gardening Archives - Page 4 of 21

Summer is Ushered in Courtesy of April and May

June 11, 2019

April is the name I gave to my new Paola scarf. Early spring after all brings narcissus, daffodils and early baby sedum greens. Love the softness of color this time of year. These days, most of my time is spent in the garden -from weeding to watering to pruning and mulching. Today, I bought some bone meal to supplement a stubborn rhododendron that refuses to flower. I pruned the plant carefully, applied the bone meal around its base and layered on some compost bought expressly to hold it close around the roots. The plant sits on a steep hill
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Rewarding Garden Endeavors

June 8, 2019

I don’t know about you, but after my delight at the start of azalea season, I was terribly discouraged by their poor showing. A friend told me about this site and when I reached out, I was helped through some ideas for garden improvement by an awesome horticulturalist, Carol from UConn Home and Garden Education Center. Apparently, lots of people struggled with this problem this year. I strongly suggest you ask your questions of UConn. Help is not far away if you’re ready to do the work. Real life takes time Did you ever watch a show on TV and
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It’s Azalea Time Again

June 2, 2019

Did you know that azaleas and rhododendron are in the same family? Both members of the genus Rhododendron. My azaleas usually start blooming first here in CT, followed by the rhododendrons. Evergreen vs. Deciduous Azaleas Most azaleas are evergreen and offer good winter landscape interest. The deciduous azalea -typically orange or yellow, is taller and drops its leaves for winter. I think they’re adorably unusual in a landscape. However, they’re adorably unusual in a landscape. This year was not a good one for our azaleas tho. Large sections of the plants had what looked like tiny brown, dry flower buds
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Memories of the Garden

May 28, 2019

During our home renovation in 2012, something about the land outside the kitchen windows spoke to me. I knew instinctively it was the perfect siting for a very special garden. When we first bought the house in 2009, my husband was beside himself realizing that the cars visiting the neighbors splashed their headlights across the entire side of our house. We quickly found and installed a tall bamboo fence that’s evolved into an important landscape feature. The fence screens the front of the property but given its height on top of the hill, it also offers a beautiful flourish above
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Annual Pilgrimage to ICFF, NYC -May 2019

May 25, 2019

Every year we go to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) to see what’s trending in home décor. As an international venue, many products are quite extravagant but the show also includes new materials and ideas just barely fleshed out by architectural students or young companies in search of distribution. The show showcases all aspects of home décor- inside and out. A must-see. I pulled a few to show you. The Italians are coming! Every year, there’s an extensive display of Italian companies- traditional leathers to very modern materials and high line designs. Worth the visit. There are many styles-
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Beautiful Bones-Garden Maintenance

May 19, 2019

This is the year to tackle some overdo maintenance. Anybody else have a bear of a time last fall in trying to get outdoor wood and metal treated? It was raining at the most inopportune times. Both mahogany decks and metal fencing went begging. This week I was able to start on the metal. Next week, the decks? That’s a two-person job so I will pester my dear husband for his help. Actually I consider myself an assistant on that job. Not my favorite project. Check out the photo below. A THIRSTY deck in need of brightening followed by special
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Mothers and Spring

May 7, 2019

Spring flowers always offer something special. I never tire of looking for them, am thrilled to see them come up and yet, how quickly they pass! Raising children is much the same. You seize those special moments, even as they’re a prelude to another story you never fully expected. This has been my experience as a mother and it’s somewhat bittersweet. Here today, gone tomorrow. Mother’s Day can be an occasion for making time to be alone, holding out for quiet. For me, that’s often time spent in the garden. People who know me know I sometimes prefer plants to
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Relief From the Everyday

April 23, 2019

So much in life can become mundane if we’re not careful. Stay alert! Spring offers so much new life without any effort on our part except to stay alert to the signs. Smells, bird sounds, new green and yes, daffodils and hyacinth scattered about the slumbering beds. Gardeners experience firsthand the benefits we draw from gardening. I love my gardens and am inspired every time I look out over them. Others take comfort in ways that are uniquely healing for them. This week is full court press getting ready for the Simsbury Flea and Smorgasbord Show. Saturday, (rain or shine)
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Spring Sale- Scarf Prices Are Going Up May 1

April 20, 2019

We’ve been sewing and ironing like crazy to get ready for the Simsbury Flea and Smorgasbord Show. It’s next Saturday, (rain or shine) April 27, from 9-5. The show is one day only and I’d love to see you there but if you can’t make it, no worries, scarves in stock today and ordered before May 1, will be sold for the current price of $42.00. After May 1, the new price will be $44.95. SORRY- THIS SALE IS OVER!! Peony Heaven Takes Planning Spring is the time for fertilizing some plants. Today, it was time for the peonies. Having
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Spring is Sprung

April 13, 2019

Sedum (aka Stonecrop) is a beautiful succulent that appears in early Spring (that’s today in Litchfield). I recently posted a new scarf design and asked people to guess what plant I drew the green from. Sedum! An unusual shaped succulent that spans the length of our growing season in New England. Sedum is a hardy, perennial addition to a sunny garden. There are both tall and creeping varieties. Mine get pretty tall- up to 2.5 feet and leggy. One might choose a creeping variety for a more tidy garden. It’s early Spring in Connecticut and the usual suspects are slowly
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