Again, blame it on this long, drawn-out, cold and snowy winter but I am really digging into certain groups of plants and wanting to add more and more of them to the garden. One genus that we already have in abundance at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is Epimedium (commonly known as Horny Goat Weed, bishops […]

Making a garden can change your life. Learning to create a landscape is more than just digging holes and spreading mulch and hoping it doesn’t all revert to weeds faster than you can you can adjust to taking care of it. Adding a garden into your life is not so different than adding a child […]

Knot gardens are characterized by their intricate interweaving of low-growing plants. The plants form geometric patterns that have roots dating back to medieval times. A Knot Garden for Modern Homeowners? Knot gardens have a problem though. In your average American garden they always seem to me to a be bit of a design trick. In their most […]

I chose this garden from Thomas Hoblyn’s portfolio today because it immediately struck me as a place that is interestingly designed and a true family garden.  However, unlike many of the ‘family gardens’ I see in the suburbs of America, it is clearly designed for a garden enthusiast and it appears to have been created […]

Indian Paintbrush, with its striking and vibrant bracts, is a captivating wildflower that graces North American landscapes. As a kid growing up in the west, it was always along the road sides – I especially remember Indian paintbrush in Wyoming as we made the long drive from Colorado to grandma’s house in Montana. It is […]

Spending a big chunk of my youth in the West and desert southwest, the Yucca brings back memories of riding my banana seat bike, warm humidity free evenings, and arid gardens.  So I was quite surprised to find it recently here in New England.  I have taken on a new project that I am super […]

image by solitude48 Indian legend has it that many, many suns ago when the native american indians lived in great numbers in the western US, life was abundant.  But the indians became jealous of each other and they traded stick games for tomahawks and they began to war.  The Great Spirit was displeased and he […]

This week I am down in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania for the International Plant Trials Conference at Longwood Gardens. I came down to learn about how different gardens formally trial plants along with gleaning a lot of new plants to use in the gardens of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Speaking of CMBG, we have a ton […]

Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive – especially if you are strategic and patient. That means taking the time to think ahead and plant seeds in the fall to enjoy next spring. I’ve calculated that for less than $20 you can have a garden full of these 5 beautiful plants (Cheap and chic gardening at its best!). […]