What is a cottage garden?

The world is an ever-changing place, and days seem to slip by at the speed of light. We get caught up in the chaos of political situations, global events and all the everyday issues bombarding us like that nasty bully in grade school, during gym-class dodge ball. It's no wonder we take refuge in the comforts of our routines and personal spaces! Be it a cup of warm cocoa on a snowy day, a pile of freshly raked leaves to dive into every now and then, or our perennial favorites planted in the garden. When we combine flower planting with the memory of former gardens we've loved, we're well on our way to creating a cottage garden.

Traditionally, a cottage garden was functional. Devised centuries ago in working-class England,  the emphasis was on herbs, vegetables, a few fruit trees, a beehive or two, and livestock. No one thought much about the appearance of their garden, as long as it got the job done. By the late 1870s the English started looking around garden spaces with appreciation for their humble roots. They cast critical eyes on the more structured, rigorously maintained English estate gardens of that era, whose formal designs and mass plantings of brilliant greenhouse annuals seemed excessive to the everyday person.

They found charm in the enclosed, practical spaces of the simple gardens behind their cottages, and indulged in a few guilty pleasures--profuse flowers that, unlike their hardworking floral predecessors (like the golden-blossomed calendula, used to treat wounds) did little more than look lovely and smell divine.  Over time, flowers became even more dominant, and soon English Cottage Gardens contained a bevy of double-duty beauties and lusciously lazy slackers, content to turn their beautiful blossoms toward the sun and bask in the glow of warm rays and garden-visitor praise.

To create your own version of the cottage garden, and have it blooming strong from spring until fall, try a mix of old-fashioned staples (just like Grandma used to have) with just a few of those oh-so-exotic garden stars:

Garden mainstays for spring:

Amsonia (blue star), Allium (ornamental onion), Baptisia (false indigo), Astilbe and Nepeta (catmint)

Spring celebrities:

Peony (especially a mashup of deep burgundy and cream), Veronica and Digitalis (foxglove)

Summer staples:

Heuchera (coral bells), Shasta daisy, Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan), Echinacea (coneflower), Cranesbill (geranium), Stachys (Lamb's ear), Phlox, Achilla mollis (Lady's mantle) and Monarda (Bee balm)

Summer superstars:

Rose (any and all roses command one's complete attention) and Delphiniums (perhaps the most "cottage" of all cottage blooms).


"Fall"back flowers:

Sedum (stonecrop), Aster, Liatris (Blazing star) and Agastache

Autumn all stars:

Hydrangea and the ruby-hued Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower)

Make a garden party out of deadheading every week or so (invite your friends over for a "deadheading walk" while sipping wine!), and you've got yourself lush bloomers that merge the seasons seamlessly!

Freezer burn

In the wacky world I live in--upstate New York during the late winter of 2016--unpredictable weather has turned my garden inside out. Weeks of temperatures hovering well above freezing encouraged tender buds to venture forth--only for their hopes of early bloom to be harshly dashed when the mercury dipped below zero! The day after my car thermometer registered a temperature of negative eleven (yes, I kid you not, check out the photo, below), I entered my garden spaces to survey the carnage. What I found astounded me. Fledgling daffodils, allium and poppy greenery valiantly pushing up through the cracked, frozen soil.  Would they survive?

Feeling that there was no time to waste, I began scouring my notebooks, kept since my training at New York's Botanical Garden. I turned to clipped magazine articles, the Internet, and questioned every friend I knew who loves gardening.  Here's what I found:

Fortunately, flowering bulbs are remarkably resilient. "Most will not be fazed by limited periods of cold weather," says Steve Zwiep, Parks Department supervisor for the city of Holland, Michigan, home of the annual Tulip Time Festival. "The risk of damage is greatest when the plants are blooming. Before the buds open, both daffodils and tulips are fairly immune to the cold, but open flowers are more sensitive to frosts and freezes."

The same thing seems to be true for my 'Stellata' magnolia tree. Even though it's covered with buds which look ready to burst forth, they have always managed to hang on without damage. Once they bloom though, it's a different story. I estimate 6 out of 10 seasons see at least a bit of flower damage on those delicate beauties. Every time it happens my heart withers right along with the frost-burned blossoms.

As for poppies and alliums, they appear to be as susceptible to unseasonable cold snaps as most other plants.  Damage above 32 °F is chilling injury rather than freeze injury. Freeze injury occurs in all plants due to ice formation. Most plants that develop in colder climates often survive with little damage if the freeze event is not too severe. Negative 11 is quite severe, but it didn't last too long.

The problem is the unseasonably warm weather BEFORE the brutally cold drop off played a dirty trick on the plants, causing them to lose their "hardening" ability (a process by which plant tissue gradually accustoms to colder temps) after the warm spell. Hardening is most probably related to an increase in solute content of the plant tissue or decreases in ice-nucleation active (INA) bacteria concentrations during cold periods, or a combination. During warm periods, plants exhibit growth, which reduces solute concentration, and INA bacteria concentration increases, which makes the plants less hardy.

So, when all is said and done, will this uniquely destructive climate damage the tender perennials? Sadly, only time will tell, but I remain hopeful that my spring garden will shine.

5 flowers you must have for your valentine

It's that time of year again: Valentine's Day. Time for flowers to take center stage for 24 fleeting hours. Ironically, I don't particularly like the holiday. I've never been one for what I call "staged romance." I much prefer to let my husband be spontaneous, showing me affection whenever the mood hits him. I smile every time I think of weekend mornings all year long: he makes me bacon-smothered egg creations with piping hot coffee. As I'm chowing down, he asks me for dinner requests, then goes about preparing gourmet meals. To me, nothing says "I Love You" like the tireless TLC he gives to my stomach.

Even though I don't buy into the whole candy-flowers thing each February 14th, I do enjoy seeing the wide variety of horticultural offerings this time of year, and it's hard to keep from peeking in my florist's cooler. The variety and presentation of flowers on Valentine's Day never ceases to amaze me. Each year I marvel at the clever combinations of cultivars and colors, and I find myself frowning when I see a man carrying a bouquet of red roses. Yes, roses are lovely, but seriously? How much thought goes into plucking a supermarket bouquet? Show loved ones that they are truly loved by giving them a flower selection that says "Significant Other".

Below, I've made a list of classic and cutting edge florals--as well as touching on the meaning of certain colors--so you can mix and mash up a fantastic Feb 14 presentation:

CARNATION

Who doesn't love this tried-and-true bloom in a Valentine bouquet? The origin of this blossom's name is debated, but the most widely held belief is that it derives from the Latin "carnis," meaning "flesh"--the pinkish tone of the first carnations closely resembling God-made flesh. Now available in nearly every color of the rainbow, my favorites for this occasion are white, which signifies pure love and luck, dark red for deep love, and delicate pink, the original hue, thought to derive from the Virgin Mary's tears--a symbol of a mother's undying love. It's a great choice for a spouse who has just had a baby, or has learned she will have one soon!

NARCISSUS (AKA DAFFODIL)

This cheerful bloom symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. Perhaps add a few sunny yellow daffodils to the pink carnations for the new mom or mother-to-be to ensure happiness. A word of warning: legend has it that daffs should always be presented in bouquets. A single bloom is thought to forewarn misfortune.

ALSTROEMERIA

The flower of this little gem of a plant looks a lot like the blossoms on my favorite azalea bushes in my front yard, but with a twist--of leaves, to be exact. They twine around the flower stems, symbolizing the intricate twists and growth of friendship. Therefore, the myriad hues of this cut beauty--white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lavender and purple--signify the strength and variety of friendship. A bouquet of alstroemeria is the perfect present for a true blue pal.

ORCHID

Exotic and artful in appearance, orchids exude luxury and represent rare and delicate beauty. Present your loved one with a pink orchid, and you are not only expressing admiration, but conveying pure affection.

ROSE

Let's face it, a Valentine's list wouldn't be complete without the unparalleled appeal of the rose. Red, of course, means enduring passion; white means purity; yellow stands for friendship; pink conveys gratitude, and orange denotes desire. While there's good reason to choose such a widely acclaimed blossom, why not update this classic to keep it from turning into cliché? Try pairing purple roses with white lilies, and you've enchantingly expressed that you've fallen in love at first sight. Any Valentine would love to experience that!

Make plant care an everyday affair

Plants thrive with just a bit of TLC, so get into the habit of tending to them much like you care for your pets. You wouldn't let a day pass without giving your four-legged friends food, a drink of water, or a tender pat; be just as attentive to the flora as the fauna, and you'll revel in the buds and greenery your plants produce.

It's easy to incorporate plant care into your everyday activities once you get the hang of it.  Studies show that if you repeat something 18 times, it becomes a habit, so remember to "think green" each time you engage in the daily, weekly or monthly chores below:

1.Whenever you boil or steam vegetables, pour the water into an empty pot rather than down the drain. After letting the water cool, use it to water potted plants--they love this vitamin-and mineral-rich "vegetable soup."

2.Use leftover tea and coffee grounds to maintain the acid level of plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries (just to name a few acid-lovers). A sprinkling of about one-quarter of an inch applied once a month will keep the pH of the soil on the acidic side.

3.Chamomile tea controls damping-off fungus, which can attack seedlings quite suddenly. Add a spot of tea to the soil around the base of seedlings once a week or use it as a foliar spray.

4. A super-quick method of drying herbs: lay a sheet of newspaper on the seat of your car, arrange the herbs in a single layer, roll up all the windows and close all doors. Your herbs will be quickly dried to perfection, and your car will smell like a fresh spring day.