A quote I think about when creating a container planting or designing a flower pot garden. “You just can’t plant exotics in the countryside. They just jar. But in town, where the are no points of reference, you can get away with all sorts” – Jinny Blom, Garden Design Magazine, March 2011 The whole concept of point of reference is interesting to me. Connecting the container planting, a superficial garden, to the overall surroundings just makes sense to me. I love extracting cues from the bigger landscape and bringing it up close – in a way, magnifying it –  into the container where it ca ..read more

Surrounds landscapes in Sterling, Virginia, has a beautiful portfolio of work that beautifully demonstrates how the benign and basic are not actually all that attractive – and how, with the addition of some thoughtful planning, beautiful plants, and timeless stonework, any landscape can feel much more elegant and appropriate to the site where it lives. A Pool with Dated Office Park Vibes Transforms to a Hilly Oasis Before: Brick and concrete constructions are angular and full of acute angles that make the design feel tight, overworked, and uncomfortable. Surrounds work first caught our eye yea ..read more

Today we’re visiting a backyard transformation by a Jerry Galanti, who you may remember from last summer. We published two of his garden makeover projects, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to bring you another!- this time, it is a campground-inspired English-style garden. As you can see, this yard started off as a long and narrow stretch of patchy grass, a perfect foundation for bigger and much better ideas. The homeowners wanted an English garden as well as an area where they could grow their own vegetables and entertain friends and family. They’re also avid campers, so something to ..read more

You can see the beginnings of the new garden rooms that will be created in this small backyard. Last week I received an email from Dana who writes a blog called Catnip and Mint. She sent a few photos along with a short write-up about her new hummingbird haven, and I thought you guys would enjoy it. The most remarkable part of it all is that she’s only been working on it for a year! Check it out… Hav you ever noticed how more is more? This isn’t a big space, but by filling it with plants that not only attract hummingbirds but also break up the sight lines, suddenly, the whole garden feels a lot ..read more

So I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there at one point or another – summer evenings fill up, mosquitoes keep us indoors on even the most beautiful evenings, and thunderstorms show up on all your days off.  A few small weeds quickly morph into a miniature jungle, and so you’re left with something that looks like this photo above. Chaos in the backyard. But there are great trees and plenty of usable space – this backyard transformation makes a bog impact. Backyard transformation complete! Chaos in the backyard. But there are great trees and plenty of usable space – this backyard transfor ..read more

This week’s Before & After is another “small yard, huge impact” deal, which is always something I love. Christopher and Rachel moved into their house in 2003 and knew they had to do something, anything, with the landscape encompassing their home– the problem was that they were low on cash and big on ideas, so the entire backyard makeover transformation ended up taking quite a while. The boring before – grass, pavers and a fence. Send Help! Like most projects, in the end, it was totally worth the wait. It definitely makes me feel better about my own eyesore of a front yard. Sorry, neighbors ..read more

For over 70 years, since the advent of World War II, the Fenway victory gardens of Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood have provided land for local residents to grow food, flowers and a wide variety of plants. There are 500 plots over 7 acres and it is the single surviving victory garden of the original 20 million victory gardens that were founded by the Roosevelt administration to fuel the war effort.  These gardens are in the heart of the city and though they deal with the very real aspects of urban life and the challenges that ..read more

Would you like to take a tour of the New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden In The Woods with me?  It is a wonderful place to visit for education about how to build your own native plant garden. The Garden in the Woods, located in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a renowned native plant garden managed by the Native Plant Trust. The garden is famous for its commitment to conservation and education about native flora in the New England region. Vibrant red trilliums (trillium erectum) stand boldly among the delicate native white dicentras (Dicentra candidosis – also known as squirrel corn). I ..read more

If you are from my own home state or spent any amount of time there, you will know my choice of favorite plant from the Rocky Mountains is rather cliché – but what can I say? I am a Colorado girl, I am from the most beautiful state (you can’t argue with me on this point) and this is one of the most beautiful native plants as well as the most recognized state symbol in our whole country. No wonder we are so proud. Columbine among a field of other wildflowers (including Indian paintbrush) at Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado. image by Jason Hollinger As a child, I remember wanting to pick the pr ..read more

There have only ever been two plants that I had my photo taken with during my years of being obsessed with plants. The first was a Stewartia pseudocamellia in the fall of 1994 at Longwood Gardens. This was by accident as I was taking a picture of a gorgeous tree with its exfoliating bark and red fall color when a bystander insisted that I get my photograph taken with the tree. This was in the days of film cameras so somewhere in a shoebox is a picture of me in front of that Stewartia. The Legend of Gunnera – The Holy Grail of Big leaved Perennials Everyone has to get a photo next to the Gun ..read more