Sustainability – How Much Lawn Do We Really Need?
[caption id="attachment_1533" align="alignleft" width="300"] Too much lawn[/caption] In the United States, suburban homes are invariably surrounded by lawn. The amount depends on the size of the property but few people question whether the lawn is really needed; it just…
Holiday Gifts
[caption id="attachment_1342" align="alignleft" width="300"] Chanukah Dreidels[/caption] A few weeks ago, one of my customers emailed to say that she needed a hori to give as a holiday gift to her sister. Instead, she gave it to her sister-in-law. Now,…
Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’ for Year Round Color
I’ve been a fan of Heuchera and Tiarella for quite a while but Heucherella, a hybrid of these two genera, has produced some awesome offspring. [caption id="attachment_1312" align="alignleft" width="300"] Color of Heucherella 'Sweet Tea' overwintered in container and into March[/caption]…
Creating Memorable Vignettes
I am frequently asked, "How do you put it all together?”, meaning how do I design a garden? There are an infinite number of factors but a large part of it is creating a series of vignettes that work well…
Hydrangea Frost Damage
[caption id="attachment_976" align="alignleft" width="270" caption="Hydrangea macrophylla 'All Summer Beauty'"][/caption] This roller coaster year (summer weather in March, chilly weather in April, seesaw weather in May so far) has produced roller coaster emotions in me. I loved the early warmth but…
The High Line in Summer
[caption id="attachment_1041" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="View of the Hudson River from the High Line"][/caption] In January, I wrote about visiting the High Line (in New York) in the middle of winter. At that time, I said that I hoped to visit…
National Memorials
Growing up in Baltimore, I was a occupant of the family car on many Sunday trips to Washington, D.C. My parents exposed me and my brothers to the Smithsonian, to many of the national art museums, and to the national…