Month: November 2010
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Children and Gardening, Container Gardening, Garden Rooms, Garden Science, Gifts for Gardeners, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Pets and Gardens, Poisonous Plants, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Succulents, Succulents in Containers, Terrariums, Tropical Plants, Unusual Plants, Winter
Dangerous Beauty: Poisonous Plant Information for Homes with Small Children & Pets…
Outside, Looking In: Dreamy —But Poisonous— Kalanchoe mangini Sits High Up in a Bedroom Window Like many cold-climate gardeners, now that the growing year has ended —and my outdoor garden pursuits are limited to vegetables in raised beds beneath hoop-houses— I find myself catering to a large Indoor Eden of overwintering plants. Throughout the cold […]
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Candles, Celebrations, Conifers, Ferncliff, Fun in the Garden, Holiday Decorating, Home, Lighting, Nature, New England, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening
The Magical Moment of First Snow…
The Magical Moment of First Snow It seems that suddenly the world is all a’swirl with a dizzying array of frozen, white flakes. Just now running out the door with a million things to do, but I simply had to share the magical moment of First Snow… Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ – First Snow Cotoneaster and […]
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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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Artful Garden Objects, Candles, Celebrations, Decorating Ideas, Dried Flowers, Flower arrangements, Holiday Decorating, Home, Hydrangea, Indoor Table Arrangements, Other Blogs, Thanksgiving, The Seasons
A Time for Gathering Friends & Family, Harvest Dinners & Giving Thanks…
Happy Thanksgiving ! In this season of giving thanks, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for following The Gardener’s Eden. Thank you for  your many delightful comments and email correspondence, and thank you for sharing this site with your friends. I truly love hearing from you, both here on the […]
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Celebrations, Cocktails, Home, Late Autumn Garden, Recipes
Savoring a Quiet Moment & Raising a Glass to Friendship and Good Company: Soul-Warming, Spicy Mulled Wine…
Mulled Wine and a Thanksgiving Toast to Friendship The last few days and hours before a holiday are always a busy time. With all of the necessary preparations —shopping and cooking, packing and travel— it’s easy to lose sight of the more important aspects of our gathering amid all the hustle and bustle. Sometimes it […]
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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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Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Conifers, Cutting Garden, Decorating Ideas, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hardy shrubs, Hoar Frost, Holiday Decorating, Home, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Ornamental Berries and Fruit, Plant hunting, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
Bright, Red Winterberry & Juniper Magic: Lovely, Native Ilex verticillata Sparkles & Glows on Grey, Chilly Days…
Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’, paired here with Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’ In the last weeks of late autumn —after the leaves have all fallen and deciduous trees stand naked and rattling in cold wind— the conifers and fruit-bearing shrubs reign supreme in my garden. Late fall and early winter days —laced with hoar frost and sugar-coatings […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Autumn, Berries, Bowls, Celebrations, Cutting Garden, Decorating Ideas, Dried Flowers, Flower arrangements, Flower Seeds, flowering shrubs, Fresh Cut Flowers, Garden Party, Holiday Decorating, Home, Hydrangea, Indoor Table Arrangements, Ornamental Berries and Fruit, ornamental grass, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, The Seasons, Urns and Vessels
Bringing Nature’s Beauty Indoors: Festive Autumn Centerpieces from Garden to Table…
Curious Dinner Companions: Dried Leaves of Sago Palm Add a Light, Golden Touch to Traditional Gourds and White Pumpkins At long last, it seems that the season of feasts and festivities is finally upon us. And like many of you, I am looking for ways to bring the garden’s bounty to my dinner table: pumpkins, […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Chartreuse, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Succulents, The Seasons, Unusual Plants, Walkways - Stone, Woody Plants
Behold the Beautiful Autumn Tapestry: A Kaleidoscopic Carpet at Our Feet…
Geranium ‘Brookside’ shows off in sensational shades of red and orange in mid-November Near-metallic gleam: Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’ (Autumn Brilliance fern) Our native ground-covering Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge) provides beautiful and variable autumn color beneath shrubs along my garden’s entryway and along the shady parts of the path Now that I have accepted the skeletal […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Dried Flowers, Flower arrangements, Flower Seeds, Foliage, Garden Art, Glamorous Gardens, Holiday Decorating, Home, Hydrangea, Indoor Table Arrangements, The Seasons, Tropical Plants, Winter
The Gilded Table: Shimmering Gold Garden Remnants Make Holiday Dinner Settings a Little Bit Glamorous…
The Gilded Table – Golden Sago Palm Leaves by Candlelight Gilded Pine Cones Golden Sago Palm Leaves Shimmer and Glow by Candlelight Candle lit dinners, cocktails by the fire and evenings spent with good friends; it seems like I will be spending less time in wellingtons and more time in high heels this month! Yes, […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Cooking, Ferncliff, ornamental grass, Paths and Walkways, Recipes, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Spicy Cream of Carrot & Ginger Soup And the Last Rays of Golden Sunlight…
Spicy Cream of Carrot & Ginger Soup Alas, another late autumn weekend is drawing to a close; November sun flickering as it slips beyond bare tree-tops. The wood has been stacked, the bulbs all planted and sweet carrots harvested for soup. What a gift, these late-season days of warm weather. I love working in the […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Chores, Bulbs, Children - gardening with, Children and Gardening, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Fragrance, Fresh Cut Flowers
November Garden: Late Autumn’s Sunny-Day Chores & Pleasures…
Glowing Tufts of Ornamental Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) My Trusty Old Garden Cart ( from Gardener’s Supply Company ) Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ (Switch Grass) – Golden Color Illuminated by November Sunlight Days of beautifully warm, sunny weather, a free weekend, and a list of end-of-season garden chores = Michaela in Bliss. I’ve had a really […]
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Asian Natives, Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Autumn Garden Chores, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Garden Rooms, Planting Techniques, Reflections, Rodent Damage Prevention, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, The Seasons, Tree Care, Trees, Trees for Fall Foliage, Unusual Plants, Winter, Winter - Preparations, Winter Garden
Preparing the Garden for Winter: Protect Young, Ornamental & Fruit Trees from Gnawing Rodents…
My young Royal Frost birch (Betula populifolia x Whitespire ‘Royal Frost’) tree’s golden-orange foliage in November Several years ago, when my father had heart surgery at the VA hospital in Boston, I was away from home quite a bit during the last three months of the year. Preoccupied with my dad’s health and juggling various […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Books, Insects/Entomology, Late Autumn Garden, The Seasons
Ladybird, Ladybird, Fly Away Home…
Ladybird beetles seeking shelter in my studio siding for winter’s hibernation “Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home. You’re house is on fire, your children have flown”… Oh my goodness, but how that little ditty always freaked me out as a kid. Even now, although I do love it —especially when sung in a hushed and raspy […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Chartreuse, Climbing plants, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Conifers, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Rooms, Hardy shrubs, Japanese Maple, Late Autumn Garden, New England, ornamental grass, Perennials for Autumn, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Trees for Fall Foliage, Unusual Plants, Water Bowl, Water Features, Woody Plants
The Grand, Fall Foliage Finale: November Photo-Notes from Ferncliff…
Acer palmatum x dissectum ‘Seiryu’ and Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’at the Secret Garden Entry in Early November It seems to me that the first week of November flew by in a complete blur. This morning I awoke to howling wind and the unmistakable sound of sleet blasting the windowpanes. In one short week, the vast majority […]
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Cookbooks, Cooking, Potatoes, Recipes, The Seasons, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
The Never-Ending Vegetable Harvest & Penne with Roasted Potatoes, Arugula and Rosemary…
Penne with Roasted Potatoes, Arugula and Rosemary from Alice Waters’ Classic Cookbook, Chez Panisse Vegetables Ah, New England and the sudden changing of seasons. It really feels like late fall now… There’s even snow and sleet in tomorrow’s weather forecast. S-n-o-w. I feel chilly just typing those letters. The word always has a certain weight […]
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Asian Natives, Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, companion planting, Fragrance, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Hoar Frost, Late Autumn Garden, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Woody Plants
Fire and Ice: The Flaming Red Foliage of Abelia Mosanensis Sizzles Beside Cool Blue Juniper Horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’…
Fragrant abelia (Abelia mosanensis) and Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’ (aka ‘The Blue Rug’) They say opposites attract —think Bogie and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy, Lady and the Tramp, Bert and Ernie— in passionate relationships. Â And it’s certainly true that sparks tend to fly in nature, as well as on the silver screen, when something hot and […]
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Autumn, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Nature, New England, North American Trees, The Seasons, Trees for Fall Foliage, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Welcome November…
Young American beech (Fagus grandifolia) Â and eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) trees in the November morning mist November. Beech and cottonwood trees —colored butterscotch and rum— warm the misty hills and blue-grey clouds. The season has changed -almost overnight. At night the wood stove flickers and glows and the smell of pumpkin pie and mulled cider […]
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