Joanne Neale is a former attorney who is now using the other side of her brain as a garden designer and consultant. In 2000 she started her business, Garden Mentor, to help homeowners create low maintenance gardens that are beautiful, sustainable and environmentally responsible. Joanne is based in Needham, Massachusetts and works with clients throughout […]

How on earth did that small arborvitae I planted in front of the house get so huge? It happens all the time. Either a previous owner, or maybe it was you, planted something that was tiny when it was new, but over the years it has slowly turned into a hulking monster. It can be […]

I continue to simplify my own garden and streamline its maintenance.  And I am increasingly conscious of what needs water and what can thrive on not just gardeners neglect but also in dry conditions. I am filling spaces with things that, over time, won’t require weeding, and I am constantly looking for plants that are […]

Like me, you are probably feeling a bit depressed at the thought of your garden’s painstakingly planted scenes deteriorating over the next months (as they do every autumn). Yes, of course you can plant some spring-blooming bulbs, but you will have to wait a good six months (and endure a lot of awful weather) to see them! Please, don’t despair just yet. There are bulbs that bloom in the fall. Asters, […]

by Joanne Neale GARDENERS CAN SOMETIMES SUFFER FROM “GOLDILOCKS” SYNDROME. A FAVORITE PLANT IS JUST TOO BIG FOR THE SPACE, ANOTHER IS JUST TOO MUCH WORK AND ANOTHER IS JUST NOT QUITE RIGHT FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE SOLUTION TO THIS GARDENING SYNDROME OFTEN LIES IN PLANTING A SLIGHTLY […]

Let’s face it, anywhere you put mulch, you can dig a hole and plant ground cover. Indeed, ground cover plants are simply living mulches that don’t cost time or money to install every spring. Just like mulch they help retain soil moisture, and they keep weeds from crowding in. Ground cover also provides an extra […]

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