April 27th, 2014 § § permalink
Garden Clean-Up Rewards: Baskets of Fresh-Cut Narcissus
Finally, despite prolonged, unseasonably cold weather, the early daffodils have begun to unfold their golden petals. Narcissus ‘February (<—?) Gold’, ‘Lemon Silk’, ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Rip van Winkle’ and ‘Rijnveld’s Early (<—?) Sensation’ are in full bloom now and so many more about to burst into flower.
With Planting Plans to Create, Meetings to Make and Seminars to Prepare for, These April Days are Amongst the Busiest in My Calendar Year. On My Desk This Week: French Press Coffee, Master Copy of Scale Planting Plans, Tulips from Dad, Email Notes and Overlay Drawings on the Laptop and an iPad filled with Consultation Sketches Atop an Over-Booked Calendar!
After a packed, rainy Saturday morning seminar at Walker Farm and a cold and dreary Sunday in my studio and garden, the sun finally made an appearance and lit dark corners of the Secret Garden at golden hour. Hard to believe we’ve just a few days left in April and still the pussy willows and witch hazel blossoms remain.
And Many More Left to Gaze Upon in the Secret Garden (Narcissus Lemon Silk & Heuchera)
And on My Studio Desk Today: First Garden Daffodil Bouquet of the Season
Photography & Textⓒ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. 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 written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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April 1st, 2013 § § permalink
Anticipating the Intoxicating Scent of Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’
It’s April first, and foolishly —thinking that surely we’ve seen the last of snow— we’re tempted to rush forward with our early season chores. And then —often without the slightest provocation or warning— Spring turns a cold cheek. Over the years, I’ve learned that in early April, a weather forecast calling for rain usually translates to snow-showers. Yes, Spring can be rather cruel, yet we always anticipate her kindness. Perhaps she will gift us pastel flower petals, dusted in powdered sugar . . .
Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’, Dusted in Springtime Snow
Yes, it may still snow. But in meantime, there are plenty of seasonal garden tasks to fill April’s weekend hours on warmer days. While walking along the garden paths on these early spring days, I often notice broken branches on shrubbery —revealed by receding snow— in need of pruning (click here for spring pruning tips), and in a few days I’ll begin cutting back ornamental grasses and crushed flower stalks along the front entryway. As ice melts away from the terraces, I tidy up the bird feeding stations, rake and then sweep the surrounding stone walkways.
Spring Heath (Erica carnea), is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in my garden; sometimes covering the ledges with a hazy blush before the snow fully departs. Click here to read my plant profile on this lovely, ground-cover for full sun.
Of course, there’s plenty to do indoors as well. Now’s a good time to look over
gardening gloves,
bug nets,
jackets, boots and other gear. Something need mending or replacing? This is the last chance to prepare. In late March and early April, I like to sharpen and oil my
garden shears and other tools before the big spring clean up begins. And while I can still find a few free hours, I like to make time to organize and rearrange the garden/potting room. Culling unwanted items now means I’ll have less clutter to trip over later, when it’s time to move things back outdoors.
Oh, and speaking of moving things outside . . . There’s that storage room packed with seasonal furnishing! It’s time to clean, sand and rub down those wooden tables and chairs with a fresh coat of teak oil. I’ll want them back on the terrace as soon as possible. After all, you never know when a warm evening might inspire a spontaneous, al fresco meal. And as the temperatures rise —and after I finish cutting back, cleaning up and rough raking the beds and borders— I’ll swish out my heavy, glazed containers and water bowls, returning them to their outdoor places. If only for a few moments here and there, it sure is great to get back into the garden!
Almost Time to Replace the Water Bowl, Beside My Secret Garden’s Door
Pots and Tools, Waiting for Clean Up, in the Garden Room
Time for a Sassy, New Pair of Gardening Boots? Ozzy Thinks So! Tretorn Sofiero Boots in Green, Gray & Black, Click Here
Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!
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March 24th, 2012 § Comments Off on Seduced by Springtime Sunshine & Sweetly Scented Air … § permalink
Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ Scents the Air & Reflects in the Water Bowl at the Secret Garden Door in March {Stonework by Vermont Artist Dan Snow}
Seduced by the sweet scent of springtime and early morning’s soft light, chores in the Secret Garden —raking, weeding, edging and mulching— hardly resemble work at all. After filling the water bowl beside Dan Snow’s moss-kissed walls, I stand back to drink in the fragrance of bodnant viburnum, perfuming the cool spring air …
Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ Glows in Morning Light, Filling the Air with the Incomparable, Fresh Scent of Spring
In Full Bloom: The Intoxicating Fragrance of Bodnant Viburnum ‘Dawn’ Lures Me Into the Secret Garden
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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March 20th, 2012 § Comments Off on Beauty Emerging on the Vernal Equinox: A Warm Welcome to Spring … § permalink
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 one thing no New Englander can ever predict, it’s the weather. With sunny days and balmy temperatures reaching up to the seventies, this year, the Vernal Equinox seems a mere formality. Spring arrived weeks ago, and she’s really strutting her stuff. Should I trust this notoriously coquettish season? Is she here to stay or just to flirt? Only time will tell, but for now, I will stretch out like a satisfied cat on the sun-warmed terrace and enjoy the sweet seduction …
Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ Just Beginning to Unfold Along the Walkway
A Chilly, Naked Frog Warms Itself in the Sun, After Emerging From Cold Leaves and Mud
The Rich Rewards of My Early Morning Walks: Endless Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) Bouquets (read more about this native beauty and early season favorite of pollinators)
I Try Hard Not to Play Favorites, but Viburnum bodnantesnse ‘Dawn’ Always Melts My Winter-Weary Heart with Her Sweet, Cerise Color and Intoxicating Scent (read more about this exquisite shrub here)
Nature’s Beauty Suddenly Surrounds: Welcoming Pussy Willow on the Kitchen Island
In Full Bloom, The Stand of Vernal Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) in My Garden Fills the Air with a Honeysuckle-Like Fragrance, Attracting Swarms of Buzzing Bees from the Meadow and Beyond (read more about the season-spanning beauty of witch hazel here)
Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina for The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!
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April 4th, 2010 § § permalink
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 my Secret Garden door perfumes the air, and a carpet of starry blue Chionodoxa sparkles upon the path. Finally, the sleepy Narcissus are awakening and the early Crocus and Galanthus are blooming their pretty little heads off.
It’s a perfect day for a leisurely mid-day meal on a sunny stone terrace. And for a refreshing accompaniment, what could be more appropriate for Sunday brunch than a classic Mimosa? By now it’s no secret that I love sparkling wine and champagne. However, I dislike sticky-sweet cocktails -and until recently the perfect Mimosa has always eluded me. Named for the famously fragrant blossoms of the tropical Acacia, this popular champagne cocktail is rumored to have been invented at the Ritz Hotel in Paris circa 1925. The original concoction contained Grand Marnier, (orange flavored cognac), French champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice. The key to getting a good balance of floral aroma, pleasing effervescence and a clean finish is using the freshest juice, dry sparkling wine, and tasting your ingredients in advance.
After experimenting with a few different Mimosa recipes, I have decided that although it isn’t an orange at all, the Minneola tangelo, (a Dancy tangerine x Duncan grapefruit hybrid dating back to the 1930s), makes the perfect juice for this cocktail. Minneola are plentiful in markets at this time of the year, so although I can not grow a tree of my own here in Vermont, I have easy access to the fruit for this special treat. In addition to substituting fresh squeezed Minneola juice for the traditional orange, I’ve made a few more modifications to the classic recipe, (which follows below). If you too have been searching for a more satisfying Mimosa, give this version a try. I think it is a garden-strolling, flower-lover’s fantasy…
Crocus Petals Unfolding © 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden
Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Striped Crocus © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ in Early April © Michaela at TGE
The Fragrant Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Chionodoxa luciliae (gigantea) – Glory of the Snow © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Crocus in the Dried Grass © 2010 Michaela at TGE
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The Making of a Fresh Squeezed Minneola Mimosa
La Mimosa de Minneola de Michaela
Ingredients for one cocktail, (multiply for many):
Fresh Squeezed Juice of one Minneola Tangelo
2 dashes of Cointreau
Chilled Maschio Prosecco Brut (Italian sparkling white wine)
Directions:
In a full sized champagne flute, add the fresh squeezed Minneola juice, (this should be about 1/3 of a glass). Add a couple of dashes of Cointreau, (some prefer Grand Marnier, a cognac, which is sweeter. I prefer the slightly bitter taste of Cointreau). Fill the glass with Maschio Prosecco. This sparkling wine has an aroma of orange blossoms and tastes lightly of fruit, without adding extra sweetness. However you can of course substitute any brut champagne or sparkling wine.
Garnish with a wedge of Minneola and serve chilled with brunch or as a lovely afternoon surprise in the garden…
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Fresh Minneola tangelo
Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui !
Crocus © 2010 Michaela at TGE
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Words and Pictures copyright 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden. All Rights Reserved.
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