Powerscourt Estate is one of the main attractions of Ireland’s ancient east coast. Located in Enniskerry County Wicklow approximately 30 minutes from Dublin center. Set in the Wicklow countryside, overlooking the Sugarloaf mountain, Powerscourt Castle and gardens are located within the 1,000 acre estate. It’s magnificent gardens stretch over 47 acres and offer spectacular views…
Hedges and Screens
Hedges and screens serve many different purposes. They are used to delineate property lines, selectively create privacy, define spaces, reduce noise, wind and sun or to direct movement and add interest. A hedge is a living wall composed of one kind of plant for a simple pleasing effect. Shearing and trimming produces an elegant formal…
Top Pick Perennial Flowers
Generally speaking January is the month that all of us gardening enthusiasts are thinking about all the perennial plants in our gardens that we enjoy year after year, and what we’ll plant as soon as the spring thaw arrives. We’re also eagerly awaiting to see the bulbs sprouting up that we’ve planted last fall. Over…
Pointsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
The pointsettia native to Mexico and considered tropical. Hardy in zones 9 – 11, in Mexico commonly known as the Flor de Nochebuena – meaning the Christmas eve flower. In Mexico you see them as potted plants, but you also see them widespread as decorative plants in residential landscapes, they grow as perennial shrubs or…
Wet Harvesting Cranberries
Cranberries are the official berry and color of the state of Massachusetts , cranberry juice cocktail is the official state drink. There are 375 growers in the state encompassing a total of approximately 13,250 acres of bogs making it the largest agricultural crop in Massachusetts producing 2.2 million barrels annually. Cranberry harvest starts in the…
Soil PH and Fertilizer(NPK) Explained
Soil Ph and fertilizer are completely different subjects. Soil PH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. Fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) are nutrients for plants, trees, vegetables etc. Technically PH is a gauge of potential hydrogen – ion concentration in a substance, in this case we’re referring to soil. PH…
Historic Commonwealth Avenue Boston, Massachusetts
Commonwealth Avenue located in Boston’s Back Bay, is a parkway divided at center by a wide grassy mall. Lined with stately brownstone homes on either side of the avenue. This greenway called Commonwealth Ave. Mall is punctuated with statuary and memorials , also known for its magnificent american elm trees, providing a shady cool…
Summertime is Bursting with Hydrangea Blooms
Hydrangea or hortensia is a genus of about 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. Growing from 3 – 9 feet tall and a spread from 3 – 10 feet, but some are small trees and others lianas reaching up to 90 feet by climbing up trees. The…
Beautiful but Deadly!
(Digitalis purpurea) Common Foxglove Foxglove is a popular biennial flower, but often times its labeled as perennial. Biennial meaning it takes two years to complete its biological life cycle, it blooms the second year then reseeds and the original plant dies. If the new seeds grow the following season they are often overlooked. When these…
Gardens Fit For A King!
King Louis the XIV of France set the example for all of 17th century Europe in his magnificent palace and gardens at Versailles. In 1661 he commissioned landscape architect Andre Le Notre to launch additions and renovations at Versailles on a scale that had never been done before. Mainly because he was so impressed by the…
The Cranberry Lady 