Woodland plants
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Asian Natives, Plant Propagation, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Rare Plants, Seed Kits, Shade Gardening, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager, Woodland plants
Gourmet Gardening: Springtime Adventures in Shiitake Growing…
Shiitake and spinach fresh from my garden Oh the delicious flavor of fresh shiitake mushrooms. I enjoy most fungi, but I have a particular fondness for the earthy, rich taste and firm texture of the shiitake mushroom. Early spring crops, such as snow peas, sprouts and bok choy combine wonderfully with shiitake in healthy stir […]
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Insects/Entomology, Native Plants, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Viburnum, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Native Plant Seminar Discussions: Viburnum Beetle Alert…
Healthy Viburnum trilobum foliage and flower buds Over the weekend, I presented a talk on native plants for ornamental landscape use to a fantastic group of New England gardeners, and some very good questions were raised about alien pests and diseases of North American native plants. One of the gardeners participating in the workshop mentioned […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Ferns, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, Perennials : Vermont, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Shrubs for fall color, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, The Seasons, Trees, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
“Native Plants: Why We Love Them and How to Use Them” – Free Seminar – This Saturday at Walker Farm in Southern Vermont – Please Join Me …
Native mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, (here a cultivar named ‘Pink Charm’), are durable, evergreen plants suitable for ledgy, exposed sites… far more hardy than their more tender cousins, the rhododendrons. To read more about Kalmia latifolia, click here. I am very fortunate. This place in Vermont, where I live, is a true paradise and I […]
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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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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 […]
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Cooking, Ferncliff, Ferns, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials : Vermont, Plant Spotlight, Plants for shade, Plants for Texture, Recipes, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, The Seasons, Woodland plants
Well Fiddle-Dee-Dee: Unfurling Spring Pleasures in the Forest at Ferncliff…
Fiddlehead ferns unfurling in the Secret Garden – Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia pensylvanica) Lady fern ‘Lady in Red’ (Athyrium filix feminina), in my garden Oh yes, we are smack-dab-in-the-middle of fiddlehead season here in the Northeast; one of spring’s most delightful and ephemeral pleasures at my forest home in Vermont. Here on my ledgy site, Ostrich ferns, […]
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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 […]
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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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Bulbs, Celebrations, Cocktails, Cooking, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Gifts for Gardeners, Home, Recipes, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui. Sunday Afternoon Delights in the Early Spring Garden…
La Mimosa de Minneola de Michaela Could there possibly be a more lovely weekend for Easter Egg hunts, Sunday brunches, garden strolls and chilled mimosas? I think not. Here in New England the weather is simply spectacular, and swollen flower buds are bursting open to greet the glorious day. The pink bodnant viburnum ‘Dawn’ at […]
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flowering shrubs, Flowering Shrubs and Trees for Forced Flowers, Hamamelis, Late Autumn Garden, Plant Spotlight, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, The Seasons, Witch hazel, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Sorceress of Springtime: Spellbinding Witch Hazel ‘Diane’…
Hamamelis x intermedia, ‘Diane’ blooms mid March in my garden. Photograph © 2010 Michaela at TGE Today’s grey clouds ushered in the first spring rain, and with it, the slightest breeze from the south. It’s still quite chilly, but every morning I am drawn outside by the promise of chartreuse-green bulb-tips, glowing as they break […]
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Black Plants, Ferncliff, Garden Paths, Gardening Inspiration, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, North American Trees, ornamental grass, Plants for Texture, Secret Garden at Ferncliff, Secret Gardens, shrubs, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Winter, Winter Garden, Woodland plants
The White Witch Cometh…
The Morning after the Storm… The White Witch roared back up the hill last night in her icy chariot. My oh my, is she a beautiful and treacherous queen. She was angry, and she swirled her crystal scarf and heavy cloak in a fit of rage. Behind her, the cold sorceress dragged a wet blanket […]
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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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Candles, Christmas Trees, Holiday Decorating, Indoor Table Arrangements, Lighting, Winter Garden, Winter Solstice, Woodland plants
Peace on Earth…
Wishing you all things Merry and Bright ! Happy Holidays ! *** *Bright red cranberries and candles make a lovely, quick and natural centerpiece for the holiday table. To make one like mine, (I snapped the top photo last night while wrapping presents): Â fill a shallow glass bowl, (midway to the top), with water. Add […]
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Conifers, Ferncliff, Garden Design Photos, Gardening Inspiration, Perennials for Winter Interest, Plants for Light Effects, Plants for Texture, shrubs, Shrubs for ornamental fruit, Shrubs for Winter Interest, Shrubs with Colorful Twigs/Stems, The Seasons, Winter Garden, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
The Dawn of Winter: December Notes from Ferncliff…
Winter’s Dawn at Ferncliff The morning after a storm. Silent. Pristine. After months of drowsy, frost-covered mornings, at long last the garden has fallen to sleep. Lulled by a by a shifting blanket of snow, the flowers have all drifted away now; their pods empty; stalks broken. Summer’s song is hushed; notes frozen in chilly stillness. […]
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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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Christmas Trees, Conifers, Holiday Decorating, Plant Spotlight, Tree Farms, Trees, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Holiday Traditions: Visiting a Tree Farm Guest Post by Nanette Pigaga…
The Forest Illuminated, Photograph © 2009 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden I have never been much of a Black Friday enthusiast. Frankly, I would rather snuggle up by a cozy fire with a good book, or a notebook and pen, listening to Erik Satie and sipping hot, mulled cider. But if you are going out today, […]
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Autumn Color in the Garden, Birds, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Perennials for Autumn, Plant hunting, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, shrubs, Shrubs for fall color, Viburnum, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Autumn Brilliance: Plants for Spectacular Fall Color, Part One …
Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’ with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ What an impossibly beautiful morning. The sky is a scraped palette of blue-grey-violet, and the world all around me is a swirling kaleidoscope of orange and chartreuse, scarlet and vermillion, saffron and violet. I began my day with an early walk through the garden – savoring […]
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Ferncliff, Ferns, Native North American Woodlands, Native Plants, North American Trees, Woodland plants
Welcome Autumn…
The first golden leaves. American Beech, (Fagus grandifolia). Thought I would take you along for a stroll through the woodland path on the first day of autumn here at Ferncliff. Early morning fog lifted briefly to reveal a slice of heavenly blue sky and a season’s worth of kaleidoscopic color just beginning to develop in […]
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Asian Natives, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Autumn, Plants for shade, Shade Gardening, Woodland plants
Tricyrtis formosana ‘Dark Beauty’ ….. The Late Blooming Perennial Toad Lily
Tricyrtis formosana ‘Dark Beauty’ in the Secret Garden at Ferncliff The first time I encountered Tricyrtis formosana she had been stripped of all foliage and was displayed dramatically with coppery toned twigs in a Japanese vase. It was lust at first sight. I was standing at the front desk in an elegant hotel lobby, and although I […]
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Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Garden Design, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Woodland plants
Sweet-Scented August: Clethra Alnifolia
Clethra alnifolia, North American native “Sweet Pepperbush’ Some of the most beautiful late-blooming shrubs remind me of that childhood tale, “The Ugly Duckling”. Late to leaf out, looking perhaps a bit twiggy and awkward in June, these stars of the late summer garden take their time dressing up for spring. Sweet pepperbush is one of […]
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