Each Spring, as this first flush of the gardening season comes to a close, I find myself becoming a bit nostalgic, wandering around the garden, savoring the remaining spent blossoms on some of my favorite spring flowers. Why in Spring, you may ask, would I possibly experience a sense of nostalgia, perhaps even a tad of sadness, when I have two more[...]
The danger of frost past, full energies devoted to the changeover from spring’s frost tolerant displays to summer’s heat loving luxuriant textures and colors. Don’t forget your vegetables! Was never directed at me at the family dining table. My siblings, yes, my father, likely, but not me. Besides being a nearly flawless child, I loved my[...]
Every year I struggle under the weight of our own precedent. “Chanticleer, the edgiest garden in the country” and other such terms applied to us are wonderful, but consider the maintenance of such a reputation. So I struggle, I obsess. While installing this year’s display, I am already considering next year’s options. This plant in[...]
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was springtime. The most difficult of times when the sun in the sky and the warm breeze said yes, but the calendar still said May 15th. Mid May is the commonly accepted frost free date here in the Delaware Valley. The date[...]
Designers often call these features “outdoor living spaces”; gardeners call them prime territory for plants. Railings create ready-made supports for vines and windowboxes, and paving provides a place to grow creepers and a flat surface for pots and planters. You can surround yourself with herbs and edibles for super-easy harvesting, or indulge yourself with containers full[...]