Recent Posts

  • A Bit of Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

     With springtime so far away, weekly trips to the florist are in order Hello friends, I know, it’s been awhile. I confess that garden blogging has taken a back-seat to art-making and showing lately. My winter is quite different this year. There’s much news to share —some happy and some sad— but I’m not quite […]

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  • Solstice Greetings

      Wishing You Light and Joy in the New Season. Happy Winter Solstice! Photography â“’ Michaela Harlow. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior […]

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  • Winter Garden Guest, Cloaked in White

    Mustela erminea, Commonly Known as an Ermine, Short-Tailed Weasel or Stoat Meet the beautiful, white-cloaked ermine (Mustela erminea), also commonly known as the stoat or short-tailed weasel. This curious, swift-moving mammal —closely related to ferrets, weasels, otters, wolverines and badgers— is native to the woodlands, mountainous regions, wetlands and moors of North America, Europe, Asia […]

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  • On Exhibit: “Who Robbed the Woods?” Paintings from the Vermont Forest

    Click on Image to Enlarge Show Announcement Plans to visit beautiful Vermont this December? Please stop by Brattleboro to say hello, enjoy a cup of cider and view artwork inspired by the wilds of Vermont. I will be exhibiting new work this month at 133 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont. This special showing of pastels,”Who Robbed the Woods: […]

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  • Close Encounters with the Harris Hawk: A Visit to The New England Falconry

     Visiting The New England Falconry & Admiring the beauty of an 8-month-old, male Harris Hawk  Over the past few years, as my interest in designing gardens with native plants and creating naturalized landscapes has expanded to include a passion for pollinators, wildlife and habitat preservation, I have become more and more curious about birds of […]

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  • Welcome November

    Welcoming November Light & Leaf-Strewn Wandering Stripped of most deciduous leaves, suddenly the forest is shockingly bright at sunrise again. And now that the clocks have changed, November mornings belong to us early birds once more. It’s a trick of course, and we’ll pay for this daylight loan in afternoon hours —but I’m willing to […]

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  • Once Upon a Midnight Dreary

    Once Upon a Midnight Dreary … While I Pondered, Weak and Weary … Over Many a Quaint and Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore … While I Nodded, Nearly Napping, Suddenly There Came a Tapping … As Of Some One Gently Rapping, Rapping at My Chamber Door … Was It the Wind, or Something More ? […]

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  • Late October, Burning Bright

     Late October chores can wait: Taking a moment to pause and enjoy the beauty of imperfection It’s post-frost, tidy-up season in my garden. Time to gather and clean-out seasonal pots, cut-back unattractive perennials, rake-up leaves and button-up the borders with mulch. This has been a busy year for me as I’ve begun to switch my […]

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  • Indian Summer-Inspired Archival Prints

     September Waters II, 2014 – Deckle-Edged, Signed, Archival Print $150 After many months spent setting up an online gallery to showcase my artwork and offer archival prints for purchase online, I’m happy to announce that the site is now officially open. I’ve included here a few recent additions from the ever-growing collection of pastel pieces […]

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  • Welcoming October’s Fire

     Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’ with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ along the Secret Garden Walk  With fiery colors peeking through a misty, morning shroud, October began on a moody note today. The Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’) has turned the brightest shade of red that I can ever remember and beyond, Fragrant Abelia (Abelia mosanensis) and […]

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  • Gathering Branches, Bramble & Berries: The Allure of Autumn Bouquets

    In the Garden with Freshly Cut Tea Viburnum (V. setigerum) & Limelight Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Limelight’)  Although I love springtime vases filled with fragrant peonies, blue iris and cabbage roses, I equally adore the vibrance and longevity of autumn bouquets. At this time of year, foliage colors and textures are so rich and varied, that […]

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  • Autumn Potager: Selecting & Planting Tasty Varieties of Gourmet Garlic

    Gorgeous, Gourmet Garlic! Bulbs, Clockwise from Top of Ceramic Bowl: German White, Russian Red, Bavarian Purple & Spanish Roja. On Table: Two Heads of Doc’s German & One Each of German Red & Music. In Basket: A Combination of All Garlic Varieties, Plus Continental. Creatures of the night, beware: I grow garlic! Garlic and onion […]

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  • Autumn Dons Her Golden Crown

     Above Lake Whitingham, Vermont, 2013 Welcome to Autumn and her kaleidoscopic splendor! Here’s to fiery maples, lapis lazuli skies, starry nights, roaring bonfires and frosty mornings. Pour yourself a glass of hot, mulled cider and let’s toast the season. Here’s to the beauty of fall! A warm welcome to Autumn as she dons her glorious […]

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  • A Fond Farewell to Summer

     Farewell to Summer  (Above Plum Island, Massachusetts) In the United States, the Autumnal Equinox will occur today, September 22nd, at 10:29 p.m. EDT (On the world clock, September 23 at 2:29 UTC). I feel that it is particularly hard to say goodbye to summer this year. Although it seemed a bit shorter than usual, for me, […]

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  • September’s Swing Season

    Henry Eiler’s Conflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eiler’s) & Flame Grass (Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens), Catch Late Summer’s Low, Golden Rays  With daylight hours diminishing, and evening chill settling in, the garden’s hues are changing quickly now. Leaves are taking on autumnal tints of red, orange and chartreuse and berries are brightening to shades of wine, purple, […]

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  • Greeting the Full, Harvest Moon

     This Year, the Harvest Moon is Full Less Than a Day from Perigee. This Will Make the Moon Appear Much Larger on the Horizon. Find More Information on 2014’s ‘Supermoons’ here. The Harvest Moon will rise near 100% full on Monday, September 8th, 2014 at 6:49 PM EDT and set at 5:42 AM EDT on September 9th. […]

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  • Endless Summer: Preserving the Harvest

    Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil – Summertime Red and Gold, Preserved for a Winter’s Day. Click Here for a Simple How-To New England is well-known for long cold winters and short, hot summers. So gardeners here tend to know a thing or two about preserving the harvest for those freezing months ahead. August and September […]

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  • Welcome September . . .

    Raydon’s Favorite Aster with Amsonia and Flame Grass in the Background Welcome, September. The golden bridge between late Summer and Autumn. Some of my favorite flowers, fruits and foliage are at their peak during this beautiful time of the year. September is a mostly-summer month, with warm days and star-filled nights. Right now, late-season Garden […]

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  • A Late August Flyby . . .

    August, Above the Connecticut River, Michaela Harlow, 2014 It’s Labor Day Weekend, and it’s been a long time since my last post. I’ve needed a vacation, it seems, and the time away has been good. Everyone needs a change of scene, and a different perspective, now and again. I’ve been flying, and painting, and kayaking […]

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  • Reflecting on the Still of the Garden & Seasonal Water Feature Care

    A Water Feature Needn’t be Large or Expensive to Add a Calm, Soothing, Reflective Element to the Garden On these hot, humid summer days, my thoughts drift to quiet lakes or the sea. I often think that the only thing missing in my landscape, is a pond. Unfortunately, digging one won’t be in my budget […]

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  • All of My Summer Days . . .

    Misty July Sunrise in the Wildflower Walk  It’s a warm, humid, summer morning. Baskets filled with garden cuttings and wayward weeds line the wildflower walk. Time to stop for a cool drink and some journaling. I confess to a bit of restlessness this week. My mind keeps wandering to quiet waters; kayak slipping into mist. […]

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