Cottage Gardens

Cottage gardens exude charm and character, with an informal style, very unlike formally designed gardens with their immaculate lawns and regimented borders. The cottage garden style typically consists of lots of plants, heavy on the flowers, with paths meandering between. The plants are chosen to suit personal tastes with the emphases on the pleasure of […]

Winter Gardening

As winter approaches most gardeners hurry to finish their fall clean-up and plant spring bulbs before the first snow. They then begin to fondly look forward to gardening again in the spring. If you can tolerate the cold and don’t want to spend a few months inside you don’t need to quit just yet, there’s […]

Productive Gardens

Gardens, along with being aesthetically pleasing, can be productive.  The most common productive garden is by far the vegetable garden. There are, however, many garden trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers which are both edible and attractive enough for use in your landscape design. Consider planting trees and shrubs which produce fruit.  Apple trees and pear […]

Plants For An Edible Garden

Literally, you get to eat the fruits of your labors. Jams, jellies, sauces and syrups galore. Don’t forget to save some for yourself when the neighbors come by to visit and have another treat at your house! Trees Acer saccharum – sugar mapleCarica papaya – papayaCarya illinoinensis – pecanCarya laciniosa – shellbark hickoryCarya ovata – […]

Pruning Fruit Trees

Growing apple and pear trees in the garden can yield tasty reward every year.  Training and pruning are essential to healthy and productive fruit trees.  Fruit size, quality and pest management are influenced by training and pruning. Neglecting this important task often results in a tangled mass of shoots and branches, insect or disease problems […]

Fall Blooming Bulbs

Most gardeners think of bulbs as one of the first signs of spring. While it is true that many bulbs are indeed among the first plant bloom after the winter, there are a few bulbs which bloom in the fall. These fall blooming bulbs can add splashes of color to the garden and are a […]

Foundation Plantings

Entrance Gardens Traditionally, foundation plantings have been meant to conceal the cement foundations of houses.  Often though it’s more appropriate to create a welcoming entrance garden.  Foundation plantings also help to blend the house and garden in with the existing landscape. Plantings at the entrance to a house should be welcoming and open.  Avoid using […]

Fall Gardening Guide

Fall is a great time to be outdoors in the garden, the temperatures are perfect and the colors can be amazing. If you’re looking for projects which will extend the gardening season and give you a reason to be outside, fear not, there‘s still plenty to do.  As the season moves along, perennials and annuals […]

Starting From Seed: Outdoors

Starting plants from seed outdoors requires the knowledge of your local climate and your hardiness zone. The country is separated into zones according to the lowest annual winter temperature. What can be planted and when is based on these zones. Here in Massachusetts, we’re in zone 5, meaning I need to wait until usually May […]

Starting From Seed: Indoors

To start, familiarize yourself with the seeds you’ll be planting. Read the seed package to find out information such as light requirements and when to plant. Also, be sure to find out the zone in which you live, this will tell you what is appropriate to plant in you area. Next, choose the container in […]