By Antonia Hieronymus When looking for a property suitable for raising a family and building a garden in 1994, my main criterion was to live by water. A property overlooking an old reservoir seemed perfect, so we jumped at it. Perhaps it should have been a clue that the house had been on the market for seven years?!  It was our first rookie mistake. While we do have mosquitoes in my native England, they are innocuous compared with the blood-sucking behemoths which teem in their thousands around us. The entire property is on a slope with a swamp and stream, presenting many design, wetland ..read more

Rose Lion’s fairy tale with Clematis Huldine Every year I focus on updating a different section of my garden, and 2016 was the year of the rose bed. I have always grown roses in my garden—in fact they were the first flowers that I planted when we moved into our house in 1992. Six roses came on the moving truck with us from the city. I grew them in pots on the porch of our rented apartment in Somerville, and overwintered them in the unheated stairwell. They went into the ground in a circular bed in my front yard, created by the previous owner's leaf pile that had been left there over the winte ..read more

By Elena Lapitsky My garden didn’t start on paper—most of it started because of necessity. Look straight at the house along the driveway: this border was created after a tall, double oak tree was removed because of its proximity to the house and septic tank. According to Feng Shui, the tree was also blocking the air flow and energy to the front door. The oak, other smaller trees and a gigantic Hicks yew bush were removed few years later. The grass still could not put it roots here no matter how often we tried to improve the soil. Only after that I started a garden border along the driveway. T ..read more

Barbara Timberman Saturday and Sunday, June 8 & 9, 10 am to 5 pm Visit ten professional artists' private gardens, many with additional guest artists on site. Experience paintings, sculpture, ceramics, fused glass, woodwork, pyrography, photography, calligraphy, jewelry, and other works of art. The gardens, which vary in style, include sculpture gardens, woodland trails, acres of mountain laurel, a labyrinth, handmade stone arches, fountains, pools, a wildflower meadow, paths, terraces and an abundance of flowers, shrubs, trees, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Art work, much of it horticult ..read more

The three-acre Heather Garden is the crown jewel of Fort Tryon Park with a stunning 600-foot perennial border punctuated with heaths and heathers as well as other flowering trees and shrubs. It began as the vision of John D. Rockefeller who collaborated with the Olmsted Brothers to create a picturesque park overlooking the Hudson River. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Fort Tryon was home to several beautiful estates. Rockefeller began acquiring these estates as they came up for sale, gradually assembling 67 acres that he gave to the city for a public park. Rockefeller hired the ill ..read more

By Joan Butler photo by kenpei Recently, I came across a list of Cary Award-winning plants. https://nebg.org/cary-award-past-winners/ The Cary Award program, named after Shrewsbury plantsman Ed Cary, was designed to highlight relatively uncommon plants that New England gardeners can choose with confidence as good performers for their home landscapes. The program was administered by the Worcester County Horticultural Society from 1997-2019. In its first year, five plants were selected as winners. One of these is a favorite of mine, Redvein Enkianthus. I first encountered this plant many years ..read more

chanticleer Ready to welcome spring after a long Northeast winter? Nothing lifts the spirit like a stroll among masses of daffodils, tulips and other spring bulbs. Here’s my list of wonderful spring bulb displays to enjoy this year. new england Botanic Garden New England Botanic Garden Mid-April to late May, Boylston, MA Enjoy a changing bulb display at New England Botanic garden, beginning with Reticulated Iris and Hyacinths in mid-April, fields of 25,000 daffodils in late April to early May, and gorgeous tulip displays in mid to late May. nebg.org Spring Bloom Fest at The Stevens Coolidge ..read more

With temperatures climbing this week, the feeling of spring is in the air. While I know that true spring is still a ways off, the desire to get outside and work in the garden is getting strong. Luckily, there are a few garden tasks that should be done now, before the soil warms up, the trees leaf out, and the rapid growth of bulbs and perennials begins. 1. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs Late winter is prime pruning time for deciduous trees and shrubs, while they are still dormant. Always use sharp tools to make clean cuts, and let the wounds heal naturally. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased ..read more

The tranquil gardens at the Albin Polasek Museum are an integral part of the story of the internationally renowned sculptor. Many of the sculptures were created here by Polasek after he survived a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Yet he continued to paint, draw, sculpt clay, and, with assistance, carve stone. These gardens are not only beautiful to behold but part of Polasek’s inspirational legacy. In 1950 Albin Polasek, then aged 70, retired to Winter Park after a successful 30-year career as a sculptor of public and private commissions and head of t ..read more

From beautiful light displays to Christmas teas and train shows, you will find a wealth of holiday cheer at historic mansions and botanic gardens in the region. Below is a list of holiday events in the Northeast and Florida. Please note that almost all of the events listed below require an advance-purchase admission ticket, and are selling out very quickly this year. Maine Gardens Aglow Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME November 18–December 31 New England’s biggest and brightest light display! With over 750,000 lights, the 14 acres of central gardens are transformed into a dramati ..read more