One Special Tree – Four Outstanding Seasons

We all want instant gratification in our gardens; plant today – fabulousness tomorrow. At some point most of us have learned the hard way that plants just don’t work to our schedule and we have to wait for the plants to fill in and mature before they really fulfill our vision. Yet occasionally I come…

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Move over boxwood – make room for Distylium!

Have you been searching for the perfect shrub? One that is low maintenance evergreen  deer resistant insect resistant disease resistant can be used for hedging, screening, as a foundation plant, groundcover or as part of a mixed border? is tolerant of wet soils, yet also drought tolerant? Maybe something to replace those ailing boxwood that…

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Sunflowers & Superstars

While the large island border is always a reliable kaleidoscope of color and texture at this time of year (see photo above), I have a smaller planting bed next to our main patio that is rather more fickle. It receives blazing sun all day, has terrible, sticky, clay soil, is a magnet for rabbits and…

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Deer-Resistant Design – snippets and book giveaway!

Deer-Resistant Design book

It's been an exciting week – my latest book, Deer-Resistant Design: Fence-Free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer (Timber Press, 2019) arrived! I immediately sat down to write a note to each of the contributors and sign a copy for them – in between dancing around the kitchen! Let me explain a bit more about…

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An Unexpected Star: Rose Marvel Sage

When I received samples of these Rose Marvel sage from Ball Floraplant last year I had mixed first impressions. I'm not usually a fan of pink – although this did at least have some depth to the color which intrigued me and really pushes towards more of a rosy-lavender shade. However, since I have found…

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