Arrangement: February

There is not much going on here in the gardens at this point. Dreaming of Daffodils and Crocus is all one can do as well as going through garden books and seed catalogs. But there is one plant who one might think is associated with the holidays is in full glory at the moment.


Yes, an Amaryllis is the plant I am talking about. I plant these "holiday bulbs" every November, though I have learned over time that with the house being much cooler than most what might bloom in late December now blooms in February. So it is in this trial and error we now grow either white varieties or now this new favorite Amaryllis 'Moonlight' a soft warm white flower with a deep green throat.
Perfect for the onset of spring these white colored big beauties light up our home.


If you can find 'Moonlight' I suggest you try this variety. I can vision this plant in many decors and styles. I am definitely going to try to keep this one over for next season. It's a keeper!

Arrangement: January

It's January and I can't help but think of spring. The decorations are away and the earliest of branches are being forced to bloom. I think the little bird above I created that states at his base Vernal, sums it up.



Above and below are some porcelain vessels that I made at my studio and forced some Forsythia in. Forsythia although, not loved by most professional gardeners is a bloom you can count on. I love that you can force it in December and continue all through the winter months to give you that cheery yellow as bright as a spring day.



The other winter show stopper here is Salix chaenomeloides or the giant Japanese Pussy Willow. These few small stems were picked from the mother plant in the shrub border out front and forced in one of my vessels with a flower frog attached.


This is just a taste of things to come folks. Old Man Winter, your days are numbered!

A Most Beautiful Snowfall

It was one of those snowfalls that you dream about. You drift to sleep on a calm winter night to wake up to the most magnificent fluffy snow that has blanketed the earth.



It stuck to everything in the garden from seed-heads to grasses and evergreens. This is the importance in my opinion in leaving plant skeletons for the winter.

There are two schools of thought on this. Some gardeners like a cleaned-up fresh look for the cold months, relying on evergreens for structure. While others like myself love the winter interest not only from evergreens but from all the bones that are left in the gardens. You can make your own decision for which side of the fence you sit on.



But then you would miss out on snow clinging to Panicum seed-heads above and perched on Echinacea below.




Although, there is no denying the winter power of evergreens. The Norway Spruce above was planted as a seedling by the former owner of the house. Now it stands as a major focal point in our winter landscape.

Below are a trio of Gold Cone Junipers I planted this fall in the main perennial bed. Though covered in snow they still stand out as winter figures.




So this coming fall when you are cutting back plants and getting ready for the next winter just remember by leaving some key plants standing in your beds you are gaining a ton of interest in a fairly bare landscape.

Wreath Making and Future Workshops

I have been making winter and holiday wreaths for years. I was first taught the craft by my mother who taught me to use natural materials and to be creative with them. Later on she taught me bow making in which I really later explored while making wreaths at the farm I worked at years ago. Both are simple skills that anyone can learn and expand on.


I now make all the wreaths here in Cornwallville from scratch using pre-made forms and as well as ones I compose myself. I gather greens and materials from different sources and have my "secret places" as my mother and I refer to them (and as does she to her own).




They are an absolute joy to create and the techniques and creativity you can express are endless. Back in the day when I was being paid to make wreaths for a couple of years, I realized that they were in high demand but also wanted to teach people how to make them as well. I think they are short lived works of botanical art, much like a floral arrangement but lasting well over a month or so. Creating them together in a group for me is also part of the process (think a sewing circle, but a bit more fun).





So it is in this idea of using creativity and crossing it with botanical materials, in which I want to inform you that during the holiday season of 2011 I will be offering a few wreath making workshops. They will take place here at the M.H. Merchant Stone House, and possibly one in Northern New Jersey and will provide all the materials needed. The details will come most likely in October.

The final wreath below is not one I created but one I received as a gift from my good gardening friend Heather Grimes. It just goes to show how creative one can be. Instead of using evergreen plant material, Heather composed an absolutely charming wreath for me out of dried herbs and seed heads. Now that's being a true gardening wreath maker!


I hope you enjoyed this quick glance at some wreaths here in Cornwallville and that it inspires you to get creative with your holiday decor.

Happy Holidays from the Cornwallville Gardens!

Hoarfrosted

These images are of the first hoarfrost here in Cornwallville. Hoarfrost is a crystalline deposit of frozen water vapor on vegetation and other outdoor surfaces. It is also one of my favorite works by my partner Stephen.


It can be one of the most magical things to happen to the winter garden. It looks as if sugar has been sprinkled from the clouds and everything it lands on shimmers with sweetness.






For S.

Arrangement: November

A simple, calming, beautiful arrangement for November. It reminds me of something you would see in a Shaker's home or in a dutch painting. All the composition contains is an unknown Australian blue squash, and two salt glazed bottles one of which contains a single bittersweet branch.



I have been doing this sort of arrangement at the end of the dining room table now for years, it varies but always consists of an unusual gourd or squash and bittersweet.

A Seasons Ending.

It's November here in Cornwallville and although fall does not officially end until December 21st, the last bit's of fall color are holding on for dear life.
Above and below are pictures of the three standardized Wisteria that the former owner planted years ago. At first I wanted to remove them when we moved in but have truly grown to love them. They are covered in blooms in May and then we are rewarded with the stunning soft gray seed pods and left over yellow stems in the fall.


Grasses were way under used when I first started all the gardens here a few years back. With my own education and seeing them in other gardens I have begun to add more and more. The one pictured below is a switchgrass or Panicum virgatum 'Rotstrahlbusch' or commonly called Red Switchgrass. The blades are green at the base and fade into burgundy at the tips. After the cool temperatures hit it, it fades to a true golden yellow.


The Rudbeckia laciniata is still pushing off-set blooms. This is why I have so many drifts of this amazing plant. It just keeps on going and going.


Now come the dark stars of the show. Plants that with many cold nights and a couple of frosts produce the most deep, dark reds. Below is Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur' followed by Coreopsis tripteris.




Another Viburnum that is a newbie here is Viburnum 'Brandywine'. I fell in love with this one as soon as I saw it for sale at Loomis Creek. Coral-pink fruit fades to a blueberry that looks good enough to eat. Now though shriveled, they continue to add color to the garden.


Ornamental Kale is perfect in so many different gardens. I believe it is truly an underused plant. It gives you color from September till December sometimes even through January, and if you live in a warmer zone can last till the next spring.
The variety below is unknown but seek out the most unusual you can find, typically I find Kale to have better color and texture then their fellow cabbage.


The native Northern Sea Oats or Chasmanthium latifolium above, and Huchera 'Autumn Bride' are two perennials that I could not live without. The Sea Oats are just charming all season and 'Autumn Bride' has been blooming since August. Beat that kind of bloom time.



One of the many trees that the previous owner planted on the property is this lone ancient Metasequoia. This young fellow stands alone at the edge of our south meadow. The plan is to get him some younger brothers in the spring so they could form a grove. Oh and look at that gorgeous bark pictured bellow, it screams autumn.


I conclude with an Anthirium, to be exact Athirium 'Tweeny Peach'. I picked up a flat at Loomis Creek in the spring and they have been blooming from May till November even after multiple frosts with a little dead-heading.
I have never seen this variety before and I hope to god to find it next spring even though Stephen finds it less than special.


As I am finishing this post it is beginning to snow. A perfect ending for a perfect season here at the M.H. Merchant Stone House.