For various reasons, March has been a very busy month. So I’m somewhat surprised that it’s coming to an end in a week. Open Day is just 7 weeks away! Marathon gardening here I come!
So much in gardening is determined by weather. Therefore, I shall commence by beseeching the weather gods to look kindly upon my little piece of Paradise. Not too cold, not too warm, not too wet, not too dry. And not too windy either. I ask for Goldilocks weather. Please!
For the most part, cut back and clean up is completed. Peony props are in place. I’ve started a few seeds – just some cardinal vine and nasturtium. The former took barely 4 days to germinate. I don’t remember it being so quick last year. Hopefully they can go into the ground in a few weeks. Nursing along seedlings over an extended period is not my strong suit – remembering to pinch back regularly so they don’t get leggy can be tricky.
In a couple of weeks my tiny ‘lawn’ will be aerated and reseeded in order to be the green counterpoint to the anticipated explosion of color in the bordering beds. Numerous other chores await and must be cued up appropriately. 17 years of Open Day prepping has taught me that good organization is everything.
I’m assuming you too have started on your gardening tasks. If not, why ever not?!
With Lyndhurst in Bloom less than 2 weeks away, I’m understandably preoccupied. It’s a bit of a juggling act but honestly, it’s a great problem to have! Creative opportunities are what keep me in high spirits and very agreeable to have around – ask my family. They’ve seen me at my worst.
P.S. Now, don’t let all my efforts go to waste – do come and see my installation at Lyndhurst and visit me on Open Day.
Definitive signs of spring in my garden –
Peony rings in place. The grapevine gives it a more natural appearance.
My secateurs and shears are seeing a great deal of action. Pruning and cutting back has been the order of the month. From some of the queries received, I thought I’d do a quick pruning refresher.
Make sure all the tools are really sharp and clean. I try to get mine professionally sharpened at the end of the gardening season. A simple rule is to wash and dry them thoroughly before storing them following a task. That way they’re always ready for use. I dip mine in alcohol before getting to work. If I’m working sequentially on different plants, I wipe the secateurs with alcohol after I’m finished with each plant. This helps to control spread of disease/infection.
When pruning or cutting anything, make the cut at a slight angle and just above a leaf bud. This prevents water from sitting on the cut surface.
I do not prune young shrubs or trees. I let them wait a couple of years before subjecting them to the pain of the blade. Growing pains!!
Spring blooming plants (forsythia, lilac, azaleas, rhododendron, redbud, magnolia etc.,) are pruned after flowering is over. Do the task within 2 – 3 weeks after all the buds have finished blooming.
Plants that bloom later in the year are pruned in the fall.
Wherever possible, cut above an outward facing bud. Snip off buds that seem poised to grow inwards as this would create crowding in the middle of the plant.
Cut away any dead or unwell looking branches. Ditto for branches that are rubbing against others.
In late winter, when the plants are bare bones so to speak, is a good time to survey what looks overgrown/shabby and then tidy up the appearance.
Finally, try keeping the shape of the plant in mind – you want your horticultural clients to look like they have a good ‘hairdresser’.
In that same vein, when it comes to trees, think ‘structural pruning’ – maintain the shape that is natural to the tree. Most trees typically have one lead trunk not multiple trunks. Keep that in mind and prune accordingly.
So get going already – time’s a’wasting!
Reminder! Don’t forget to register for the Lyndhurst In Bloom Show and my garden Open Day.
The garden is slowly waking up –
Bird’s eye view of the snowdrops scattered around the meadowHellebores gearing up for the runwayEranthis has entered the garden
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Spring-ness! Today, it is sunny and a very balmy 50 degrees. Early bulbs are stirring. Some are shrugging off their earthy covers to display full clumps of green and others are tentatively spearing through as if to test the conditions before making a full entrance. Kinda like the ways humans wake up. My excitement cannot be contained. I live for this season. While it’s still too early to go all out into gardening mode, there’s plenty to do this month.
Things To Do In March –
1.Cut some forsythia and pussy willow branches for indoor forcing. Place in water and keep in a cool place until the buds are swollen. Then move them to a location where they can be viewed as the blooms burst forth. A lovely prelude to spring.
2.As snow melts, start clean up process. Twigs and other debris can be removed. Protect the still wet areas of grass and beds by first placing cardboard or wood planks and stepping on those instead. They help distribute the weight better.
3.Later in the month, remove protective burlap and/or plastic wrappings and wind breaks.
4.Get tools sharpened. This includes the mower blades. 5.Commence indoor seed sowing. Begin with the early, cool weather crops. Read seed packet instructions and calculate dates for planting out.
6.Order plants that will be required for the garden as soon as the ground has warmed up. Let your local nursery know your needs – they will inform you know when shipments arrive.
7.As soon as possible, once the snow is all gone and soil has thawed, spread compost on all the beds including the vegetable plot.
8.Finish pruning fruit trees, grape vines and roses early in the month.
9.Take an inventory and stock up on whatever is lacking. Soil, gloves, mulch, tools, ties, string, grass seed, pots, hoses etc.,
10.Survey the garden and see what needs replacing, repairing or painting. Schedule and do the needful.
11.Start bringing out or uncovering outdoor furniture. It’ll soon be time to linger outdoors!
12.Get your tickets for the Lyndhurst In Bloom Flower Show. I guarantee it will get you in a Spring state of mind. So many talented creatives are participating. I can’t wait for you to see my installation!
13.Get the Open Days directory from Garden Conservancy. Mark your calendars and make your reservations to visit beautiful gardens in your area. Come to my Open Day on May 10 between 10 am and 4 pm. I’m looking forward to seeing you!
Note:A few images from my garden right now. As you can see, it very much looks wintery but on closer examination, there are definitive signs of Spring!
The meadow looks deceptively quietSnowdrops are bravely up and aboutHellebore beds are hiding beneath the last year’s foliage. Time to cut back those leaves!In the perennial beds in front there is not much to see. As yet! The beds had been dug up for the drainage project so the new plants are likely more shy!!Indoors – tulips from a local farm are giving off spring vibes
Ah February! The shortest month but the most temperamental. If you know you know. We’re just 4 days into it and in my corner we’ve had freezing rain, bright sunshine, overcast skies, an inch of snow and at present, temperature in the high 40s. This spike has me eagerly considering the spring garden however, experience is placing her sure hand on my impatience. We are only half way through winter. But, we’re officially in the second half!
Time passes quickly when we’re busy so here’s What To Do this month –
(Much of the items in the January list are applicable too. Do check that list)
Stay on top of effects of snow and storms. Take quick action.
Keep bird feeders full. Whenever possible provide water.
Get garden plans and designs ready.
Check garden supplies. Does the hose need repair or replacing? Is there enough soil, twine, stakes etc.,? Make a list and do what is needed.
Towards the end of the month, prune roses, wisteria, grape vines and fruit trees.
Cut back ivy on walls and fences before birds start nesting. Brightly colored stems of Salix and Cornus should be cut back to about 6 to 10 inches from ground. This will encourage brighter color next spring.
Prepare for seed sowing. Get seed flats clean and ready. Check if there’s enough seed growing medium.
Order seeds. Once seeds arrive, write labels and keep handy. This saves time later when there is so much else to do.
If there is not much snow, cut back old leaves on Hellebores. New growth and flowers will be emerging. Cut back other perennials that were skipped in autumn.
Attend to indoor plants.
The New York Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show opens in March. Do reserve your tickets and go! It’ll banish winter blues and get you motivated.
Mark your calendar –The Lyndhurst In Bloom Flower Show is on April 5 and 6, 2025. Tickets go on sale soon and they sell out fast! Do not miss this event! I’m so excited to be participating again (Servants Dining Room).
Renew ( or join) your membership to the Garden Conservancy. Place your order for the Open Days directory and related coupons. Once you receive it you can start scheduling visits to beautiful gardens near and far. Inspiration is only a garden visit away! Take note – my garden will be open May 10.
Months assigned to celebrate and highlight long marginalized groups are my cue to learn more about people, explore and understand their contributions and achievements. Like any great garden, large or small, America thrives, grows and excels because of diversity. As February is Black History Month, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the book “InThe Shadow of Slavery – Africa’s Botanic Legacy In The AtlanticWorld” By Judith A. Carney and Richard Nicholas Rosomoff.
Then, my friend Jen brought my attention to Belle Da Costa Greene, the American librarian who managed and developed the personal library of J. P. Morgan. She was Black but passed for white which allowed her to earn well and support her family. I’ll be heading to the Morgan Library in NYC for the current exhibit on her. I’ve visited this amazing institution innumerable times and had never known about Belle. Can’t wait to remedy that!
Note: Because of the snow there isn’t much to share from the garden. Instead, here are a few more of my black and white paintings that I’ll be displaying at the Lyndhurst In Bloom Show –
What a weekend it was – packed to the gills with events, I’m finally coming up for air. Friday and Saturday was the PlantFest at Teatown Lake Reservation where for some years now, I’ve participated as a vendor to sell mysoft home furnishings. 100% of the profits are donated to deserving causes and that’s my strong motivation to do what I do – using my art to create beautiful, useful products in order to raise funds for projects I believe in. This year, the ACLU and Doctors Without Borders are my chosen causes. If anyone is interested in my products or in supporting the two causes, please use the link provided above and make your purchases on-line.
Now, at PlantFest, folks primarily come to make a beeline to the plethora of plants available from some pretty amazing growers. So to purchase anything else is not a priority. I participate because Teatown itself is a very special place of nature and deserves to be supported. PlantFest is an important fund raiser. As an opportunity to sell my products, it is less than ideal. But, every item sold helps the big purpose. I did okay. What is gratifying are the people who return every year to buy Mother’s Day gifts. That is definitive endorsement and I sure feel good about it.
On Friday, it was tough – cold and rainy weather had everybody wishing for time to fly. The thought of a hot shower tantalized relentlessly. Finally, at 7:00 pm we were able to go home. But that hot shower had to wait.
Last minute garden work awaited – that final effort to get the garden as ready as it could be for Open Day on Saturday.
So, in the drizzle and cold, I deadheaded, weeded and neatened up the garden for another hour and a half. Satisfied, I finally went in for shower, sustenance and sleep. I couldn’t dare to consider the weather for Saturday.
Well, the Universe heard my pleas – Open Day could not have asked for better weather. Sunshine! Blue skies! Warmer temperature! Not too warm but perfectly comfortable. Hallelujah! While I anticipated the visitors I reveled in the sunshine. It felt heavenly.
And the garden truly rose to the occasion. It looked so beautiful even if I say so myself. As all gardeners know, all we can do is our best and the rest is up to Nature. Over a 100 visitors came and time passed quickly. I so enjoyed meeting everybody. It never ceases to impress me that they take the trouble to come to my little garden. Some had visited a few years prior and had liked it so much to return – that cannot but touch my gardener heart. Meeting new people is invariably fun as friendships get forged this way. And boy did we gossip about plants, gardens and gardening! And maybe about certain gardeners! All in all, a perfect Open Day. Thank you all for visiting – my deepest gratitude.
The day ended with our traditional pizza party with close friends arriving after Open Day hours to get their own private viewing and to linger on into the night eating, drinking and being merry. Sublime.
Note: The baby robins in the nest above the dining table on the terrace had grown and flown in time! So we could use the table guilt-free!
Sunday was Mother’s Day. And the rain had returned but not for the entire day. While it was not really busy or hectic, it was delightfully eventful. I feel extremely blessed.
I’ve given myself a well earned break this week. No gardening. Except for the planting of seedlings. Maybe a bit of routine weeding. Keep up the deadheading. The edgers of the beds in the herb garden could use some straightening. A little re-potting. The tiny front lawn will need mowing. The lilacs look done so maybe get the pruning over with? Ha! What am I thinking? There’s simply no rest for the wicked and the good don’t need any do they?!
Note: Some pictures from Teaown’s PlantFest and my Open Day –
It’s the final stretch – Open Day is this Saturday! All the last minute frenzy is happening. Fussing and faffing, mowing and moving, planting and panting. Since the weather forecast has a chance of rain for Wednesday through Friday ( fingers crossed for Saturday), the deadline to get ready is really sunset today. Madness!
I know it’ll all get done but there’s always that final push and panic. The adrenaline is high and truthfully, I’m super excited to welcome the visitors so we can gossip and commiserate on all things garden. I hope you are planning on dropping by?
If the race to get the chores for May haven’t been addressed as yet, here is the list –
Weed regularly if you want to keep the thugs in check.
Put stakes in place so as plants grow it’ll be easy to secure them.
Deadhead spent blooms for a neat look. Some plants will reward you with a second wave of blooms. Of course, if you want to collect seeds, do not deadhead.
Water as necessary. Add a splash of compost tea to fertilize – about every 3 weeks.
Plant in summer vegetables, summer bulbs and tubers and, annuals.
Keep bird baths filled with clean water. Use mosquito ‘dunks’ to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. The same goes for fountains.
Start mowing lawns but do the right thing by keeping the mower blade high at about four inches. Leave clippings in place to replenish the soil.
Make sure all beds, shrubs and trees are mulched to retain moisture and keep weeds from proliferating.
To take care of weeds in areas that are paved or bricked, pour boiling hot water over them. The weeds will be killed and no chemicals were used!
Stay vigilant for pests or disease. The earlier you catch a problem, the easier it is to treat them. Always employ organic methods.
Stir the compost heap regularly. Keep adding in kitchen and garden waste.
Take time every day to simply enjoy the garden.
Visit other gardens through the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. You will be vastly instructed and inspired. Www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays
Get cracking!
In the garden right now – tulips are having their moment!
The pace in the garden has picked up by leaps and bounds. It feels as though the plants are all coming up at the same time. I sincerely hope not! The temperatures this week are projected to be unseasonably high so there’s no telling what will happen. The tulips are at their peak prettiness and I’m keeping my fingers crossed they will not succumb to the heat. I desperately want to enjoy them for a while longer.
The apple blossoms have joined the pears at the espalier fence. Their frothy exuberance is irresistible to the bees and I can’t be more pleased. In the meadow, just as the daffodils are waning, the ornithogalum have stepped forward. The white bells nodding sweetly are such good place holders for the drama of the alliums coming up soon.
With flowers unfurling everywhere, the birds have been busy. It sounds as though they’re mostly busy chattering but I know they’re focused on nest building and raising their young. The chandelier in the pergola has been comandeered once again by robins. Three turquoise blue eggs repose in a nest built from material found in the bin that holds garden waste headed for the compost heap. I notice dried leaves of brugamansia and papery flowers of hydrangea. All no doubt carefully selected by the discerning robins. I’m impressed.
This past weekend, as I went about our gardening chores, I was made acutely aware that my presence anywhere within a 3 foot radius of said nest was highly disapproved. I did my best to give space but the table under the chandelier is key to doing the potting up of small to medium plants, shaping the small topiaries and such. If only there was a way to assure the robins that I’d never harm their babies and would instead do my best to protect them.
Until eggs are hatched and babies are grown and flown, we will not be using this area for al fresco meals and gatherings. The birds have no idea how much they’ve inconvenienced us and nor do they care. We can empathize.
Sitting well away from the pergola and sipping a much needed cup of coffee I was given the pleasure of seeing my first hummingbird of the season. Only just a bit earlier I’d wondered if these tiny treasures had returned and if it was time to put up the feeders they enjoy so much. They have and it is.
I’m almost breathless keeping up with all the garden goings on. May begins tomorrow and the flowers are here. Lets hope Open Day on May 11 will be abundant with all the blessings for everyone to enjoy.
What a week it was! Busy, hectic and full of excitement. It was spent installing my art for the Lyndhurst In Bloom event. Transforming a vision to reality is a process fraught with ideas, doubt, fun, tweaking, rethinking, redoing, second guessing everything and, finally pulling it all together. A roller-coaster ride.
And then the preview night arrived – it had all come together and I was ready to enjoy the evening. Whew!
The feedback that evening and through the weekend was good and gratifying. I’m really glad I’d said ‘yes’ to this opportunity. It made me stretch and explore, dig deep and think out of the box. It was truly exciting. I’m very pleased with how the final installation looked as well the public response. I learned a lot too.
I had many requests to share as much as possible about my project from those who could not attend. So I submit here the mission statement for it and lots of photos. Lyndhurst had a professional photographer take pictures but I will receive them only later.
And now, after a day spent collecting my thoughts and decompressing, I head into the garden and onward to the garden’s Open Day!
Before Flowers, Beyond Flowers
Lyndhurst Mansion will forever be connected to the Gilded Age. A time associated with rapidly expanding industries, significant progress in science and technology and of course, opulence and excess. What is often overlooked is that this period was also when Environmentalism as a national movement got started. It was a seminal moment when Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. The first of its kind in the world.
We are now at a similar inflection point where we must renew our covenant as protectors of the environment.
On that note,Welcome to The Gilded Age 2.0. What was the scullery has become an ode to seeds.
The very fundamental source of all life is highlighted. Every seed contains the past, present and future. Seeds hold the history, geography, science and art of life on earth.
Yet, while there is universal agreement that seeds are important, one tends not to pay serious attention to them. Benign, diminutive, innocuous with an appearance perceived as dull, they’re easy to go unnoticed. When was the last time you deliberately examined a seed pod, capsule or head?
They are exquisite in design and each uniquely suited to its natural environment and manner of seed dispersal be it by gravity, wind, ballistic, water or animal.
The viewer is invited to take the time to examine the watercolor art works, displays of the real materials themselves, various ways to propagate – seeded paper hung like prayer flags as testaments of faith, hope and service, seed bombs to broadcast generously, seedlings started in flats/)pots for assigned places and purposes, some set aside to exchange with fellow gardeners,
“A lot of gardening is focused on flowers. People don’t realize plants can be beautiful after flowering, and they cut them down before they can even see it. I look outside now and see the clematis that flowered in the summer but is more interesting now that it is showing seed heads.
If you make a four-season garden you have to learn to accept decay and see the beauty of it. It’s about the texture and shape, the seed heads and the skeletons. So instead of using the scissors you use your eyes.” Piet Oudolf
Note: The dried materials seen here were gathered from my own garden with some treasured additional contributions from Harnek Singh – @plantstani and Timothy Tilghman of @untermyergardens.
Sustainability at its best!
My garden is open to the public May 4 through the popular and highly acclaimed Open Days Program of the Garden Conservancy.
Working on two deadlines at the same time is anything but dull. The pressure is on full throttle – final stretch toLyndhurst In Bloom which happens this weekend and less than a month to my garden’sOpen Day. Both are very personal to me as they speak of my philosophy, my creativity and skills. In both cases, I’m aiming to share whats important to me – the natural world that deserves to be appreciated, admired and protected at all costs. Along the way, we find joy, laughter and comfort.
In the garden, given the vagaries of the weather, it’s been slower than I’d like. Between cold and rain, I’ve had to be cautious about bringing out plants from the greenhouse and/or planting too soon. This past week, I focused on replacing groundcovers that had simply run their course. In the garden, perennial doesn’t mean forever. They come back every year but many will eventually run their course and peter out over time.
This was the case with a favorite of mine – Mazus reptans. Originally planted along the side path that connects the front and back of the garden, it had faithfully performed spectacularly. But over the last couple of years, it started losing momentum and finally, very little showed up last spring. This is a very pretty garden stalwart. Undemanding, requiring no direct sunlight it carries on. Diminutive leaves delicately scalloped around the edges form fresh mats that knit together to beautifully cover the earth. The flowers come up a bit later in spring and look like small moths charmingly speckled in purple and white. So very pretty. After the flowers, the green carpet remains and serves for rest of the growing season.
It was a joy to find them in my local nursery and plant them in on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the creeping phlox in the checkerboard garden had been challenged by moss that wanted to take over. Last years wet summer had clearly favored the moss. So much of the moss got removed and new phlox was added to the ones that remained. This garden will have to be reexamined as it is entirely possible that conditions have changed more permanently with surrounding trees and shrubs casting more shade along with all the rain we seem to be getting lately. For now, the new phlox will do. I must research some other interesting yet suitable alternatives.
Opposite from attending to spring chores, is my project on seedpods for Lyndhurst In Bloom. A wholly different season and still so very interdependent. The diversity, sheer beauty and genius designs in packaging so well suited to how the seeds are dispersed is breathtaking. I’ve learned so much through my efforts at painting them. But as I created some arrangements this past weekend, I found myself learning more about how exactly those designs functioned. Quickly meshing into a network or snagging a hold on a neighbor just to get a bit of leverage, quivering at the slightest disturbance, using its sticky seed coat to attach firmly till its safe to open and send its seeds out into the world. They all wait patiently for the rain, wind or critters to help them. Some, do it on their own via ballistic action or gravity. And in each, the circle of life carries on. Just brilliant.
In all the busyness, I’ve been mindful about taking the time to enjoy the process. Giving each task due attention is imperative. Because to have a garden to work in is a privilege. To have the opportunity to show my art is a gift. To share both garden and art is a blessing. I’m aiming to deliver with Grace.
Mazus reptansPhlox in the checkerboard gardenPear blossomPeony supports installedCreating the ceiling featureArrangements of seedpodsInstallation in progressSeeded paper prayer flags
What a week that was. From Monday through Thursday it rained continually. The brief breaks permitted only quick walks to get the blood flowing. No garden work was possible. Then, come Friday, the sun shone bright and we were surprised by that earthquake – no damages but it was certainly scary to feel the house and all its contents shake and shudder. And funnily enough, a solitary snakeshead Fritillaria popped up. I’m convincing myself that the tremors jolted it awake. An after shock was felt in the early evening. All very unsettling.
Still on the subject of out of the ordinary happenings, the much anticipated North American Solar Eclipse happened yesterday. We got up to 90% of totality in our area. Unlike other prime viewing locations, we were not hindered by clouds until after. There’s something special about the shared experience of entire groups/communities gathered to experience an event well beyond their control and devoid of all the differences so rampant these days. Together we acknowledged not only our humanity but also our humble place in the mighty, magical, wondrous and ever-expanding cosmic universe. That’s extraordinary.
The past weekend was thankfully dry and even had periods of sunshine. But it was cold and windy. Felt more like March of the old days. There is no new normal as yet. However, some garden work got down. New plants to replace lost ones got planted, the watering system for the vertical garden was turned on after the whole apparatus was cleaned and serviced and, the peony rings were put in placed. Other tasks that were on my agenda had to be tabled as it was simply too cold. Inevitably, when chores get delayed, I start feeling the pressure of falling behind. Especially with Open Day less than a month away. There’s plenty to do. At the same time, I’m working on my installation for Lyndhurst In Bloom coming up in less than 2 weeks. Exciting and anxiety ridden.
The poem below, written some years ago, sums up what the gardener experiences every year –
Spring Cleaning
Sweep away detritus
Winter’s wild remnants
Prune roses
June’s dress code
Straighten borders
Summer edges to spill
Outside order
Inside peace
Clearing, cutting
Room to breathe deep
Opening, widening
Minds broaden fast
Plants get bigger
Spirits grow higher
Colors multiply
Senses infused
Days lengthen
Smiles brighten
Outdoor classroom
Paradise within.
-Shobha Vanchiswar
Note: While I’ve been very focused on meeting project deadlines, it has been wonderful to take walking breaks in my neighborhood. The images below are from this morning –
