My mother is a vigorous lifelong gardener with varied and naturalistic gardens on her property in northwestern CT, and a small pond which provides a focal point behind the house. She also has a raised bed vegetable patch which produces broccoli, brussel sprouts,  lettuce, tomatoes and beans.  She finds that the rule in her garden is ‘one for me and one for the rabbits.’  Sometimes it’s two for the rabbits to her one. Recently I spent an afternoon gardening with my…

Where I live in Dutchess County NY, daffodils are one of the few bulbs deer do not graze so gardeners are planting more varieties of daffodils to get variation in their early spring gardens. After your bulbs are finished blooming, remove flowers so they won't put energy into producing seeds. For naturalizing, however, leave flowers and allow reseeding. At the NY Botanical Garden, daffodils are allowed to…

Sometimes in early Spring after bulbs have emerged from the ground and are beginning to flower, a sudden cold snap will bring temperatures down below freezing for a few days. More often than not, I’m amazed at the resiliency of these hardy plants. We are experiencing a cold scap in the northeast and we had snowfall on two consecutive nights earlier in the week in our Zone 6 region. The exact effect caused by a sudden cold snap depends on…

Egg-shaped pinch pots by Amanda Ann Palmer Passover table decoration from thejewishhostess.com Easter table from marthastewart.com Bleeding hearts and lilies of the valley Eggshells become votive candles on babble.com Jelly beans hot glued to tree branches on craftysisters-nc.blogspot.com Ornamental cabbage ‘Crane’s White’ on gardenista.com tradgardsflow.blogspot.se Lilac and lilac-colored eggs at architectureartdesigns.com Lily of the valley -daffodil posies, gardenista.com    

The Early Spring issue of Country Gardens with a feature story on our greenhouse also has an interesting story about growing microgreens. Here's a link to the Country Gardens website with How To information on growing microgreens. I started 3 crops myself, using 3 handmade plates by the talented Vermont potter Amanda Ann Palmer. Because microgreens are harvested a couple of weeks after the seeds are sown, a shallow dish with no holes for drainage is perfectly acceptable. [caption id="attachment_2262" align="alignleft"…

Forcing bulbs to bloom indoors in late Winter is a way to enjoy the magic of Spring flowers a little early. If you received a free package of our pink Foxtrot tulip bulbs, they are ready to be potted up indoors as soon as you get them. This is because they have spent the winter in a cool warehouse in Pennsylvania. (For other Spring blooming bulbs, you need to put them in a cool, refrigerated location for 6-8 weeks before…

We are thrilled to be featured in the Early Spring 2016 issue of Country Gardens, a high circulation magazine published by Meredith. Last Spring we were visited by Matthew Benson, award-winning garden photographer, who took the lovely photos of our greenhouse. Then over the summer Irene Virag and her husband spent the afternoon with us for the story. She is a lovely person who won a Pulitzer prize for her journalism. Click here to be taken to a flipbook version…

Which Plants Want A Winter Rest? Many plants native to warm climates can be grown in colder zones as perennials, but require a rest period during cooler months, which encourages them to bloom or fruit again. Dormancy in plants occurs when the environmental conditions are not suitable for the plant to grow; this is most often during a cold or dry season. Here are a few popular plants I have in my garden, and the techniques Northern gardeners can use…

Do your skin care products have shea butter in them? It is one of the most nourishing things a woman can put on her skin. Cleopatra was supposed to have used and loved shea butter! It has been called 'Women's Gold' because in West Africa, where the raw ingredient is harvested, shea butter is a women's industry. Over the years it has enabled women to improve the quality of life for their families and community. Womanswork After Gardening Skin Care products,…

Elizabeth Buchtman works at Womanswork, and on weekends she's been making and decorating holiday wreaths with Stephen Chamberlain of Dutchess Farm in Castleton, VT. She agreed to share her secret with us for producing festive bows for her holiday wreaths. Step One: Get your supplies lined up. This includes ribbon (3 in. wide with wire edges), a spool of wire, sharp scissors, and her Womanswork pocket stone to keep her scissors at peak performance for cutting the ends of the bow. Step Two:…