joene's garden » Conferences/Shows

Sights from the 2013 Boston Flower and Garden Show

joenesgarden — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:44:52 +0000

Sights from the 2013 Boston Flower and Garden Show

It's a dreary day in Connecticut, a good day to revisit the sights my camera caught at the 2013 Boston Flower and Garden Show.

With spring just around the corner … yes, it's around the corner in spite of the cold and snowy weather that continues to hang on … it's good to peruse different design ideas. You never know what might get your design juices flowing.

A living wall of herbs.

Not exactly a low maintenance feature, but cool, nonetheless.

Winter to spring.

I've seen many flower and garden show displays yet I don't recall ever seeing one showing a winter landscape. Imaging how useful a display would be if it showed the same landscape in all four seasons.

Fun playhouses for kids and chickens.

The kid playhouse (left) looked like so much fun … I wanted to climb into it. Lucky chickens in the coop on the right!

Liquid fire?

A unique waterfall.

Look to the left of the pergola where water is sheeting from the roof.

Oriental flare.

The dragon atop the arch is most interesting.

Zen-like simplicity.

Note the use of corrugated metal as the background.

Metal features.

These rods mimic the structure of a dormant woody shrub.

The displays were intriguing, but the vendors were fewer than I expected.

Still, I found a perfect new addition for my garden.

Meet Sandy, a crested crane standing about three feet tall on my front porch for now. He will find a more permanent home once winter lets go of my gardens.

Sandy is a creation of Francis Metal Works, craftsmen who create these wonderful statues from Minnesota fieldstone and powder coated iron. Check out some of their other creations … ducks, herons, ibis, and pelicans. At the show they also had spiders and turtles. All were fantastic. It was difficult to restrain from adopting a few of Sandy's show mates.

Categories: Conferences/Shows, Design Features.
Tags: Boston Flower and Garden Show, Francis Metal Works, garden design features.

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Native Plants for Connecticut Gardens

joenesgarden — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:37:16 +0000

Native Plants for Connecticut Gardens

Connecticut gardeners have another opportunity this week to learn more about landscaping with native plants, shrubs and trees. The UConn Garden Conference on March 16, 2012 is one (click on the highlighted link to learn more). Another is at the monthly meeting, Thursday, March 15, 2012 of the Connecticut Horticultural Society when landscape designer Larry Weaner will discuss how to use Connecticut's native plants to create beautiful, low maintenance landscapes that fit well into the local environment.

His talk, «At Home with Natives,» promises to be another lesson in planting the right plant in the right place for entrance areas, screening and sloped areas, woodland gardens and residential meadows.

Read more about Larry Weaner and how to get to Emmanuel Synagogue in West Hartford by 7:00 pm on March 15, and be sure to bring a $10 donation if you have not yet become a member of Connecticut Horticultural Society.

To bone up on the topic of native plants visit Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens. This blog is a great resource for any gardener or naturalist interested in learning more about native plants and how they work in the environment. It covers current issues and basic information that will help you have a good grasp of the issue before hearing Larry Weaner speak.

To read more about two good resources on native plants in general click on, Make a Difference. Plant Natives, which highlights Doug Tallamy's book Bringing Nature Home, and On The Bookshelf: The Green Garden: A New England Guide, which reviews Ellen Sousa's book on planting natives in New England.

Categories: Conferences/Shows, Gardening, Gardening Education, Horticulture Groups, Techniques.
Tags: Connecticut Horticultural Society, gardening in Connecticut, gardening with natives, Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens, The Green Garden: A New England Guide to Planning, UConn Garden Conference.

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Spur Your Green Thumb at UConn Garden Conference

joenesgarden — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Spur Your Green Thumb at UConn Garden Conference

Looking for some gardening impetus or to expand your gardening knowledge? You'll get both at the 2012 Garden Conference at the University of Connecticut on March 16.

I've heard two of the speakers and, without reservation, recommend hearing them at least once.

Kerry Ann Mendez starts the day talking about change as an opportunity to create a more beautiful garden. I heard a different presentation by Kerry Ann at the Connecticut Horticultural Society conference in February. To describe her as lively is an understatement and I suspect her presentation will include fantastic photos of the beauty she has created on her own plot of land.

Doug Tallamy is one of the native plant gurus. He exudes valuable information about native trees and plants and their role in home environments. You will come away with new respect for many of the native shrubs and trees you might take for granted. Read my post on his book, Bringing Nature Home.

The afternoon topics cover growing an edible landscape by Charlie Nardozzi, herbs as ornamentals by Jo Ann Gardner, and old and new annuals by Mitch Rand. You might get ideas like these: chives as a border or interplanted in perennial beds, and planting lettuce among annuals and perennials. The lettuce gives early color, fills in space, and is harvested before the annuals grow to full size.

It's a full day of gardening talk and thoughts of all the beautiful things that come from growing plants, shrubs and trees. Plus, between presentations you can peruse a sizeable collection of gardening-related books – you're sure to find at least one must-have – and obtain information about local gardening and farming groups.

It's a one stop educational experience bound to inspire you to …

Garden thoughtfully,

Joene

Categories: Conferences/Shows, Gardening, Gardening Education, General.
Tags: gardening in Connecticut, UConn Garden Conference.

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