annuals & perennials Archives - A Way To Garden

inspirations for the cutting garden, with frances palmer

margaret — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 16:01:41 +0000

SOME OF US plant a row of particular annuals with the intention to cut them for bouquets in their moment of bloom, and some of us think bigger and have a whole cutting garden within our landscape. I feel like ceramic artist and passionate gardener Frances Palmer thinks biggest of all and that every plant in her extensive gardens—not just the tulips, zinnias or dahlias that you might expect, but even the herbs and her flowering vines and branches of ornamental trees and shrubs—are all fair game for having their moment in a vase someday at her place. Expanding your interpretation of the phrase “cutting garden” was the topic of our recent conversation, with plant ideas and tips for success. Connecticut based Frances Palmer is a well-known ceramist and gardener, author of the 2020 book, “Life in the Studio: Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity,” and creator of a popular Instagram account, too. Her newest book is “Life with Flowers: Inspiration and Lessons from the Garden” (affiliate links). Plus: Comment in the box near the bottom of the page for a chance to win a copy of her latest book. Read along as you listen to the June 16, 2025 edition […]

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shade plants we crave, with ken druse

margaret — Fri, 09 May 2025 16:13:57 +0000

WHEN I FIRST started gardening, it wasn’t unusual to hear other gardeners lamenting the shady areas of their landscapes – wishing for more, more, more sun. But my friend Ken Druse never looked at the lower-light areas that way – well, maybe when he wanted to make room for a few tomato plants each year, but otherwise not at all. Instead he collected botanical treasures of the woodland floor, and set about making shade gardens—and even writing a couple of books about the subject. Shade plants we have loved – and continue to love – is my topic today on the show, with Ken as my guest. Ken gardens in the shade in New Jersey, and before that he did so in the shade of a Brooklyn brownstone. Along the way, among the 20 books he has written, were “The Natural Shade Garden” in 1992 and in 2015 “The New Shade Garden: Creating a Lush Oasis in the Age of Climate Change.” Ken will be the guest expert on Thursday May 15, 2025, when I’m hosting an entire shade garden webinar, and meantime he’s here to talk about some of his favorite plants. Plus: Comment in the box near the […]

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fragrant trilliums, mossy patches & more, with uli lorimer

margaret — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:00:38 +0000

I LOOK FORWARD to spring for many reasons, not the least of which is the emergence and bloom time of the trilliums. There’s a saying that good things come in threes, and trilliums are certainly proof of that. This spring I got to talk about trilliums, including the range of unexpected fragrances they possess, with Uli Lorimer of Native Plant Trust in Massachusetts, where they’re about to celebrate their 10th annual Trillium Week, and the organization is celebrating its 125th anniversary, too. We also talked about showing off tiny spring treasures like some of the miniature trilliums, or bluets (Houstonia) on what he calls “mossy patches” for a beautiful combination. Uli is director of horticulture at Native Plant Trust, the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization, founded in 1900 as the New England Wild Flower Society. Uli, who is also the author of the “Northeast Native Plant Primer,” was the longtime curator of the Native Flora Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden before joining Native Plant Trust in 2019. Read along as you listen to the April 28, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or […]

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