Cottage gardens
Discovering the charm of phloxes: Late summer’s blooming beauties
As summer gradually winds down, the garden still has a delightful surprise in store: the vibrant, resilient and charming phloxes. These enchanting perennials are currently in full bloom in my August garden, adding a burst of color and fragrance to the late summer landscape. If you’re new to the world
12 steps in selecting and buying new plants from online catalogs
As the gardening season approaches, many of us are eager to enhance our outdoor spaces with new plants. Online catalogs offer a convenient way to explore a wide variety of purchasing options from the comfort of our homes and long before the weather allows us to play in the garden.
6 landscaping inspirations from local gardens
I’m excited to share six landscaping inspirations from visits to local gardens that made an impression on my gardening experience. These insights, gleaned from the heart of these curated spaces, transcend the boundaries of space and size, proving that, however small or big a garden is, there is always something
Itoh peonies in focus: More Itoh peony hybrids from my garden
Welcome back, peony enthusiasts! More Itoh peonies from my garden! If you’re captivated by the mesmerizing beauty of Itoh peonies, you’re in for a delightful treat. I have previously explored the splendor of these horticultural marvels—aptly dubbed the best of two worlds, combining the hardiness of herbaceous peonies with the
Flowing lines: 12 steps for using a garden hose to design curvy plant borders
Follow these 12 steps for creating a plant border with harmonious contour. Designing the shape of a plant border can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you want to create a natural and flowing look. One easy way to do this is to use a garden hose to
Lady’s mantle: A perennial plant with alchemical secrets
Lady’s mantle, Alchemilla mollis, is an appealing ornamental perennial in my shade borders, especially after rainfall, when the leaves retain droplets of water. Cultivating lady’s mantle as a perennial offers the joy of its long-lasting presence and the convenience of a plant that comes back year after year. Its delicate,
Beauty and the beard: Exploring the stunning bearded iris
The bearded iris or Iris germanica, also known as the German iris, is a popular and stunning perennial plant that is commonly found in gardens throughout the world. Known for their beautiful and vibrant flowers, cultivars of this iris species are well-known among gardeners and landscape designers alike. In this
Siberian iris: A beautiful and hardy addition to your garden
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GORGEOUS, LOW-MAINTENANCE PLANT TO ADD TO YOUR PERENNIAL GARDEN, CONSIDER THE SIBERIAN IRIS. These striking flowers of Iris sibirica are native to Europe and Asia, and have been cultivated for centuries for their beauty and resilience. Appearance Siberian irises are known for their showy blooms,
Bell-shaped beauty of fritillarias: springtime showstopper blooms
A GUIDE TO GROWING AND ENJOYING THESE STRIKING SPRING BEAUTIES. Fritillaria is a genus of spring-blooming bulbs from the lily family. There are over 100 species of fritillarias, also called fritillaries or frits, ranging in size from small, delicate bulbs to large, showy plants. Many fritillarias are prized for their
The Timeless Elegance of Lilies
EXPLORING THE BEAUTY OF THE CLASSIC LILY FLOWERS Lily flowers are some of the most elegant and timeless blooms you can find. With their intricate petals, delicate fragrance, and rich symbolism, lilies are beloved by gardeners and flower enthusiasts around the world. I am fortunate enough to have about 45
The most popular dahlia arrangements on my Instagram
Dahlias, dahlias, in testimony of the hundreds of dahlias, painstakingly planted every spring, cared for during summer, dug in the fall, stored in winter… Such beauty they bring and the more you cut their flowers, the more they bloom. Here is a retrospective, in no particular order, of 30 of
Plant labeling
Think about solutions including plastic strips and DIY metal markers and printed labels. Every fall and spring it happens again. Raking leaves from the gardens, I find them, the little plastic tags with pretty pictures or not, half broken and sometimes faded. They are the precious common and scientific names
The new garden peonies of 2022
It may take one or two years for newly planted peonies to establish themselves and bloom. Sometimes one has to wait for the third year for them to become prolific bloomers. Here is a photo recap of some of the lovely herbaceous cultivars blooming for the first time in the
Setting the garden asleep for Winter
Why and when preparing your garden for the Winter months This Fall has been glorious for gardening. Not only was it mostly sunny, it was also unbelievably warm, hitting quite a few temperature records. Nonetheless, I am always behind yard work, so many things to do before our long and
Garden views
A retrospective gallery about my garden We acquired our nearly 6-acres, semi-wooded property in equestrian country West of Montréal, Québec, 7 years ago. Since then, in the respect of the existing landscape punctuated by magnificent specimens of mature trees, we are creating a country-style garden, while pursuing our respective passions: