We all have those quintessential summer memories from our youth.  You know those call-out moments that say "Summer".

Like that first day of summer when you can imagine the days stretched out before you like blank pages in a journal.

 Or the rising hum of cicadas, in the late afternoon when the humidity fills the air and clings to everything. 

Remember those unyielding wooden spoons for Italian ice? And the ice served in those tiny pleated paper cups?...

One of the most dazzling, delightful and decorative garden flowers are Dahlias. Truly a must have for any garden. And so many flower shapes and colors to choose from, it’s mind boggling. There are lower growing Dahlias that can be grown as a border or as part of the garden bed.

There are progressively larger flowers that are literally the size of 10” dinner plates. Some range from ball and pom-pom shape to cactus style flowers with spiky flower petals.There...

Are you tired? Listless? Do you wander around your home gazing out the window? Do you hate the word “vortex”?

When you hear a songbird sing do you catch in your breath? Does the mere sight of the sun make your insides shine?    

If so you are not alone. 

Diagnosis? Spring Fever also known as “SF”.  You may not be aware, but you are actually awaiting the Greening-Up to begin. You know. Leaves on trees, greener grass, plants sprouting.

This ma...

A client regaled me with tales of the local birds that visit her property, “We put a bit of seed out for them and all these various beings come and visit every day.”

During a mid-summer walk-through to see what needed to be spruced up we stopped at the small feeder swinging from a shepherd’s hook.

“Every day the most adorable family of house finches come by. It’s always the same group, 6 of them, and they chatter to themselves non-stop. They’re here for about...

Love to cook? Don't love to cook? But love to eat? Fresh herbs are the best way to add flavor and nutrients to your new recipes and old favorites. Imagine snipping fresh herbs for all your meals just a few short steps off the patio. Chives for egg dishes, Basil and Oregano for your marinara, grilling with Rosemary and Sage. Herbs are far more than just a garnish and window dressing. Herbs are rich in antioxidants and have long been touted for their healing...

We seem to have gotten past our collective angst over moving the clocks ahead. Seems so strange. 

Aren’t we constantly noting how time flies? 

Can you believe it’s January? No, wait, February? Is it actually March? 

Even young children say it: “Can you believe it’s the weekend already Mom?”

And so what do we do? We move the clocks ahead an hour.

What in the world are we doing? I’m not sure, but I do know that spring is just ahead, a stirring force to b...

Flowering vines can add a beautiful vertical element to the garden.     

A plain fence, pergola column, or trellis can all be dressed with flowering vines. With the right support flowering vines can be trained to provide screening, add height to a planting, or simply adorn your garden with lots of extra flowers.

Here is a snapshot of some flowering vines that we love to work with.

Mandevilla

Mandevilla, (Mandevilla spp.) is a...

Autumn brings with it an expansive list of lifestyle changes.

From cable knit sweaters and leather boots, to pumpkin spice lattes to candy apples. 

There’s no difference in horticulture. Gone will be the sunflowers and phlox; followed by Asters and Anemones.

This is the time of year where we don’t just freshen up the gardens and planter boxes but we get creative with the fall fare available to us.

Here is a peak at the some of the plants we use this time of yea...

Who doesn't love to have fresh cut flowers in as many rooms as possible from spring through fall?

Making flower arrangements right from our client's cutting gardens and flower beds have become a mainstay of our business.

On a visit to a friend's home, I remember a simple clear glass vase  placed at the bedside in the guest bedroom. The small glass beaker was filled with only one kind of flower. Lily of the Valley.  Delicate arched stems lined with s...

Lately I've got Cali on my mind. Not the Sunshine State. I've been thinking about Calibrachoa (Kal-ih_bruh-KOE-a). Those little petunia-like flowers that are blooming their beautiful hearts out right now. 

Known as "Million Bells" a very apt description; Calibrachoa is a prolific bloomer. Each mounding plant is covered with flowers. Colors range from vibrant- almost piercing colors all the way around the color wheel to soft pastels. Such a wide palette...

The native plant Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), is such a unique plant it’s impossible to miss. It’s a joy to see Mayapple unfurl in the early spring  and mature to a stand of what looks like green umbrellas. 

Mayapple is considered a spring ephemeral or a plant that comes to life in early April and completes its life cycle by mid June.

Other spring ephemerals include Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginca), Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) and...