Q: I’m going away for Christmas, but I’m a bit concerned about all my houseplants in my absence. Do you think it would be a good idea to get a friend to pop by (we’ll be gone for nearly a fortnight) to water them while I’m gone? SK, Dublin
27.11.2023 - 10:49 / finegardening.com / GPOD Contributor
We’re off to Canada today to visit Anne’s garden.
You have visited my garden before (A Garden That Works With Nature Instead of Fighting It). We are located not far from Ottawa, Ontario, in a rural development. I thought it would be nice to visit it in autumn, a few years later.
Gardening on the edge of an arid alvar environment is sometimes a challenge but often a delight. The trick is to work with the environment instead of trying to change it. The limestone outcroppings all over our garden are a feature of the alvar environment, and we have embraced them.
Since the last time, I have added a permaculture berm in a corner of the front yard and have grown some pumpkin and squash on it. I have continued to encourage native plants in the borders (e.g., asters, goldenrods, columbines) and have noticed a distinct increase in pollinators visiting. I have also planted a pollinator garden area on the side (anise hyssop, echinops, lysimachia, etc.) and have taken out some invasive species (Norway maple, European buckthorn). The latter is still a major issue.
The garden is an ever-changing organism. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep on top of it, but then, nature has its way.
I hope you enjoy my fall garden.
In this mid-fall view from the road at the entrance to the property you can see red maple (Acer rubrum, Zones 3–9), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina, Zones 3–8), ivory silk lilac (Syringa reticulata, Zones 3–7), and Ginkgo biloba(Zones 3–8).
The staghorn sumac in fall color
Around the pond there is a potted mum (Chrysanthemum hybrid, hardiness varies by cultivar) along with Hemerocallis (Zones 3–8), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, Zones 4–8), and Van Houtte spirea (Spiraea × vanhottei, Zones 3–8).
A photo
Q: I’m going away for Christmas, but I’m a bit concerned about all my houseplants in my absence. Do you think it would be a good idea to get a friend to pop by (we’ll be gone for nearly a fortnight) to water them while I’m gone? SK, Dublin
From when I was a child, I’ve always loved gussying up the table for Christmas. Lots of candles are a must, in order to give that necessary festive twinkle, ideally placed at different heights (nightlights, low candlesticks, tall candelabras), to really make it sparkle. Nice table linen and glassware are important too. But the table arrangements really wave the magic Christmas wand, providing that all-important bit of theatre to memorably mark this special day of the year.
Where do hedgehogs live?
Looking for a greatgardening book to read or gift this Christmas? Here’s my pick of the crop from this year’s harvest.
Blue moths are not just a mesmerizing sight in your backyard but a symbol of a thriving ecosystem.
A is for annual membership of one of Ireland’s world class great gardens open to the public. Examples include Blarney Castle in Co Cork (12-month adult pass, €100, blarneycastle.ie); Mount Usher in Co Wicklow (€40, mountushergardens.ie); Killruddery in Co Wicklow; (killruddery.com from €60-€100); and Mount Congreve in Co Waterford (from €70, mountcongreve.com).
Small Space Garden Design Ideas from the Pros Learn how to make the most out of small garden spaces from 4 designers. Elevating Small Space Gardens
Mushrooms in the garden can be an unsettling sight, indicating changes in the soil and in growing conditions generally. While growing mushrooms is becoming more popular as a home interest, fungi can be unpleasant in gardens when they arrive out of nowhere. These unplanned garden guests can also be toxic, so you’ll want to remove them if you have curious children or pets.
You can take an Englishwoman out of England, but you can’t change a deeply ingrained English garden aesthetic. Pom Shillingford has lived in America for 26 years, but she still yearns for the garden she knew as a child — her grandmother’s beloved Arts & Crafts garden in Hampshire, which she remembers always being filled with seasonal flowers. She and her husband David and their three young children moved from Manhattan to the small town of Salisbury in Connecticut in 2013. ‘I had always loved Manhattan, but suddenly I didn’t love it any more and needed to go back to green fields and the outdoors,’ says Pom.
We’re in Beeton, Ontario, today, visiting Marina. We’ve been to her beautiful garden before (Marina’s Garden in Beeton, Ontario) when it was just a few years old, and we’re back today to see how it has thrived and grown since then.
Visit the Hampton-Preston House and Garden in Historic Columbia. It was built for Anisley and Sarah Hall in 1818. They lived here until 1823, when the house was sold to Wade Hampton Sr and his wife, Mary Couter Hampton.
Last week, I told you about a garden talk I attended at the Robert Mills Carriage House and Gardens in Columbia, SC. Jim Martin (The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Director of Horticulture & Landscape) was the second presenter. He discussed using bulbs to create “special little moments” every day.