Perennially Yours Blog
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…
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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 MoreAlaine, 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…
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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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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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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…
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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…
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Evan’s last day of work at Morgan Stanley was June 29th. He starts his new job at The Carlyle Group in Menlo Park (California) on July 16th. Since the apartment in San Francisco is not available until July 15, he will sleep on the floor of a friend’s apartment in NYC for several days, then…
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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…
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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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