Power Couples.

I have a presentation with the same name and in it I share perennials that work well together, not unlike the Power Couples seen in Hollywood and business. Fall is a great time of year to assess your garden and see where there might be areas that could use a little tweaking. The trick with matchmaking, in this case creating your own Power Couple, is to make sure individual plants will work well together. They must be enough alike – have the same light and moisture requirements, for example. But they should also have differences. It’s the differences that will provide the excitement. For instance, a daisy shaped flower contrasted with a spike, or a finely textured plant contrasted with a coarse texture.

In a successful Power Couple one member is not going to take over – each hold their own but bring something a little different to the table. If you are looking to create a fall Power Couple and you have sedum in your garden, why not introduce some maiden grass, Miscanthus? The complimentary colors and contrasting textures are beautiful. ‘Redhead’ is another wonderful ornamental grass that would be a great partner. If you have monkshood, Aconitum, in your garden consider pairing it with the yellow finely textured fall foliage of blue star, Amsonia hubrichtii.

I love playing matchmaker in the garden and I bet you will too.

Click on image below to see plant names

Dial it in Design

We’ve all seen it. The dial it in design. Whether the work of a builder, landscaper or overwhelmed homeowner these gardens are everywhere. Typical dial it in designs go something like this: put tall things on the corners, round things in the middle and add a few triangular things. This triangle/meatball design process is sad because it overlooks so much.

I enjoy designing gardens and I am proud to say that no two are ever the same. That’s because I want each garden to feel personal to my clients. It should reflect their style, their colors, their vision. I am sure there are programs out there where you can input dimensions and have a landscape created personally for you. But how personal is that? By spending time with my clients I understand what is important to them. If they are away a good part of the summer I will incorporate more spring and fall bloomers. If they want low-maintenance I will forego roses and delphinium. If they have shade I will focus on beautiful textures rather than lots of color. If they have small children (and even if they don’t) I will use native plants to attract birds and pollinators.

I recently took on a design job of a new build. The home was beautiful and I was excited to make the outside as wonderful as the inside. I met with the client and talked about style, maintenance, colors, etc. It was a good meeting and I couldn’t wait to get to work.

Imagine my surprise when I returned to the site a few weeks later to find that the builder had added plantings. They weren’t horrible – pointy things on the corners, round things in the middle and a few triangular things. And a lot of black-eyed Susans which I knew would not thrive in the shady garden. Large evergreens were planted adjacent to the patio for privacy. I was planning on planting for privacy but had envisioned more of a mixed border.

My design had called for the view out the window to incorporate a beautiful fastigiate beech in a plum color that would echo the beautiful painting of trees over the fireplace. Now the view was simply green.

Your home should reflect you. Why settle for cones and meatballs when there is a whole beautiful world of plants out there? If you don’t know where to start give me a call and set up a consult.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ONE OF OUR FAVORITE ‘NEW BUILD” GARDENS

Is Your Garden Alive?

I love sitting in my garden. It’s my happy place. I enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine and I observe. The chickadees and titmice scold each other in the birdbath. The chipmunks play hide and seek under the hosta leaves. The hummingbird hovers just out of reach as he sips nectar from the Spanish flag vine that rambles over the arbor. My bees line up along the moss on the stepping stones to drink. Up the hill I hear the pileated woodpecker no doubt working on the dead tree. Occasionally a snake will slither by (which has taught me the art of the silent scream). My fountain gurgles gently and there is nowhere in the world I would rather be.

Contrast my garden with one that belongs to one of my neighbors. The property is beautiful, pristine even. Not a leaf out of place. The guys that do the lawn make sure of that. They come at least once a week to “mow and blow.” The grass is always green and weed-free, unlike my lawn that sprouts the occasional clover and dandelions. Funny thing is I never see any sign of life there. Either from humans or animals. For all the time my neighbor spends on the upkeep of the property I have never seen him or his family actually sitting outside and enjoying it. In the same way, I do not notice birds or butterflies in his garden. Maybe the pesticide smell keeps them away. In my opinion his landscape is dead on arrival.

What about you? If you stand in your garden do you hear anything? Is your garden alive? If not there are some easy steps you can take to resuscitate it. Plant native plants that attract beneficial insects, pollinators and birds.  Native Plant Trust has a great website. Leave some perennials standing over the winter as the hollow stems can be nesting sites for pollinators. Leave a few leaves as well; they not only shelter salamanders they can increase soil fertility. Have a small pile of brush and twigs for nesting birds like cardinals. Lighten up on pesticides or don’t use them at all.  

A garden is a living, breathing thing. At least it’s supposed to be.

Hello. Goodbye. Hello.

Business is good.

And over the years it has grown, not so much by advertising, but by word of mouth. My incredible clients refer their friends who, not coincidentally, are also incredible.

Every now and then, however, a client leaves. Sometimes it’s for budgetary reasons. Sometimes they have more free time and may want to try doing their own containers (I love this!). Maybe they move. And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s just not the right fit.

A few years back a very dear client moved. I was very sad to see her go; I had worked extensively in her gardens and we had become friends. She was just a few towns away but decided to give her local landscaper a try. I wished her the best and really hoped our paths would cross again.

Just a few weeks ago I got an email:

       “Dear Deborah, I don’t know where to begin except to say I miss you and am hopeful that you might consider doing some work for me.”

The client went on to say that she was moving back to her original town.

I am so excited to renew our relationship and grateful that, this time, “goodbye” was really only “see you later.”

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The Grand Garden Show on Mackinac Island

Here are some of the highlights from my trip to Mackinac Island in Michigan for the Grand Garden Show Featuring Proven Winners®. I was honored to have been asked by Proven Winners to present three talks on container gardening and leading tours through some of the amazing gardens on the island. I am especially excited to have had the opportunity to spend the weekend with like-minded garden enthusiasts! 

I am not sure if it was the big chair or the long journey that had me saying “are we there yet?” over and over but I definitely felt like a little kid. The Grand Hotel was definitely….grand. And they know how to do geraniums! Pots, pots everywhere. And gardens that were simply begging to be photographed. The master designer, Jack Barnwell, (Barnwell Landscape and Garden Services- A Mackinac Island Based Company) led us docents on a rainy tour of some of the island’s private gardens. One “cottage” had a sweet porch ceiling that was painted blue with birds on it! And how better to end a long day than with delicious food…hello filet mignon! 

Beautiful gardens and a great view from the Cupola Bar at the Grand Hotel. I was blessed to be a docent at two gorgeous downtown gardens. First at the Hotel Iroquois then the beautiful Boardwalk Cottage. Hydrangea paniculata ‘Great Star’ was the most photographed plant on both tours! I met Myrtle, the turtle, explored the island via a private carriage ride and took even more pictures of the Grand Hotel. Then the great crew at Jack Barnwell Design started adding extra curb appeal for the big opening of the Grand Garden Show. Moving planters like the pros they are! An opening night cocktail party was a great excuse to dress up and hang out with my friend Kerry Ann Mendez. Another delicious meal with the folks from Proven Winners and then….showtime!

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