Golden Moments from Chanticleer

Leave it to Chanticleer Garden to always surprise, to always leave you wondering "Can I do that?" No matter how often I visit I'm left in awe and utterly enchanted. Last month I had the opportunity (aka excuse) to visit once again, this time with my husband Andy. I was scheduled to speak locally so…

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Move over boxwood – make room for Distylium!

Have you been searching for the perfect shrub? One that is low maintenance evergreen  deer resistant insect resistant disease resistant can be used for hedging, screening, as a foundation plant, groundcover or as part of a mixed border? is tolerant of wet soils, yet also drought tolerant? Maybe something to replace those ailing boxwood that…

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From Hellstrip to Heavenly

We all have challenging areas in our landscapes, but perhaps one of the toughest is the proverbial "hellstrip", that narrow planting bed sandwiched between the road and the sidewalk. To passers-by and visitors alike this appears to be part of YOUR landscape simply by virtue of its proximity. It has to tolerate foot-traffic, swinging car…

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Creating Sanctuary: Book Review & Giveaway

What does the term 'sanctuary' mean to you? To me, sanctuary means a place where I can be still. A quiet meditative space. My garden. The rolling English countryside. Sitting by the ocean listening to the waves – or on a mountaintop absorbing the sheer majesty of a vista. Author Jessi Bloom offers a broader…

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Deer-Resistant Design – snippets and book giveaway!

Deer-Resistant Design book

It's been an exciting week – my latest book, Deer-Resistant Design: Fence-Free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer (Timber Press, 2019) arrived! I immediately sat down to write a note to each of the contributors and sign a copy for them – in between dancing around the kitchen! Let me explain a bit more about…

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