Gardening
May Calendar
“Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.” – Ellis Peters – I’m always amazed how quickly time flies once spring has begun. Every day a walk around…
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Sarah P. Duke Gardens
My dear friend Marlana Semenza, a talented photographer and stylist in North Carolina, is always searching for new inspiration. She found a treasure trove at her most recent discovery, the…
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Green + Brown = Black Gold
Compost. Black Gold. My Papa swore by the stuff. The heartiness and scale of his kitchen garden was proof positive of its miraculous powers. Like father, like daughter, when we…
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A Little Light Reading
Weekends are just the best! I hope that you’re able to carve out some time for yourself and sit down with our latest issue, Seasons at Connecticut Country House. Brimming…
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Cloche Quarters
I’ve always loved the romantic look of glass cloches in historical European herb gardens. From the French word meaning bell, cloche (pronounced klōSH) are a practical and beautiful way to…
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Romance in Bloom
Set against a sparkling clear sky, a Saucer Magnolia in full bloom is a spectacular sight. One of the earliest trees to flower at Connecticut Country House, it’s covered in…
Keep ReadingField of Dreams
In Redding, CT, one of the most beautiful sights that I look forward to seeing each spring, is a local landmark, a large field that perennially brims with gorgeous, blooming…
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Dress Your Beds
Now’s the perfect time to get your garden beds going. Tackling one bed at a time, here’s my routine: Clean out debris and cut back dried stems. Lightly spread compost…
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Spring Has Sprung?
Contrary to the fact that I woke up to a fresh blanket of fluffy white stuff this morning, as far as I’m concerned, spring kicked off yesterday and I’m ready…
Keep ReadingA Country House Life
Our latest issue, Seasons at Connecticut Country House, has arrived! We’ve created 200+ pages (274 to be exact!) filled with our original, beautiful photography and smart, new decorating, gardening, and…
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Myrtle Topiary Love
About four years ago, dear friends of mine gave me this wonderful pair of myrtle topiaries. Now double their original size, they’re thriving nicely. I’ll let you in on a few…
Keep ReadingYour 24/7 Country House Style Library
When the snow is covering the ground, and the plows haven’t been through, sometimes it’s the best time to get cozy, kick back and catch up on a little light…
Keep ReadingRule of Thumb. . . and Forefinger
People often ask me what my special secret is for keeping plants happy and healthy indoors during the cold winter months. My approach to their care is quite simple: Provide…
Keep ReadingPaperwhites For Christmas
Decorating for Christmas wouldn’t be the same at Connecticut Country House without containers full of fragrant, blooming paperwhites. It takes about 4 to 5 weeks for these papery beauties to…
Keep ReadingAnticipation
Potting amaryllis bulbs is a perennial item on my getting ready to decorate for the holidays to do list. Depending upon the variety planted, it can take from five to…
Keep ReadingDig In
Brighten the landscape for next spring by planting cheerful daffodil bulbs now! Choose a sunny spot. Areas that are normally shaded by deciduous trees are fair game. Freshly immerging leaves…
Keep ReadingLate Bloomer
As I was shopping the aisles of my local garden center a few years back, searching for flowering plants that would keep my cutting garden going until frost set in,…
Keep ReadingDrama Queen
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” –…
Keep ReadingKitchen Garden Centerpiece
The season is changing, and the blooming is beginning to wind down in the gardens of Connecticut Country House. Instead of relying on flowers for an arrangement, I often will…
Keep ReadingLate Summer Garden
It’s a bittersweet time for me as a die-hard gardener. I love autumn, but I have to be honest that I have a hard time letting go of summer! It’s that…
Keep ReadingQuite A Pair
For me, the bigger and wilder the topiaries – the better! Here, a mature pair of Myrtle topiaries add weight, scale, and a whole lot of attitude to this understated,…
Keep ReadingWalk This Way
The shrubs and perennials that spill onto the pathway to our main entry, the back door, are a delight to the senses. Springtime greets you with the sweet scent of…
Keep ReadingAnatomy Of A Kitchen Garden
A few years ago, we had yet another rough Connecticut winter. Our kitchen garden took a major hit. The wobbly chicken wire fencing that, in better days, served to keep…
Keep ReadingFoodie Friday: Pretty And Peppery
Flanking the back gates of the kitchen garden, I have large patches of nasturtium. They didn’t start out that way, and I’m partially to blame. Some plants have decided to…
Keep ReadingMrs. Bona’s Rule Of Thumb
Growing up on Melville Avenue in Fairfield, Connecticut, my best friend Suzy lived right across the street. Our houses were of a 1920’s vintage, and as was custom of that…
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