As my garden continues to transform and fade into the winter, I am already looking forward to the early days of spring when the Ephemerals begin to emerge. Ephemerals are what garden-types call the small set of plants that grow, bloom and die away in the fastest and most fleeting sort of way. The most common of these are the spring ephemerals — which are the next blooms we will see creeping out of the ground after the winter has passed. More

Leaves turn all sorts of colors, from drab browns to beautiful yellows, and russet oranges to glowing reds. Having a mix makes for a satisfying garden this time of year. Red — I guess because it is so eye-popping — tends to be the color most people try and capture, so I thought I would share with you some of the best trees, shrubs and plants to bring this color into your fall garden. More

It's as if Garden Design magazine knew I was starting to like orange, and thought, "We'll seal the deal with marigold garland". Well played, Garden Design, for I cannot resist flower garlands or The Day Of The Dead... More

Cheap plants that you can share with friends and trade for other interesting things are treasures for gardeners. Last week I shared (on my own blog) a list of plants that, for under $20, you can plant in the ground right now and next spring, have hundreds of beautiful babies for your own garden and to share with others. It was a great challenge, so I thought it would be fun to expand the list. More

Yesterday was Shel Silverstein's birthday. I saw someone post about it on Facebook and my mind immediately jumped to The Giving Tree. It was a childhood favorite, and it is something of an anthem for garden designers. More

One of the biggest markers of the seasons are the flowers that we associate with them. Just as one of the first signs of spring is when daffodils begin to break the surface of the ground, walking past front steps with rows of brilliantly colored mums overflowing their containers lets me know that fall is beginning to usher summer out.
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Every autumn I crave sturdy, cozy fabrics like wool, tweed, corduroy, and… velvet? Maybe not to wear, but I do love velvety plants. How did they get so fuzzy? Are they just trying to keep themselves warm like the rest of us? Probably not, but they are so pretty… More

These fun and funky moss balls are lovingly made by Mister Moss, but that doesn't mean you can't be inspired to create your own. More

The days are drawing in, the bustling ice cream shop is growing quiet, and the weekly farmers' market is coming to an end. It's official, summer's closing up shop. This year, instead of feeling wistful that summer's almost over, I've been thinking of some fall-style activities to get in the spirit of the season. Canning and herb drying come to mind, plus a whole bunch more, all while wearing cozy sweaters and drinking pumpkin ale, of course. More

You may still be reveling in the last days of summer now, but rest assured in about 6 months you will overjoyed to see those first signs of life emerging from the cold frozen ground. If you want that pleasure later, you must act now. More