Category Archives: great gardens

Powerscourt Gardens, Ireland

Posted on February 8, 2010 by amandae317

It’s the time of year when we all long for a little green. What better place than Ireland? Our slideshow takes you there. Powerscourt Gardens Slideshow Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. Slideshow: Powerscourt GardensTo see captions, click on the image. To … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens | 8 Comments

New Delphiniums, Year 2

Posted on July 13, 2009 by amandae317

What’s it like to have more than 50 delphiniums in bloom in your garden? Sweet. Follow the story of a new kind of delphinium, from seed to bloom in 15 months. Slide Show: New Millennium delphiniums, from seed to bloom. … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens, plants | 3 Comments

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Posted on July 9, 2009 by amandae317

I love looking at people’s front gardens. Unlike the back garden, the front yard is the “public” garden, and it says a lot about the gardener. Tres, one of my coworkers, has created a remarkable city garden. Tres and the … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens, in the garden | 1 Comment

Make a Grand Entrance

Posted on June 11, 2009 by amandae317

Vermont garden is a nonstop flower show. Slideshow: A Vermont garden in high summer. Click on the images to see captions or go to full-screen mode.  I love visiting my friend Sue’s house. She’s the best flower gardener I know. … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens, in the garden | 2 Comments

Know Your Grass

Posted on May 7, 2009 by amandae317

Ornamental grasses are reliable, beautiful and pretty much carefree. Just remember to divide them regularly. With a nod to garden designer Piet Oudolf, we planted this 50-foot border of perennial grasses, mixed with rudbeckia and echinacea for extra color. If … Continue reading →

Posted in garden tools, great gardens, plants | 1 Comment

Heucheras That Beat the Heat

Posted on March 19, 2009 by amandae317

The efforts of several plant breeders over the past decade have inundated the market with scores of new varieties. The result: improved flower size and color, new foliage colors, patterns and leaf shapes. Caramel Heuchera is a runner-up for the … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens, plants | 3 Comments

Portland Japanese Garden

Posted on March 16, 2009 by amandae317

Just like an art museum, each time you visit a public garden there’s always something new to appreciate and inspire. The Japanese Garden in Portland, OR. Once springtime arrives and I’m finally out in the garden, it’s almost impossible to … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens | 3 Comments

New Succulents for 2009

Posted on March 2, 2009 by amandae317

Here are a few of my favorites, including aloes, agaves and echeverias. I took this photograph in the garden of Thomas Hobbs, author of The Jewel Box Garden. His garden in Vancouver is filled with tiny wonders like this one. … Continue reading →

Posted in books, great gardens, plants | 7 Comments

Day Trip to the Tropics

Posted on January 8, 2009 by amandae317

After the challenges of the holiday season, I want a vacation. A collection of bromeliads, tillandsias, and aroids at the Montreal Botanic Gardens conservatory. After the challenges of the holiday season, I want a vacation. The wintery landscape outside my … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens, plants | 1 Comment

Let Them Eat Blueberries!

Posted on November 24, 2008 by amandae317

Volunteers turn abandoned land into neighborhood treasure. Two of the Park’s most committed volunteers, Mel and Delona, took a quick break to show me a new section they’ve begun clearing. Charlotte told me later, that these two, and another volunteer … Continue reading →

Posted in great gardens, issues | 1 Comment