The greenhouse was built in 2008/2009 and have reached the point we need to rethink how we maximize the space and ensure it is as efficient as possible.  With our midwestern thriftiness, we looked at the property and what assets we had to help in this process. We moved our containers and supplies into an existing trailer that we moved closer to the greenhouse. This gives us at additional table space and improves air flow through the space. With all the tables cleared and moved out we added new water lines, top dressed the gravel and power washed the walls and surfaces.

This is what the greenhouse looked end of last week. Seeing the greenhouse cleared is refreshing. The timing for all these projects getting done is aligned for our spring annuals arriving this week. We have some we already in production with our dusty miller we started last fall and some annuals we are growing from seeds and bulbs.

The greenhouse projects are not done yet. We still need to replace the barrier in the sun perennial area and add a barrier between our two shrub hoop houses. We also need to paint the trailer we are using for greenhouse storage, thinking olive, black and lime green. This year we are also expanding the production fields with some material already on order. The supply issues of 2021 reiterated the importance of having control over inventory and quality. Further niching our services feeds our creative spirt and enhances our pride in the gardens we create when we have nurtured the plants in the nursery, during install and on-going maintenance.

Since an empty greenhouse may not be as refreshing a site to everyone else, here is a tour of what the greenhouse looks during past seasons.

View of the tables from March 22, 2018. Annuals come in as plugs and get potted in 4in, 6in, quarts, 2 quarts and gallon pots.  A few get placed in hanging baskets three to a basket.  However, these will not be used as hanging baskets, rather larger filler plants for containers.  This obviously gives us larger plants to work with and gives us more growing space. Early March is when our summer annuals arrive and spring annuals arrive mid-January. This year we are increasing our in-house spring production so March will be a crowed time period in our greenhouse. But our Spring crop should be ready to move into the perennial house to harden off by this time.

View of the Greenhouse March 27, 2018. All our annuals are still not potted up at this point since you can see we don’t have the hanging baskets up yet. However, all the tables are getting close to covered. Also, at this point we have removed the wall between the main portion of the greenhouse and the tropical room. This wall goes up in December and comes down this time period, depending on the weather. We have four heaters in this space to manage temperatures and visiting the tropical room on a sunny February day is one of the best cases for winter blues.

Same view of the greenhouse May 14. We run a tight window between our frost-free date and Memorial Day Weekend for annuals. This generally means we have a mad rush for getting containers swapped from spring to summer annuals. Some years the spring annuals are thriving at Memorial Day so we have a bit longer to make the swap out. This photo is from 2018 and since they we have doubled our hanging basket space with more drippers. It is a balance for having too much in the greenhouse and ensuring there is good air flow.

Here is the greenhouse on May 24.  You can see the difference those 10 days make in our inventory. The quantity, colors and growing habits of our annual orders are all based on client preferences and ability to create distinct designs for each client. Once we get further into spring annuals season will share how we make the decisions what we grow in house. We can always supplement with purchasing from outside nurseries (we love Lettuce Work) if we need something to fill in a container.

These are plugs that from the grower before they get potted up into larger sizes. All perennials get individual tags, while annuals follow the guidelines from the grower of what is required for labeling. Even though we are not retail, we still follow the requirements for trademarked tagging and pots.

Here is our selection of coleus plugs and their awaiting pots. We order by the tray, which is normally about 104 per tray. There are a few verities we order in two or three trays, but we try to have a larger assortment compared to a lot of one variety. We like variety of plants in curated palette of bloom and foliage color.

When the greenhouse is full it is easy to see how you can play with the colors and foliage to build different combos with the same group of plants.

Here is a view of the perennial house in early spring. We use rice hulls for weed suppression. However, we do spend a considerable amount of time ensuring we remove weeds so plants do not go to clients with weeds and then ongoing maintenance becomes problematic.  For spring 2022 we have a lot of hellebores for containers, these are more expensive plants to use for a temporary design, but these can be up potted and placed back into gardens when we do the summer swap.

Here is a view looking down the greenhouse from the front corner of the heated area. We have removed the wall between the areas, but you can see how full the building becomes before summer annuals go out.

The agave americana has practice golf balls on the tips to prevent any work place injuries. We don’t winter over this pair anymore, which has freed up so much more space in the heated portion of the greenhouse.

Early in the season we keep plants grouped and pull by the tray to build. When inventory gets smaller, we pre-pull for projects and mark with tape by client. this ensures we have what we want to use to build the containers. You would be surprised how many plants a container can eat up and its best to pull more than you think.

Here is the perennnial pad when it is full during the season.  Generally these plants go out for install projects. You can see the weed barrier that we are replacing this year.

Also, around the greenhouse: (1) We have a few different size pots depending on how large we want the plants at planting. These wider containers allow us to plant larger clumping of annuals.  (2) The sun perennial pad in the fall before cut backs and items are moved into winter storage.  (3) we have two of these hoop houses we use for storing shrubs. Currently they house our large inventory of our favorite hydrangea varsities. This past year we made a large dent in our inventory, but still have one full house worth going into 2022.  (4) We reuse our containers for as many seasons as we possibly can before they start breaking down. Between seasons, they get sterilized to keep disease and weeds at bay.

Finally, here are some examples showcasing all the work in selecting varieties, quantities, growing and the artistry in building for containers.  It is our maintenance team that creates the finished combos, hence why they are heavily involved in the selection in the seasonal production.

Here is another example that shows the same containers over two years and you can see who we can mix up the varieties of plants used from year to year and still deliver on a palette the client likes. These are 24×24 inches wide, and this takes a lot of plant material to fill. We plant with plants touching at install and ensure they are getting feed throughout the season.

Over the next few weeks, I will share a few more winter projects we are tackling at the shop and at home. Last week we had two large diseased/dead trees come down. Now I have more than enough wood to split for my staked walls to keep me busy all winter. Plus, we have a large section we are looking to get milled.

This year I travel a lot and did not accomplish many projects in my personal garden. I did however get to explore some of the most amazing private gardens across the United States. Immersing myself in those intimate spaces and exploring the varying regions of the US in a condensed time frame provided me with the ability to view my garden with a fresh lens.  The gift list this year reflects items that aid in encouraging gardeners in to continue looking at their gardens with new references along with some items to make you look good while gardening.

Dan Pearson’s Master Class in Naturalistic Planting from Creative Academy  (about $170 )

Being a gardener means you are constantly learning from your garden and every other you enter. It is not often you get to learn directly from a celebrated garden designer like Dan Pearson. This is an online class I am personally excited to take over the winter. Dan’s Gardens are a personal creative inspiration for me, and the production and organization of the course provides a wonderful insight into Dan’s process. You can present the gift of the class along with a copy of Dan’s Book, Toakachi Millennium Forest (this is an amazon link)

Collector’s Edition of Drawn From The Land by Tom Stuart Smith (about $200 with shipping to the USA).

Earlier this year Tom released, Drawn From the Land (this is an Amazon Link). The book is a collection of Tom’s portfolio of work illustrated with drawings, photos and writings with insight into Tom’s planting and designing methods. Tom’s 2011 limited release of The Barn Garden, Making a Place is one of my most prized books in our library, and Drawn From the Land has moved into my core list of   books recommended to someone interested in starting a career in garden design.  Tom created gardens of poetic energy and the book provides you insight into his process, giving you an education of how to craft a garden of emotion and thoughtfulness.

HOWEVER, if you have a major Garden Design Geek in the family (ahem), I would gift them with the Collector’s Edition of Drawn From the Land. The special edition is limited to 1000 copies and includes a special book collection of Tom’s Drawings.  This is the Tom Ford coffee table book for gardeners.

Crescent Lufkin 25ft.  Black Blade Tape Measure ($28)

I found this tape measuring while watching an episode of This Old House. I then went on an internet rabbit hunt for a tape measure with a black and florescent green blade and I found the Lufkin and have never looked back.  Better looking than the standard yellow exterior case, the face is easier to read and the blade has a 12 ft standout. It is a simple tool, however one I use all the time for projects and at home. Trust me, it is the tool that is that much better than the one you are currently using.

Huckberry x Xtratuf Deck Boot ($110)

Don’t worry I still love my Blundstones, but when it is damp and I need boots, I love my new Xtratufs. They are lower around my ankles, light and keep my feet dry. There are other versions of this boot, but I wanted this version specifically for my affinity for camo. If you check out my Everyday Carry Page, I have lots of different blundstone styles I have owned over the years and other Xtratuf styles.

Ilse Jacobsen Diamond Rub 90 Boot  ($150)

Allison has a few pairs of Ilse Jacobsen boots, and they are her preferred wellies over Hunters. This year she got this lower boot in black with a heal and they have joined her daily rotation with her Blundstones (yes the whole family has pairs, even the kids).  They are water proof, but easily clean up to look good for client meetings. They are also comfortable for all day wear compared to taller wellies. This style is harder to find, but she recommends any of Ilse’s styles.

PREVIOUS GIFT GUIDES: Here are some quick links to previous Gardener Gift Guides from previous years. I am happy to say there is only one item across these lists I would not continue recommending.

• 2019 – This year we created gift boxes with my recommendations from preivous years. Ended up not selling, but I did sell off all the limited edition Flecos I was hoarding and just rolled all the items into my everyday carries. This post has no links, but you can Google all product names and find the items.
• 2018 – I no longer recommend the Barebones Hori Hori knife, it is too heavy and is more for someone that wants the look of a serious gardener. I Lost my Antonio Bandanas – Beverage Collection Bandanas sometime over the past few years and need to order a new one.
• 2016 – Everyone of these items holds up and would recommend again and again. Sorry the photos are not loading, will be a winter project figuring out why.
• 2015 – Again, another list I would recommend every item again. Of course a list that includes Botanist Gin is timeless.
• 2013 – My first list for Gardeners. I now notice Blundstones have been repeated a few times, I think I might have a problem. Also, this year I got a new camera (shh… that will come up again in 2022). It has been life changing in the photos I have been taking of gardens. Will share more on that in an upcoming post.

Here is a quick look at what is included in my Amazon Store. The items are serious garden tools. I would not say they are like gifting someone a vacuum, but these are meant to be used gifts. Again, please note these are set up as affiliate links. I believe this is my first time posting with affiliate links and want to be upfront.

THE GARDENER’S EVERYDAY CARRIES – Amazon Shopping List

THE WELL READ GARDENER – Amazon Shopping List

I think Pinterest, Instagram and traveling are ongoing great resources, but nothing beats a good book (well except travel). A good book I return to over and over again and I am amazing that no matter how many times I have read it I still get a creative charge from them.

Have a wonderful Holiday season. May all the gardeners find time to recharge and be reinspired.

Here is my front garden this week with all the perennials. I have added some additional Seslaria autumnalis along the front of the bed and flag markings where I am planning on placing bulbs.  In this case it is important that I add the perennials in tandem to make sure I am not digging up bulbs when I go back and add and edit.  It is just so much easier.   

PART ONE: The Preparation

SORTING. After having a planting plan created, the first step is prepping the bulbs for planting. Since I have a specific planting location for all these bulbs, I opened all the bags of bulbs into individual containers.  I keep one or two of the bags inside the container incase if forgot which bulb is which. Sometimes they just look too similar.  This process also allows me to inspect all the bulbs and make sure they are good to plant.

Here I have all my bulbs sorted into different trugs and pots. My planting is occurring over a few weeknights, so keeping one-two of the bulb bags inside the bins helps me confirm I am planting the right bulbs. This really helps when planting a variety of the same type of bulb. 

GATHERING THE TOOLS: I also gather all my planting materials and either place in a bucket or wheel barrel to have close at hand. Depending on the number of bulbs planting, you will not get it all done in one go and keeping it all in the wheel barrel allows me to put it way together between planting.

Here is my list of products. I have included links to all the products either from A.M. Leonard (our go to source for work tools) and a few Amazon links.

• Knee Pad: This is a job with a lot of up and down and kneeling in-between plants. This just keeps your knees from aching and getting damp from soil and the older I get the more of a priority saving my knees becomes.
• Soil knife: Some bulbs, like the smaller alliums / crocus, do not require a deep hole and since my soil is well amended, this is an easy tool to dig the holes.
• Spade: This gets the holes started and then the soil knife helps with the final digging/breaking up of the soil.  My personal spade is this King of Spades Nursery spade I have had for years.
• Augur: When doing a lot of planting this is really a time saver tool. We have these in different sizes depending on want we are planting. I have the professional size due to the volume we plant and frequency we use it.  Auger efficiencies really depends on your soil type.  In sandy / light soils the auger can really be a dream.  In heavy clay soils the auger can be your worse nightmare.  You can find smaller versions that work with battery drills but use caution because in heavy soils you can ruin light duty drill in a heart beat.
• Marking Flags: Since I am planting to have these bulbs work within an existing bed and work with the foliage of perennials, the flags help me do a planned placement of each bulb type. More about this later.
• Rodent Deterrent: Daffodils are natural rodent deterrents, how some of the other bulbs I am planting this is an extra safety measure against our healthy population of rabbits and chipmunks.
• Garden Gloves: To help protect your hands, I like these thinner gloves with a polyurethane palm coating.
• Extra Trugs: I use one to place the displaced soil while digging the planting hole and other for collected the weeds/debris I collect while in the garden.  (I like Red Gorilla brand trugs)

What I don’t have

• Bone meal – In the past I have used bone meal as a fertilizer for the bulbs in planting. But I have had rodents / racoons dig up bulbs because they smell the bone meal.  Now I use a biochar fertilizer on across the surface instead of in the rootzone.

GARDENER TIP:  It is an important note to read the planting directions from the bulb company before you start. You did your research in the purchasing phase, but remind your self on planting depths, spread, or if  fertilizing is recommended.  FLOWERBULBS.COM is great resource for planting tips or information for researching about the bulbs at designing and purchasing phases.

LAYING OUT THE DESIGN.  Since my design calls for specific session of blooms, the placement of the bulbs within the perennials is very important. Using different marking flags correlating to the bulbs allows me to mark the areas I need to place each type. Some areas I am layering bulbs so I place two flags side by side. This method also allows me to step back and look at the positioning of the groupings and make sure the bulbs  balanced throughout the bed.

GARDENER TIP:  Take a photo to remember were you placed everything. Come spring you will forget where you planted and seeing the flags in relation to your other plantings will help you locate where you have bulbs planted.

PART TWO: FINALLY, THE PLANTING

Since I have the flags marking where I am planting and what bulb goes where, I work from one end of the garden to the other.  This is a lot of up and down and wedging between perennials to get all the bulbs in.  I am including some light fall clean up during this too, which is making the process a bit longer. Note, I  leave up all my grasses through the winter so the majority of my cut backs are done in the spring.

I have spent years amending our clay soil with leaf compost / pine fines, and planting the bulbs is another chance to get some soil amendments blended into the the beds. 

Here are some tips for the planting:

• Use a trug for displaced soil. Loosen the soil and as you dig place it inside a trug. This gives you control in placing the soil back over the bulbs and ensures you are not covering up any of your other plants.
• Make big clumps of bulbs. I am for at least a minimum of 10 bulbs of same variety per clumping. Ideally I really like the trench method where I dig up a larger area and plant 30-50 at a time for a very large massing.  Granted this can’t happen everywhere, especially within an existing perennial border.   These big masses of bulbs make more of a color impact that if those same bulbs were spread out into many little holes.
• Pay attention to right side up. For the newcomers to planting bulbs.  You are investing all this time and effort into planting. Best to give the bulbs the best chance of growing strong. Make sure the roots are point down.  You can reference Everything About Flower Bulbs at FlowerBulbs.com for more details.
• Layer Bulbs. I am placing different session of bulbs in the same hole. Early with late. The later blooms will cover up the foliage of the earlier blooms and be less clean up I need to manage in the garden.
• Group bulbs to use others rodent deterrent. The daffodils are naturally deer and rodent deterrents, so those are planed with bulbs that are less so to help keep them from being nibbled.  Additionally The Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) will actually repel borrowing rodents from your beds.
• Remove flags once you planted. This will help you know where you have planted and see what is left.

Bulbs are really easy planting, I promise you. However here is a quick reference guide:  Please also for any other questions a wonder reference is  Everything About Flower Bulbs at FlowerBulbs.com

This bed is not the only bulb planting I am doing before Thanksgiving. Every year we add to the decades old drifts on the property. This year I have some Apricot Whirl Daffodils that will be going at the woodland edge closest to our driveway. I also placed a large order of Summer Drummer Alliums after seeing the flower heads in a garden this summer. The mature height is four to six feet, so will be great in taller perennial beds.

If you have any questions about planting bulbs or varieties I have had success with in years past, please reach out.  There is still time to purchase and plant. Online retailers have already reduced prices, just make sure your bulbs are shipping within the USA. If you are concerned about delivery, visit local garden centers, big box home improvement and grocery stores (Whole Foods has good selection), just note they may have not reduced pricing yet. For timing, I have also planted past Thanksgiving and had success. I have actually broken many of the bulb rules and had success, so don’t stress too much.  If you are able to get into the garden and dig the holes, plant some bulbs.

Finally, I will keep everyone updated as the bulbs start appearing this spring both on the blog and Instagram. I have a stone wall I am building in a neighboring bed as a winter project so will be sending a lot of time in the front garden over the winter and spring.

This post was sponsored by Flowerbulbs.com

While we were in Monterey this summer, we found Alta Bakery & Café at Cooper Molera Abode while walking to find breakfast near our hotel. After we selected our pastries and coffee, we ventured out to the back courtyard patio to eat. We had no knowledge of the Cooper Molera prior, and upon entering the courtyard we found the best unexpected gardens of the summer.  We wondered the gardens and courtyard almost alone thanks to being second in line when the bakery opened. The quietness of the morning combined with the layer of fog and vibrant colors of the garden provided the space with an additional charm to our find.

The Cooper Molera is an adaptive reuse space created from a historic site in the heart of Monterey. The property consists of a museum, office space for the National Trust, Alta Bakery, Cella Restaurant (I don’t think this is currently open) and the Barns at Cooper Molera event space, all of which share an interior courtyard and garden. The buildings start dating back to 1827 and have been apart of the history of Monterey from both being a home and commercial space in the community.  It was donated to the National Trust in the 1960s. After which, the National Trust rented to the California Park System, who in return renovated the space and opened it as a museum. However, slowly over time the cost to maintain the space became prohibitive and the parks declined to renew their lease. This is where I find the space and its current use very interesting and makes me think how it can be used at other historically insteresting spaces.  The National Trust worked with a local developer to return some of the buildings back to commercial space while still maintaining the historical integrity. The addition of the commercial use provided the funding to upkeep the space, and the partnership with the National Trust ensured the renovation to do so was done sympathetically to the historical aspects.  To learn more about the history and more about the path to the current use of Cooper Molera this is a great article. HERE.

While we were visiting the museum was not open, but we got to peek our head into the barns. We returned to get photos with the camera, which gave us foggy morning shots and unfortunately full sun photos with the Sony.   The gardens were design by Isabella de Sibert of Stuck in the Mud and is maintained in part by volunteers from the Historic Garden league of Monterey.  (The Historic Garden League also maintains another beautiful garden in Monterey I will share in an up coming post.)  Now on to photos of the gardens.

I have two bulb planting strategies: collected/accidental and methodical/designed. The collected/accidental results in me adding and adding every year new varieties in unplanned quantities. Mostly I do this with Daffodils, Eranthis, Galanthus planting within wood lines and expanding on existing naturalized drifts. I don’t focus on plant height since mostly these are the only plant above ground level so they don’t have to compete within in existing foliage. Also, very few other plants are in bloom during this time I am willing to diversify more with bloom colors.

For methodical and design plantings, I do inside perennial beds and for bulbs that will be blooming with other later spring and early summer perennials. This is when you have to think about plant height (ensure not crowded out) and bloom color coordination. This method is a bit trickier in selecting bulbs, bed placement and planting compared to the more organic method, but with some planning can make an existing perennial bed feel renewed.

Since I feel like my personal garden has been stagnant this summer, I decided to add a bulb layer to my front bed to give it more depth seasonally. I am going to share the process in three posts, first the planning and selecting the bulbs (this post) and a second later this fall when I am planting. Finally I will share the bulbs as the bloom this spring into summer.  See what I mean, gardening is always about working in the now for something to pay off months down the road.

Look at the garden across bloom times.

My front bed changes drastically from early March to June. I leave up all the perennial foliage during the winter and do a drastic cut back in early spring. This is also when I can top dress the compost/mulch layer. So early spring is the best time for low growing bulbs. Since I don’t have any blooms during this time period, I don’t have any restraints on colors I can use.

As the seasons progress and my perennials start to push from their spring cut back, low growing bulbs will start to be hidden in the foliage. For later spring to early summer bulbs, I need to select taller varieties. This also means the foliage from the first phase of bulbs are starting to be covered and I don’t have to worry about foliage as it dies back. For bloom / foliage color, my existing color palate of white flowers and focus on textural foliage means bright colored bulbs will conflict with the design, so I need to be much more confined by the blooms I will include further into the season.

A good way to think through this is look back at photos from March, April, May and June of your garden and see how everything looks and where you have open areas in the garden. Here is my front garden from March, May and June. (Bonus you can see the front walkway I put in this year).

Selecting Bulbs knowing your constraints.

Now that I had identified my constraints within the existing garden, I could start shopping for bulbs. I am not a bulb shopping snob and with everything in gardening, bulb shopping is a  high/low price balance.  I have purchased bulbs everywhere from the grocery store to an obscure retailer I learned about from a friend of a friend. Often when it is a specific bulb am looking for, it is a rabbit hole of an internet search or a moment I cannot believe my luck a nursery had it stock.  Here are some online resources, but check out your local nurseries too:

• Brecks
• Longfield Gardens
• Brent & Becky’s Bulbs

I do believe in buying in a quantity that makes a statement – that means purchasing in the 50s to 100s + for perennial beds depending on size. With the collected/accidental planting it is easier to add to over time compared to a planned designed area, so investing in bulb quantities is easier upfront. If you are planning to add overtime, I would suggest taking photos of the bulbs in bloom so you know what areas you want to add more the next year.

For my front bed I selected bulbs that bloom from early spring to early summer. Past early summer my perennials are full and additional interest/color/texture are not needed and would make less impact. I would rather focus my time and funds in the early season. I also selected bulbs that are deer and (as much as possible) chipmunk proof since we have a chipmunk infestation.

Here are the bulbs I selected for the garden and the quantities I plan to plant as a reference for volume to make an impact. I am planting these across the entire front portion of our house.

• Narcissus ‘Polar Hunter’   (150 bulbs)
• Narcissus ‘Snow Baby’   (150 bulbs)
• Fritillaria uva-vulpis  (240 bulbs)
• Narcissus small-cupped ‘Green Daffodil’   (150 bulbs)
• Allium chloranthum ‘Yellow Fantasy’  (150 bulbs)

Waiting to plant.

The bulbs arrived a few weeks ago and have gone into cool storage (in an air-conditioned room at the shop, nothing fancy) until it is time to plant.  Here in Ohio, it is late October into November when we plant bulbs for clients. You want to make sure the ground temperature is not warmer than 60 degrees.  If you plant too early there are fungal / bacterial diseases that can set in and rot the bulbs. Between now and then I am keeping busy working on other areas in the garden, mainly managing the leaves and wrapping up projects I started in the spring and never completed.  I will share the planting process around the end of October or early November depending on the ground temperature. If you have any questions, please ask. I can either answer them now or will ensure it is a detail I show more deeply in the next post.

GIVEAWAY

Last but not least, I am doing my very first giveaway!  The prize includes 150 fall planted bulbs to add to your garden. The package includes: 50 Tulip Passion Play, 50 Allium Purple Rain and 50 Fritilaria bulbs, all in my preferred purple palate. These bulbs will bloom from mid-spring to early summer.

Leave a comment on this blog post between October 8, 2021 and October 14, 2021 (11:59 PM EST). Be sure to leave your email address in the form for me to contact you and ship out your bulbs.  Winner is limited to residents of the United States. I will announce the winner very soon after October 14 so you can get your bulbs in time for planting.

This post was sponsored by Flowerbulbs.com 

-Nick

August 13, 2020 was my last blog post – how can that be possible? I know, after closing out 2020 I was naïvely ready for a less volatile 2021. We kicked off 2021 with a major project, which required a lot of traveling and provided me with a whole new creative challenge. What I did not foresee was how much more pivoting 2021 required with inventory supply, staffing and pricing fluctuations. Unfortunately working on the blog was not a priority.

The major project has moved into its next phase requiring less input from me, all our spring and summer annuals have been brainstormed and ordered and we have worked hard to back fill our inventory to ensure jobs don’t slow down due to supply issues. This gives me time to reflect on what was an amazing summer. I was able to crisscross the United States meeting creative gardeners in their personal spaces. I toured the nook and crannies of local nurseries, growers, local retailers and got lost in neighborhoods with my family gathering notes of possibilities along the way.  I even gathered a collection of local gins as souvenirs with all the memories.

The summer was a bit maddening, but in return I have many ideas and gardens to share. I have been invigorated in my own garden with new projects in a summer that I feel like it was stagnated. There are client projects that are wrapping up that will be ready to share next summer, along with special events and projects in the works for McCullough’s Landscape & Nursery’s 25 anniversary next year. The blog calendar is built for a post a week (which should be easy given I have over a year of ideas to share), with my next post including the first Thinking Outside the Boxwood giveaway.

I did not realize how much I missed blogging until we starting building out the calendar. Instagram is great for connecting.  However, the blog is still the best place for me to go deeper into sharing the hows and whats of gardening. I am plannig on Thursday launches, but you know how I do with deadlines. So we will see what happens. I am just so happy to be back.

– Nick

The bouquets are created using blooms and greens from client gardens, our nursery and even my personal garden.  Every week we restock 5-10 new vases that the team uses to create these arrangements from what’s blooming, being cut back or just what we know is a client’s favorite flower.

I get daily texts featuring all these beautiful arrangements from the team, each as unique as the client and manager arranging the flowers.

By the time Thursday rolls around I am scrambling to secure more vases to keep a full stock available for the team. We are also seeing the added creative outlet and chance for our team to develop their talents further. We are even researching continued education options for the team to receive their Floral Design Certificate.

Next year we have increased our order of cutting flower seeds to create more cutting gardens for both clients and at the nursery to continue sharing the garden.  The happiness these arrangements bring to our team and clients makes us excited to keep looking ahead and proud of how much joy a garden can provide.

Sean’s personal garden has long been an inspiration for me and I wish I could find episodes of his PBS show Cultivated Life on the internet to binge watch. Actually, I propose we bring it back! It was a show that celebrated agrarian, gardening and building traditions from across America, allowing Sean to incorporate great ideas from around the country into his own homestead. We would all watch that show!! And if it needs a host, I WILL DO IT!

These above two photos are from Country Living Magazine’s 2012 article on Sean’s garden. You can find a link to the online article HERE. Photographer for both images, Lisa Hubbard. In the article you can see Sean’s iconic cylinder clipped hornbeams long with great garden design tips  (I like garden design better than landscaping tips from the article’s title).

I have had a copy of his book Cultivating Life for a while. (Actually two copies because a few years ago I forgot I had a copy at work and ordered a second one). The book contains projects for every level, from stuff we can do with the kids, crafty projects, woodworking and cooking to name a few. With the kids we are going to work on sun prints, pressing botanicals, decoupage plates, and drying herbs while staying close to home this spring/summer. For some of the larger projects we are going to be using our expert woodworker, my father-in-law.

I am aware that some of the projects in the book are higher skill level than others, which is part of the reason why I like the book. Why I really like the book and am recommending is because the projects are all GOOD DESIGN. They are items that I want to look at day after day in the garden, they take both form and function into consideration. Normally I don’t find DIY books have projects that align to by design aesthetic, but as you see below there are so many in here I want to tackle.

Below is a list of the projects from the book I plan on tackling, which will happen over a few years. I will share the results as we tackle some of these projects over the spring and summer.

FAVORITE PROJECTS FROM THE BOOK:

BEAN TOWERS. This is a great beginner wood working project in the book. This design will also work with climbing vines for flowers and even tomatoes (with more open spaces). The bean towers is going to be one of our first projects for our climbing vines in the cutting garden.

TOMATO A-FRAMES.  I am a sucker for A-frame buildings and this is design is practical for growing tomatoes and storing when not in use. We currently use sturdy wire tomato cages that fold up, but I am excited to add a different shape to the garden.

CORN CRIB STORAGE. We already have our “car crib” designed after corn cribs, and this storage bin is great for holding all the kids outdoor toys. We currently have a plastic bin that no one wants to take anything out from since we are fairly sure there is a snake living in there. This is much more attractive and will allow our outdoor pets to come and go much easier. Along with the bean towers, we are going to attempt building one of these storage containers. We are thinking about revising the design to be an asymmetrical roof to match our corn crib carport. This design might be too difficult for Charlotte to reach inside.

CLIMBING ROSE TRELLIS. We don’t have any climbing roses, but I think this will be great for all the climbing vine seeds we purchased after watching an episode of Gardener’s World on BritBox.  We have a plan to plant some at home, but others we plan to share for client containers and family. These will be great to use for them to grow.

MUSHROOM WOOD BAT HOUSE. I am working in creating plans for the two owl boxes we created last month, but we also want to create some bat houses. I am excited for summer nights when we sit on the patio and watch the bats darting back and forth catching all the mosquitoes. This is a project with the kids, easier construction they can do with their grandfather when we are not social distancing.

STILTED HEDGE TOPIARY. This is actually Allison’s selection. Whenever we buy these topiaries they always die when they miss one watering. I think it is in part to the soil the plants come in, but we are both willing to try again to make an indoor pleached garden. We have some long planters we can use and under plant with some gravel just like our back patio.

OAK STORAGE BOX. We love the idea of a storage box over at the vegetable garden that we can store pruners and hand tools in case we forget to bring some over with us. This box is simple, practical and great looking.

Will keep you posted on the the project status and we work through some of these and share the results. We have been sourcing some of the cedar and other supplies already.

Stay Safe.

Last fall, the family made our first trip to Maine and of course we fell in love. We drove the whole way (and made so many garden stops), and got to spend a magical week exploring Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor with our dearest friends. Exploring cities, garden, parks, farms and just about anywhere can be a huge source of inspiration for me and one of the inspirations from Maine was the evolution of what we are now calling our “Maine Entrance” to our property.  We already have great bones to the space, but since it’s a garden, it is never really finished. We plan to expand on the natural elements seen in Maine to make the entrance to our home more ruled by nature.

Here is an example of an driveway entrance we saw while in Maine, There are plantings up to the edge of the driveway, use of natural stone and transition into the woodlands around.

An example of the natural beauty of Maine’s Acadia National Park. Natural stone, meandering paths and evergreens.

We have lived at our home for just over four years and prior to us living here there was a very small house that was located at the top of our driveway. The foundation slab is all the remains of the house and is the location of the very far in the future barn we hope to build. We built our house in a lower spot further to the right of the existing curb cut, so when you enter the driveway you are not pointing directly at the house and turn and drop grade to approach the house. This allows the driveway to feel like a completely unique space, without the house, garage or other gardens to impose a look and feel.

To make the entrance something of importance, but not grand I designed wood walls that run through the woods and breaks for the driveway entrance. The wood was the result of cutting down dead ash trees and desire to keep the wood onsite, along with winter frustration and with the need to do some outdoor activity. Chopping and stacking wood was a healthy outlet. What the entrance needed was supports or ends to the wood wall aligning the driveway, and that is where I placed two reclaimed granite curbs set vertically into the ground. I say “I,” but really this was a family event that included both sets of grandfathers and the kids during a weekend. I am fortunate to have all the needed equipment to make this a DIY project.

We used a large auger attached to a bobcat to dig down into the ground about 3 ft. There was also a lot of hand digging to get everything level for the stone. If you look at where the truck is parked, that is the old house foundation. Last summer we tracked down photos and videos of the local fire department burning the house down for training (I included photos at the end of the post). You can see that when you enter the property you cannot see the house, you turn towards the right, dip down and turn around a large evergreen to reach the garage. (if you saw my last post, that was one of the trees we fenced off during construction, the whole driveway layout and garage placement was designed around that tree.)

These are the granite curbs we placed. The were used as curbs placed with the long edge along streets. When cities renovate streets and sidewalks they are removing these and placing in concrete curbs instead. If you look at one of the installed photos you can still see the yellow curb paint on one of the ends (photo towards the end of the post). I debated about wire brushing that off, but for now I keep it as a reminder of its previous life.

Here is a young Charlotte in the hole for scale. The curbs are each about 8 ft long, and since we wanted about 5 feet above ground, the holes are 3 ft deep. We had a lot of tree roots in this area so digging was not super easy, but we had good soil to dig through.

Here are the two stones in place prior to back filling. I used larger crushed gravel at the base of the stones to ensure they would be stable. They are placed wide enough for larger trucks to fit through and are set far back from the road. We have no  plans to add a gate, but if we wanted to we could do a gate system behind the stones. I have since also added two more vertical curbs that are staggered down the drive. They serve no purpose, just added structure to the garden.

So this year we are upping the “Maine” portion of the design with adding more woodland plantings closer to the driveway edge. This will include removing a crescent shaped turf bed to the right when you enter the property.

We are going to add more perennials like blue bells / ferns, more shrubs (Lindera + Hamalemis), more bulbs, and encourage more moss and natural decaying beauty.  Additionally, I am considering add some Ohio top rock outcroppings.  Jury is still out on that one.  I am using the image above as an inspiration with the natural textures to add. We are fortunate to inherit a property filed with daffodils in the woods, but last year we focused on adding bulbs closer to the house. This year we are returning to adding more into the woodlands, and focusing on establishing more Ohio natives. Directly across the street from our house is a wildlife park so as much as we can blend and influence the life between the two spaces we are proud to do.

If you are interested in creating stacked wood walls, I recommend Norwegian Wood. Chopping, Stacking and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way by Lars Mytting. I have no planned use for all our wood other than the occasional fire pit. I also have plenty more timber from a dying Oak that had to be removed at my father in-laws shop that I have enough to keep staking across the front of the property.

Here are photos of the small house on our property prior to us purchasing the land. The house matched the one that was across the street and was donated to the local parks system. It had to also be torn down due to vandalism, but we were able to tour it prior to all the vandalism with the previous owners. Long term we want to honor this house and the previous owners since they have amazing story and impact on our local community. We are just so thankful for the fire department for sharing these photos with us.

Then we entered Stay at Home at the onset of spring, and it feels like everyone is looking to their gardens and adding some edibles or cut flowers in some manner. Which for the gardening community could not make us happier. Our vendor partners have reported great online sales and seed companies are out of stock. Happy more people are finding the enjoyment of gardening.

I will admit that growing edibles is not a major interest of mine, however I am fortunate to know some amazing folks that are and share that knowledge via blogs, Instagram, YouTube and in books. So if you are looking out your window right now thinking “how can I impact my food chain and learn how to grow some of your own food this year,” here are some of the best sources I know.

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. Lets face it we have all gone back to school with the kids transferring to online learning, but it you want to add learning about growing in your home vegetable garden from a structured online class at a good value, I recommend Brie’s Homegrown Garden classes through Creative Home U (currently $49). You will go through seven courses with quizzes and a structured environment, but at your own pace. You can augment your learning with a copy of Brie’s book, Foodscape Revolution and then review with her many online resources on her website.

NO GARDEN, NO PROBLEM. If you are looking at your garden thinking you have no place for installing a vegetable garden, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Raised Bed Revolution by Tara Nolan.  Not everyone has the ability to plant directly into the ground either from contaminated soils or living in a concrete jungle. Tara’s book provides the directions for building your own raised garden beds that will last season after season no matter where you live. The book includes details for models you can purchase if not handy in building yourself. She has ideas for growing just lettuces or larger scale beds.

HOW DO YOU GROW ________? If you are looking for just about any topic on how to grow an edible, start seeds indoors with no judgement, CaliKim (featured in the photo above) and The Rusted Garden (Gary Pilarchik) are my go to sources. They have Youtube videos you can search for your every need and are great at answering questions through social media if you cannot find the information you need. CaliKim also has a great book to keep handy (Organic Gardening for Everyone. Homegrown Vegetables Made Easy – No Experience Required!) Gary has a wonderful blog and website where you can purchase his seeds, supplies, and get details on how to make amazing things like Aspirin Spray for your tomatoes. Below are photos from Gary’s personal garden from previous years.

ACROSS THE POND EDIBLES.  It is a truth universally acknowledged, that I believe every gardener should subscribe to Gardens Illustrated Magazine. The magazine just released a supplemental issue A year in the Edible Garden, which I would normally pick up at our local Barnes & Noble. However since our local store is not stocking magazines I had to order a copy off ebay. (there are two copies left if anyone else wants to go this route).  Odds are the solutions included in the magazine are beyond what I am able to execute this year, but it is great for thinking differently about edibles, most often in a more beautiful way than I have in the past.  If you are able to get a copy, buy two. One for you and another to gift to a gardener friend that also needs some beautiful distraction.

GETTING YOUR SEEDS. I know we are all isolating at home and online ordering is very easy, but online seed sources are selling out of a lot of seeds already in the frenzy. I would recommend you make a list of what you would like to grow and contact your local garden center to see what seeds they have in supply. Most local stores have set up methods to order over the phone, pay and get your purchases delivered to your car or have limited occupancy numbers you can go in. This is an easy way to support local and get a head start on your summer edible growing. CaliKim and Gary both have seen collections you can shop. We were able to also pick up some seeds from our local grocery store during a food run.

MY EDIBLE GARDEN PLAN. This year our plan is to move our vegetables closer to the house in animal stock containers. We had the containers from our previous house, but have not used since we moved. A few years ago we built a fenced garden across the street at my father-in-law’s workshop. It is a great south facing vegetable garden with a large building wall providing radiant heat and a tall fence surrounding. The only problem is proximity to the house. It is across the street so we cannot send the kids over on their own and it is harder squeeze in a quick weeding after work.  We are going to move the more frequently harvested vegetables like lettuces and tomatoes in the tanks at our house and then less maintenance vegetables like potatoes and onions across the street. We are also going to add more cutting flowers across the street like sunflowers and zinnias. It is more work managing two locations, however since we will all be spending more time at home this summer, it will be worth it to get higher yields of home grown vegetables.

This is not the best photo, but you see the status of our vegetable garden a few seasons in. Some of the cedar has started to grey off and everything is staying safe from our large deer herd. We learned to not plant tomatillos because they never go away and you can only make so much salsa verde. We have been stock piling glass jars, so the plan is to harvest and jar as many items we can to share with friends and family. We have not done much of this in the past, but if we use all the space we have it will be a bumper crop year.

These are photos of us building the fenced vegetable garden at my father-in-laws workshop. It does not look this nice right now, the space is a constant weed patrol. Currently the garden is over run with some raspberry shrubs we planted that could stand for a strong cut back.

Once I have more time to find old photos I can share the process of building our garden and the fence design. It is about 4 years old this season and it has held up really well. I found a family of bunnies living next to the building’s downspout so I think our fence is going to be challenged this year.