May 25th, 2014 § § permalink
 An Evening Stroll to the Secret Garden, through a Carpet of Wild, Blue Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
Awake before the dawn this morning —listening to the forest come alive with the songs of hermit thrush and the yelps of young fox— my mind drifted back to yesterday evening, and a few stolen hours in the garden at twilight. A glass of wine and few moments to  collect fresh Lily-of-the-Valley, Daphne, fragrant Viburnum and Wild, Woodland Phlox for beside the bed. Spring is such a fleeting season, and oh, how I treasure May nights.
Memorial Day is the biggest gardening weekend of the year in New England, and yesterday was a busy work day for me. I spent the day shopping at nurseries and making multiple trips to and from growers with truckloads of plants. Hours in my own garden are so limited in May; with available time for maintenance confined mainly to early mornings and evenings. Thank goodness for lengthening daylight hours and French-pressed coffee to greet the sunrise.
 The Secret Garden: from Fiddleheads to Feathery Fern, in the Blink of an Eye
Photography & Text â“’ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or 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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May 16th, 2014 § Comments Off on Seeking Perfection in Imperfection § permalink
 Fothergilla major ‘Mt. Airy’ in the garden at last light
Over the years, my garden is becoming more and more like an old friend. With time, we come to love our friends less for their style and more for their substance. Tiny flaws and quirky habits become treasured character traits. When long parted, we miss the wonderful, beautiful little things that strangers might find ugly: an overgrown vine, a low-leaning limb, a crooked path, a lawn invaded by wildflowers, rough bark chewed by a fostered squirrel. Learning to see the perfection in imperfection is to discover that a garden’s beauty comes less from this particular plant or that particular combination, than from a presence, a mood, a feeling. It’s that certain something. Beautiful imperfection. How do the French say it  . . . Je ne sais quoi, or perhaps jolie laide? To me, it’s nothing less than magic.
It takes time and love to have a friend. It takes time and love to have a garden.
 Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, Narcissus poeticus and Heuchera in the Luminous, Misty Garden Today
Photography & Text â“’ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or 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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May 5th, 2014 § § permalink
Warm, Golden-Hued Narcissus & A Merry Welcome to May
Although the air is still a bit chilly, and the sky so stubbornly grey, it’s time for May merriment and a happy Cinco de Mayo anyway! Welcome, welcome, sweet May!
Garden tip of the week: make photo notes of your garden beds and place discreet popsicle sticks to help remind you of where you’d like to add more bulbs in autumn! I’ve never met a gardener who has said to me, “darn, I planted too many bulbs!”.
 Fire & Ice Follies (reminder for fall: more early Narcissus, like this reliable beauty, ‘Ice Follies’, in the background). Fire sculpture by Vermont artist, Dan Snow.
Photography & Textâ“’ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or 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!
Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!
