and decorated! I caught a glimpse of them. Two little girl fairies. Cousins, I think.

Before and after.

First, set a fairy trap. No, just kidding. That is impossible from what I’ve heard. However, there are many ways to create a fairy garden. I was inspired to start one in an old tree stump after hearing a lecture on “Fairy Tales in the Garden” by blogging diva Amanda Thomsen of Hortmag.com’s Kiss My Aster. A timely lecture considering that it just so happened we had an old tree in the barnyard that was getting cut up for firewood. I found the perfect hollowed out stump complete with a fairy door in the bottom. Yay.

After zipping over to the barn with the skidsteer and picking up the enchanted stump, I found a lovely spot with shade in the morning and late afternoon situated in front of a young blue spruce. While I would love to have a sweet little wooded spot, we live on the top of a hill no mature trees. It could have gone in the nearby hedgerow but I wanted it close enough to see it daily and for LaLa to visit there often.

Note the lovely little fairy door at the bottom. All it needs is a walkway, paint and a doorknob!

Planting the garden in a tree stump is nice because it raises up the viewing level and creates numerous places to introduce your fairy decor.  Speaking of fairy decor… did you know that you can order anything that you can dream of online? I had no idea! I have my eye on a particular metal table and chairs after finding the sweetest tea set at a craft store. Stay tuned on that one.

Varigated ivy, Irish moss, Hinoki cypress and creeping thyme.

A fairy garden doesn’t haven’t to be expensive to make. I used a dwarf Hinoki cypress that had gotten stepped on a couple times in my perennial bed that needed a little TLC. It made a nice small tree for the arrangement. We used a small little wren house for the fairy’s cottage with a cute little ceramic gazebo and mushrooms from a set that LaLa got for her birthday.

Some good materials for a fairy garden include:

• Moss covered stones
• twigs
• low growing plants such as irish moss, creeping thyme, creeping phlox and miniature conifers
• pebbles
• mushrooms- real or faux
• polished stones
• shiny things
• picket fencing
• rhinestones
• doll furniture and accessories
• your imagination

Once your little miniature outdoor landscaping project is planted start adding little accessories to bring it all together and enchant the fairies, your children and yourself. I found a charming little red wagon, some potted plants and a garden hose to add to my garden. I think the perfect little gardening fairy will come. I hope she will be willing to work for her keep!

So what are you waiting for?! Start that fairy garden and enjoy it with wonderment as though seeing it through the eyes of a child. Mine is far from complete so stop back in and see how it evolves! What would be featured in your fairy garden to make it uniquely yours?

This little beauty was shining after a storm in Naples, FL. The Fam and I went down for a long weekend to visit Junebug (aka Nonnie) and Poppa in Florida over the weekend. Of course I was nursing a lovely little sunburn while taking pictures of the local flora and I couldn’t resist some close-ups of this gorgeous hibiscus. Got some great shots at the Naples Zoo. Can’t wait to sketch some of those big cats… check back later!

Oh, it’s great to be home! Totally enjoyed my trip to Philadelphia for the Flower Show this year… lots of fun, friends, food and flowers! Did I say flowers? Oh, and there were flowers. Lots of them. Little ones, big ones, crazy ones, pink ones, fragrant ones and even one named “Snoopy”… who knew!? Next year’s theme for the show is “Springtime in Paris”. I’m already inspired. Put it on your calendar! I hope the following images provide motivation to attend next years’ show or just garden eye candy for those of us who have endured a hard winter! Please excuse the quality of some of the photos. I was reduced to using my iphone as a camera having left CNY in a flurry to avoid a snowstorm and managed to forget my good camera!

The theme for this years’ show was “Passport to the World”. Garden displays from India, Singapore, South Africa, Holland, Ireland and the US were featured. I think the India exhibit was my favorite. I loved all of the color and the openness of the design.

A giant hot air balloon depicting the globe greeted everyone as they entered the show. This photo was taken the night before the preview as the landscapers were in a shallow pond wearing waders while installing the most gorgeous and gigantic lily pads that I have ever seen.

The enormous giraffe in the South Africa exhibit was magical. The structure was made out of rebar and little glass vases with orchid blossoms were hanging throughout the sculpture. The photo was taken the night before the PHS preview.

The Ireland exhibit. Love the topiary Irish Harp and use of stone.

This “orchid tree” and the moss carpet at its base made up of various mosses and succulents was one of my favorite elements at the show. Gorgeous! Photo doesn’t do it justice.

These “icy” designs were for the the New Zealand exhibit if I rememeber correctly. It was very theatrical. This exhibit was Farmboy’s favorite due to his extreme love of all things cold and snowy. Crazy… I know!

Shown above are photos of the India display. The colors were so vibrant. The rose medallions surrounding the bubbling water features were very impressive. There were performances of a traditional Indian wedding under the canopy during the show.

There were a number of displays that featured “living walls”. Walls made completely of plants. The textures and colors were lush and I especially enjoyed this example. Sorry for the fuzziness of the photo!

The images above are of the Holland exhibit. Who doesn’t LOVE tulips, bicycles, daffodils and scented geranium topiary standards?! I want tulips growing in the tiles of my laundry room. How cool is that?

The two images above show the charming Beatles inspired garden created by volunteers to honor the retiring PHS president Jane G. Pepper.

I went gaga over this display… the colors, texture and lighting. It was featured inside a large shipping crate. A very interesting and “out of the box” exhibit. Anne and Mike from our dinner club came to the show and Anne suggested that I do something like this for our next dinner club! Ha! That’s a good one!

I always enjoy the fashion part of the flower show. The image above is an example of one of the combinations entered in the fashion and arrangement competition. The designers have to relate the garment and the flower arrangement to each other following a given theme. Fascinating.

Isn’t that the cutest?! Love the pussywillow umbrella and those lime green wellies with the purple anemones!

Flower lampshade anyone?

I sat in on a fascinating bee keeping lecture by Jim Bob the Beekeeper in the Gardener’s Studio.

I especially like the competition section of the show. It totally appeals to the plant geek in me. Shown below are some highlights from that part of the show.

A pretty succulent.

The Front Porch competition.

The orchids at the show are spectacular…

as well as the Bonsai.

Medium sized niche arrangement.

Ikebana Arrangement

Tiara made from plant materials! Can you believe that?

Another beautiful, sculptural tiara made from plants.

I always find the miniature rock gardens interesting. I’ve got to make one of those hypertufa containers and do one of these!

And last but not least… my latest little obsession. Terrariums. I purchased a few plants and a cloche and base at the show. Stay tuned for my first terrarium in many years!

Hope you enjoyed the photos! I’ll have a few more to post at a later time. If you were are the show… what was your favorite garden display? Do tell!

While staying at Ballyduff Manor in Thomastown Co. Kilkenny in Ireland last summer Farmboy and I found the most wonderful secret. A gorgeous private garden out beyond the old stable and barn.

Farmboy went out early to explore the grounds the morning that we were leaving for Dublin. After a few minutes he came in and insisted that I come… forget the lipstick. Sorry DH Holmes Jr. Board in Mississippi wherein I learned I was not completely dressed until I was wearing lipstick. Oh, if they could see me now… practically naked. Nevertheless… we went trapezing out into the dewy morning and to my delight I saw a most beautiful sight. A lovingly trimmed boxwood hedge parterre. Behind it there were sheets blowing in the morning breeze strung between the apple trees. Heavenly. Established. Quaint yet of substance. Personal and intimate. I loved it. The parterre was surrounded by a perennial bed and path on one side, an old greenhouse on another, the high wall of the barnyard on the other. The fourth side opened onto to a beautiful grassy lawn framed by corner plantings then surrounded by a fence.

During our traditional Irish breakfast in a formal coral painted dining room over looking the River Nore, we spoke with the charming owner, Brede, about the origins of the garden. It was designed by her mother-in-law who spent most of her waking hours tending it. The garden used to be 4 times the size but over time it had been downsized to aid with the upkeep.  I would have loved to have seen it in is glory! Wouldn’t you?!  A wedding was to take place the following weekend in the garden and I could just picture the giant reception tent on the grassy lawn next to the parterre and fruit trees. Lucky bride. For a lovely B & B stay in the country be sure to visit www.ballyduffhouse.com.

Before… a blank canvas.

I love to see before and after pictures of gardens. It’s very inspiring to view the transformation of a space and what a difference plants can make. First, let me say that I am not a garden designer. I am a graphic designer/artist that looks at gardening a lot like painting. I am a plopper of plants… not a planner of plants. Horrors! I know. If a plant doesn’t work in a certain space I dig it up and plop it somewhere else. When I purchase plants I am thinking color, texture, scale, repetition… just like a painting or illustration. It is a very intuitive process. An experimentation of sorts.

In design school I had a Austrian professor who insisted that good design was like an English Garden- full of repetition, contrast, texture, shape and line. He also said “sink” instead of “think”. “I sink good design is like a beautiful English Gaw-den.” Think Schwarzenegger. Perhaps it was his “Terminator- like” accent that struck fear into me- but I’ve never forgotten his comparison of graphic design and gardening.

My gardens have evolved over the years. In the beginning all of my perennials were divisions or  transplants from my mother’s beautiful garden in Rochester, NY. Our home was built in the middle of a hay field with nary a tree within stones throw or shade’s distance. Talk about starting from scratch. I purchased this puny little weeping crab (Red Jade) that had maybe 5 branches on it from a local independent nursery. The owner of the nursery insisted that it would grow laterally- fill the space that I had designated for it. My thought… when eating in the dining room I did not want to look out and see the driveway or our company’s vehicles. As you will see boy did that little crabapple ever do its job! So much so that when the tree leafs out I can barely see the kids playing in the driveway or who just drove up. But… oh the view from inside! Flowers in the spring, a little shady spot in the summer and crabapples in the winter.

On with the pictures!

Skinny little weeping crab (Red Jade). Dining room inside triple window.

Before any hardscaping. Japanese Maple (Bloodgood) in foreground next to Sunset Rock- a boulder dug up during excavation… a perfect seat for watching the sunset.

Perennials filling in.

3 years later.

Small fountain surrounded by hosta and irises with bleeding heart in background and lady’s mantle in the foreground.

Finished fieldstone walkway. Farmboy and I made it from stone pulled from the fields before spring planting… took what seemed like an eternity to finish.

Plantings of lavender, lady’s mantle, boxwood, spirea, lupines and Americana rose on trellis.

Walkway lined with Royal Standard hosta on left and boxwood hedge to right.

View to the barns from the driveway over looking the entrance garden. Japanese Maple to the right. Daisies, lavender and astillbe in the foreground. Sunset Rock behind lavender blooms.

Thank you for taking the tour with me. I hope it provides inspiration!

My vegetable garden expansion took place last spring. Farmboy was busy farming, the ground was workable and I had the skid steer! My exisiting vegetable garden was a series of 9 raised beds about 3 ft wide by 5 ft. long running north to south. My sister kindly pointed out that it looked like a graveyard. I’m not a rectangle with rows kind of gal. I need paths. A destination. It needs to charm me, enchant me… maybe I just wanted a place for the kids to play without stepping all over everything. I needed paths. I digress.

View of old garden raised beds (early spring). Note playset in background… picture two-story state of the art chicken condo in a couple of years. Don’t tell the kids.

New area to the left.

I started my expansion by layering composted horse manure from the barn and topsoil. Hmmm. If I had planned it on paper I wouldn’t have made a giant raised rectangle. It was supposed to be left until Fall but I COULD NOT leave it alone. I had to see structure, shape, green plants… and paths. Out of that huge rectangle, I dug out my little paths. Ahhh. Structure. Geometry. A destination. I worked like a crazyperson. It had to be done. I couldn’t garden in half of that space and watch the weeds take over the other half.

I added a bench to sit and rest from my path making madness. On Mother’s Day I was given a lovely birdbath/fountain to add as the focal point of my emerging potager. I added an apple tree to each side of the bench as well as Little Gem globe arborvite to mark the entrance and termination of the two main paths.

View to the west through the pea trellises.

Once the paths were established I added landscape fabric and mulch to keep the weeds at bay.  Along the raised edges I planted nasturtiums to keep the weeds down. They were very prolific and effective. Note to self: plant dwarf varieties next year.

View through side perennial garden and arbor into the potager (towards south).

View of potager (mid summer) from house.

View to east through center axis.

View to west from bistro set.

The bistro set was a welcome addition to the potager. La La and the Bean enjoyed breakfast out there on numerous occasions. Junebug (my mom) and I contemplated life, gardening and much more while watching the sunset and having a glass of wine. LaLa often brought us appetizers of chives, broccoli, mint and fresh green peppers.

Mid summer view to the south with oats in background.

View from studio in late fall.

First snow 2009. (view from studio)

Next year I hope to add two more fruit trees. One on either side of the bistro set as well as some type of fencing. I am entertaining the idea of a picket fence. One day perhaps the paths will be in some sort of stone. I think I’m ready to add permanence to the shape. My main quandary at this time is where to hide the compost pile.: )

Overwintering rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is quite easy if you have enough available light and are diligent to not let them dry out. I recommend potting them up from the garden before danger of frost and putting them in glazed ceramic containers or foam based planters. Terra cotta drys out very quickly in a heated space. I have lost many rosemary plants in the winter due to drying out. Rosemary is very unforgiving.

Use a peat based potting mix with some sand mixed in so that the water soaks through the roots evenly. Rosemary does not like wet feet so be sure to provide good drainage. Adequate light is essential. My rosemary plants are situated in front of my south facing french doors to bask in the winter sun. I also use tiny pebbles on the surface of the soil to act as mulch to help keep the moisture in.

Happy Potting! It is such a treat to enjoy your own fresh herbs in the winter.

A wonderful recipe for using fresh sage and rosemary from the garden is  Tuscan Herb Seasoning. Simple and savory… you will love it!

Hmmm. What does this boxwood want to be? A chicken. That is what I heard while browsing the nursery. It spoke to me. My kids got a big kick out of telling their cousins that “Momma heard a plant talk to her”. The plant wanted to be a chicken. “Henrietta the Hen”came out of the little boxwood. Soon after her mate Rocco the Rooster found his way out of another boxwood. They greet our visitors at the start of the front walkway.

There are many farm animals that I would love to have… the whole kit and kaboodle. Chickens, geese, SHEEP, goats, calves are on my list. Oh, I forgot ducks. I am currently at my peak of mouths to feed on this farm between the kids, horses, cats and dogs. Therefore I have decided to create in topiary all of the farm animals that I would like to have. This way I will hopefully not go over the edge of insanity… I’ll just give it alittle trim.

Just imagine two topiary sheep grazing on the meadow with a third looking up to see who is coming up the driveway… a yew giraffe nibbling on apples trees in a orchard. Yikes. I’m on to zoo animals now. Anyway… you get the picture. I’ve got alot of work to do. Either way.