a garden maker's notes

Reading this morning’s paper, I wonder at what I’m reading. Politics, violent unrest, people saving a farm stand, unique art exhibits that lead one inside oneself. I wonder what to make of what I read. How do i process this? How do I to use this information to make myself more—astute, kind, smarter, creative? Then, [...]

Geese squawk over head as I watch the black cat’s head turn up to follow the sounds.  The tropical storm has passed taking with it the high humidity and leaving a drenched garden.  I love the tapestry of foliage shown in the photo above of the shade garden. It needed a good drink. No tornadoes [...]

Out the kitchen door, to the right off the landing, I’ve positioned the compost bin for easy access. I’m rewarded with views of my back garden and this one of my front.  It’s a view of the front I only see from this angle so it’s a treat. Today I was rewarded by pink dianthus [...]

This home used be hidden by plants–well groomed, but awful! It was like a pretty girl with a bad haircut. The “before design” and “after design renovation” shows an overgrown landscape planting that hides the best features of this traditional New England home. The “after” landscape improvement photo, shows a carefully designed mix of foliage [...]

What’s not to love about this combination of the dependable pink reblooming fairy rose and the lacy green foliage of chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’. I’m happy after the break it took mid-summer that the rose is back blooming it’s heart out by my front door.  Nice welcoming. Thank you Rosa ‘the Fairy’!

Monday, August 29th–the day after Irene gusted, blew, and poured–I snapped this photo of my back shade garden. Storm tossed, but still intact and lovely, the flowers of the hosta (lavendar) and the ligularia dentata ‘Othello’ (yellow)–  are lovely in combination. Yet it’s the foliage of all the plants–ferns, hostas, daphne, ladies’ mantle–that really makes [...]

My clients really like to entertain outside.  These photographs show the newly installed landscape design with multiple entertaining areas –pergola, patio, lawn and a flower garden that will look good in four seasons–plenty of  plants for winter interest.

Photo: Maria von Brincken copyright 2011 Sometimes clouds add an awesome dimension. Here in this landscape created by beavers, herons rear their young, while birds sing, frogs croak, and humans, if they are lucky enough to encounter this world,  rediscover wonder.  Biologist E. O. Wilson coined the word “biophilia’ to express the idea that “we have [...]

I took this photo when I returned from vacation in late August.  Today’s the first day of fall and the same blooming combination welcomes me daily.  The only change since then are the mums I planted in the lower containers.  The purple alliums, dark pink sedums, and pink roses are still going strong! That’s the [...]

   Every year I plant summer annuals on my deck, I think this is my favorite combination.  In the right corner note the dark pink petunia. It surprised me as it just popped up out of the side drain hole of the back right planter. Who knew it would survive, prosper, and add the missing element I didn’t know [...]