The Seasons
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Celebrations, Cooking, Cooking with Kids, Dining Outdoors, Fruit for home gardens, Fruit Trees, Great Growers and Nurseries, Peaches, Recipes, The Last Day of Summer, The Seasons
Celebrating the Swan Song of Summer: Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions & Pecans . . .
 Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Toasted Pecans & Balsamic Glaze Gloria Peaches at Scott Farm Orchard, Vermont. According to Scott Farm orchard manager, Zeke Goodband, these beautiful, sweet, firm-fleshed peaches are the perfect choice for grilling and roasting! Beautiful Scott Farm Peaches, Almost too Good to Eat Oh summer, summer, summer . . […]
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In the Hazy Light of August . . .
The Home Stretch of Summer Crickets, bluejays, morning fog, lazy sunrises & lengthening shadows; September is coming . . . Seems We’re all Soaking Up the Last, Warm, Hazy Days of August . . . Photography & Text â“’ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), […]
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Aerial Photography, Orchards / Orchard Keeping, The Seasons, Vermont
Scott Farm’s Springtime Renaissance: Above the Orchard, Beauty in Full Bloom
Beauty in Full Bloom: Above the Apple Orchard, Scott Farm, Vermont It’s apple blossom season at Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont, and the orchard is in full, fragrant glory. Having posted many articles here on The Gardener’s Eden about the Scott Farm orchard —both during the springtime bloom and again during the autumn apple harvest— I decided to do […]
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Birds, Birds in the Garden, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Music in the Garden, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, The Seasons, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Purple Finch & Springtime Blossoms: Rejoicing as Sleeping Beauty Awakes . . .
 Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) in Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) It’s been a raw and chilly April in Vermont, and yet springtime songbirds, undaunted by the lingering chill, have flocked to my garden in search of sustenance. Some species are merely passing through, but others will settle and set up summer residence. This month’s standout is the […]
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Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Springtime, The Seasons
First Hints of a Changing Season . . .
April’s Promise: Beloved Blossoms on My Bodnant Viburnum (Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’). Read More About this Beauty in My Previous Post Here The first hints of a changing season: warm breezes from the south and silvery pussy willow catkins, soft against the skin, flirty pink buds on my favorite viburnum and the taste of sweet […]
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Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, The Seasons
Late March Musings: Welcoming Spring
 My Secret Garden Path, Fragrant with Woodland Phlox (P. divaricata), in April of Last Year Somewhere, beneath the melting snow, the garden is stirring; restless to feel the sweet kiss of springtime sunshine . . . Have only just returned from my travels  —busy downloading photos and editing stories to share— but wanted to pause […]
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Baking, Coffee, Cooking, Recipes, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden
Caramel-Drizzled, Spiced Coffee Cake, Daylight Savings & Winter’s Last Hurrah
 Caramel-Drizzled Coffee Cake Takes the Edge Off a Winter Storm Late winter snow storms are real heart-breakers. And it seems that, no matter how many times we’re hit by an early March ‘weather event’, I’m always caught by surprise. Songbirds are returning, buds are swelling on trees, and clocks are about to spring forward to […]
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Forward, March . . .
 Not just yet, but in a matter of weeks, the Witch Hazels will begin to bloom (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’ in March of 2012). Read more about spring blooming Witch Hazels in my previous post, here. Although March belongs, in large part, to Winter, this never seems to stop Spring from sending flirtatious hints our […]
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The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Garden Design, Winter Gardening
Farewell to February . . .
 A Soft, Snowy Farewell on the Last Day of February A foot of new snow fell on the hilltop yesterday, coating the last morning of February in a blanket of soft white. With longer days and warmer temperatures ahead, there’s much to look forward to in March. But for now, there’s the beautiful stillness of […]
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Aerial Photography, The Seasons, Winter
Love The One You’re With . . . Renewing My Appreciation Of Winter
 Snowshoeing the Woodland Trails . . . Time is relative, and it always seems to pass most slowly when you’re waiting. At this time of year, many of us in New England start to feel a bit down. Winter is a long season here, and in spite of what the calendar might say, it often […]
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The Seasons, White Witch, Winter, Winter Garden, Winter Solstice
Dramatically Draped in Sequins & Lace, In Swept the White Witch of Winter…
Winter Swept in Upon a Blue Velvet Evening … Winter is a drama-queen. In she sweeps on her snowy chariot, with a chilly air. She bears little resemblance to her sisters; coquettish Springtime, carefree Summer, or even melancholy Autumn. Wrapped in sheer white lace and silver sequins, Winter certainly possesses bare-boned beauty and elegance, but […]
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Welcoming December . . .
Sunrise Flurries and a Fresh New Month Welcome December. Late Autumn greets Winter as we prepare to celebrate the coming solstice. Long, dark nights bring flickering candles to the dinner table and twinkling lights along the garden paths. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be gathering pinecones, winterberry, evergreen boughs and bittersweet for wreaths, swags and […]
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Into the August Haze …
Ladybells (Adenophora confusa) Spill, Languid Blossoms to the Lawn August is a languid month; hazy, verdant hills saturated with the weight of humid air. It’s mid-summer, and the fields are ripe. Come stroll with me through the blowzy gardens and wildflower meadow; gathering Black-eyed Susans, Ladybells and Queen Anne’s Lace for carefree bouquets. It’s time […]
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Celebrations, Dining Outdoors, Summer Solstice, Summertime Cocktails, The Seasons
In the Good Old Summer Time…
Summer Time in the Wildflower Walk. Read About Oli’s Wondrous Wildflower Walk Here Long days, balmy nights, bare feet and the smell of freshly mown grass: summer time at last. And now, with the rush of spring time planning and planting behind us, it’s time to begin reaping the garden’s rich rewards. Step inside the […]
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Summer Solstice, Summertime Cocktails, The Seasons
A Kiss Goodbye: Farewell to Springtime
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Visits the Mountain Laurel Along the Secret Garden Path Early this morning, warm sunlight streaming through dewy fog lifting from the valley, I slipped outside for my last springtime walk through the garden. The seasons change tonight —7:09 pm ET marking the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the […]
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Paths and Walkways, Perennials for Spring, scree gardens, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Ephemerals, Spring Flowering Bulbs, Steps and Stairs - Stone, Stone Walkways, The Seasons
Musings on the Merry Month of May…
The Secret Garden Steps and Path, Yesterday Evening (Blooming Here and Below: Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’, Muscari armeniacum, Ajuga reptans ‘Purple Brocade’, Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’, Fothergilla major ‘Mt Airy’, Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’, in a Sea of Emerging Wildflowers) It’s a rainy Monday morning in May, and I’m at my desk catching up […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Bulb companions, Bulbs, companion planting, Ferncliff, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Hardy shrubs, Moss, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, New England, Perennials for Spring, Raindrops, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for early spring blossoms, Songbirds, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Ephemerals, Spring Flowering Bulbs, stonework, The Seasons, Uncategorized, Witch Alder, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
From April Showers to May Flowers…
Trout lily (Erythronium tuolumnense), Daffodils (Narcissus ‘Snipe’), Coral Bell Leaves (Heuchera americana) and Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’). (Click here to read more about Erythronium) Happy May Day! Here in Vermont, we begin the new month with a day of much-needed rain. May is a busy month for gardeners. Thirty one days of […]
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In Anticipation of April’s Pink Moon …
The Pink Moon (Shown Here, Rising on April 4th) is Full this Friday, April 6th, at 3:19pm ET Longtime followers of The Gardener’s Eden will recall that this starry-eyed gardener has a particular fondness for April’s Pink Moon. Previous posts (such as this one, here ) have also included links to Nick Drake’s beautiful song by the […]
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Of Raindrops & Moody Morning Skies…
Raindrops on Spring Blossoms at the Secret Garden Door (Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’) Rain Mixed with Snow & Sleet in the Blushing Hills of Southern Vermont But Even the Greyest of Days Still Glow: Spicebush Filled with Golden Buds of Promise (read more about Lindera benzoin by clicking here) Well, it seems that Spring has decided […]
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Hamamelis, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native Plants, The Seasons, Vermont, Vernal Equinox, Viburnum, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Beauty Emerging on the Vernal Equinox: A Warm Welcome to Spring …
The Carpet of Rose-Tinted Spring Heath (Erica carnea) is Blooming a Full Month Early on the Ledges (read more about this lovely plant here) in My Garden This Year More often than not, the first day of spring arrives with a bit of blustery snow, sleet or freezing rain here in Vermont. But if there’s […]
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Gardening Inspiration, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, New England, Paths and Walkways, Reflections, Stone Sculpture, stonework, The Seasons, Winter, Winter Garden, Woodland plants
Sticks, Stones & Magical Forest Mystery
Sticks and Stones: A Forest of Mystery Winter has arrived —swirling snowflakes and glazed pools all around— and yet the earth remains open in much of New England. Patches of snow dot my Vermont hillside, but elsewhere —in fields and forested areas nearby— the ground has yet to freeze and there’s nary a trace of […]
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