Posts by Kerry Mendez
NONSTOP flowering Millionbells
Superbells DOUBLETTE ‘Love Swept’. I was swept away by how this lovely Calibrachoa kept on flowering, right into the fall, without any deadheading. And truth be told, I only fertilized it once, with Espoma Plant-tone, a slow release organic fertilizer. I paired it with another superstar Proven Winners annual, Isotoma ‘Beth’s Blue’. DOUBLETTE ‘Love Swept’…
Read MoreEye-Popping Purple Berry Clusters
Callicarpa Commonly called Beautyberry, this deciduous shrub is prized for its stunning fall fruit that encircles arching stems. The display is even more riveting after the foliage drops. Callicarpa americana is native to the Southeastern United States. Small pollinator-friendly pink flowers appear in summer that then transform to brilliant violet or magenta berries. It typically…
Read MoreAlternatives to Roundup
Many gardeners, including me, were thrilled that Roundup was recently the center of national attention. Monsanto (recently merged with Bayer), the company that manufactures this chemical herbicide, was slapped with a $289 million lawsuit after they were found liable in a lawsuit by a school groundskeeper who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using the…
Read MoreMomma and Baby Raccoons
Alaine, a friend that I work with at Estabrook’s, recently shared this amazing story about a mother raccoon and her babies. Alaine was working in her backyard that abuts a marshy area. She saw a large raccoon out of the corner of her eye before it ran back into the woods. The next thing she…
Read MoreOver the Top Container Designs
I have become increasingly interested in creating head-turning containers since moving to our condominium in Maine four years ago. Gardening space is at a premium. Containers of all sizes and shapes decorate my front deck, side porch, entrance sidewalk and spots in the landscape where it is impossible to dig in the ground. Many of…
Read MorePlants that love sun and heat
The July weather in Maine was gorgeous – sunny and dry – just what the tourists love. But lawns are browning out and gardens are panting for water. As a garden designer, I like to work with plants that can endure stretches of inconsistent watering, although even drought tolerant plants need water at some point!…
Read MoreTravelling to Paradise
A number of folks have asked my advice for the best way to travel to the Grand Garden Show (August 26 – 28) on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan. This ‘unlike-any-other-show’ is extraordinary. True, is it not easy to get to, but it is worth the effort. I have always flown into the Sault Ste…
Read MoreRegistration is Open for the 15th Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium
Everything is in place for another spectacular Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium. The 15th annual symposium will be held once again at the magnificent Woodstock Inn and Resort in Woodstock, Vermont. The day-long, premier symposium, which attracts 230 enthusiastic gardeners nationwide, will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2019 preceded by a special three-hour flower…
Read MoreA farewell to a great man
My twin sister’s husband, Jeff Cole, died suddenly on March 31 at the age of 64. Jeff was a tremendous husband, father, sibling, brother-in-law, and community leader. Some of you met Jeff last year when he helped at the Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium’s registration table. He was the one that always had a smile…
Read MorePruning Bigleaf Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are the most googled shrub on the internet. And it seems that blue or pink mophead Hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) cause the most swooning. Except, that is, in colder zones where frustrated gardeners stare at large leafy shrubs with few or no flowers. Pruning at the wrong time could be the culprit (if pruning to…
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