By Joan Butler photo by kenpei Recently, I came across a list of Cary Award-winning plants. https://nebg.org/cary-award-past-winners/ The Cary Award program, named after Shrewsbury plantsman Ed Cary, was designed to highlight relatively uncommon plants that New England gardeners can choose with confidence as good performers for their home landscapes. The program was administered by the Worcester County Horticultural Society from 1997-2019. In its first year, five plants were selected as winners. One of these is a favorite of mine, Redvein Enkianthus. I first encountered this plant many years ..read more

chanticleer Ready to welcome spring after a long Northeast winter? Nothing lifts the spirit like a stroll among masses of daffodils, tulips and other spring bulbs. Here’s my list of wonderful spring bulb displays to enjoy this year. new england Botanic Garden New England Botanic Garden Mid-April to late May, Boylston, MA Enjoy a changing bulb display at New England Botanic garden, beginning with Reticulated Iris and Hyacinths in mid-April, fields of 25,000 daffodils in late April to early May, and gorgeous tulip displays in mid to late May. nebg.org Spring Bloom Fest at The Stevens Coolidge ..read more

With temperatures climbing this week, the feeling of spring is in the air. While I know that true spring is still a ways off, the desire to get outside and work in the garden is getting strong. Luckily, there are a few garden tasks that should be done now, before the soil warms up, the trees leaf out, and the rapid growth of bulbs and perennials begins. 1. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs Late winter is prime pruning time for deciduous trees and shrubs, while they are still dormant. Always use sharp tools to make clean cuts, and let the wounds heal naturally. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased ..read more

The tranquil gardens at the Albin Polasek Museum are an integral part of the story of the internationally renowned sculptor. Many of the sculptures were created here by Polasek after he survived a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Yet he continued to paint, draw, sculpt clay, and, with assistance, carve stone. These gardens are not only beautiful to behold but part of Polasek’s inspirational legacy. In 1950 Albin Polasek, then aged 70, retired to Winter Park after a successful 30-year career as a sculptor of public and private commissions and head of t ..read more

From beautiful light displays to Christmas teas and train shows, you will find a wealth of holiday cheer at historic mansions and botanic gardens in the region. Below is a list of holiday events in the Northeast and Florida. Please note that almost all of the events listed below require an advance-purchase admission ticket, and are selling out very quickly this year. Maine Gardens Aglow Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME November 18–December 31 New England’s biggest and brightest light display! With over 750,000 lights, the 14 acres of central gardens are transformed into a dramati ..read more

Middleton Place is the most famous plantation and oldest landscape garden in the Charleston area, set on a natural bluff overlooking the Ashley River. It has miraculously remained under the same family stewardship for over 300 years, and boasts an 18th-century garden planted with collections of camellias and azaleas. henry middleton First settled in the late 17th century, Middleton Place was acquired by Henry Middleton through his marriage in 1741. At its peak, the rice plantation was 7,000 acres in size. For 125 years, the property was the family seat of four successive generations of Middl ..read more

By Susan Clark, Board Member, Massachusetts Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society Photo by bert Cregg, MSU In mid to late summer the ground under our oaks is usually littered with terminal leaf clusters that seem to have been snipped off.  I always wondered what caused this loss of healthy twigs as it didn’t seem to be the wind twisting them off; the stems seemed smoothly cut, as though by a mysterious vandal high in the tree tops. I resolved to figure this mystery out and, once again, it’s amazing what a clumsy Google search can turn up. ‘Oak twig loss’ eventually explained ..read more

Stonecrop Gardens has become a destination for gardeners and students of landscape design since it opened to the public in 1992. I have visited several times in different seasons, and find it particularly striking in the fall. Its founder was Frank Cabot, a financier and self-taught horticulturalist who began gardening to relieve the pressures of venture capitalism and ended up creating two of the most celebrated gardens in North America—Stonecrop in New York, and Les Quatre Vents in Quebec. He also founded the Garden Conservancy, and served as chairman of the New York Botanical Garden and ad ..read more

John Bartram was America’s first botanist, plant explorer, and collector. He compiled a stunning selection of flora at his home garden and nursery from plant collecting expeditions across eastern America, as well as through his trades with European collectors. Located on the west bank of the Schuykill River, Bartram’s Garden covers 45 acres. It includes his 1728 home and the historic botanical garden and arboretum that showcases North American plant species collected by three generations of Bartrams. Bartram was a Quaker, a denomination that produced many naturalists at that time. He taugh ..read more

Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum is a wonderful place to visit from June to September, when the exquisite rose garden is in bloom. The three families whose names were given to the Rotch-Jones-Duff House all shared close ties to New Bedford’s dominance of the whaling industry in the 19th century. The beautiful Greek Revival mansion was built in 1834 for William Rotch Jr., one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of New Bedford. Rotch was a Quaker who had distinguished himself by helping to found several banks and schools. He built his house on a hill overlooking the port ..read more