The sun hung over the landscape like a dimly lit bulb.  Autumn seems to have become less festive, and more practical and austere as nature prepares for Winter. As we begin to put our landscapes to bed, despite the unseasonable snow – tidying, raking, mulching, and pruning, you might consider…

  Brittle like parchment, the arctic air sliced through the landscape with little resistance as it slashed and gnawed at flesh like a hungry, rabid beast.  It was fit for no creature, great nor small.  Experts call it a polar vortex.  We call it Winter.     So as we skirt into 2018, bright, shiny,…

  The canopy grows thin as leaves hasten to their final resting place while light rushes through the skeletal silhouettes of trees.  Autumn seems to have become less festive and more practical as nature  prepares for Winter. As we begin to put our landscapes to bed – tidying, raking, mulching, and…

The weekend presented a shining example of Fall’s excellence – beautiful weather and crisp, clear skies.  Although the majority of foliage has yet to turn, there were examples of Fall’s distinct beauty in the many perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses. In addition to late flowering perennials, like the heralded and much admired  Fall…

I like the idea of “native” plants and landscapes and absolutely love wildflowers; however, native doesn’t always mean easier, insect free or even desirable.   In fact, there are some widely held misconceptions that I’d like to dispel and some rules to follow when considering native plants and gardens.  All in…