On the eve of a design symposium to be held at their home and garden, Rockland Farm, Berkshire Botanical Garden board members Madeline and Ian Hooper share the genesis of their magical landscape and how their attending classes and lectures and visiting other people’s gardens influenced it.
Instead of taking a soil thermometer to the garden every day, we can look at our Forsythia to decide if a pre-emergent weed killer will be effective or if our roses can be pruned.
My method of seed sowing involves simply sprinkling seeds on the ground where they will grow and eventually flower. Much easier than elaborate indoor methods.
Extreme shifts in weather are the primary reason I prefer to plant younger perennials, shrubs, and trees. They have smaller root masses that can work their way into new locations with less stress to the overall plant.
Perhaps the plants that I am most grateful for in this moment are hellebores. Because they are not native, I feel comfortable cutting back their decaying leaves in March.
Although the air has been cold, the sun will quickly warm up plants in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Rotate your houseplants to prevent the sun from scalding the leaves as the days get brighter.
Take photos and review what you do from year to year to learn more about your landscape. That record will make it easier to make pruning, planting, and pest-prevention decisions in the future.
Heading to a meeting about creating habitat for endangered pollinator species, I started to consider how we can manage our own habitat to make us feel connected and part of a community.
