Garden Design
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Art Inspired by Nature, Bee-Friendly Gardens, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Cutting Garden, Ferncliff, Flower Seeds, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening Inspiration, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Paths and Walkways, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Replacing Lawn, Stone Walkways, The Seasons, Walkways - Stone, Wildflowers and Meadows
The Accidental Gardener: A Short Story About a Dog Named Oli and His Wondrous Wildflower Walk…
The Wildflower Walk in July at Ferncliff â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE As a professional garden designer, I take a certain amount of pride in my work. My clients always seem quite pleased with the gardens I create, and I think I’m a pretty good designer. Yet every July I am served a very large […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Flower Seeds, Garden Design, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for summer, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture
Asclepias Tuberosa: Bold, Beautiful Butterfly Weed is the Life of the Midsummer Garden Party…
Butterflyweed, North American native Asclepias tuberosa â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE Oh to be a butterfly! Just imagine fluttering upon this delightful blossom; saturated in golden-orange color and loaded with sweet nectar. What a feast! Why I’d flit from flower to flower, happily sharing precious pollen with hovering hummingbirds and buzzing bees, from sunrise to […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Cutting Garden, Ferncliff, Fresh Cut Flowers, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Native Plants, Old Fashioned Flowers, ornamental grass, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Summer Flowering Combinations, Summer Flowering Perennials
Penstemon, Rudbeckia and Veronica: An Easy, Breezy, Flowering Combination for Mid-Summer Meadow Gardens…
A Sunny Combination of Meadow Flowers for a Long-Blooming, Informal Summer Garden. Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE Bees buzzing in the garden, sun-tea brewing on the terrace, and books piled high beside the hammock; sweet summertime is here at last. I love waking up to early morning sunshine playing upon the warm, summery colors in […]
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Color in the Garden, companion planting, Ferncliff, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Late Autumn Garden, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shade Gardening, Woodland plants
Restful Rodgersia: A Tall, Dramatic Beauty for Secret, Shadowy Nooks and Damp, Dappled Shade…
Rodgersia aesculifolia in the Secret Garden with Matteuccia struthiopteris and Heuchera – Photo â“’ Michaela at TGE Although you will usually find Rodgersia hiding out in dappled corners, boggy nooks and shadowy glens, it’s not because she’s exactly shy. In fact, when you stop to consider her dramatic foliage and statuesque size, Rodgersia is really […]
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Butterflies and Moths, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Paths, Gardening without Lawn, Hardy shrubs, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Plant Spotlight, Summer flowering shrubs, Woody Plants
Isn’t She Pretty in Pink? A Peek at a Few of June’s Blushing Young Beauties: Mountain Laurel, Lupine, Indigofera, and More…
Kalmia latifolia ‘Pink Charm’ with Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland’s Gold’ and Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’ in the background, and Rudbeckia hirta and Miscanthus in the foreground… Garden Design and Photo © Michaela at TGE Kalmia latifolia ‘Pink Charm’ – Photo © Michaela at TGE Kalmia latifolia ‘Pink Charm’ in the Entry Garden – Design and Photo […]
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annuals, Artful Garden Objects, Container Gardening, Exotic Plants, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, ornamental grass, Ornamental Grass in Containers, Plant Spotlight, Pots, Pots and Pottery, Purple and Maroon Foliage, scree gardens, Succulents, Succulents in Containers
Un-Flower Pots: Modern Ideas for Low Maintenance Container Gardens…
Sempervivum ‘Purple Beauty’ (Hens and Chicks) and Haworthia in a Glazed Pot with River Stone Accents, Design and Photograph © Michaela at TGE Although I have an unabashed love of colorful, fragrant blossoms, flowering plants aren’t ideal in all garden situations and circumstances. At times, I reach for the color, texture, form and/or movement of […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Flowering Trees, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Maintenance, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Perennial Garden Maintenance, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Replacing Lawn, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woody Plants
Front Yard Gardens: A Peek at the Design Process…
Front Yard Garden Design Proposal – Early Autumn View – Drawing © 2010 Michaela at TGE Just look at this sweet little house! It’s easy to see why my clients Laura and Dan fell in love with this place, isn’t it? I was instantly charmed by this classic New England home. From the slate-covered hip […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Berries, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Native Plants, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Viburnum, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Season-Spanning Garden Design: Springtime Shrubs to Enjoy Now and Love Again Later – Three Favorites…
Fothergilla major ‘Mt Airy’ in May – Native American Witch Alder Is there anything more delightful than the sweet scent of blossoms on a sparkling spring morning? Nature never ceases to amaze me. I often marvel at the seasonal cycle here in my cold climate. In spite of my garden’s success, I still find it […]
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Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Raindrops, Reflections, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Shade Gardening, shrubs, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, stonework, The Seasons, Water Features, Woodland plants
Thunderstorms and Beautifully Saturated Spring Color…
Wind-Driven Rain at Forest’s Edge… Spring thunderstorms kick up suddenly in New England. One minute the air is still and the birds are singing, and the next -WHAM- a bolt from the blue! Such was the case yesterday afternoon when I went to work in my garden. The passing storm was spectacularly violent and brief; […]
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Dark flowers, Ferncliff, Garden Design, Ground Covers, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant hunting, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shade Gardening, The Seasons, Winter Garden, Woodland plants
Lovely Lenten Rose: The Secret Garden’s First Blossom of Springtime …
Helleborus x hybridus © Michaela at TGE Delicate, feminine, mysterious and shy; while it’s true that these words perfectly describe the beautiful Lenten Rose, there is so much more to this gorgeous harbinger of springtime. I could just as easily describe her -much less romantically- as strong, reliable and tenacious. Helleborus x hybridus, known more […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Birds, Blueberries - growing tips, Cooking, flowering shrubs, Fruit for home gardens, Garden Design, Garden Science, Gourmet Garden, Ground Covers, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, pruning, Recipes, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Vaccinium, Vegetable Gardening, Woody Plants
A Rhapsody in Blue: Selecting and Planting Vaccinium corymbosum, (Highbush Blueberry), Plus a Favorite Recipe for Blueberry-Lemon Bread…
A Rhapsody in Blue What would you say if I told you that I know of an amazing cold-hardy shrub, with creamy, bell-like spring flowers, glossy green leaves, brilliant fall foliage, colorful winter stems and an attractive, well-rounded form? Interested yet? It may come as a surprise that the shrub I am describing is none […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Forcing Branches in Winter, Fresh Cut Flowers, Garden Design, Old Fashioned Flowers, Plant Spotlight, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs/Trees for Forced Flowers, The Seasons, Viburnum, Woody Plants
How To Describe the Beautiful Scent of Bodnant Viburnum ‘Dawn’ ?
Anticipation! Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ – buds swollen in cold spring rain… I have always found it a bit frustrating that -at least in English- fragrances don’t have names of their own. Have you noticed? When we describe smells, we use similes, (smells like…), or we borrow other words, because scents have none. Often we use […]
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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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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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Ferncliff, Garden Design, Garden Paths, Native Plants, Nature, North American Trees, Sculpture and Features, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, The Seasons, Tracking, Tracking animals in snow, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Tracking Animals in Snow and the Woodland Garden in Winter…
The woodland path at the edge of the garden… On a wintery day earlier this week, after a fresh snowfall, I headed outside with my warm alpaca hat and a pair of Atlas Snowshoes. In January, the native forest at Ferncliff is living fairytale; papery beech leaves rustle in wind, and lacy shadows dance on […]
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Bowls, cactus, Flower arrangements, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Plant Spotlight, Plants for Texture, Pots
It’s Fiesta Time & A Cactus Bowl Centerpiece adds Life to a Party …
Cactus bowl centerpiece with desert rocks and decorative straw flowers… It’s fiesta time in my kitchen. I am planning a holiday party with a menu of Mexican-inspired dishes. To set the mood for margarita sipping and chip dipping, I decided to create a celebratory cactus-bowl centerpiece. Making a dry, table-top garden filled with desert plants […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Bowls, Conservatory, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Green House Gardens, Holiday Decorating, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Planting Techniques, Plants for Texture, Pots and Pottery, Terrariums, Tropical Plants, Urns and Vessels, Vases
Bringing Nature’s Beauty Indoors: Terrariums Part Two…
A tiny Phalaenopsis orchid , (‘The White Moth’) , displayed in an open terrarium lined with pea stone/charcoal mix, and filled with a bed of bark, sphagnum and sheet moss… Last week in ‘Terrariums Part One‘, I went over basic instructions demonstrating how terrariums are constructed, and introducing terrarium-newcomers to the beautiful, fascinating world of miniature […]
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Garden Design, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspiration, Holiday Decorating, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Terrariums
Bringing Nature’s Beauty Indoors: Terrariums Part One…
A seasonal terrarium filled with North American forest plants… I am very fortunate to live and work surrounded by gardens. Even in winter, nature is part of my everyday life. But not everyone is so lucky. Some of us have friends and family members working in city high rises, crowded into sterile offices or lifeless […]
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Conifers, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Texture, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Walking in a Winter Wonderland …
Sleigh bells ring… are you listening ? “When it snows, ain’t it thrilling, though your nose gets a chilling? We’ll frolic and play the Eskimo way, walking in a winter wonderland”… Welcome December ! Hellebores gleam and glimmer like stars in white glitter… A branch of Cotoneaster, loaded with red berries, reminiscent of a ruby […]
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Books, Garden Design, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, The Seasons, Vegetable Gardening
Cozying up by the Fire: Kitchen – Gardening Guide Books to Give or Get…
My favorite place to read: beside a glowing fire… The photograph above was taken last night from a favorite old chair, where I will be spending my leisure hours reading during the months of January and February. And although a few calendar weeks remain until winter officially begins in the northern hemisphere, I have already started […]
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flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Plant Science, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, Woody Plants
On a Cold, Wet November Morning the Red Twigs of Tartarian Dogwood are Still Burning Bright…
Tartarian dogwood, (Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’), at Ferncliff in November… There’s nothing like a dose of brilliant scarlet color to lift the spirits in dreary weather! On this damp, grey November morning, the twigs of Tartarian dogwood glow like red-hot embers in a bonfire. Isn’t it spectacular? Nature can be quite the artiste! This glorious woody […]
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