Ground Covers
-
Art Inspired by Nature, Artful Garden Objects, Asian Natives, Bonsai, Books, Decorating Ideas, Dish Gardens, Environmental Art, Ferns, Garden projects for kids, Gardening Inspirations, Gifts for Gardeners, Ground Covers, Hanging Baskets, Home, House Plants, Indoor Eden, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Japanese-inspired Gardens, Kokedama, Moss, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Terrariums
Create a Verdant Indoor Eden with Miniature Moss Gardens: Book Review
Miniature Moss Gardens: Create Your Own Japanese Container Gardens These last few weeks of winter can be the longest and gloomiest of the season. Just when the witch hazel begins to bloom, five inches of snow will fall and smother her glorious, golden petals. Late February and early March is my favorite time of the […]
Read More -
Chartreuse, companion planting, Ground Covers, Hardy Succulents, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, rock garden plants, scree gardens, Stone Walkways, stonework, Succulents
A Carpet of Tiny, Jewel-Like Treasures: Hardy, Ground Covering Succulents …
Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’ Blooming on the Ledges Nature hates a vacuum, and when she sees one, she usually fills it as quickly as possible. As gardeners, we often find ourselves at odds with Mother Nature’s plant choices, and when we really dislike them, we call them “weeds”. Spaces between stepping stones, pockets between rocks […]
Read More -
Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Dried Flowers, Evergreens, Ferncliff, Foliage, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Heath & Heather, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for summer, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Replacing Lawn, rock garden plants, scree gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Summer flowering shrubs, Woody Plants
A Moody, Pale Lavender Haze … Heather-Covered Ledges Soothe the Eye In the Softest Shade of Summer …
The Soft Beauty of Lavender-Colored Heather: Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Knight’ Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Knight’, Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’ and Juniperus x pfizerianna ‘Sea Green’ Along the Ledgy Walkway A Hazy Slope of Heather (Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Knight’) in the Palest Shade of Lavender While much of my garden blooms in brilliant, sunny shades of gold, yellow […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Conifers, Evergreens, Ferncliff, Foliage, Front Yard Gardens, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Ground Covers, Hardy shrubs, Hydrangea, Late Autumn Garden, Living Walls & Fences, Night Garden, Plant hunting, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, pruning, rock garden plants, Secret Garden Room, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Unusual Plants, Wind Breaks, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woody Plants
A Tough Broad for all Seasons: This Sulfur-Tipped, Ice-Blue Chameleon Really Knows How to Wear the Pants…
Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’ atop the Secret Garden Steps in January It’s easy to get gardeners excited when I talk about big stars like hydrangea, azalea and viburnum. And most everyone swoons over those voluptuous and intoxicating bombshells: the roses, French lilacs and tree peonies. But junipers? Why they’re a lonely and oft-neglected group of garden […]
Read More -
Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Color in the Garden, Ferncliff, Gardening Inspiration, Glamorous Gardens, Ground Covers, Hoar Frost, Late Autumn Garden, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, ornamental grass, Other Blogs, Perennials for Autumn, Perennials for Winter Interest, Purple and Maroon Foliage, rock garden plants, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Stone Walkways, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Gardening, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
A Morning of Sunlit Snow Flurries & Quiet Moments of Wintry Beauty…
Golden, Sunrise Snow Shower Sunlit snow flurries, stark, white tree trunks and icy sparkle at the tips of my toes; it seems that every morning I awake to find yet another golden dawn, illuminating a crystal-and-snow-coated wonderland. And now, as late autumn gently fades —heralding the arrival of early winter— I am dazzled-as-always by the […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
Cutting Garden, Fragrance, Ground Covers, Plant Spotlight, Shrubs for fall color, Syringa vulgaris, Unusual Plants, Woody Plants
The Sweet, Seductive Power of Scent: Garden Fragrance…
Lily of the Valley, (Convallaria majalis), fills my bedroom with a fresh, green scent… “Smells  are  surer  than  sounds  and  sights  to  make  the  heartstrings  crack” ……………………………………………………………………- –………………………………………………………………………….rudyard kipling Imagine stepping outside and into the garden on a warm spring evening. Close your eyes and breathe deep. Does the air smell sweet? Are you drawn […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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; […]
Read More -
Ferncliff, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, Perennial Close-Ups, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, The Seasons, Woodland plants
Trout Lily, Fawn Lily, or Dog-tooth Violet: No Matter What You Call This Woodland Beauty, Erythronium is a Springtime Delight…
Erythronium tuolumnense in the Secret Garden at Ferncliff © 2010 Michaela TGE Fawn lily, Trout lily, Dog-tooth Violet: Beautiful, evocative and curious, the common names for the various North American Erythronium species are as delightful as the lovely woodland flower itself. In Northeastern forests, yellow trout lilies are a common, early-spring, ephemeral wildflower. As a […]
Read More -
Ferncliff, Gardening without Lawn, Ground Covers, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Old Fashioned Flowers, Perennials : Vermont, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Shade Gardening, Woodland plants
No Shrinking Violet: North American Native, Lovely Viola Labradorica…
Viola labradorica, (photo © 2010 Michaela at TGE), North American native Labrador violet… They say that Elizabeth Taylor once drew her lovers in with the flutter of her dark lashes and a passing glance from her violet-hued eyes. I have never seen eyes tinted in such a rich color, but I am sure that they […]
Read More -
Ground Covers, rock garden plants, scree gardens, shrubs, Woody Plants
Love on the Rocks: Blushing Spring Heath Sprawls Across the Ledges
Erica carnea (Spring Heath) blooms on the ledges in April When you live on a ledgy, wind-swept hilltop, in a somewhat gothic, romantically-remote location, I suppose you are bound to invite a few Wuthering Heights comparisons now and again. Add mass plantings of erica and calluna and well, you are practically begging your bookish friends to […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More -
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 […]
Read More