Category Archives: The Spring Garden

Planting RASPBERRIES, Pruning RASPBERRIES

I’ve had raspberries growing in my garden for the last 22 year. The raspberries came my way via my maternal grandmother’s garden. She planted hers in the 1920’s or 30’s. The variety she grew are Heritage. A friend who runs … Continue reading

Posted in Plant Tomatoes / Raspberries, The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden, The Winter Garden | 4 Comments

Looking at Evergreens in the Garden

Evergreens to me provide the most interest in the Winter garden, and are really the backbone or foundation on which a really nice year-round garden is built. They can be planted along with herbaceous perennials in the garden, to add … Continue reading

Posted in Bushes, Shrubs, Trees, Garden Design Principles, planting a SHADE GARDEN, The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden, The Winter Garden | 7 Comments

DAHLIAS, dahlias, Dahlias..Planting and Winter Storage

Dahlias are wonderful flowers that grace the garden with their colorful blooms from Mid Summer, until a good killing frost. Dahlias come in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Some dahlias produce flowers the size of small carnations, while … Continue reading

Posted in The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden | 7 Comments

When designing a Shade Garden, think Focal Point, Plant Color, and Shapes of Leaves

When I think about what goes into making a good shade garden, three things come to mind. #1 a Focal point(s) man-made or natural. #2 Plant Color to add light to the garden. #3 Shapes of Leaves for variety and … Continue reading

Posted in Garden Design Principles, planting a SHADE GARDEN, San Francisco Chronicle / eHow references or resources, The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden | 2 Comments

Designing / Planting a Hosta Garden

Many people are Blesses???, Cursed!!! with a shade garden. If you are one of them, you will most likely be making lemon-aid out of lemons. Your lemon of choice, in this situation will be the Hosta, also called the Plantation … Continue reading

Posted in planting a SHADE GARDEN, The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden | 3 Comments

HOSTAS (Plantation Lily)…Planting, Dividing, and Maintenance

Hostas, also called the Plantation Lilyare a common sight in many gardens. In my area of Upstate New York, zone 5-4, they are widely used in shady areas. Hostas come in many sizes. They can be plants that mature to … Continue reading

Posted in planting a SHADE GARDEN, The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden | 1 Comment

DAYLILIES…Planting, Dividing, and Maintenance

Daylilies are probably one of the most dependable and easiest to grow of all the Summer flowers. The Daylily is also called the Hemerocallis. It is called the daylily, because its flowers only bloom for one day. The nice thing … Continue reading

Posted in Roses, Peonies, Tulips, etc, The Autumn(Fall) Garden, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden | 23 Comments

Starting a Rose Bush and other plants from a Cutting (Slip)

For as long as I can remember, my Grandmother, Mother, and Aunts were always starting new plants from cuttings (slips). I think they called them slips because, they tore the piece of plant material from the donor plant, instead of … Continue reading

Posted in Bushes, Shrubs, Trees, Roses, Peonies, Tulips, etc, The Spring Garden, The Summer Garden | 26 Comments

Grow a Topiary from an Upright Yew

Over the past 10 years or so, I have experimented with growing simple topiary. Photo 1 shows one of a pair, that I started on old upright yews, that were planted about 57 years ago, on the side of my … Continue reading

Posted in Bushes, Shrubs, Trees, Fred's Garden at Whimsey Hill House, The Spring Garden, The Winter Garden | Leave a comment

A look at my Garden, here at Whimsey Hill

One of my favorite parts of the gardening season, is the space of time after the daffodils have bloomed, and before the riot of color the Summer perennials produce. This gardening period is soo Zen to me. The garden at … Continue reading

Posted in Fred's Garden at Whimsey Hill House, The Spring Garden | 1 Comment