Blog
-
Stunning Indian Pink in Shade Garden: A Must-See at Bartlett Arboretum
This was my first time seeing Spigelia marilandica, also called Pinkroot, and it was a show-stopper.
-
Jeliff Mill New Canaan CT
The architect made the building fit the surroundings and the development’s theme. For this reason, when I first saw it, I thought Jeliff Mill was an old mill.
-
Butterbur – Petasites japonicus
Butterbur spreads from a thick, fleshy root 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. New shoots start about every three feet along the root.
-
First Shade Day 2024
Last Friday, May 10, 2024, I looked out the window and saw well-defined shade on the lawn. Every spring, there’s a moment when Mother Nature provides the gift of shade. The first time I noticed, I was driving home from high school. At the bottom of a hill, shade poured across the road on a…
-
Sugar Maple Seedlings – Mast Year
Last fall, we had a bumper crop of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seeds, leading to a bumper crop of sugar maple seedlings. I’ve never seen so many sugar maple seedlings in the garden. Why Are there so many Maple Seedlings in My Yard? Sugar maples have what are known as ‘Mast Years,’ when they produce…
-
Garden Maintenance is a Journey, Not a Destination
I’ve spent the last few days overwhelmed with how far behind I am in my home’s garden maintenance. Yesterday, I knocked the weeds down with a weed wacker because they were so overgrown. This morning, I flame-weeded our gravel driveway. Finally, I hoped to tune up the lawn mower but fell behind in my plans.…
-
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus, Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine,’ is an underused large shrub that ticks all the boxes: gorgeous blooms, long season of bloom and easy to care for. Where does Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub Grow? Hartlage Wine Calycanthus will grow in full sun or shade. However, you’ll get more and larger flowers in full sun. Calycanthus likes average…
-
Why You Should Never Play to the Gallery
I recently found this interview by David Bowie. I agree. When checking boxes, my work is droll and lifeless—my designs are like a pile of boxes left out for recycling. I work with nature, combining traditional knowledge with intuition, creating unique landscape solutions. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re…
-
Signs of a Dominant Cat
A cold front swept through a couple of days ago, leaving temperatures in the low 40s°F. An unexpected thing happened around the house: the cats started sleeping in groups. Outdoor Cats Phantom (cow pattern) and Snowball (tabby), our outdoor cats, were peacefully sleeping in the three-season room they appropriated. They usually sleep in different locations,…