Garden Portraits

Soaking Rain - summer on its way

Published on 2010-05-19 06:35:00

Soaking rains are here today, preparing the gardens for their next display. The weather in New England has been perfect for my plants this spring. We've pretty much had warm, sunny days with a couple of soaking rains each week.My husband is putting in raised veggie beds for me this week. I have a few flats of vegetables waiting to go in. My daughter and I will buy more this weekend. The early veggies are growing well in my old vegetable bed and I hope we will have a crop soon. This was my

Published on 2010-05-11 12:01:00

These are right of the camera. It's rare that not even a little tweaking needs to be done. I'm not a huge fan of red flowers. I gravitate towards yellow and purples, but there is something about a red poppy that screams classy at me. Give me a yellow rose, but when it comes to poppies, red is the clear choice. What makes one prefer a certain color over another? What makes one prefer a certain flower color for a specific type of flower?

Iphone photos

Published on 2010-05-08 08:10:00

Hurrying to a meeting in Marblehead, Massachusetts yesterday, I ran into this scene:I pulled out my Iphone to capture the beautiful color, prepared to be disappointed with the results...I was.I DID capture the reflection of the historic King Hooper mansion in the window, which I didn't notice at the time, but it is appropos because I was on my way to a meeting with the historical society. I didn't capture the beautiful color or the deep rich textures before me.I've had my phone for nearly a year

Crabapple photoessay

Published on 2010-05-06 20:59:00

There are few things as beautiful as soft spring blossoms.

Spring Shape Up - Rhododendrons Out!

Published on 2010-05-04 10:24:00

My glasses are covered with sweat drips right now, so I am squinting at the screen. I am covered from head to toe in dirt, but I did wash my hands so I wouldn't mess up the keyboard. I sit sipping a vitamin drink because I am too tired at the moment to take a shower. I need a break after cajoling two bushes into new homes.First off today, I want to confess my slight distaste for rhododendrons. I don't dislike them per se, but their rubbery leaves are not thrilling to me and I hate playing wi

Uncanoonuc Mt. Perennials 2010 catalog

Published on 2010-05-03 13:34:00

I was honored to be asked to shoot the cover photo for Uncanoonuc Mt. Perennials 2010 catalog. I caught the hydrangea in full bloom last Autumn. Their demonstration gardens are unbelievable and this is just a small taste.

Poppies!

Published on 2010-05-01 15:50:00

I tried to plant poppy seeds once a few years ago and they didn't take. For some reason, I never went out of my way to try any harder to grow a poppy plant. Then, last year, a pretty lemony petaled one invited me to take it home. I expected it to die. I'm not sure why. (Is there ever a plant that scares you off or one that you are sure will turn your green thumb black?) Well, my poppy came back this spring. And the sunlight in my front yard hits it just right to make that inviting color s

Uncanoonuc Mt. Perennials new season photos

Published on 2010-04-30 06:42:00

I'm heading to Uncanoonuc Mt. Perennials today to hang 4 new photos for the season. These images show a range of seasons at the garden center from spring through August. I chose images that demonstrated the beautiful pairings in the Uncanoonuc Mt. Perennials gardens. I also chose single closeups of flowers using my wide-open macro lens. (My favorite way to shoot images.)The fairy flowers that seem to dance on the green background are about the size of my thumb and were a sensational purchase

Crocus!

Published on 2010-04-09 12:29:00

Just a couple of images to get my feet wet and back in the garden this spring! Happy sunshine!

Lady Slipper

Published on 2009-05-26 16:54:00

What a nice surprise greeted me in the woods last week! The elusive ladyslipper made an appearance after a few years absence. It tucked itself away across the yard from where it last made an appearance. I'm so happy to see it again in my woods! I'm so glad it found a home here again despite the contruction of a nearby play area that upset it last time. I hope my maturing garden will offer it the peace it needs to decide to stay around this time.

Symbols of Friendship

Published on 2009-05-19 09:48:00

Two years ago, my friend Sara bought me tulip bulbs for my birthday. As we sat sipping mojitos, she turned to the page in the catalog with the deep purple, fringed beauties that she thought would look lovely in my garden.The next spring, I waited expectantly for my tulips to poke their heads out of the ground. They never did. The year following, I again waited hopefully to no avail. I was convinced that the chipmunks had gotten to my birthday present.Sara moved across the country to Californ

Waves of Color

Published on 2009-05-18 16:06:00

This is the first year that my gardens really look like GARDENS and not just plants stuck here and there randomly. After five years of working the soil on this property, plants are starting to fill their spaces. The Japanese Maple is becoming a real tree and not just a stick in the ground with a few red leaves. The strawberry patch has filled out and is laden with white flowers. My 15 rose bushes have established themselves, revealing healthy green stems and shiny leaves that should burst wi

Signs of Spring

Published on 2009-04-02 19:24:00

Up come the flowers, out comes the camera. Welcome crocus. I'm just warming up.

Spring Squall and Rushing Away Unfavorable Weather

Published on 2009-03-23 12:10:00

We headed into the garden for some spring cleanup and very early planting this past weekend. I haven't hauled out the good camera yet...but here are some snapshots of events.We cleaned up the twigs and branches from the ice storm back in the early winter. Some of the larger branches remain under the snow. We began clearing straw from the gardens. In the first picture you can see the tender bulbs poking through. Some of the bulbs were coming up white, choked from sunlight and chlorophyll pro

Spring!

Published on 2009-03-21 20:39:00

I hit the garden today...just a little spring cleanup. The snow has melted from the majority of my beds. I don't think I've ever been out this early in the season before. But I've got big plans this year. My decade of gardening, interviews with fellow gardeners and last fall's publication of my book have inspired me. I feel like I have hit a pinnacle as a gardener. I'm ready to really trust my instincts and to run with my ideas.I've got two pathways that need a lot of work and this is wher

Displaced Creativity

Published on 2009-02-03 20:59:00

Groundhog's Day makes me feel like spring is around the corner - even when the groundhog sees his shadow (as he did this year).. and even when it's really not just around the corner (I do live in NH after all and we don't see spring until summertime...)I didn't get the greenhouse I desired this winter, but I have kept myself busy. I am a home decorator at heart. I try to bring my garden indoors in my design. I hang my garden images, but I also try to use nature inspired color and themes. Thi

Flowers and Tradition

Published on 2009-01-15 10:40:00

I have written in the past about flowers and tradition. It amazes me how interwoven flowers are with many of our celebrations. Yet, I think that most of us do not give much thought to this. With Valentine's Day approaching, I think it is appropriate to explore this phenomenon in more depth and in upcoming weeks, I hope to come back to it a few times. But today...I am going to focus on how special flowers can make an occasion for a child.This past weekend, my five-year-old daughter performed

My Bit of Winter Sunshine

Published on 2009-01-07 08:58:00

I am one of those people affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder. When winter comes to New England, I just want to sleep through the season. I drag myself out of bed and follow some steps to shake off the winter blues. In addition to regular exercise (I find yoga most helpful,) I take vitamin D supplements and use a sunlamp.My sunlamp is one of my most prized possessions. It is about ten years old now. It's a large box, about the size of a small suitcase. When I turn it on, the room takes

A Winter Test

Published on 2008-12-22 10:41:00

My "green thumb" was tested last week during the New England ice storm. I am primarily an outdoor gardener, but I have a few prized houseplants that I have nursed to healthy heights. In the past, I have purchased houseplants to get me through the winter - to add a little greenery to the white and gray that surrounds us in New Hampshire this time of year. Every year, after a month or so of care, I slowly forget my houseplants. I stop watering them. I stop feeding them. I stop talking to th

Changing Light

Published on 2008-10-30 15:07:00

Autumn sunlight allows the photographer to create truly unique images. In the northeastern United States, the golden hue the sun provides when it is low in the sky provides an incomparable warmth for pictures. This time of year is my favorite for capturing portraits.Observe the effects of how this light highlights hair and boosts the glow of complexions. Mind how the light boosts colors and molds form.Use the colors from nature to add interest to your backgrounds. Use a wide-lens aperture to

From Sunlight to Warm Rich Color

Published on 2008-10-28 12:26:00

I love this time of year, as the last of the early fall sunshine fades to warm rich color. New Hampshire is past its "leaf peeper" peak. Many of us live in New England to experience this transition every year. The last pink buds on my fairy rose are in bloom. The mums are beginning to dip and the asters are fading to brown. I bought a new perennial sunflower this year that has happily lasted well-beyond my intentions. Its flowers now kiss the ground under the weight of the cool autumn rain

Thinking Books...

Published on 2008-10-27 12:31:00

I found this great quote while looking for ways to publicize my new book online:"I was reminded of the neatest thing about writing a book in the first place: the author’s obsession, developed over years and often nurtured in solitude, finally becomes a shared point of reference through which readers can look anew at some aspect of the world."While interviewing the gardeners for my book last year, I felt that I had learned to see the world in new ways. My love for gardening grew. I better und

Putting the Garden to Rest

Published on 2008-10-27 11:03:00

The leaves are falling. I'm getting ready to buy straw to lay on the beds. Most of the vegetables have been pulled up and the garden is turned over. I'm clipping back perennials and doing some last bits of pruning on the bushes. Winter is on its way. Every year at this time, I reflect on my garden accomplishments of the past year.I filled in some holes in the garden with new perennials. This will be a main focus next season as well. I moved my vegetable garden, but I won't know if this wa

The Gardener's Soul

Published on 2008-10-25 16:35:00

Published at last! I've taken a break from blogging to finish up my now published book, "The Gardener's Soul: Nature's Path Toward Inner Peace." Information about the publication is available through Createspace, an affiliate of Amazon.com.I hope to be back to my garden blog on a regular basis! I've missed everyone.

Garden Fashion

Published on 2008-08-08 10:33:00

I have a close friend who is a shopping guru and under her tutelage I bought my first designer outfit last week. I am now a huge fan of Susana Monaco. I know nothing about other designers, but I fell in love with a Susana Monaco top. I went home without buying it at first, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I went on-line and found all the Susana Monaco I could possibly find. I realized that the shirt I saw in the store was actually a Susan Monaco bargain. I went back to buy it a few day