One of the things we love about our little island in Maine is that seemingly nothing ever changes. And yet things do change-- in subtle, positive ways. For instance it was always difficult to purchase good produce on the island because there is only one market and they tend to bring in produce that travels well, such as iceburg lettuce.   This summer we enjoyed a floating farmers market, which motored into the…

Earlier this week Ruth Rogers Clausen met my mother and me at White Flower Farm in Litchfield County, CT. I wanted to catch up with Ruth on the topic of her new book, coming out in June (Timber Press). The title is 50 Beautiful Deer Resistant Plants, and I thought our visit to White Flower Farm provided a good opportunity to ask her what some of her favorite deer resistant…

No other shrub personifies the brash exuberance of spring like forsythia. At this time of year it is blooming in almost every garden as hedges, clipped and unclipped, along roadways, and even on the edge of woods. Sometimes it looks wonderful, but at other times it is obviously a case of wrong plant, wrong place. Forsythia shrubs have a beautiful, naturally elegant habit that is destroyed by…

Fragrant Paperwhites and Amaryllis are now a part of my Christmas tradition. I like to have paperwhites blooming on Christmas day and I enjoy amaryllis throughout the winter. I stagger the planting so there's always something blooming. For paperwhites allow 3-5 weeks from planting to blooming. You can extend the bloom time by keeping them in a cool room at night. Otherwise, blossoms can be fleeting.  For Amaryllis, allow 5-8 weeks from planting to bloom time, but each blossom can last for two…

Early last Spring I woke up one morning and decided that what my yard needed was a berm.  Most berms, or mounds, are designed for privacy to block an unwanted view of the street or a neighbor's backyard. By creating a little hill and planting it with trees and other vegetation you can create a very attractive and effective screen. Fences are often used for this purpose too, but a berm is a more natural-looking solution.  …

We keep our garden shoes outside the kitchen door, just steps from the herb garden, but when it rains they can get wet inside. We also use this handy spot on our deck for hand tools and garden gloves and plants that are waiting to be put in the ground. It was always messy looking, so I decided we needed a bench to organize things. …

After letting my cement troughs cure for 3-4 weeks in plastic bags, I took them out, donned my garden gloves and planted them up this afternoon. I bought several succulents at a…

This weekend I invited a friend over to try a "recipe" for cement troughs with me. She was game. We started at 9 am and we were finished by 10:30, with our creations tucked snugly in plastic bags to set overnight. [caption id="attachment_348" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="After patting the cement mixture into the molds and poking drainage holes in the bottom, they were ready to…

By August, does it feel like the best is over in your garden? Spring and summer bloom is usually abundant, but by late summer the garden may look tired. With just a little extra care you can make your display last until early Fall by growing perennials that keep blooming throughout the season, or produce a second flush later in the season. "Off with their heads" should be your mantra. The act of…

The biggest trade show of the year is always The National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Thousands of people in the hardware and lawn and garden industries descend on the glitzy Las Vegas strip for 3 show days at the Convention Center. The Womanswork booth looked very inviting with its company branded directors chairs, its displays brimming with garden gloves, sun hats and Garden Wheels, and our famous video playing in the background…