Lacing the Border with Beauty
Like many gardeners, I longed for lush banks of greenery and plush borders overflowing with foliage and flowers. Yet, once achieved, my garden cried out for a lighter touch-something to brighten those heavy masses of color. In a way, it was much ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Use big, bold leaves as focal points
I garden in a steam bath. At least that's what it feels like by mid-July, when daytime temperatures approach triple digits. Perennials that flower for months in cool climates often wave a flag of surrender to the heat after three weeks in North ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Annuals Pep Up Perennial Borders
I think of myself as a purist, so when I started my perennial border some years ago, I wanted nothing but perennials. After all, I reasoned, a perennial border should contain only perennials, shouldn't it? But, as time went by, I added several ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Transforming a Barren Backyard
When my sister and her husband asked our landscaping firm to design and build the garden for their new home in Vancouver, Washington, we were both flattered and challenged. The budget was more than adequate, but the property offered little ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Building Better Borders
If you have ever visited New York City, you have most likely seen one of Lynden Miller's gardens. From Central Park to the New York Botanical Garden, she has been instrumental in creating some of the city's most memorable public gardens. Lynden ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Are Pressure Treated Woods Safe in Garden Beds?
Gardeners have used pressure-treated wood for decades in raised beds and as posts, but on December 31, 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the sale of lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) for residential use. ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Water the area
This method produces quick, clean results and allows you to plant your garden immediately. But using a spade or fork to remove sod can result in a lot of sweat and sore muscles. If the sod is in good condition, you can use it elsewhere in your ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Perfect Edges
As an interior designer, I've always known the importance of well-defined lines. Inside the house or out, a clean, smooth line provides a finished look and a sense of clarity to an area. In my garden, a razor-sharp edge serves as a stage that ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
The Best Plants for Sunny Borders
In my day, farmers valued workhorses for their strong constitutions, good manners, and steady dependability. As a gardener, I appreciate these same qualities in a handful of sun-loving perennials that earn their keep day in, day out, year after ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
A Strategy for a Long Border
When I began planning my garden, I knew I wanted a long border in front of the row of trees and shrubs that edged my property. Each year, I removed more sod and filled the space with perennials until the border was about 15 feet wide and 150 feet ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
A Bold Border of Trees and Shrubs
When I began working with one of my landscape clients, in 1988, he had been building his collection of trees and shrubs for many years. They had been assembled with little rhyme or reason, so he asked me to give the collection a sense of composition. [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Remaking a Bed
Early on, when I began learning about gardening, I went to a garden club lecture given by local gardening legend Sydney Eddison. I sat at a table surrounded by matronly club members who asked me what I specialized in. I told them quite naively ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
