Posts by Karen Chapman
Pettifers: Lessons in Layering and Color
As much as we all love to visit world-renowned gardens such as Longwood, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter , it's frequently the private gardens that prove to be the highlight of my garden tours. Guests enjoy chatting with the passionate owners and caretakers, learning about a gardens history and hearing about the various challenges that are…
Read MoreNew Deer-Resistant Shrub to Grow: El Nino Desert Orchid
Back of the border, flowering shrubs are a welcome addition to any garden but those that are also deer-resistant are a cause for celebration. In the past I've looked to Carolina allspice (Calycanthus) to fill this role, especially the variety Aphrodite, although I have been told that while they have proven reliably deer resistant in…
Read MoreDeer-Resistant Edibles (usually)
I had an email this week from a lady who had purchased the plans for my Critter-Resistant Vegetable Garden, but realized that it wouldn't be installed in time to protect this seasons fruit and vegetables. That got me thinking as like some other gardeners, I have incorporated a few deer-resistant edibles such as rhubarb into…
Read MoreFront Gardens Re-Imagined
My mum was a keen gardener and her colorful front garden was filled with fragrant roses, peonies, iris and much more. The neighbors all knew it as "The bungalow with the green roof and pretty garden". It was also a friendly garden – a place where mum would stop to chat as folks walked past.…
Read MoreEarly Spring Favorites for Hummingbirds (that deer & rabbits ignore)
When selecting flowers to attract hummingbirds to your garden, it's easy to focus on summer blooms such as fuchsia and salvia, yet there are so many early spring perennials and shrubs that can entice them. What's more, this list of my personal favorites is also drought tolerant (once established), deer-resistant and even rabbit-resistant! Even if…
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