening, Cooking, Early Spring Garden Plants, Extending the Growing Season, Ferncliff, Garden Science, Garden Structures, Green House Gardens, Green Living, Late Autumn Garden, New England, Planting Techniques, Root Cellar Storage, Storing Winter Vegetables, The Seasons, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Vermont, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening
The Early Bird Catches the Arugula… And the Chard, Spinach & Lettuce too!
Arugula in the Hoophouse, January Let’s start out with a bit of honesty, shall we? The four season harvest isn’t for wimps. Winter gardening  —growing plants in temperatures below freezing to sub-zero, beneath plastic sheeting— isn’t a natural act. And although I enjoy a good game of woman vs. wild, sometimes winter gets to be […]
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Decorating Ideas, Early Spring Garden Plants, Fantasy Flowers, Ferncliff, Flower arrangements, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Plant Spotlight
Seasonal Prelude: The Scent of Spring…
Forced Blossoms: The Intoxicating Scent of Narcissus ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ Remember the fragrance of spring; warm air carrying the sweet perfume of new blossoms on the breeze? Distracted by day dreams of earth-scented pathways; chilly melt-water gurgling up from stone? Â Finding yourself stalking the swollen buds of witch hazel, viburnum, azalea and other fragrant, flowering […]
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Evergreens, Ferncliff, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Nature, New England, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Winter’s Quiet Beauty: Soft, Powdery Mornings & Misty Mountain Tops…
Mist Rising in the Snow-Covered, Green River Valley Try as I might, I can think of nothing more peaceful than the quiet stillness of Vermont’s misty, snow-covered mountains at first light… White-Coated Conifers Frame the View to the North The Snowy Still at Woodland’s Edge A Dusting of Snow Traces the Outline of Every Tiny […]
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Bark, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Living Walls & Fences, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, North American Trees, soil science, The Seasons, Trees, Trees with Textural Bark, Wind Breaks, Winter, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Wonderful Wizard of Winter: Native, Snow-Draped Canadian Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis – Native Canadian Hemlock I try very hard not to play favorites with the plants growing in and around my garden. In fact, you may have noticed that I’ll refer to a preferred species as ‘one of my favorites’, as opposed to ‘my favorite’. After all, I truly love each and every one […]
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