Plantings and cut flowers in shade

A fantastical arrangement

This is the time of year when certain choices have to be made for us residents of the Northern Hemisphere. Does one focus on powering through these briefest of daylight-sparse, energy-sapping days (the shortest of the entire year, to be precise) or fully embrace the largesse that might be offered by the longest nights of…

Detail of Teacup garden with teacup-shaped water feature

The pleasures of Chanticleer, Part 1

On a recent visit to Pennsylvania, I visited two world class gardens–Longwood Gardens, which I covered in a post two weeks ago, and Chanticleer. Trying to compare these two extraordinary places or pick a favourite would be like trying to choose between Cabernet Sauvignon and Champagne. In my world, it can’t be done. They’re two…