Month: February 2010
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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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Ferncliff, Johnny (my John Deere 4300), Native North American Woodlands, Nature, Shoes/Boots, The Seasons, Tractors, Winter, Winter Garden
Just In Case You Were Wondering…
Yes, I am still here… So much for that early spring, eh Michaela? Status report: two feet of snow in the Green Mountains, with an ice storm and a wind advisory, (gusts to 50 mph), winding up right behind. The power has been on and off – mostly off yesterday – for two days. Keep […]
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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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Apples, Cookbooks, Cooking, Recipes
Apple Pancake Tart for Breakfast: The Simple Pleasures of Country Living…
Apple Pancake Tart for Breakfast, Brunch or Dessert. Platter by Aletha Soule… I adore cities: San Francisco; New Orleans; New York; Florence; Munich – in that order. I love urban energy, art, culture, food and people. But as much as I enjoy traveling, I am a homebody at heart. After a day spent struggling through […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds
Feathering the Nest: Providing for Birds This Spring in the Garden…
My dad’s homemade wren and bluebird houses, cleaned, ready and waiting for placement… Well, I have pulled out my bird houses, but as you can see, they won’t be filled with tenants anytime soon. It’s snowing here in the Green Mountains today. Nothing major, thank goodness, but we may be getting some accumulating snow tomorrow, […]
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Annual Flowering Vines, Annual Flowers, annuals, Celebrations, Cutting Garden, Flower Seeds, Fresh Cut Flowers, Front Yard Gardens, Old Fashioned Flowers, Seeds, Unusual Plants, Valentines Day Flowers
Don’t Break My Heart: A Love Story Written in Old Fashioned Flowers…
Sweet Peas, from Johnny’s Seeds One fine day in early spring, a ravishing young lady named Poppy was out tending her flowers when, without warning, a smooth-talking fella named Sweet William appeared at the garden gate. Poppy was immediately smitten, and she leaned toward him as he drew nearer the fence. He was charming and […]
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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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Artful Garden Objects, Candles, Celebrations, Decorating the Garden, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Holiday Decorating, Lighting, Luminarias (Tin), The Seasons, Winter Garden
Create A Glowing Garden in Any Season: Handmade Tin Luminarias…
Tin Luminarias Glowing on the Winter Garden Path A few years ago, I attended a beautiful winter party at a friend’s house. She took the time to make the night special, and I will always remember the warmth and glow of her house, lit from within by hundreds of candles, as I arrived on that […]
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annuals, Books, Garden Science, Gourmet Garden, Herb Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Plant Propagation, Plant Science, Seed Kits, Seeds, Winter Garden
Think Spring: It’s Time to Start Sowing Early Kitchen Garden Seeds …
The kitchen garden at Ferncliff, late May 2009 … It’s always exciting when the first boxes of vegetable, herb and flower seed begin to arrive in the mail. I know, I know. I am a bit like a little kid – but I have to check the mail every day to see if there is […]
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Cocktails, Gifts for Gardeners, Recipes, The Seasons
Valentine’s Day Fun with Flowers: Introducing The Wild Hibiscus Royale…
I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day. This probably comes as no surprise. Of course I love any celebration that involves flowers, food and drink. But there is something special about a holiday that exists just to say ‘I love you’. And although we tend to think of romance and candlelit dinners on Valentine’s Day, […]
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Art Inspired by Nature, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Inspirational Gardens, Lighting, Photographers, Photography Tips/Techniques, Ted Dillard Photographer
Taking Better Photos of Your Garden: Guest Post by Ted Dillard…
Photo â“’ Ted Dillard Of all the questions and comments I receive via this blog, email and through this site’s Facebook Page, the most common by far are related to photography. I am a new, amateur photographer, (that is a nice way of saying that I have no idea of what I am doing), and […]
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