Outdoor living at “Madylone,” our home on a rocky, wooded hillside in northern New Jersey, centers around a waterfall and falls-room, both of which my wife and I constructed. The falls room has five large screened openings, catches every summer breeze, and is half-submerged in the hillside. Together with proximity to our waterfalls, these factors … Read more
Midwesterners may envy the Californians for their climate, which we hear is ideal for outdoor living, but this does not mean that we do not take to our backyards and make our outdoor living areas as cool and attractive as possible during our hot, dry summers. Here are a few pointers to help Midwesterners enjoy … Read more
A ground cover is a low-growing, often evergreen plant used in place of grass, pebbles, a mulching material, or earth in a spot that might otherwise be unsightly. It often decorates the base of trees and shrubs to keep the roots cool and hold in moisture. It also keeps down weeds and other plants that … Read more
Few lavishly flowering small trees possess so many pleasing qualities as Fuji cherries. There are so many kinds of ornamental cherries that it is difficult to learn to recognize more than the familiar types, but Fuji cherries can be recognized with surprising ease. Fuji Cherries Growth First of all, they develop into spreading small trees … Read more
My woodland rock garden abounds in the shade, for it is nestled among tulip trees, dogwoods, tall oaks, and other deciduous trees. The many rocky outcrops and slopes face various directions and are planted with suitable material to give a natural though well-landscaped appearance. Much of the stone remains in its original natural position, but … Read more
Perhaps the best way to indicate the various uses of a landscape architect is to tell some of my experiences in redeeming a dull property. In most cases, I left the design entirely to my landscape architect, NM Weber. In others, we hit on a happy scheme of a joint invention. In a few instances, … Read more
Search the soul of a gifted flower arranger. You find not some impractical aesthete or dreamer. Often you find a person who is something of a carpenter, a little bit of a chemist, kind of an engineer, and a scavenger. They are always on the hunt not only for plant materials but also for pieces … Read more
A doctor friend of ours has a little place in the country, seven miles from the big city hospital where he is a famous heart specialist. It is minor as some country places go—only four acres, rectangular, snuggled against an old farm from which it was carved. There is a house, a garage, and a … Read more
A wild garden is a lazy gardener’s ideal, for once it is established, it thrives on neglect. The more conscientious you are about leaving it alone, the better the plants will like it. Of course, a newly planted wild garden does need some attention until the tiny plants can take care of themselves. Undesirable weeds … Read more
The shadbushes or Juneberries are a perplexing lot to distinguish from each other, and they have been the source of much confusion and no little discomfiture among botanists. Of the species in the group possessing outstanding ornamental value, Amelanchier laevis is easily identified, and home gardeners would do well to note the many fine characteristics … Read more