Thursday, October 29, 2009

fall perspectives

While at a client's historic home in northern Chester County I snapped a few photos of lichen, moss, and our great native vine Virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) living happily together on a stone wall. Mother Nature is truly the ultimate landscape designer.



Same property, a burning bush (semi-invasive) and weeping Japanese maple play off each others colors.



 Lastly on my commute I noticed two glorious ginkgo trees (ginkgo biloba) with a neighboring red oak (Quercus rubra). I had to pull over and take a photo, which unfortunately does not do them justice.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Enjoy the fall display... and plan now for spring color!

It's been a great display of fall color this year. One of the best I can recall. Each day brings new color combinations in the landscape. To replicate these colors in your gardens and landscape you have to plan ahead, in the spring and summer months. The same can be said for spring bulbs. You have to plan ahead. Now is the time to plan for spring color. Those harbingers of spring color, daffodils, crocus, scilla, tulips, etc. have to be planted now. Garden centers, mail order catalogs, even big box stores have numerous varieties and colors to personalize your own garden. Bulbs are inexpensive, only have to be planted once and return year after year. Talk about low maintenance.
Most bulbs are grown overseas in Europe and shipped over to the U.S. The one exception is Brent and Becky's out of Gloucester County, VA. I met Brent Heath two years ago at the annual APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designers) convention. I was impressed with his passion and knowledge, I guess that comes from 30 years of bulb growing. W.D. Wells has ordered from them for years and have never been let down on service, quality or results. Take a minute and plan for spring, I know I am even as the leaves just begin to fall. http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/

If you have deer in your area the safest bet are daffodils (narcissus). Other least preferred include Scilla siberica (scilla), crocus (although rabbits like them), Winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), Alliums, and Glory-of- the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii). If you want to feed the deer plant tulips!
photo from Brent & Becky's bulbs website; Narcissus 'Carlton'

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Late summer flower color

As the summer season winds down, color still remains in the garden.

'Stella d'oro' daylilly, Sedumn 'Autumn Joy' , Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'


'Tardiva' Hydrangea, 'Winter Red' Winterberry fruiting up, 'Northwind' Panicum


Heliopsis helianthoides, native species


Heliopsis helianthoides paired with Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'.

The bees and butterflies are loving them!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Environmentally Safe Weed Killer

I often heard and recommended vinegar as a 'greener' weed control alternative to chemical herbicides. Although I have never tried it some additional information on the topic is below.
(from natorp's garden center weekly newsletter/ blog http://natorp.com/wordpress/#tmp)

“Tell me more about killing weeds with vinegar. Does it matter what type of vinegar? Will it also kill the grass?” -No and yes. Doesn’t matter what type of vinegar is used, but the higher the percentage of acidic acid the better it works. And it is a non selective vegetation killer, meaning it kills what you spray it on, weeds, grass, and all. Vinegar is strictly a foliar kill, and does not kill the roots.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Echinacea in the garden

Photo above is a garden in Landenberg, PA one year after planting. Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' with Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' behind and Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' to the left for some late summer blooms. All deer and drought tolerant!

In a different clients garden, Landenberg, PA. Echinacea purpurea 'Kim's Knee High'
Same residence, rear hillside garden one year after garden installation. Echinacea purpurea 'Kim's Knee High' in center of photo.


Echinacea purpurea, or Purple coneflower, is a eastern and central North American native flowering perennial that every sunny garden must have. They are drought tolerant and deer seldom bother. In recent years plant breeders have developed rather interesting cultivars. These newer varieties showcase yellow, orange, red and even white flowers. They make great cut flowers, butterflies and bees love them and when the seed heads are left in tack over the winter season the birds will appreciate the meal! When designing my clients gardens I often sneak a few in mix, they liven every garden up. Plant some today and everyone wins!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Summer, Finally!

It's been a gloomy, rainy, June however we are being rewarded with plenty of sunshine and flower blooms the past few days. June is perennial gardening month, (according to the Perennial Plant Association ) and driving around visiting several of my clients gardens I can see why! The PPA is a valuable online resource for perennial plants. If you are a beginner gardener the perennial plant of the year list is great selection to start with.

Photo to the right is from 1 year old garden in West Chester, PA. The purple flowering perennial is the 2007 plant of the year, Nepeta 'Walker's Low'. A constant plant in my garden design, nepeta, or catmint, is fantastic when used in a sunny location, preferably at the border of the garden. They are drought tolerant once established and after the first wave of flowering occurs, trim back to 6" and watch them perform again! Oh did I mention they are deer resistant and the bees and butterflies love them! Combine with spiraea and ornamental grasses for a winning trio. Other plants in this photo include 'Gold Star' junipers, 'Bailhalo' red stem dogwood shrub, 'Gateway' Joe-Pye weed (not really a weed but a terrific native late summer flowering butterfly magnet), and the large evergreen is 'Yoshino' Japanese cryptomeria, which also is deer resistant.

Visit the PPA for additional perennial plant information and their plant of the year list at http://www.perennialplant.org/index.asp

Monday, June 8, 2009

Brake for the Turtles


While stopping by one of my clients last week I noticed a large object in the road up ahead. As I approached I slowed down and was surprised to see this snapping turtle. The turtles mate from April through November, with their peak egg laying season in June and July. So be careful out there on our roadways and remember to slow down a give a turtle a break!

Friday, May 1, 2009

guerrilla gardening???

A few nights ago I caught the tail end of the evening national news. I was delighted to see a report on a British gardeners efforts to beautiful the world around him. It is catching on all around the globe. Check it out! http://www.guerrillagardening.org/index.html

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Stop and enjoy the flowering trees!

This week is a peak time to drive around and enjoy the flowering trees. Our native redbuds and dogwoods are in full bloom. I was at a prospective clients property on Tuesday and walked by this pink dogwood in full bloom. I had to take a photo. If you are unfamiliar with the legend of the dogwood take a minute and google it. My grandmother told me about the legend as a child and whenever someone asks me for a tree to memorialize a loved one I usually recommend a dogwood.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Earth Day! Arbor Day! Springfest! What a week!

Well despite the cool temperatures and soaking rains we are coming up on one of my most favorite weeks of the year.

My earliest memory of Earth Day was in elementary school, many moons ago, cleaning up the wood line adjacent to our playground. We picked up debris that had flown in from the winter winds. Our Rotary club sponsors a highway roadside cleanup twice a year, in fact they did so this past weekend. It sounds simple but if everyone took the time this week to go out and clean-up their yard, neighborhood, town the world and you would be all the better for it.

Arbor day has always had a special place in my being. I strive to plant at least one tree a year as a remembrance of someone or event. In years past I have planted a tree to memorialize a loved one, celebrate a new life, repair or beautify the environment. I can recount planting each one with clarity and enjoy passing by and noting their growth. As the saying goes 'plant a tree for tomorrow, not today'.

Not even the weather will keep me from enjoying this great week of the year!



W.D. Wells fellow designers and myself will be selling trees, shrubs and perennials at the second annual Anson B. Nixon spring fest in Kennett Square. Please join us! For more info please visit http://www.springfestinthepark.org/Services.html

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Trimming Ornamental Grasses


It's that time of year when we get out into the garden and clean-up for another season in the garden. I always get the question of when to cut back ornamental grasses, to which I always say now. I prefer to leave the golden foliage up through the winter as opposed to cutting the grasses back in the fall. Either time you will not harm the grasses, it's just a gardeners personal preference. I love their contrast against a new fallen snow or in front of some evergreens.

This spring I have noticed incorrect horticultural practices when cutting grasses back. I have seen grasses not cut back far enough to the ground. I have seen grasses sheared like shrubs. The photo shows the correct way to to trim them back to the ground. Easiest way to trim is a sharp pair of hand pruners or shears. If you have numerous and larger clumps in the garden then electric or gas powered hedge shears make quick work of it.

Spring is in the house!




Last Tuesday afternoon while playing at the neighborhood play set with my son I noticed the 50' long forsythia hedge budding up nicely. Desperate for spring to arrive I took some cuttings from the hedge. They went straight into the vase with water and the past few days I am enjoying the blooms! You can also cut those early flowering daffodils and enjoy inside. It only take a few minutes, saves a trip to the florist, saves you money, does not harm the plants, and will definitely cheer you up. Why wouldn't you do it!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Witchhazels & Philly Zoo


Last Friday we had a family outing to the Philadelphia Zoo. Aside from the cool temperatures we all had fun viewing the animals with unobstructed crowd interference. I had fun viewing the plants, yes the plants. The Philly Zoo was founded as a 42 acre Victorian garden and avid plant aficionados such as myself marvel at some of the older trees. I was amazed at the Ginkgo biloba by the picnic grove area, one of the largest I have ever observed. It was great to see 'Jelena' and 'Arnold's Promise' witchhazels (Hamamelis x intermedia sp.) in bloom. That means spring is steadily approaching and especially this year it can not come soon enough. Read more on the America's First Zoo at http://www2.philadelphiazoo.org/about/AboutZoo.htm/ and keep you eyes open for one of those true harbingers of spring, witchhazels.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Chester County Night School

This spring I will be teaching two short courses geared to beginner gardeners at the Chester County Adult Night School. If you are interested read more here... http://www.chestercountynightschool.org/courses/home-garden.php

I had a great experience two years ago while teaching a four week class on landscape design for homeowners. One of the students had a few drafting classes in college. After recently purchasing a new home she wanted to address the outdoor appearance and through the class she discovered how much she truly enjoyed and missed drafting. She was very good at it too!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Hello blogging community!


And away we go!
Quick introduction to the blogging world. I grew up with the sand between my toes just outside of Ocean City, NJ. I have parlayed my love of the outdoors into a career as a landscape designer for a design build firm in southern Chester County, PA. I will give updates on activities in the garden, exciting projects I'm working on, local gardening events, personal stories, reflections & insights of my adventures along the way. It should be fun!
Photo was shot spring of 2007 at Caswell beach South Carolina. I was intrigued by the lines and shadows.