Designing a Winter Wonderland

It's all very well knowing that for a garden to look good in winter it has to have "good bones". But what do you do when a foot or more of snow turns those bones into a lumpy graveyard? Seriously – since when do white lumps look like anything other than just white lumps? When…

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Designing Fall Combos

Pathway covered in leaves from red maple in October

It's that time of year when I'm dodging rain showers in the garden and preparing for cooler days ahead while enjoying the rich colors of autumn that still have me reaching for my camera. The best fall gardens are those which celebrate the season with bold combinations and dramatic vignettes. Here are some tips to…

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Deer-Resistant Containers: Before & After

I thought you might like to see how some of my summer container designs have grown in. All three designs are planted in full sun, are deer resistant, and low maintenance. The "After" images are approximately 6-7 weeks after planting. They all had Osmocote added as a slow release fertilizer when first planted but have…

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Last Needle Hanging

Seen above in better days…. …but sadly a key plant in this scene has now become an embarrassing eyesore.  Time to take action! Out with the Old My Feelin' Blue deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara 'Feelin' Blue), carefully placed to the left of the cabin, started to feel a bit "off" last year – and turned…

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