Garden

Imagine this: You walk outdoors with pruning shears in hand, taking in the fragrance of freshly cut lavender and zinnias so vivid they seem digitally enhanced. Forget wilted, supermarket bouquets that sag after three days—enjoy plentiful, free flowers cultivated precisely to your liking. How to Cultivate a Cutting Garden: Create Your Own Free, Fresh Bouquets … Read more

Five years ago, I created my own cut flower garden here at the Cottage. I was hoping to enjoy fresh bouquets, but I discovered something even more wonderful: strawflowers. During that first year, I planted them on a whim and quickly fell in love with their delicate, papery petals and vivid, jewel-like hues. The true … Read more

Each spring, a new wave of people decides that this will finally be the year they start gardening. Perhaps the seed catalogs began arriving in January. Maybe they spent a little too much on $18 grocery-store bouquets. Or maybe they recently purchased a home with a bright, sunny backyard and took it as a sign … Read more

From the herbs and blossoms to the vegetables, my New Hampshire garden resembles a 1776 kitchen garden far more than I ever imagined! This morning, I was browsing through my Old Farmer’s Almanac, essential reading for any genuine New Englander, and yes, I’m absolutely serious! (I’ve been enjoying the short poems at the close of … Read more

Zinnias are the flowers that first drew me into growing cutting gardens, and years later, they remain an essential part of my garden every summer. Here’s everything I’ve discovered about cultivating them successfully, including the varieties I continue to plant! Why Zinnias Belong in Every Cutting Garden I’ve planted zinnias every summer for many years, … Read more

Each January, I spread out my seed catalogs alongside the notes I scribbled in my garden journal and reflect on the past season. What succeeded. What failed. What I’ll change. And last year? I have plenty to share. Following 2024’s truly disastrous summer—the record-setting rain, the vegetables that surrendered, and the cut flowers that barely … Read more

4 Simple Step-by-Step Projects + Complete Care Guide For a fun and straightforward DIY activity, making your own air plant terrarium is an excellent project to try. Using only a handful of basic supplies and some imagination, you can create a living miniature landscape for your home or workspace. These delightful little plants need no … Read more

There’s something rather amusing about gardening in New England. One week, you’re observing snow blanket your raised beds, and the next, you’re outside in a t-shirt, trying to figure out how three months disappeared. That’s simply April around here, and truthfully, I wouldn’t exchange it for anything. If you’re gardening in Zone 6a like me … Read more