Uncategorized
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Forest Jester …
Ozzy, My One-Year-Old, Resident Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Here’s lookin’ at you kid! Every now and then, a gardener needs a bit of comic relief, and Ozzy provides plenty of laughs… I’ve always enjoyed red squirrels, but my special relationship with Ozzy has deepened my love for the species. Life is hard for young squirrels, and […]
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Wild at Heart . . .
Day Lilies from White Flower Farm’s Woodside Mix: Blazing Sunset Shades in the Entry Garden English gardens, Asian gardens, European, Cottage and Modern fusions: I create all sorts of gardens to earn a living, and I find beauty in them all. Formality and structure appeal to my love of architecture and my need for professional […]
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Keeping Cool with Lemon-Mint Sun Tea
Lemon-Mint Sun Tea in the Garden The dog-days of summer have arrived, and they sure can wear you out! Gardening is hard work, and it’s easy to over do it on a sweltering day. Digging, weeding, lifting and endlessly refilling the watering can are physically demanding tasks. When temperatures rise and the sun is strong, […]
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The Beauty of Sunlit Valerian …
From Garden to Table: Fresh Cut Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Dreamy, soft, relaxing; flowering herb valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is every bit as beautiful as it is useful. The botanical name of this medicinal herb comes from the Latin word ‘valere’, meaning to be well. Since the fourth century —and perhaps even earlier— valerian has been used […]
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Preserving Summer Garden Delights: Tips for Freezing & Drying Produce …
Homemade, Sun Dried Tomatoes – Â For Easy Tutorial Post Click Here It’s Fourth of July weekend. Barbecues are sizzling, picnic baskets are filling and fireworks fill the night skies. Summer is here at last and, as they say, the living is easy. Fresh produce flows from the garden in a steady stream and fills the […]
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Celebrating Independence . . .
Happy Birthday America! Happy Independence Day America! I’m a patriotic sort of gal, and Fourth of July will always be one of my favorite holidays —picnics, barbecues, the Boston Pops— what’s not to love? Of course for many of us, fireworks are the high point of our nation’s birthday celebration. After all, there’s nothing like […]
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July Dreams . . .
Sweet Summer Slumber… A Few Days of Quiet Repose… A Shady Spot Beneath the Boughs of a Silverbell. Perhaps a Bit of Time for a Long Overdue Tête à  Tête Hello July… You’re here already? I’ve been so busy, I nearly missed your arrival. Usually you roll in with a few claps of thunder and at […]
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Fragrant Fern, Damp Moss & Fantaisie: Summer Rain in the Secret Garden…
Inside My Secret Garden: Earthy Fragrance of Damp Moss & Fern, Verdant Hues & Cool, Moist Air {In Mexican Terra Cotta: Ligularia ‘Osiris Fantaisie’ & Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’} Although the shady Secret Garden outside my studio door is a welcome retreat on hot summer days, sometimes I feel it is actually most alluring in the […]
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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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Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Garden Room, Secret Gardens, Uncategorized, Winter Garden
Snow, Fog & Ice: Quiet Garden Beauty On a Winter’s Day …
The Garden, Cloaked in Ice-Cappeded Snow (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’) Awoke this morning to find Winter —after a long and inexplicable absence— has finally returned; cloaking the garden in shades of alabaster and cream. Vibrant shades of red and gold punctuate the stark landscape; jewel-like accessories on Winter’s cool, icy ensemble. Driving conditions are treacherous […]
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December’s Long Nights Moon …
This month’s Cold Moon —also known as the Long Nights Moon by some Native Americans— is full on December 10th 2011 at 9:38am ET. And although yesterday’s twilight air was nippy as the sky blushed and blued, the moon appeared warm and welcoming in the sky. Yes, I too miss the endless days of summer, […]
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Sunspots and Snowdrops: A Garden Of Winter Dreams & Fantasies …
Snow-Kissed Silverbell Branches & Frozen Water Droplets at Dawn Sunrise Through a Powder-Coated Tangle of Hedge and Forest Sunspots and Snowdrops Vanilla-Frosted Secret Garden Stairs Awoke this early December morning to find a garden of sunspots, snowdrops, powdered sugar and ruby red, candied fruits. Everywhere I look, a magical transformation in white: winter dreams and […]
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Late Autumn’s Moody Morning Light …
Memories of Summer Mornings Flicker Through the Misty Glass Door Pausing to enjoy the poetry of a late autumn morning through misty panes of glass …. Whisper Landscape Mountain Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) in December Morning Light Photographs and Text â“’ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) […]
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Welcome December! Time to Gather, Illuminate & Deck the Halls …
Gathered from my Garden, Winterberry Branches and Ornamental Grass add Color & Texture to the Studio Entry Welcome December: season of twinkling lights, warm fragrances, sweet treats and festive decorations. I’m decking my halls a bit early this year, filling urns with bright red winterberry branches and collecting evergreen boughs, pinecones, crabapples and bittersweet for […]
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A Misty Morning Stroll Through the Moody, Late Autumn Garden …
Still Shining Brightly After the Unseasonable Snow Storm: Abelia mosanensis and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’ with a Carpet of Juniper in the Entry Garden Resilience. Sometimes I am astonished by nature’s ability to bounce back after trauma. In spite of a historic, tropical storm in August and record-breaking two feet of snow in October, the garden […]
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Autumn, Autumn Color in the Garden, Decorating Ideas, Dried Flowers, Flower arrangements, Fresh Cut Flowers, Hydrangea, Indoor Eden, Indoor Table Arrangements, Uncategorized
Blushing Autumn Blossoms …
Blossoms to Spare & Share: One of the Gardener’s Greatest Rewards (Sprigs of Eucalyptus cinerea & Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ with Autumn Blush) Photographs and Text â“’ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, […]
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Insects/Entomology, Uncategorized, Wildlife
Oh, What a Fashionable Dresser! Meet Widget the Walking Stick …
Hello Widget! What a Snappy Outfit You Have There … Meet Widget the Walking Stick. And isn’t he the most fashionable fella? While installing a new garden for a client last week —design post forthcoming— I happened to notice what appeared to be a colorful stick, stuck to my boot. As I bent down to […]
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By the Light of the Harvest Moon …
The Full Harvest Moon Sweet September… The sky is clear and the temperature is mild. Tonight’s weather may just be perfect for watching the Harvest Moonrise. Don’t miss the show tonight, starting at 6:48 pm Eastern Time. For more lunar lore and fun facts about the Harvest Moon, visit the Old Farmer’s Almanac, by clicking […]
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A New Path Through the Forest …
Water Falling in a Brook Near My Home A new path has been cut through my forest, and I couldn’t be happier. As of today, my previously marooned community has a new –primitive, but very functional– four wheel drive access road. Words can not express how grateful and relieved I am, both for my neighbors […]
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Stormy Weather …
Wind Driven Rain Looks like we’re in for some stormy weather. Hurricane Irene is tracking up the eastern seaboard, and though we’ll likely experience more of a tropical storm here in Vermont, Sunday is sure to be wild and wooly. I’ve been preparing my home and garden for the tropical storm —pulling outdoor furniture inside, […]
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Sturgeon Moonlight on the River & Magical Meteor Showers …
The Full Sturgeon Moon Rises Over the Connecticut River Clear summer evenings are always wonderful for star-gazing, and one of my favorite ways to enjoy the night sky is sprawled out on a great, big blanket on the back lawn. The Perseid meteor showers have been spectacular this month, and although the Full Sturgeon Moon […]
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