Posts Tagged ‘fall’
New Deer-Resistant Shrubs to Tempt you (But Not the Deer)
Deer-challenged gardeners have a somewhat reduced plant palette to choose from since the aim is to select plants that the deer will leave alone. Sadly, that means avoiding roses, hydrangeas, mock orange and camellia to name but a few. The good news is that there are still plenty of outstanding shrubs that are not only…
Read MoreColor Highlights from the Hudson River Valley
Visiting gardens near and far is always fun. I love to be shown new ways to use familiar plants, new design ideas for pathways, patios and structures, and simply things that make me pause. I glean ideas not only for my own garden but for the gardens I design for others. Last month I led…
Read MoreGarden Design: Mimicking Nature
I'm a firm believer that gardens should be experienced – not just observed. They should invite exploration and contemplation, pique our curiosity in some way. On my recent trip to the Hudson River Valley, I visited three public gardens that really spoke to me because they achieved this so well and did so, not by…
Read MoreUnexpected Color Echoes
Repetition of color in a garden is an easy way to bring a sense of cohesion to a design and is often called a 'color echo'. When designing 'foliage first' this color echo may be between a leaf and a flower or even between two or more different leaves, yet there are many more adventurous…
Read MoreFlowers & Foliage – My Favorite, Easy-Care Shrubs
Here in the Pacific Northwest the ubiquitous rhododendron are doing their thing with oversized, luscious blooms in every shade from purest white to deepest purple. They are positively seductive – until suddenly they're not. The sad reality is that a garden filled with these has only a limited season of interest, after which there's just…
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