The ups and downs of the gardening world.
It's that time of year again, where I review my most viewed posts from all over the world and I was surprised at some of the posts that were at the top of the heap. The top ten countries that view my blog in descending order are the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, India, Germany, …
Continue reading "Top Gardening Posts for 2019"
A tour of Henry Francis du Pont's former extraordinary home was my destination this year to enjoy holiday style decorations. An eighteen room dollhouse, fully decorated with Christmas treasures and other handmade pieces was also one of the draws for me. Another was the large fir in the Conservatory decorated with hundreds of multi-hued dried …
Continue reading "Create A Winterthur Inspired Everlasting Christmas Tree"
If you are a flower lover, you are starved for color right about now. I turn to the big box stores and nurseries to pick up my flower fixes. With grapefruit sized amaryllis bulbs available now, you can have bloom November through February if you start them at different times and use different species. …
Continue reading "Amaryllis-Queen of Bulbs"
I was having the family for dinner and want a sensational centerpiece for my table. Too busy all week with work and other chores, I was too pressed for time to do anything about it. But I found an old bubble bowl that had been sitting in the basement from an old flower arrangement. I …
Continue reading "Last Minute Christmas Centerpiece"
No flower says Christmas like the beautiful Poinsettia. I was amazed to learn that the Poinsettia is the most popular potted plant by far in the U.S. and Canada. Here are some other interesting tidbits: History & Legends The Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, means "very beautiful" The showy leaves or petals, called "bracts", are not the actual flower. The …
Continue reading "Poinsettia-Christmas Customs & Traditions"
Located in New Bern, North Carolina, near the intercoastal waterway, you can experience North Carolina's colonial past in a beautiful historic building that dates back to 1770. John Hawks, a London architect, was brought here by Royal Governor William Tryon to build an impressive brick Georgian style structure to house his family and to become …
Continue reading "A Colonial Christmas Tryon Palace"
Volunteering to decorate at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for Christmas is a bucket list item for many people, and I have posted on this blog in the past about my experiences working there in 2011 , 2015, and 2017. Though I didn't participate this year, I have lots of pictures. Anyone can apply, and to my …
Continue reading "Decorating the White House 2018"
On a recent chilly and rainy afternoon I visited McLean Nursery in Parkville, Maryland, to get my annual inspiration for "decking the halls with boughs of holly". Six cheerful people (and a dog!)stuffed into a cozy shed full of holiday trimmings was a nice respite from the constant deluge of rain. Busy with working on …
Continue reading "Prince of Evergreens at McLean Nursery"
What do you do with a container on your front porch once you have yanked out those sorry-looking frost-killed petunias? Segue into the holiday season with beautiful fall/winter containers using "yard" material. As a landscape designer, my first consideration in planting any tree or shrub is - Can I use it in my seasonal containers? …
Continue reading "Outdoor Seasonal Containers"
