Recycle Your Christmas Tree

I’m a huge fan of repurposing and recycling. Just ask my husband (no, I have not recycled him). So what should you do now with your Christmas tree that has brightened your home for weeks? Googling the internet will generate dozens of interesting, if not wacky, ideas. One head-scratching suggestion was to carve it into…

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Alternatives 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…

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Over 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…

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Plants 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!…

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Pruning 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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Stephen Procter’s Amazing Garden Vessels

My good friend and acclaimed clay vessel sculptor, Stephen Procter, is offering a special sale on some of his amazing pieces. Steve’s awe-inspiring pottery ranges in size from moderate to massive. All of the masterpieces can remain outside year-round, even in freezing temperatures. I have one of his gems in my Maine garden. Although Stephen’s…

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Phenology – Nature’s gardening time table

Phenology can be more reliable than historical gardening data. Climate change has distorted traditional regional gardening data. Some areas of the country are hotter, colder, drier, or wetter than ever before. Phenology refers to ‘key seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year—such as flowering, emergence of insects and migration of birds—especially their…

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Power-Up Your Garden Soil with Nutri-Mulch

I discovered this amazing, nutrient-rich, weed-smothering mulch after I moved to Maine. Coastal Maine Botanical Garden has been using it with great results. Nutri-Mulch has a rich dark color that doesn’t fade like many other mulches. Nutri-Mulch is one of the great earthlife products produced by Casella organics. Click here for more information about Nutri-Mulch.…

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Time for a soil pH test?

There are a number of factors that impact soil health and a plant’s ability to thrive. Soil pH is one of these. Nutrients important to a plant’s growth become available or unavailable depending on the soil’s pH level. To learn more, check out this partial excerpt from my book, The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Top Ten…

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