Hello, summer! ‘Tis the season for the sounds of laughing children leaping through sprinklers and Weekend Warriors brandishing whizzing Whipper Snippers (hopefully not in the vicinity of the former). As I inhale my first sniffs of mosquito repellent while shoving the garden furniture under cover as an incoming thunderstorm barrels over the horizon, I think…
Every once in a while I’ll come across a garden decor or design idea that makes me think “Why didn’t I think of that!” Usually it’s an idea that’s shockingly simple yet brings on loads of drama. View-framing wreaths are one of those ideas. I love plain old door-hung wreaths, of course. They’re so cheering;…
If, like me, you’re still biding your time before gardening season begins then also, like me, you may be going slowly stir crazy. A good sign this is happening is when you start casting your eye over stuff around the house and considering what could be pressed into service as a plant container or a…
Are you itching to get gardening but also a tad concerned about where you’re going to put any new plants? Part of the fun of having a garden–any garden–is adding to your collection. What do you do if your gardening space is already filled to the brim? If the only gardening direction you can go…
If you reside in the northern hemisphere, like me, you’re enduring what’s referred to as the dead of winter. Apt. Not much alive out there (garden-wise) except for the evergreens. Snow and ice have pretty much turned the world into a blank-ish slate. Naturally, I start to crave colour. Colour that occurs naturally, as in…
Having gained an hour of daylight, I feel like the rapid descent into complete winter gloom has slowed somewhat. At least when the cocktail hour arrives I won’t be groping around in the dark for a light switch in order to find the cork screw. For now. But I have to admit that increasingly dark…
I love a good outdoor animal sculpture. Abstract art is fine but I’m a sucker for a giant critter gracing a fence or sproinging up from the shrubbery. They’re great for adding drama or whimsy, some sparkle or pattern, maybe even movement to a corner of the garden. And they can also give you a…
Plants in containers are to a garden what spices are to a stew. They add a little extra zing. But when you want to kick that zing up a few notches, that’s where the art of the container display comes in. Simply gather up your potted plants and arrange them in a grouping for maximum…
Just weeks ago, weather forecasts for warm sunny days were about as reliable as a used lawn mower at a yard sale (and yet so full of promise). And now? The heat is on. If you’re interested in bringing a touch of coolness–real or imagined–to your garden regardless of its size, I have some suggestions.…
You know those Victorian-style wrought iron garden chairs – all curly cues and roses? I’m not a big fan of them. Despite their diminutive size with miserly seats not much larger than a dinner plate, they can weigh a ton. And as much as they’re designed to enhance a garden, beckoning guests to stay awhile,…
To me the garden in winter is fraught with deliciously poetic angst. That all-encompassing deep freeze, wiping out colour, lushness, life, really, brutally exposes the bald truth about one’s gardening ambitions which then need to be wrestled with through many a dark and unfruitful day. But, with the freedom of not being able to do…
Goth gardens are a thing now, apparently. Garden Media Group (a public relations firm supporting the home and garden industries) points out in their annual Garden Trends Report that #Gothgarden(ing) is a natural progression of “our culture’s love affair with the occult”. This year, in fact, they predict we (Gen Z, in particular) will be…
I’ve seen several living walls, also known as vertical gardens, over the years and I’ve absolutely loved every one of them. They are terrific at livening up a space, quite literally. But I realized this past fall (when I took the photos below) that every “living” wall I’d ever come across so far was an…
I love beach towns. Lake or ocean, doesn’t matter. A small town cozying up to a strip of sand or pebbles along big water is my idea of heaven. Last month, we were very lucky to have visited two beach towns – Sunset Beach near St. Petersburg, Florida and Southampton which is situated along the…
Earlier this month I published a post (highly opinionated, of course) about gardening shortcuts for getting that traditional English country garden style. Since then, I’ve been thinking. The British garden look is popular for good reason, as are other well-known garden looks such as the Japanese-style garden or the American Southwest style (think lots of…
Horticulturist, Arborist and Garden Columnist
Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
Garden of Flowers, Beads, and Yarns
ruminate vb. to chew (the cud)
Reflections On A Life in Exile
Saint Andrews Forest Farm Blog
a chat over the garden fence
There's always room for one more plant.
a little garden near Gawler
.....and nurturing my soul
Ministry of the fence 