Diana Shomstein We’re thrilled to announce that Diana is joining our staff of full-time Crew Supervisors this month. Diana had farm training and work through The Farm School in Athol and the Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester. She came to us to learn ornamental plants. Diana has quickly shown her talent and skill with our daily…
Jeff Berardi Jeff trained as a photographer at the Hallmark School of Photography and worked as a professional photographer for many years. At the same time, he developed his own gardens at home. His artistic eye has made him a natural pruner and editor of plants! I find that Jeff has a quick way of…
This reprint from the National Gardening Association will strike a chord with anyone out there who planted a “Pandemic Edible Garden” this spring! See the August To-Do list below for other helpful hints. Read here.
We’ve already assembled a list of gardens ready for fall planting or some renovation. But it’s not too late to schedule a consultation for your own garden. Now is the ideal time to assess the situation and design plans for improvement. Please contact us for your appointment. Fall Planting will run from late August through…
One of my favorite times on the garden calendar is ordering bulbs for spring bloom. That time is now through Labor Day! In fact, we had a lull in plant buying activity a few weeks ago, so we’ve already placed preliminary bulb orders based on notes and conversations from last spring. Let’s add to these…
What to do when your beautiful spring garden suddenly has a large empty space in August? Here are some perennial pairings that I’ve discovered over the years to hide declining foliage and gaps in the border. Lupinus perennis and Lobelia siphilitica Let the native lupine foliage “ripen” like bulb foliage in order to photosynthesize. The lupines will…
Lift, divide and replant tall bearded iris New bearded iris can be planted now through early October Keep new plantings and containers well watered (see summer watering tips) and let PBOG know if you need our help due to town watering restrictions Weeds are gigantic now, so keep up with hand weeding and top off…
Katie Metzger comes to us from Land’s Sake Farm in Weston, where she was recently Education Director. With the move to developing online learning, she decided to stay outdoors and came to our crew to keep her hands in the soil. Laura Semple is our new part-time Decor Coordinator, responsible for all containers and in-ground plantings of…
Sedum sarmentosum Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ with Lambs Ears There are clumping sedums (‘Autumn Joy’ and Matrona’) and there are spreading sedums (‘John Creech’, ‘Fuldagut’ and ‘Lime Zinger.’) Great in any garden with full sun to part shade, sedums are extremely drought tolerant due to their fleshy, succulent leaves. In fact, a dropped sedum stem will…
If you’re reworking your spring containers of pansies, primroses and the like – think about some summertime drought tolerant alternatives: succulents and sedums (see article below), petunias, dahlias, lantana, herbs such as thyme or rue, and geraniums (including scented ones) come to mind. These plants will need watering probably only every other day. Summer Container…