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Out here in Boston we are eagerly awaiting spring. I can't get enough of everyone's cherry blossom pics from warmer parts of the country, especially given the slushy snowfall we experienced last weekend. To cheer myself up I decided to start some herbs. Hopefully by the time they are ready to be transplanted into outdoor pots warmer weather and sunshine will be in abundance!

To help you get your own seeds started this spring, Clayton designed these colorful and fun garden markers. There are ones that are pre-labeled with some of our favorite herbs or fill-in-the-blank ones to keep track of whatever you will be growing. All you need to do is simply print on regular 8.5” x 11” paper, cut out, fold, and punch through with thin garden wire. You can even write down any important care reminders on the back.

Click to download free printable garden markers!

I've been wanting to repurpose my Harney & Sons tea tins, and they make the perfect little planters. Also handy for this kind of planting: seed starter pots! 

So get planting, folks, and may your garden grow lush and green!

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Summer has officially come and gone, and without a doubt, it was a good one. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the disaster called my garden. It’s overgrown, neglected, and under watered, and it’s ALL. MY. FAULT. I feel guilty about it, but I’m trying to redeem myself by focusing on two good things that came out of this year's gardening season: my front yard transformation and my dinner plate dahlias.

Since we moved in, the front yard was made up of holly bushes (foundation plantings) and sad looking grass. See the picture below (and please pardon the used bike and carriage lot on the porch). The grass never did that well due to lack of sun and poor soil, making it basically a dirt patch. So, this spring I decided to dig it up, replace the soil, and plant shade perennials in hopes of creating something more visually pleasing.

I transplanted hostas from the back yard, snagged some creeping jenny from my mother-in-law (thank you, Gigi!), and bought a few vinca plants. The result is below. It’s still filling in, but it’s a big improvement and I’m hopeful that it will continue to do well. Our neighbors are enthusiastic too! 

Since I’ve become interested in gardening, dahlias have always been a favorite. They require full sun, which I don't have, but I grow them anyway just to say hello every year and harvest whatever blooms decide to show their face. Despite my incessant neglect, my dinner plate dahlias are very happy (dinner plate refers to the large bloom size—in this case 8” diameter). The blooms are enormous bursts of magenta awesomeness, and I love bringing each and every one of them into the house for display.

You’d think given the state of my garden that I might actually throw in the towel (it’s that pathetic). I’m not giving up, but perhaps I will to set more realistic expectations for next year. For now, though, as the air becomes crisp and the days become shorter, I will greet my front garden with a smile and relish every last dahlia bloom.

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The home we moved into 2.5 years ago has a shady patio with two ready-to-plant window boxes at the base of each kitchen window. Since settling in, I have been happily experimenting in the world of window box plants, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how many can thrive in the shade. Among a handful of shade-happy annuals I chose, my favorites by far are my begonia (I don't know the exact variety), Strobilanthes Persian Shield and Euphoriba Diamond Frost. I love how the begonia blooms look with the dark perisan shield foliage and the ethereal nature of euphorbia’s baby white blooms. If you have shady window boxes you would like to plant, consider the following:

Composition. When evaluating what plants to buy, make sure to look at each plant’s tag to understand its height when mature and overall growth habit. Does it trail? Grow straight up? Or grow in a mound? You don’t want all the plants in the box to be 12” high or all of them to be trailing. Try to buy a mix of plants so that some grow high, others form mounds, and some trail. This variation will create visual interest. My plants are still growing so they'll need a little more time before they fill out the boxes as I envision. 

Palette. If you are as interested in color as I am, you’ll also want to consider bloom and foliage color. I find this very challenging and end up spending too many hours (yes, hours) arranging the plants on the ground at the nursery to make sure I have just the right color combination. I’m always striving to create interesting, unexpected palettes that complement the color of our house (greyish teal).

Care. Shade plantings don’t dry out as much as plants in full sun, and I have made the mistake of over watering in the past. Make sure the soil is fairly dry before watering, and be sure to fertilize once a week. I use liquid miracle grow, but any fertilizer for annuals is fine.

Protection. Lastly, be sure that your window boxes are secure! We have one that is unsteady and has fallen off the house every spring onto our perennial bed. I will not elaborate on how maddening and disappointing this is. I whole heartedly suggest you employ nails, screws, shims—whatever you think necessary—to protect those precious babies, folks. Happy planting!

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Gardening season is in full swing here in Boston, and after such a grueling winter, I could not be happier. Over the past month, I’ve been preparing my garden and daydreaming about all the possibilities for this season and beyond. I tend to plant perennials in my garden beds; there are plants that re-bloom each year as opposed to annuals which die at the end of the season. If you are wondering how to get ready and make the most of your garden this summer, here are some ideas:

Maintain. Take the time to spread compost and fertilize your garden. For compost, I like using Coast of Maine Lobster Compost. Just work it into the soil and it will give your plants the nutrients they need to shine all season long. Most perennials will respond well to an all-purpose granular fertilizer. I use 10-10-10 in the spring and then again in the fall. (The numbers refer to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium—all of which are critical to plant health.)

Brainstorm. Think about how you want your garden to look in a few years and what steps you can take this season to get closer to that vision. It takes a few seasons for perennials to establish themselves, so it’s important to be patient as you work towards your goal (I’m not good at this because I lack patience). Make a list of some plants you want to try and figure out if they will do well in your garden considering light and soil conditions. Have you always wanted to grow peonies? Try it if you have full sun, and see where it takes you. I’ve always been fond of lupine (see below), and apparently it can take part shade (or so the tag says), so I’m giving it a shot this year. 

Enjoy. I love watching my garden come to life at this time of year. Although there isn’t much in bloom, I love to walk around in the early morning with my cup of coffee and see what plant has decided to make its debut. This morning I saw signs that my sweet pea is alive and well. So exciting!

Once the National Stationery Show has passed, I will head over to Mahoney's and purchase some annuals for my window boxes and perennials for my garden. I’m hopeful that my wonderful husband will come through with his annual nursery gift certificate (hint, hint, Randy). Enjoy the season everyone!

(image: lupine and a lady bug!)

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Not all of us are lucky to have a green thumb (myself—that's Molly—included). We try and try to keep indoor plants to bring life into our homes, but even the hardiest of specimens wither and die. With spring springing, we’re all eager to see those little green shoots in the dirt. And since luck favors the prepared, I asked our resident gardener, Kate, to get her tips on how to start the season off right.

Get in the mood. Kate’s first tip is to take some time this month to visit your local nursery or plant store. Kate’s favorites are Mahoney’s in Brighton and Ricky’s Flower Market in Somerville. Not only is walking in greenhouses just an uplifting activity this time of year but it will get you thinking about possibilities for your own garden. While you’re there, buy yourself one or two plants for the indoors to you hold you over until the snow piles have melted and you can actually get outside. Kate just bought a variegated jade which are quite easy to care for (hint, hint). She also took on the challenge of an asparagus fern (see photo below). Beware that ferns are fussy and high maintenance! Even Kate hasn’t mastered caring for them but she loves their delicate texture and is determined to master them.

Journal. Kate recommends keeping a journal to record your gardening endeavors. Write down when you plant things, what seems to grow and what doesn’t, and your favorite finds. Kate is already reading journal entries from last fall to understand how the season went and letting that steer some of her decisions. “Those dahlias? They didn’t fare so well without full sun. Won't be buying more of those. The window boxes for the shade flowers? Huge success! Definitely recreating those with the plants tags I’ve saved.” (For the newbies, plant tags are those plastic tags that are inserted into the base of many plants at the nursery. They outline the sunlight needed for the plant and its growth habit, so don’t throw them away!). 

Thanks, Kate! These are great ideas, and something we can start doing right away. Next in this new series, Kate will pass along more of her gardening tips. Maybe we’ll be able to get our hands dirty by then!

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