The very first glasshouses were not entirely made of glass. That is, their construction did not entail four walls that consisted primarily of glass. But they were surprisingly large, and designed for a specific purpose—the storage of container-grown citrus trees in winter. In Italy these âlimonaiaâ (related to the âorangerieâ later developed in France) had […]
Raymond Blanc OBE is proud to âopenâ the Hartley Botanic Westminster Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show Stand TR1 On Monday 19 May, Raymond Blanc OBE will join his friends from Hartley Botanic to officially open their garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, Stand TR1. The highlight of the garden will be a showcase of […]
Succession planting is a great way to get more from your vegetable garden. Following one crop with another is easy to do, and requires just a little planning. Having a greenhouse to jumpstart your plants is a tremendous help and adds to the variety you can plant successively. Here in Zone 5/6 our main planting […]
Walking into any well-stocked GLASSHOUSE feels like stepping into a world of green. Quickly, your eye will pick out the exceptions to that green â pink orchids, red begonias. But the green background is what provides the overall sense of life in the greenhouse and makes the colors stand out. The same applies in a […]
Dan Hinkleyâs suggestions turn gardeners into plant hunters Any plant Dan Hinkley likes, I want. And Iâm not alone. When this world-class plant explorer spoke at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show on âDan Hinkleyâs Favorite 25 Plants,â the room was packed. As he reeled off the names of his choices, Dan never outlined cultivation […]
Leeann Lavin is a writer and blogger based in New York, her company Duchess Gardens has award winning, international experience of designing and implementing unique and creative custom garden designs. Leeann has also had publishing success with her book “The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook”, which shows off her passion for home grown cuisine […]
A greenhouse can be an ideal place to force daffodils into bloom in early spring. If the bulbs have been potted in fall and kept in a place that is cold but not freezing, they will have gotten the 12 to 14 weeks of chilling they need. Now they can be brought into the warmth […]
As part of an annual tradition at Smith College, in Northampton, Massachusetts, rooted ivy cuttings are distributed to each incoming first year student–just one indicator of the botanic leanings of this prestigious womenâs college. With late winterâs days lengthening, Smithâs Lyman Conservatory– one of the few remaining plant conservatories in the United States built in […]
Having decided what species of orchid you want, you need to consider how to heat your greenhouse. Many orchids have an aversion to the byproducts of propane or natural gas heaters, so this aversion limits the options in designing a heating system. In my opinion, the best way to heat an orchid greenhouse is with […]
With trees, size matters. Sometimes towering behemoths block light to gardens and greenhouses. Pruning with a chainsaw may be the only option. Or sometimes a lack of trees results in homes and outbuildings bereft of unifying plantings. In both cases, the best garden design strategyâplant the right-sized trees now. I talked with Nancy Buley, Communications […]
It may be cold and bleak outdoors, but this is definitely a time of year when itâs easy to appreciate the advantages of greenhouse gardening. Just take your cue from the Conservatory of Wave Hill, a public garden located in the Bronx, New York. Here, the fragrances and colors of other climes help us momentarily […]
Early March is about when I ought to be perking up and getting out in the garden a little. I should be cutting back the dead hosta flower stalks and all the other debris I didnât get cleared away in fall. I should be chopping ornamental grasses off at a couple of inches to make […]
