Garden by the Sound

Very early spring here in Connecticut!

2012-03-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

Last week in Fairfield, CT...spring is here a bit early this year! There are daffodils popping up everywhere and fat magnolia blooms on their branches...so strange for March 9th when we're usually blanketed with snow and freezing our buns off...it was low 70s here yesterday. Hopefully March won't turn around and whallop us with some sub freezing temps. Even though it was the winter that never was here, I am so ready for spring and color.

2012-01-25T07:16:00.002-05:00

Winter sunrise over the Long Island Sound just now.

2012-01-21T09:22:00.001-05:00

Our first winter snow!! This is right by my favorite viburnum, my 'Summer Snowflake' that is loaded with white lacecap blooms all summer and fall. I love it in this setting, too. My kids are so snow starved this year that one of them just asked me how we will get outside today because it "must be 20 degrees"! A little different than last year!

2012-01-02T07:38:00.001-05:00

Good morning from Connecticut and happy 2012! I never get tired of watching the sun come up over the sound. It's a beautiful day...crisp and chilly with some wind, but beautiful sunshine everywhere.

One more image of this morning's sunrise over the Long Island Sound in Fairfield, Connecticut

2011-12-26T07:36:00.002-05:00

I forgot to include this second image in that last post!

Sunrise this morning about 7am over the Long Island Sound

2011-12-26T07:35:00.002-05:00

The sun just starting to come up this morning over the Long Island Sound. Hope all my gardening friends have a week full of peace and wonder as we look forward to another year.

Knockout roses by the Long Island Sound - the fall gift that keeps on giving

2011-12-05T12:49:00.003-05:00

The pretty salmon pink Knockout roses in my garden have held on and keep coming with our unusually warm Connecticut fall weather. They are such a pleasure to see in the almost sleeping garden.

Fall color on Jennings Beach last week

2011-12-05T12:47:00.002-05:00

Views from the beach by my house last week. I love the colors of the catamarans on the beach against the grays and blues of the Sound.

Walking by Ash Creek in shorts in December enjoying the view

2011-12-05T12:45:00.002-05:00

My neighborhood by the Long Island Sound on my walk a few days ago...fall wanes and winter will soon be here. But our warm weather has stayed with us through the fall months, coming and going, coming and going again. So we still see so many flowers that are normally long gone by now.

Christmas holly, our American version

2011-11-27T13:40:00.003-05:00

I've always loved hollies, but after learning so much more about them in my Broadleaved Evergreens class at the New York Botanical Garden recently, I've come to really appreciate all the differences within the genus Ilex in what seems like endless species, varieties and cultivars. It's pretty mind blowing, which is what I thought would happen to my poor head while I tried to memorize all the ones we had to know for our tests, with correct spelling of all that Latin to boot...but I kept reminding myself that our list was relatively small as compared to the whole as self pity repeatedly washed over me!

There are hollies that look like the traditional Christmas holly, some with shiny berries and leaves and some with duller berries and leaves, hollies that look like boxwoods, hollies that grow tall and skinny, hollies that grow wide and shrubby, hollies that grow as large trees, and hollies that are native. My favorite by far is the Ilex opaca, the American holly.

Photo of Ilex opaca from Wikimedia Commons

This photo shows the Ilex opaca's deep green leaves with its shallow cuts. The English holly, Ilex aquifolium, has much shinier, lustrous leaves with deeper cuts and is the one that is probably most recognized as the preferred decoration for our mantles and railings in our homes. But I love the not so showy leaves of the Ilex opaca. The berries, which here are still green, do turn red, but a duller red than the Ilex aquifolium. For some reason, the less shiny nature of the American holly appeals to me. And the fact that it's native is a big plus for our gardens and landscapes. It will attract many more beneficial insects for our gardens and we'll get the bonus of much more pollination for our flowers, fruits and veggies.

In homage to the glorious American holly, I've been doing some reading and researching its history and uses in our homes. Here is some of what I've learned.

The American holly naturally grows in the deep woods, is a mid-story tree, and is the state tree of Delaware. These holly trees were noticed by the Pilgrims who landed in our country the week before Christmas in 1620 on the coast of Massachusetts. When they saw it, the American holly reminded them of their native English holly, Ilex aquifolium, which was a symbol of Christmas in England and much of Europe.

Ilex opaca is the only native North American holly that reaches tree size and proportion. It's slow growing, but some cultivars will attain 6" of growth a year. American holly naturally grows to a small to medium tree of about 40-50' tall in optimum conditions of moist, organic, acidic, well-drained soil. It is found in North American from Massachusetts down to Florida. As with most broadleaved evergreens, it should be protected from winter sun and winds to prevent scorching of its leaves.

There are many good cultivars of Ilex opaca for our North American gardens. Some for northern states are 'Croonenburg', 'Old Heavyberry', and 'Miss Helen', and for southern states 'Savannah' is a great choice.

"Considered by many gardeners the finest tree-type evergreen holly. Over the years, over 1000 cultivars have been named." - Michael Dirr, Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs.

Many poems and songs have featured the holly. A Christmas poem in an almanac of 1695 begins:

'With holly and ivy so green and so gay,

We deck up our houses as fresh as the day.'

And even King Henry VIII used holly to help describe his love for one of his many ladies in "Green Groweth the Holly" from Poetry of the English Renaissance 1509-1660. The poem begins:

Green groweth the holly, so doth the ivy.

Though winter blasts blow never so high,

Green groweth the holly.

As the holly groweth green

And never changeth hue,

So am I, and ever hath been,

Unto my lady true.

After reading this poem, Ilex opaca, American holly, will forever have a much more romantic meaning for me. It's reassuring to know that some things in life stay the same and can have so many uses and meanings for so many different gardens and people.

So go out there and find some native American holly in the woods for your decorations this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my gardening friends!

My love-hate relationship with Pieris japonica

2011-11-14T10:22:00.002-05:00

I really hate Pieris japonica, or Andromeda, its common name. Or at least I thought I did. It's one of those shrubs you see everywhere in Connecticut. The landscapers and designers seem to love it, and you even seen it all over in the big box stores. But its droopy flowers have never seemed that attractive to me, and I've just never been able to understand why so many homeowners succumb to its questionable charms. That is until I took my 'Broadleaved Evergreens' class at the New York Botanical Garden. I'm finishing this class up now, and my final is Wednesday -- which I should be studying for instead of writing this post! But I can justify my laziness by telling myself I'm learning more about at least one plant we studied by writing about it now...hmmm....a pretty sorry defense I know. Anyway...back to the Pieris japonica and why I'm starting to understand its abundance in local gardens.

First of all and probably most important, it's evergreen. It also has pretty, glossy, dark green foliage, I have to admit. But the reason most gardeners, designers and landscapers seem to love it is its unusual drooping flower clusters that emerge in April and persist on the plants all the way into winter and that also give a slight fragrance. A lot of folks call them Lily-of-the-Valley-like, and I have to admit they do resemble that flower in a smaller form. But the way the flowers stay on the plant for a long time does give it a bunch of points, and there are many, many cultivars of the straight species that are very interesting. One of them is the 'Dorothy Wyckoff' that you see in these photos I took just a couple of weeks ago at the NYBG. A lot of the cultivars are smaller than the straight species and not as leggy, as this 'Dorothy Wycoff' shows very well. The straight species has white flowers, but many of the cultivars have pink flowers, like this 'Dorothy Wyckoff'. They look pretty planted as a specimen in a border, but also really stand out planted as a grouping as they are here.

They do have some drawbacks. If they are planted in too much sun, they are very attractive to lacebugs. They do best in part-shade with protection from strong winds, just like so many of the broadleaved evergreens. They can get leaf scorch if in too much sun, and also mites and leaf spots. BUT, a really positive attribute is they are deer resistant! A big plus here in Connecticut and most of the Northeast.

The native mountain andromeda, Pieris floribunda, has flower racemes that are erect and not droopy like the Pieris japonica. These are especially pretty, too, since that droopy flower has always bothered me. But the Pieris floribunda IS attractive to deer. Go figure.

The Pieris species is in the Ericaceae family with the rhododendrons and the mountain laurels and also love acidic, organic, well-drained soil.

So after learning more about its fine qualities and seeing the very pretty 'Dorothy Wyckoff' planted in mass at the NYBG, I might just be a Pieris convert. Those cute little cultivars are a really nice size for most gardens, and I love the pink hues a lot of them have in those cute droopy flowers.

Fall's last holdouts in my garden by the Sound

2011-11-07T10:04:00.002-05:00

A few last holdouts in my garden by the Sound. First of all, there's the prolific Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'...this grass truly lives up to its name. I just took this photo with the morning sun shining through the still green leaves and delicate feathery plumes. Then my favorite fall bloomer, Viburnum plicatum tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake'...still blooming! This amazing performer should be called 'Three-Season Snowflake! It just keeps blooming long into the fall after frosts have come and even after our October snowstorm. I can't say enough good things about this plant.And of course, my mint will probably be growing long after fall ends and winter has begun. Every time I see it somewhere new in the garden, it just seems to call out "mojito time"!

Chartreuse leaves and luscious red berries at the New York Botanical Garden this week

2011-11-06T20:47:00.002-05:00

One more view from a fall walk with my class earlier this week at the New York Botanical Garden.

The Bronx Zoo yesterday

2011-11-06T20:43:00.004-05:00

Don't you feel like you're in Vermont looking at these photos? Nope, I took these from the monorail to "Asia" at the Bronx Zoo with my son Mark yesterday. The day was perfect - sunny, crisp and cool. The animals were out and mobile and the crowd was light. And I got to see some vintage Bronx fall foliage...my son could not understand why I was taking pictures of leaves at the zoo...

Fall foliage, fall berries and snow at the New York Botanical Garden this week

2011-11-06T20:38:00.002-05:00

Incredible Japanese maple foliage at the New York Botanical Garden this week. And a very pretty display by this Callicarpa. And one more view of our freaky snow's remnants in one of my favorite spots at NYBG.

Our freaky October snowstorm left its mark at the New York Botanical Garden days later

2011-11-06T20:33:00.001-05:00

Remnants of our October snow storm at the New York Botanical Garden this week.

Annuals in my garden by the sound

2011-10-23T17:55:00.002-04:00

Even with our really cool nights these tropical annuals by my front door are going crazy! They even seem to have woken up in the cool nights and still pretty warm days and their lush colors and textures are like the gift that keeps on giving. I know with that first frost that will be here soon I'll come out and find my lovely elephant ear plant crusty and dead, so I just keep watering it and treasuring its glossy leaves as long as I can.

Grasses rule the fall beach gardens in New England

2011-10-23T17:54:00.004-04:00

Grasses are everywhere by the beach and in my mind they are the kings and queens holding court in the New England fall garden. And this hydrangea standard overflows with bounteous blooms in the summer that turn this gorgeous pink in the fall. This one sure loves where it's planted!

Summer Snowfake viburnum flowers from spring till fall in my garden

2011-10-23T17:54:00.003-04:00

This 'Summer Snowflake' viburnum rewards me from late spring and all the way through fall with its lacecap white blooms.

Fall look of my hydrangea standard 'Tardiva'

2011-10-23T17:39:00.002-04:00

My standard hydrangea 'Tardiva' is so pretty in the fall with its blushing pink flowers.

Fall in my garden by the sound

2011-10-23T17:38:00.002-04:00

My garden by the sound in its waning hours before freezing, snow and sleep for the winter.

Tomato heaven at our garden by the Sound

2011-09-23T10:20:00.002-04:00

Just picked from my garden. The best part of my Indian summer garden right now. The last few weeks have given us dozens of tomatoes from the seedlings my son brought from his aunt's plants in North Carolina way back in April. We weren't sure they'd survive a too early planting back in our cool spring or a severe plague of whiteflies that we got rid of - finally - with sprays of natural dish soapy
water, but they made it...and now they are giving us a gift of beautiful organic tomatoes. And they are delicious!

Indian summer color in my container gardens

2011-09-23T09:50:00.001-04:00

My containers in front of my house are still going strong in our New England Indian summer. I know it won't be long till the first frost and I'll come out and find my beautiful tropical and heat loving annuals wilted and done. And then the long cold winter is on the way and the dreams of spring 2012 begin.

9/11/11 sunrise over the Long Island Sound just now...another beautiful day

2011-09-11T06:45:00.002-04:00

9/11/11 over the sound, just now.

The almost fall look of some of my gardens

2011-09-05T14:27:00.002-04:00

The first blooms of my Caryopteris 'Blue Mist Shrub' - the bumblebees just devour its nectar, and this spectacular blue is so welcome amidst the late summer and fall colors. My Hydrangea Paniculata 'Tardiva' standard survived my crazy radical pruning of this past spring. I always prune it hard in late winter/early spring, but this year I really sheared the tree. It came back with huge leaves and the biggest flowers it's ever had! I just love the red color the blooms of this 'Blue Billows' lacecap hydrangea turn in late summer. They look so pretty sandwiched between the white panicles of my 'Tardiva' and the 'Blue Mist Shrub'. Fall is almost here....

Monstrous sunflower and more from my gardens by the Sound today

2011-08-19T16:37:00.002-04:00

Whoops, this is the photo that should have accompanied my post below titled "Today in my gardens by the Sound"...not sure what happened to it as I was posting here on my iPhone while I wait for my sons and our neighbor to finish playing laser tag. This is such a needed respite from all the summer fun at home :). Air conditioned blogging and all alone....aaaahhhhhh.

My hydrangeas and phlox still bring happy smiles even in this August heat

2011-08-19T16:24:00.002-04:00

My front gardens today - they fared much better during "vacation neglect".

More of my gardens by the Sound today

2011-08-19T16:22:00.002-04:00

More of my gardens by the Sound today after my crazy hacking and chopping of yesterday. I should have taken some before shots!

Late summer views of my gardens by the Sound

2011-08-19T16:19:00.002-04:00

Today in my gardens by the sound. I sort of hate August in my gardens - especially when we come back from vacation like we did Sunday night. After ten days of only water and none of my usual weeding and deadheading, plus hot sun and lots of rain, my gardens are completely overgrown and out of control. And I finally made it out yesterday to do some not so judicious pruning, cutting back and deadheading. Somehow the kids, laundry, grocery shopping and pets all came before my sad state of affairs that is my garden. It looked like a tornado had blown through, so I literally hacked away at the gigantic sunflowers that fell away from their staking and the gargantuan coneflowers, black eyed susans, Russian sage, agastache, and goldenrod. I was so fed up with the whole mess that I ripped - barehanded amidst swarms of fat bees - the old mound of raggedy catmint right out of the ground. It was time to bid adios to this greedy, creeping, ratty last bastion of catmint in my garden anyway. I ripped out another mound last year. I've had enough. I love the little dwarf 'Kit Kat' and 'Little Titch' varieties that stay where they're planted and don't hungrily take over precious garden space, and I use them on client's gardens quite a bit. But they are not what I had. Now I can spend delicious hours trying to decide what I'll plant in that beautiful empty patch of dirt. Hmmmmm.......

By the beach in Fairfield last Sunday morning

2011-08-06T11:50:00.002-04:00

Scenes from my walk last Sunday morning. This is the end of Fairfield Beach Road which snakes along the Sound. I love this walk, and this was a perfect summer morning...not too hot and no humidity.

Summer bouquets from my gardens

2011-08-06T11:48:00.002-04:00

Summer bouquets from my gardens. One of my favorite parts of summer flowers is bringing them inside and putting vases of them all through the house. These sunflowers are my son Mark's that he brought as tiny seedlings from his aunt's gardens in NC in April. We weren't sure if they'd survive our very cold spring, but we babied them and they rewarded us with these huge luscious blooms.

2011-07-26T19:11:00.001-04:00

The sound a few minutes ago after a summer downpour. I've never seen a rainbow like this right over the sound in 12 years of living here. Isn't it beautiful?

Herb and veggie garden featuring specimens from around the world at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

2011-07-23T15:51:00.004-04:00

Images from what they call the herb garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today. It has herb and some veggie varieties from all over the world. And each plant variety has a name plate with the common and scientific name, its country of origin and its historical and/or current medicinal use. There are also annuals and perennials mixed in that bring in beneficial insects to help with pollination and organic disease control. There were thousands of pollinators - bees, wasps, flies - all over the garden.

Children's garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today

2011-07-23T15:38:00.004-04:00

The working children's garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This spider sculpture doubles as a planter! And there's a knot garden mixed in with the veggies. The children's garden was massive with an overflowing bounty of so many varieties of veggies.

Lily Pool Terrace at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today

2011-07-23T15:33:00.003-04:00

The garden in this reflecting pool, known as the Lily Pool Terrace, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden visit today

2011-07-23T15:31:00.003-04:00

More perennials and annuals from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today. It was 100 degrees but worth it to visit this huge and varied, richly historical garden. It was my first visit and I'll definitely be going back.

Japanese garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden today

2011-07-23T15:14:00.004-04:00

Scenes from my visit today to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. These photos are from the Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, first built in 1915. I love the varied colors and textures of all of these maples. And isn't that turtle sunning itself adorable?

Phlox paniculata 'David' makes its debut in my gardens to brighten up these oppressively hot days

2011-07-23T08:31:00.002-04:00

Some of the first blooms from my Phlox paniculata 'David', in front of the heat seared blooms of my 'Endless Summer' hydrangea. With our temps north of 100 with that dreaded heat index, hydrangea blooms all over town have these brown crispy edges, no matter how much we water them - unless they are in total shade.

Back to my beloved 'David' phlox...I absolutely love this phlox best of all the Phlox paniculata, and I've tried every hue. David has sturdy and strong stems that never flop, no mildew problems, and gives me constant flowers from now till well into September. It even has a sweet scent that I, and the fat bumblebees, love. I'd never be without it because it brightens up the tired summer border with it's pure white petals and chartreuse green new leaves. The other Phlox paniculata I want to try is 'Laura' which promises to have vibrant purple flowers with cute white eyes. Laura and David would make a lovely couple in my gardens.

Our garden tonight...a perfect summer evening

2011-07-14T22:52:00.002-04:00

My husband by "Mark's garden" tonight. What a gorgeous and perfect night.

Moon rise tonight at my garden by the sound

2011-07-14T22:50:00.002-04:00

The moon rising over the sound and my garden.

Sunset in the High Line Park last night

2011-07-07T10:01:00.002-04:00

More of the High Line Park at sunset last night with my husband. So beautiful.

The High Line Park last night at sunset

2011-07-06T21:25:00.002-04:00

Walking along the High Line in NYC tonight.

My son's special garden is alive with blooms and buzzing with life

2011-07-05T12:21:00.002-04:00

Images today from Mark's garden...he claimed it as his own since he planted his NC sunflowers there in the early spring...fine with me, I love having him in the garden with me. He loves plants and growing things, and I'm doing everything I can to keep that interest and passion alive!

My son's favorites, his succulents, are loving the summer sun

2011-07-05T12:14:00.002-04:00

Mark's succulent gardens....so many came back after being buried under 4' of snow all winter. We weren't sure they'd survive!

My coneflowers are blooming so it's really summer now!

2011-07-05T12:08:00.002-04:00

My garden by the sound today. I love the coneflowers when they are fresh and newly blossomed out -/ before the bugs eat the petals!

'Blue Billows' lacecap hydrangea is in full bloom in my garden by the sound

2011-06-26T15:04:00.002-04:00

And here is my 'Blue Billows', the most classic lacecap and the one I've seen in drifts all over New England.

My 'Endless Summer' hydrangea...I wish these blooms were endless

2011-06-26T15:02:00.002-04:00

Endless Summer hydrangea in all it's glory in our garden by the sound. This is my favorite time in a garden with hydrangeas. Who couldn't smile looking at these flowers?

2011-06-26T14:58:00.001-04:00

More views of the hydrangea in my garden by the patio. Aaaahhhh.....

New and fun Coneflowers coming into bloom in my gardens this weekend

2011-06-26T14:42:00.002-04:00

These are my newest coneflowers. One is 'Pink Double Delight' and the other one is 'Milkshake' (I think!). It's been a while since I planted them so can't remember! It'll be fun to see what color that one is - 'Milkshake' is a fluffy double white one. I still want 'Green Envy' but haven't seen it yet.

Southern sunflowers finally growing and blooming in our Connecticut garden!

2011-06-26T14:35:00.002-04:00

My son brought these sunflower seedlings all the way from NC and they are finally blooming. With the wet and cool spring we had, we didn't think they'd ever grow. These plants, and some tomato, coleus, marigold and pepper seedlings, were grown by Mark's aunt from seed. It's so fun for us to see them thrive in our gardens. It just took a while!Yesterday in my garden by the sound. These lilies and hydrangeas are in my patio garden. This is the time I love best in my gardens. Everything is still fresh and new.

My patio garden bursts into full bloom in the last few days

2011-06-26T14:29:00.003-04:00

Yesterday in my garden by the sound. These lilies and hydrangeas are in my patio garden. This is the time I love best in my gardens. Everything is still fresh and new.

The scent of honeysuckle stops me in my tracks

2011-06-14T10:12:00.002-04:00

I smelled the unmistakable scent of summer one morning last week as I walked past this honeysuckle. This scent, more than any other, takes me right back to the long and hot summers of my childhood in Georgia...laying in the warm grass, barefoot, pulling the nectar loaded pistils out one by one, sucking down their incredible sweetness. Little did I know was stealing lunch from some poor starving bee...

Foxgloves, catmint and peonies in my garden in June

2011-06-14T10:08:00.002-04:00

My Foxgloves about two weeks ago. They were gorgeous and huge this year! This biennial never fails to fill me with delight!

Mark's succulents made it through our long, icy winter

2011-06-14T10:07:00.002-04:00

These succulents belong to my gardener son Mark. We created these dish rock gardens together last spring after a visit to the New York Botanical Garden last April. Mark especially Ioved the rock gardens there, which are massive and spectacular. So we came home and shopped for special and cool succulents and other heat, arid loving plants and got busy creating our own miniature versions of what we had seen at the Garden. We were both so thrilled and happy when almost everything came back this spring after our long, snowy winter.

From my uncle's garden in georgia...nice visit this past weekend

2011-06-08T09:21:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday post...

Thank you SuzySaid for the amazing review for Dream Garden Designs!

2011-05-17T10:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I checked my email to find that I had gotten an awesome review from SuzySaid, an online news and entertainment source that is tailored by community. Thank you to everyone at SuzySaid!!
http://tinyurl.com/3mp9uzr

Early blooming viburnum in Connecticut

2011-05-15T17:26:00.002-04:00

Gorgeous viburnum just coming into bloom here in Connecticut. I love the lime green tint of these flowers.

The whorled bud of the native to Connecticut ostrich fern

2011-05-15T17:25:00.002-04:00

Could there be anything much more intricate than these ostrich ferns?

Redbuds and lime green new leaves

2011-05-10T21:04:00.000-04:00

Another almost overwhelmingly beautiful sight in my town right now. The redbud is my favorite spring blooming tree, and seeing it against the deep blue sky and the lime green of these new leaves is so incredible. This is the time of year I say to my kids in the car constantly, as i slow down to stare, "look at that tree" or "look at the color of those flowers"...and they just say "oh Mom, another tree?" They don't really understand now, but someday they, too, will stop and stare at nature's pure colors and, hopefully, appreciate them. I can only hope!

One of my favorite springtime views here in Fairfield, Connecticut

2011-05-10T20:59:00.000-04:00

This house is just a short walk from town and from my house, and I walk by it, or drive by very slowly, many times a day, staring...the combination of pink and white dogwoods and redbuds -- all in full bloom -- is just too intoxicating to resist. I just can't get enough of this view.

Lilacs in full bloom

2011-05-10T20:57:00.000-04:00

Here are the long awaited lilacs in full bloom just yesterday down the street from my house here in Fairfield, Connecticut.

A little slice of heaven in a very formal garden at NYBG

2011-05-10T20:56:00.000-04:00

I just want to sit and stare at this garden for hours and imagine that I am in a geometrically designed garden somewhere in France. Maybe Versailles....

Perfect symmetry in a formal garden at NYBG

2011-05-10T20:55:00.000-04:00

I love this garden at all times of the year. Perfect, ordered symmetry and balance.

Shades of yellow and orange at NYBG last Friday

2011-05-10T20:52:00.000-04:00

Just look at the ingenious use of yellow and orange shaded spirea, euphorbia (a variety I've never seen before!) and tulips at the NYBG. My eyes were literally about to pop out of my head with all the color bursting forth everywhere I looked. I kept stopping to stare and take pictures and almost lost my class....again.....I lost them the week before with another fellow student, Cathy, because I just couldn't get enough of the views so I had to take a zillion pictures so I could study the plants later...over and over again!

A 'Sky Pencil' sentry

2011-05-10T20:49:00.000-04:00

The use of Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil' in this garden looks like a sentry or a guard protecting his charges. This is another garden at the NYBG last Friday.

Cornus florida in full bloom at NYBG

2011-05-10T20:47:00.000-04:00

Last Friday the dogwoods were in full bloom and were glorious, along with the redbuds and so much more. Now, finally, the dogwoods are in bloom here at home in Fairfield, Connecticut. This is my favorite time of the year with all the shades of blue, lavender, pink, white and yellow -- and of course, endless shades of glorious green.

Shade garden at NYBG

2011-05-10T20:45:00.000-04:00

Ligularia, Astilbe, Dicentra and Brunnera hold court in this shady spot at the New York Botanical Garden last Friday.

Yellow peony about to pop at NYBG last Friday

2011-05-10T20:38:00.001-04:00

Paeonia 'Empress Wu's Yellow', single hybrid peony

This is a gorgeous yellow peony that is just about to pop...I took this picture during my class last Friday, May 6. I bet it's just about open now.

A spring day at the New York Botanical Garden

2011-04-30T14:49:00.003-04:00

Ferns in their exquisite bud, chartreuse hellebores set against blue muscari, and a redbud in shrub form in full bloom at the New York Botanical Garden yesterday.

Perfect Carpinus shape at the NYBG yesterday

2011-04-30T14:44:00.002-04:00

The most perfect Carpinus at the New York Botanical Garden yesterday. This shape and branching habit amazes me every time I see it and in every season.

Yesterday in the heavenly NYBG rock garden

2011-04-30T14:33:00.003-04:00

In the rock garden at the New York Botanical Garden yesterday.

With (finally) a day of low 70s, the NYBG is busting out in color and was buzzing with excited sun-starved visitors!

A frilly daffodil addition to my garden

2011-04-26T09:29:00.002-04:00

A daffodil addition this year in my garden is finally peeking open. I love this frilly double flower.

Our harsh winter and cool spring sure didn't hurt this rhododendron at my friend's house!

2011-04-26T09:12:00.002-04:00

Spring...finally, in Fairfield, Connecticut. At my friend's house this morning.

Earth Day and books that inspired me to be more green in my life and in my gardens

2011-04-23T14:37:00.000-04:00

Scott Hokunson of Blue Heron Landscape Designs here in Connecticut invited me to participate in the Earth Day Reading Project - Blog Meme, started by The Sage Butterfly blog.

The mission of the blog meme is to have bloggers review at least three books that have inspired them to live, garden and design green or practice sustainable living in some way.

So many books have inspired me in my everyday quest to live and design in a more sustainable way, but my three favorites are Noah's Garden by Sara Stein, Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy and Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines by William Cullina.

In Noah's Garden, Sara Stein inspired me most by documenting, in a very conversational and engaging way, her journey from a conventional, ornamental style gardener to a true ecologist whose life's mission was to help stop the homogeneous quality of America's subdivisions' landscapes. In her book, she describes how she had an eventual epiphany while building her New England gardens that she had come "into gardening backward" and was an "illiterate gardener". She gives vivid detail about how she converted her highly styled conventional gardens to ecologically sustainable havens in prose that reads so fluidly that I couldn't put the book down. Just reading about how she abandoned dividing irises in her quest to create a naturalized and mostly native landscape inspires me to rid myself of this time consuming, dreaded chore and say "goodbye to German irises without regret" as she did. "Our responsibility is to species, not to specimens, to communities, not to individuals". I haven't even come close to the feat Sara and her husband accomplished in converting her ornamentals to mostly natives, but reading her book, and referring to it again and again, continues to inspire me and give me hope. I'm not sure if I can ever give up on my German irises as they have such meaning for me, but I can continue to bring natives into my gardens, as Sara did, to build the most sustainable landscapes I can.

William Cullina, the nursery manager and propagator at the Garden of the Woods of the New England Flower Society, wrote Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines in 2002 as a guide to North American native woody plants. Beautifully illustrated with over two hundred photographs, Cullina's writing gives us straightforward reference to over one thousand native woody plants.

For the following insight alone, I recommend reading this treasure. "Most plants are attacked by something, and we should thank God for that, as it is all that prevents them from running amok" and "I firmly believe there is no plant worth growing if it must be maintained by application of poisons". Cullina advocates finding our level of tolerance for damage to a plant, and "if the plant exceeds that, pull it out, period". I love this advice and have slowly come to realize -- after many, many years of coddling every plant -- that to sustain a happy, healthy garden and ecosystem, this is the only way to go. I have found that William Cullina's endorsement of the right plant, right place principles makes for a more enjoyable, less stressful, experience in my gardens. And a little leaf damage is just fine with me. Those caterpillars have to eat, too, if we want the butterflies that they transform into.

As reported by Scott Hokunson at Blue Heron Landscape Design, Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy is a wonder and a book that I continue to refer to over and over again as I learn how to best design gardens with native plants that will support our local bees, birds, butterflies and endless organisms in our soil that we need for a balanced ecosystem in our home gardens. Recently written in 2007, Doug explains how we can all welcome more wildlife into our yards by thoughtfully planning our gardens with even a few native plants. This approach and philosophy makes gardening with natives less mysterious and daunting and much more approachable for all of us. He succinctly describes the difference in native and alien plants and which and how many insect species are supported by natives. If I had to recommend one guide on how to create a backyard or home garden that will support your local wildlife and help sustain and support our food web, Bringing Nature Home is the one. As Doug says, "we can each make a measurable difference almost immediately by planting a native nearby" and "just as buildings need support structures...our gardens need native plants to support a diverse and balanced food web essential to all sustainable ecosystems".

Thinking about Earth Day and these three books that always inspire me, I am reminded of the need for balance in all things. I am reminded, as Sara Stein discovered and wrote about so beautifully, to be gentle and thoughtful with my garden designs and the plants I choose. As Scott noted, Earth Day always falls at such a busy time, but I sincerely thank him for inviting me to participate in this project and giving me the opportunity to stop and think about how I can continue to do my part in living and gardening more sustainably. Thank you Scott, and thank you to The Sage Butterfly, and happy Earth Day to all!

A cool (code for raw!) spring walk with my class last Friday at the Nee York Botanical Garden

2011-04-13T13:46:00.002-04:00

Lots of beds of hellebores were still in full bloom. They were late this year with our harsh and prolonged winter.

Magnolias just starting to pop open at NYBG

2011-04-13T13:45:00.002-04:00

Magnolias were just starting to blossom.

2011-04-13T13:43:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite trees at the garden.

2011-04-13T13:42:00.003-04:00

I love this garden. Even in winter and early spring the geometric forms beckon.

2011-04-13T13:42:00.001-04:00

Hydrangeas, narcissus, Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil...giving form, color and shape to this garden at NYBG last Friday.

2011-04-13T13:39:00.001-04:00

Images from the New York Botanical Garden on a walk with my class last Friday. It was raw and cool but the colors emerging were worth the discomfort!

A new season of succulents for my gardening son

2011-03-30T16:42:00.007-04:00

Mark's (my 10 yr old horticulturist) latest succulent acquisitions. And his new gnome -- which he wants to plant a very, very small plant in. Will have to see what we come up with.

Spring in Asheville, North Carolina

2011-03-30T16:42:00.006-04:00

Even though it was rainy and cold I did see some pretty sights in Asheville last weekend on my yoga trip with my sister in law. This camellia was full of blooms and these redbuds were in full flower all over the city. My sister in law stole a cutting of that camellia! But I don't blame her - it was a beauty. And I survived the yoga workshop...barely...

The "spring" scene we woke up to today in southern Connecticut

2011-03-24T20:55:00.002-04:00

Really??

Designing ecologically and sustainably in New England

2011-03-18T11:34:00.001-04:00

A sustainable garden or landscape has so many benefits for our earth, for our health and for the preservation of native species. By choosing plants that are appropriate for our gardens' existing moisture, soil and light conditions, we won't have the need for chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides or fungicides. In fact, we'll have very little use for any of these additives even in the organic form. And of course, by not using chemical products, there will be no harmful run-off into our watersheds which directly affects our water sources and, potentially, our health.

Native wildflowers are adapted to our regional weather conditions like high humidity or heat, drought conditions and heavy snow or very low temperatures. They are the easiest and most natural way to "go green" in our gardens. And they reward us with a multitude of colors, textures, and scents.

Plus natives will bring the pollinators we need for our flowers, veggies and herbs, and they are the only way to bring not only adult butterflies but the host plants that are crucial for their larvae to eat. Adult butterflies aren't so picky when searching for nectar and will drink from natives and non-natives, but their larvae must have native hosts to survive. I'll get to that in another post!

Watching slides of the High Line Park in New York City at a lecture at the New York Botanical Garden yesterday reminded me of how beautiful and completely sustainable that landscape is in the middle of an urban environment. Piet Oudolf, the planting designer for the High Line, did an incredible job of using native plants throughout all the gardens that give texture and ongoing color while requiring much less maintenance than non-natives. http://highline.org The variety of sedges on display alone will make you want to rip out your turf and put in these varied and tough beauties instead.

I'm still working on my husband but haven't won that battle yet! He won't completely give up on his "grassy patch" but maybe we can leave the turf for the skinny baseball "strip" we have and get rid of the rest of the grass that dies by late july anyway. Maybe he'll look at Little bluestem for our obviously infertile patch of backyard which can even be mowed short like traditional turf grass. It can be left to grow in the fall, standing erect and turning a beautiful rusty gold - so it even gives us some winter interest if it doesn't get blanketed with snow like we had this winter. It will also do well in dry, hot weather that we always get mid-summer here in Connecticut -- when my husband starts cursing at his patchy crabgrassy tiny backyard. He tries every summer to have some pretty green "traditional" grass, and it starts well...but it never ends well. Maybe he'll let me convert most of it to one of the many versatile sedges.

A sustainable garden or landscape must have native plants in its design to truly work. A native is any plant that lived in our region before Europeans settled on our continent. So in the New England region, we need to use native plants that live in our region. If you are in another part of the country, use your region's natives. Nurseries are stocking natives more and more often, and this trend will hopefully continue to grow as more and more of us become aware of how these plants help us create sustainable landscapes, preserve species and bring wildlife back to our gardens. We'll see more bees, butterflies and birds visiting the habitats we create for them, and we'll enjoy learning more about them and the land around us with our families.

As a designer, I create ecologically sustainable gardens, but I also love many ornamentals and understand their value in our gardens as well. We don't have to exclusively use natives, but having them as the backbone of our sustainable landscapes, we'll still receive all the benefits. And we can mix in our favorite ornamentals plants, making sure they fit into the site chosen so they are healthy and happy. Plus herbs and vegetables can be incorporated into our gardens with our flowers for a harmonious, colorful design that will bring bees and butterflies and give us food for our summer table.

A native, sustainable design doesn't mean out of control and wild. If natives are chosen properly for the site you have, planted in optimal soil and maintained the way they need to be, the garden will be as refined as a garden with all ornamentals. In fact, creating a sustainable garden has all the same criteria as creating an ornamental garden, but we reap all the healthy benefits and we'll help instill our neighborhoods with their own unique and special regional and cultural identity. We all probably have many natives in our gardens now, like this common coneflower...lovely and happy home to many bees and butterflies.

Just writing about this for the last half hour makes me itch to get out and see what's coming up in my own gardens and to shop for some new natives myself!

"Bees" by Candace Savage - 'Nature's Little Wonders'

2011-03-08T06:19:00.003-05:00

My son just checked this book out of the library, and since we both love bees, I have been snatching it whenever he's not around, reading it as fast as I can. I just had to share this from the book:

"What bees ask of us is simple: a world free from poisons and other stressors, with places where they can nest and a sweet, season-long supply of flowering plants. In return, they offer to teach us their deepest lesson yet. Much as a honeybee belongs to her colony, so we humans belong to the living community of the Earth. The wild lies all around us, and we draw it in like breath. Our lives are indivisible from the lives of insects." p. 109 "Bees" by Candace Savage

This is a beautifully written book, published in 2008. Candace Savage has captured the magical world of our garden friends so perfectly.

A cardinal in the Berkshire mountains - barely visible in this photo I took with my phone through two panes of glass

2011-03-01T09:55:00.003-05:00

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We were in the Berkshire mountains skiing for three days last week and my bird loving son and I had the most fun watching the huge colony of birds feeding every morning. Amongst these were at least three pair of cardinals each day, along with black capped chickadees and lots of sparrows. The house we rented was on a hill, isolated in the middle of the woods. The owners generously load their many feeders so their families of birds can munch away all winter long, in the midst of feet of snow. What a joy for us to watch while we ate breakfast and got ready for a full day of skiing. Of course we were the only ones of the five of us with any interest. My teenage daughter and other son lounged in their pj's checking Facebook and watching espn til the last possible second before getting ready to ski. And my sweet husband snoozed away as long as possible. But what peaceful mornings for us all.

Mossy cool and exotic blooms at the Caribbean exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden

2011-02-24T12:19:00.005-05:00

Warm and tropical. Oh so relaxing.

The Caribbean exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden Conservatory

2011-02-24T12:19:00.003-05:00

More NYBG Caribbean exhibit deliciously vibrant colors.

Lush tropical gardens at the Caribbean exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden

2011-02-24T12:08:00.001-05:00

In the conservatory at the Caribbean exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden. I visited last week after my class with my friend, Anne, and we enjoyed the warm humidity on a gray February day. Unfortunately, the show just ended, but the orchid show starts soon.

Cherry tree in full bloom in my neighborhood last spring 2010

2011-02-18T18:06:00.003-05:00

IMG_0329, originally uploaded by cindy.juliano.

Just like everybody else around here, I'm feeling a bit of spring fever with this 50+ degree weather. The crusty, gray-ish (ok, black-ish) snow is finally melting and its resulting rivers are pouring down the sides of our street. But most telling that spring is on the way is my eight year old wearing shorts to school today. He said to me after school, "mom, I was the only third grader in shorts today!" I didn't know whether to share his excitement or feel a little embarrassed that I was the only mom who let their eight year old out the door in still 30 something degree weather this morning to head off to school in shorts. But, hey, these northeastern kids are tough, right? They play outside in much colder weather for hours skating on backyard hockey rinks, so why not give the kid a little freedom to express his "sick of winter" spirit? And as I sit here writing now, at 5:55pm, he's still outside in shorts with his brother and our neighbors playing street hockey. We're all so sick of winter at this point, and even though we had a little relative warmth today, we know we have at least another month of frigid, windy weather before the days really start to warm up. So I'm posting this photo I took last spring of one of the countless cherry trees that adorn Fairfield every spring. I love their fluffy, plump pink blossoms that last for a couple of weeks until the wind kicks in again and blows their petals, like more snow, all over our streets. They are a sure sign that spring has arrived, consistently warm days are fast approaching, and shorts will soon be worn by all to school!

The butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in NYC

2011-02-18T17:44:00.001-05:00

IMG_0128, originally uploaded by cindy.juliano.

What a beauty this one was...it didn't want to leave Mark's hand. He wants to be a cartoonist and a marine biologist when he grows up -- tough decision since his two loves are drawing and animals. He also loves gardens, thank goodness, because I have a companion to come with me to explore and play in gardens all over New York and Connecticut!

Butterflies everywhere...

2011-02-18T17:41:00.001-05:00

IMG_0146, originally uploaded by cindy.juliano.

This tropical exhibit, although very warm and very humid, was such a nice respite from the snow and cold on a gray January Saturday.

The butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in NYC

2011-02-18T17:40:00.001-05:00

IMG_0159, originally uploaded by cindy.juliano.

Mark and I visited in January, and as always, the butterflies flocked to him and his bright green shirt. I'm not sure if it's the green or just the fact that he is such a critter lover. All animals who come in contact with Mark, whether four, six or eight legged, seem to love him.

Hydrangea fever in February

2011-02-09T06:45:00.000-05:00

I'm going to use this post to give a hydrangea grower and seller in Palmetto, Georgia a much deserved review. Wilkerson Mill Gardens, simply www.hydrangea.com on the web, is one of the best sources I've found to buy my favorite plant online. Their website, www.hydrangea.com, has the most beautiful and varied collections of hydrangeas I've found anywhere. I've bought unique varieties for my mother in law when she lived on Long Island, NY, and now in North Carolina, and also for my Mom and Dad who live outside of Atlanta. Each of the plants has been strong and gorgeous and has grown into a mature, consistent bloomer. One of my favorites is the 'Ayesha Mophead'. Go to their website and check it out. It has the most adorable little cup shaped petals and its blooms last all season and dry perfectly. There are just too many cultivars to go on about here. I urge you to go to their website and see them all. They are also so gracious and helpful on the phone if you need to call them and ask them any questions at all that you have about hydrangeas. And they know what will grow in all zones and regions of our country. They grow the plants themselves and lovingly care for them all, so they aren't open all the time. But they do open to the public in late February, so if you live in Georgia or are passing through, you should go visit. I've never been able to visit myself, but I am hankering to and can't wait until I can. Maybe this year....

Talk about using your imagination...

2011-02-04T14:25:00.003-05:00

The ice covered tundra outside the conservatory cafe courtyard at the New York Botanical Garden on Monday...we were sent over to observe and measure (which proved impossible with all the snow) for our design project. We are charged with creating our own designs for this courtyard - which is a challenge with all the snow covering the landscape. Talk about a blank slate!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2011-01-25T14:17:00.002-05:00

More snow today...

What is really "native"?

2011-01-24T21:52:00.003-05:00

It seems that "going native" is the thing to do right now in order to be regarded by your gardening peers as an ecologically responsible gardener. Planting 100% native varieties sounds like an easy enough proposition, but as I dug deeper into what's authentically native in Connecticut, I discovered some surprising facts. Many of our garden stalwarts and long time favorites in our gardens aren't native at all.

Here are some examples: Dahlias come from the high plains of Mexico, with some being found in Ecuador and Honduras; roses were originally cultivated in Babylonia and Assyria; chrysanthemums come from China originally dating back as early as 15th century BC; peonies are from China and are a revered national symbol; hollyhocks were grown in England since the 12th century but originally came from the holy land, now Israel, and their name was originally spelled "holihoc" - holi for holy and hoc for mallow, a native plant it resembles; hydrangeas were originally found in the United States, however, with the first recorded variety the 'hydrangea arborescens' found growing wild in a colony in Pennsylvania - it found immediate popularity in England and spread all over Europe - many varieties grow all over North America where fossils have been found that are 40-70 million years old; fuschia hails from South America; cyclamen comes from the Mediterranean.

These are just a few popular flowering plants and shrubs that are so pervasive in American gardens, so much so that most of us have come to think of them as "native". But a little digging shows us that many, if not most, of the plantings we see in our gardens or our neighbor's gardens or public gardens originated somewhere other than in American soil. And to me, that's just fine.

I agree that we need to rid our landscapes of invasives, those prolific and nasty plants that take over giant swaths of meadows, marshes, residential properties and woods. But to focus solely on planting only native species would leave out so many of our beautiful, trusted and dependable plants that we have grown to love over the last few hundred years.

My favorite plant ever is the hydrangea, which just happens to be originally American, but I also have a great affection for the peony, the rose and the dahlia, just to name a few, and I plan on keeping them around for a long time in my gardens.

Hope for Spring 2011...

2011-01-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

More images of the sunrise over the Long Island Sound this past Saturday morning, January 8, 2011

2011-01-12T13:15:00.001-05:00

What a way to welcome a new year in Connecticut. Crystal clear air, icy and snowy branches and beach, incredibly peaceful quiet. The moon had barely said goodbye for the day and the sun was just showing its face over the Sound.

Sunrise over the Long Island Sound on January 8, 2011

2011-01-12T13:10:00.002-05:00

I took these photos from my back deck at 7:30 am last Saturday. The colors were so intense and the whole landscape was blanketed in snow and ice. I can't imagine anything much more beautiful and peaceful. I love summer, but I treasure these quiet, snow covered scenes from my back deck.