Name: Blackberry Lily, aka Iris domestica Type of Plant: We call it a lily but it’s actually an Iris, native of Asia. Why I Love this Plant: I love how the small orange flowers grow in sprays, and how they attract...
Imagine: Emma gazed out over the field in front of their new house. "Honey, wouldn't it be great to plant a butterfly meadow out there?" she asked....
Imagine: This week's story is true. Yesterday I went up to the large elderberry bush at the top of our cutting garden. This year's berry production...
You are invited to join Ellen Zachos and me at a special in-the-garden event on August 27th, 2017. Download a printable PDF here.
Imagine: Fran loved her purple angelica. When it came into flower in mid summer and the bees crowded into the blooms, she smiled. But her husband,...
Imagine: Paul harvested his garlic and raked the area where it grew. It was mid-summer and he suddenly had a large, empth area in his vegetable...
Imagine: They wandered through the perennial vines at the garden center, looking at climbing hydrangeas, honeysuckle and wisteria. “These are grow...
Imagine: As they sat around the firepit at their friends’ new house, the conversation turned to the landscaping. “I want to have plants back here...
Updated 7/13/17 The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival has three more days to go. This event is ten days when we celebrate lovely gardens, hydrangeas, and...
Imagine: Her kids came home from school all excited about a science program that had been presented in the auditorium. “Mom! We have to help save...
One of the questions I frequently get on the radio goes something like this: "How do I get rid of the weeds that are in the cracks of my patio?" The...
We are finally at the time of year when I can walk into the garden and ask, "What's for dinner?" Lettuce, peas, broccoli rabe, and heads of broccoli...
Imagine: Garden Designer’s Diary, June 23 The client said she wanted unusual plants in her garden. “I’d like pods, and grasses and quirky things I...
Name: Cornus kousa aka the kousa dogwood Type of Plant: A small tree that’s native to Asia but grows so well in Zones 5 to 8. There are a few...
It was a cool and damp month of May at Poison Ivy Acres and the first four days of June continued in the same mode. This is fine with me, because...
Imagine: The early morning sun streamed into Karla’s yard as she stood with her morning coffee, contemplating the space around the patio. She...
Imagine: I pictured a sea of color below some grasses. I needed a plant that would do well despite the fact that half of the area it would be...
Imagine: When I first moved to Poison Ivy Acres the front entry to the house was a lawn. That’s all, just a lawn. I knew I wanted a flower garden...
Imagine: Yes indeed. Imagine a plant that looks fantastic in the garden center when it's fresh from the grower. But that plant is out for just one...