A New Season

Today was the day we signed on the dotted line and sold our garden to its next caretakers. (We agreed to sell our home and barn too). We made the decision a year ago, recognizing that as much as we loved it here, it was taking us longer to look after the 5 acre property…

Read More

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 More

New 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 More

Deer-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 More

Front 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 More