Tag: Subscriber Only

Quick Takes With: Susanna Grant – Gardenista

[ad_1]

“I am a gardener, garden designer, and writer. My consultancy, LINDA, designs and plants biodiverse urban gardens that are plant-focused with an emphasis on re-using existing materials where possible. I also organise and curate London’s best plant fairs—the Spring Plant Fair at the Garden Museum and the Autumn Plant Fair at Arnold Circus.”

Read Susanna Grant’s bio, and you’ll be able to glean a few truths about her. One, she sees herself first and foremost as a gardener, a steward of the land, a caretaker of plants. Second, spontaneity and breeziness are key to her designs, as evidenced by the fact that she named her firm after a friend’s dog. And third, she’s keen on building a community of like-minded plant obsessives. (Count us in!)

True to form, Susanna, who wrote a book on shade planting, is also a volunteer gardener and a trustee of Friends of Arnold Circus, and a director of Care Not Capital. “I’m particularly excited by the Modern Gardener training we are delivering to trained gardeners through Care Not Capital this summer at John Little’s experimental garden Hilldrop,” she tells us. “We’ve just opened applications for the second year of our free training.”

Below, she tells us why she’s not a fan of sedum green roofs, how to easily get rid of a lawn, which plant stars in all of her projects, and more. (And if you’re curious to see more of her projects, be sure to go here and here.)

Photography courtesy of Susanna Grant.

Above: Susanna at the Garden Museum plant fair. Photograph by Graham Lacado.

Your first garden memory:

Probably my grandparent’s garden. They had a small rectangular pond with a miniature waterfall made out of bricks that my granddad built. It was deeply suburban! I loved lying beside it watching the water boatmen bugs on the surface.

Garden-related book you return to time and again:

Richard Maby’s Flora Britannica and Weeds: In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants. His writing is so conversational and captures the emotional connection we have with plants alongside his scientific observations. Both really good for dipping into. Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature is another favourite—again because of the deep relationship he nurtures with his garden. We live with nature, as nature—it is not something separate. These are books you don’t have to be a gardener to enjoy and they might change your perception of the plants around you.

Instagram account that inspires you:

@dandelyan, @howardsooley, @coyotewillow, @bennyhawksbee, @thetemperategardener, plus @johnderian for his occasional leggy pellie [etiolated Pelargoniums] posts. Sorry, I spend far too much time on there to be able to limit it to one!

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

Above: A project that reflects Susanna’s “light touch with hardscaping.”

Natural, kind, plant-heavy. I want my gardens to look like they’ve always been there.

Plant that makes you swoon:

Oenothera stricta sulphurea—it’s the way the sunset colours seep into one another and gently glow at dusk. I rarely get to use it, as most of the gardens I plant are clay and have a fair amount of shade, but I will get it in whenever I can.

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

Euonymus japonica ‘Aureomarginatus’. I’m trying to like variegation more and can take a silvery edge or delicate white splash, but the yellow and green of this euonymus is too much!

Favorite go-to plant:

Above: At the back of this small garden, nodding Digitalis lutea.

Digitalis lutea. She goes everywhere with me. Tough, evergreen foliage, soft yellow flowers with a beautiful little deferential nod at the tip, good seedheads, good for pollinators, good for shade, good for most gardens.

Hardest gardening lesson you’ve learned:

Probably accepting that gardened spaces are ephemeral. You can pour your heart and soul into a design and planting and make sure it’s cared for, but someone can come and change all of it a few years down the line.
Maybe also stop buying plants from nurseries that I don’t need and have nowhere to put them!

Unpopular gardening opinion:

I’m not convinced by the current trend of drought-tolerant Mediterranean planting in the UK as a simple answer to climate change. Yes, summers are getting hotter here, but winters are looking like they are going to get colder and wetter and a lot of Mediterranean plants won’t survive that. Climate emergency means constant adaptation and there isn’t a one-size fits all.

[ad_2]

Source link

February 15, 2026
Letter of Recommendation: How I Learned to Love My Sauna – Gardenista

[ad_1]

I have been coerced into learning new skills and trying new hobbies for as long as I’ve been with my husband. When we were in college, he pressured me into skiing. Throwing oneself down a steep mountain, in freezing temperatures, strapped to skinny planks, is not something that my immigrant family ever thought I’d need to learn. I survived, even had fun, but from then on, I knew better than to automatically agree to whatever “fun idea” he had up his sleeve.

Here are some things my hobbyist husband has proposed we try that I’ve firmly said no to: ice climbing, a rafting trip, a bike tour, surfing, marathon running, ballroom dancing, a greenhouse, a pizza oven. Things I’ve grudgingly said yes to: fly fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, curling, paddle-boarding, rock climbing, a Dead & Co. concert, a dog. I don’t regret any of my decisions, but aside from our pup (who is now my favorite child), I haven’t truly taken to any of his obsessions. They’re his fixations, not mine.

Recently, though, after much lobbying on his part, I agreed to have a sauna built in our small yard—and now I’m almost as obsessed as he is. Maybe that’s because sauna bathing doesn’t involve special gear or physical training, and the only skill you really need to have is to be able to sit still. But I think there’s more to it. Here’s how I learned to love sweating in a claustrophobic space.

Above: Our Finnleo Northstar Sauna. We opted for a dark stain in lieu of paint. If you’re interested in building your own, my husband tells me that Trumpkin’s Notes on Building a Sauna is considered the bible for constructing a traditional Finnish sauna. If you’re interested in reading the dense manual, you can find it here. And if you’re not, congratulations—you have a life.

1. Use it as stealth therapy.

Our sauna is very small, but my husband and I can comfortably use it at the same time without the threat of mingling sweat. It also helps that the bench faces a wall with a glass door and window, both of which nicely frame a corner of our garden. The tight confines also happen to be conducive to having all sorts of discussions with your partner. There’s something about sitting next to each other, but not facing each other, that takes the sting out of touchy subjects and the annoyance out of mundane ones. Plus, in such a hushed, tight space, raised voices are simply not an option.

[ad_2]

Source link

February 8, 2026
Special Edition: 2026 Design Resolutions from the Editors – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Here’s a myth about design. Contrary to what home-makeover shows might have you believe, there’s no ta-da moment when a space is “done.” Rather, we like designer Cassandra Ellis’s idea that a home is “a long and rambling poem revealing someone’s life,” ever shifting, changing, and adapting to suit the needs of its inhabitants and reflect what they love. Ditto a garden.

How do you want to live in your space this year? As for our editors, we’re aiming for boldness, making room for joy, culling what’s extra, and finally getting around to some long-put-off garden tasks. Read on.

Above: Julie’s Mill Valley place. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Eschew trends.

“My resolution? Stick to tried-and-true basics and ignore the trends. We recently moved back to our house in Mill Valley, California, and it’s still as fresh and easy as it was two decades ago. If you start with classics—some might even say ‘boring’ choices—you won’t have to look back with regret. And you won’t waste money on of-the-moment trends—hello, wildly patterned marble backsplashes, white boucle covered midcentury furniture, and brass fixtures and fittings everywhere.” – Julie

Be bold.

“I’m not color-averse, just color-shy, but this is the year I’d like to be more playful with my palette. Our home is dominated by neutral-hued floor coverings and furniture, with spots of color courtesy of artwork and pillows. I’m ready to turn up the color: perhaps a botanical wallpaper for the bedroom? Or a patterned Moroccan rug in lieu of our current ivory shag rug that I’ve come to loathe? Or maybe a new red armchair to replace the minimalist gray one that, if I’m honest, kinda gives American Psycho vibes? There will always be a place for neutrals in my home (I’m a New Yorker at heart), but I think what 2026 calls for is a little more boldness and bravery.” – Fan

Move past white.

“The time has come to move past the white couch. Our sofa is comfy and serves us well—and is plenty wide enough when my partner or I need to sleep on it with our senior rescue dog. But I must admit that the nothing-color of the upholstery is doing, well, nothing for the room. Time to learn to sew a slipcover?” – Annie

Cut back on secondhand buys.

“Most New Year’s resolution lists probably say something like ‘buy more secondhand,’ and yes—always shop gently used and pre-loved before buying new. However, I feel ready to admit that my consumption at both my local Goodwill and the excellent nearby swap shop has started to get away from me. Just because it’s there, or a good deal, does not mean I need more glassware or fabric or baskets. There. I said it. I’ll still shop these places before buying new, but it’ll be a more judicious hunt for something specific rather than a I’m-just-passing-by browse.” – Annie

Tame the toys.

“My eight-month-old daughter’s play mat, books, and toys have already taken over my small Brooklyn apartment—we sold our coffee table to make room for it all—but I’d like to at least keep it organized and as visually-appealing as possible, so I ordered a bunch of HAY Recycled Colour Crates and a big yellow woven basket as an attempt to tame the mess. Baby proofing is also on the docket…Wish me luck.” – Morgan

Repaint.

“On the home front, I have a new motto of ‘no more chipped paint’: This applies to both the surfaces of my apartment and some furnishings. In the garden, I want to boost biodiversity. I have a goal plant a greater variety of native plants at my weekend house—including at least one tree.” – Laura

Cull collections.

“I resolve to do a lot of indoor weeding—not of plants but of the many possessions I’ve accumulated, from a closetful of vases to a sky-high stack of dish towels. And that ever so barely begins to cover it.” – Margot

Cook for others.

“This month I started contributing to a community fridge, after a friend posted about doing the same. I make a big batch of what I have been calling Thursday Chile (it is delivered on a Thursday), enough for ten meals and featuring as many calories and nutrition as I can stuff into one pot. As I arrived yesterday, the fridge’s customers were two elderly men and a grandmother with two small kids in tow. The fridge was empty then, and the containers went straight into their hands. It is humbling. I am very uncomfortable about the virtue-signaling aspect of this, but I know I am doing it because someone else’s actions inspired me to do a little local research. It may inspire someone else. The need is great.” – Marie

Above: A flower bed in Clare’s garden. Photograph by Clare Coulson.

Tend to the garden’s edges.

“My goal: replanting borders. This is a huge job, which is why I’ve put it off, but after a few summers of letting my out-of-control borders slide, it’s time to bite the bullet. I’ve allowed thugs and self-seeders to gain the upper hand, so it very much feels like it’s now or never. Last year I saw some really pretty planting at Luciano Giubbilei’s new garden at Raby Castle, and this has given me extra incentive to replant with a new palette, but also more drought-tolerant plants.” – Clare

Upgrade the potter’s shed.

“Our cottage came with a hut in the back, which is entirely plastic: floor, walls, roof. The huge window is glass. Instead of making do and cladding the interior, I’d really like to have a ‘head gardener’s office,’ with reasonable windows that open and a gently sloping planted roof. I’m told that it’ll be quite easy, but having NEVER had builders in, my hesitation over finding one has put the garden on ice for four years. I can’t stand it any longer, so drawings are being made and the search is on. Watch this space.” – Kendra

Grow more.

“Resolution: grow more arugula, because the store-bought bags go funky too quickly. Create more art—more for therapeutic reasons than anything. Grow more cut flowers from seed because there are way more options!” – Kier

Be present.

“This year, my resolution is to spend less time looking at the garden as a task list and more time being fully present in it—really listening to the different sounds of birdsong, insect chatter, and leaves rustling, really seeing the way petals unfurl and how colors of plants come together, and really breathing in deeply the scents of the land, from earthy compost to spicy summersweet.” – Melissa

Do you have home resolutions for the new year? Let us know in the comments.

(Visited 59 times, 58 visits today)

[ad_2]

Source link

February 1, 2026
Extra, Extra: Two Exclusive Discounts at Shops We Love, January Edition – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Ahead, two exclusive, just-for-R/G-subscribers coupon codes for colorful and beautifully made utilitarian goods and more. Happy browsing:

[ad_2]

Source link

January 25, 2026
Quick Takes With: Julie Weiss – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Favorite hardscaping material:

Natural local materials like nearby rocks, stone, gravel. Less carbon footprint transporting materials that are likely nearby. I love different textures used together. More plants, less hardscaping is my preference these days.

Go-to gardening outfit:

Above: In her Le Laboreur chore coat.

Protective clothing from the weather. Comfortable layers. A hat. French work shirts got very trendy in the fashion world for a minute, but they are very useful in the garden because of the thick canvas fabric that plants don’t catch onto. Layers for the cold. While working in the winters at Dixter I think I had on at least 5 layers. Waterproofs are essential. I am a toolbelt person…always secateurs (mine are Japanese or Felcos for pruning), my Dixter hand trowel, a pocket attachment for a pen and notepad, a hori hori, and a hand-saw if I am pruning. And clip for my gloves.

Tool you can’t live without:

My Sneeborer wide trowel and Dixter designed short spade. These excellent tools are meaningful to me as I got them on my first real visit to Great Dixter, a succession planting Symposium in 2016. I had no idea I’d still be using these same tools almost 10 years later. I tend to get attached to the history of things.

Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

Above: Cistus Nursery in Portland, OR.

On the US West Coast, Dan Hinkley’s Windcliff Plants (in person only, and you can visit the garden if you shop at the nursery) and Sean Hogan’s Cistus Nursery. I am so very lucky to be near and visit these 2 incredible nurseries. Digging Dog in northern California (mail order only) is phenomenal. In the UK the Great Dixter Nursery and the Beth Chatto Nursery. I love the Theodore Payne Nursery in LA (they have a large selection of California native seeds), and Plant Material in LA. For seeds: Johnny’s, Hudson Valley Seed Company,

On your wishlist:

Visiting the Atacama Desert and the Silk Road. Always California desert wildflower trips.

Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

Silver Falls State Park in Oregon (for the waterfalls and native flora), Joshua Tree National Park in California. Windcliff and Heronswood Garden in the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Garden near Philadelphia. Great Dixter House and Garden in East Sussex.

The REAL reason you garden:

Above: Layered up and on the move.

Just to be with plants and to be outside connected with the outdoors. I love trying to make something beautiful and interesting that is alive, while also providing for wildlife—that is more important than anything to me these days. And being with other gardeners is really fun. Maybe the best part. I am a team person!

Thanks so much, Julie! (You can follow her on Instagram @julieaweiss.)

For our full archive of Quick Takes, head here.

(Visited 26 times, 20 visits today)

[ad_2]

Source link

January 11, 2026
Psst…What We Loved in December – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Welcome to Psst, where each month the Remodelista and Gardenista editors share an inside look at what we’ve been reading, watching, coveting, pinning, visiting, and otherwise loving lately. Ahead, what we’ve been up to this last month of 2025:

N.B.: This is the last subscriber-only story of the year. We’ll be back on Sunday, January 4; thanks for all your support this year, and here’s to more ahead.

Above: “Since September, I’ve been racing to visit gardens all over England as the light fades and colour disappears. Iford Manor was spectacular even in December, revealing the interests of its architect-creator, Harold Peto, and not the greatest hits (wisteria, martagon lilies), which were there before he arrived in 1899. The focus was on the structure and structures that he added, which he made to house and display his ‘stuff’. Put together with unerring taste. A real treat.” – Kendra

Above: “Lately I’ve been into carving my own linocut-style stamps; this simple botanical design, plus some black ink, transformed a standard-issue sheet of white paper into some festive gift wrap. Something from nothing.” –Ânnie

“A few weeks ago, we were lucky to stay in an apartment in Condesa, Mexico, belonging to friends of friends—who happen to own Oaxifornia, Raul Cabra‘s Oaxaca workshop that partners with artists, designers, and artisans. (Oaxifornia has a shop, La Embajada, in Austin.) Their Condesa pied-a-terre is set up as their showroom, and it’s filled with enchanting things, including this black clay agave leaf tray that I adorned at the very last minute as a souvenir of a great few days.”- Margot

[ad_2]

Source link

December 21, 2025
On Our Mood Boards: 5 Festive, Not-Seen-Everywhere Decor Ideas – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Longtime readers will recall the holiday decor we’ve admired in years past: low-cost, last-minute, zero-waste, and more. This year, we’ve been spotting festive displays beyond the usual; here are five inspired takes we’ve bookmarked.

[ad_2]

Source link

December 14, 2025
Psst…What We Loved in November – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Welcome to Psst, where each month the Remodelista and Gardenista editors share an inside look at what we’ve been reading, watching, coveting, pinning, visiting, and otherwise loving lately. Ahead, what we’ve been up to in November:

Above: “In early November, we stayed at the 200-year-old Stone Ridge Farm Inn in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for a family wedding weekend. It was rustic, charming, and quiet—even with a six month old baby.” – Morgan

Above: “These days where I live, it gets dark around 4 p.m., and I’m aware lots of people don’t like it—but I relish it and the golden light that illuminates our house just before sunset. I snapped this in a corner of our dining room, just next to my great aunt’s hutch (whose name is Hutchinson) and our wedding flowers, dried and still going strong two years later.” – Ânnie

Above: “The Whitney Museum’s re-staging of Alexander Calder’s Circus is a wonderful thing to see for all ages. As a young American artist in Paris in the 1920s, Calder created the first of his feats of derring do using wire and found materials and staging performances in which he served as ringleader. This collection is one of my greatest sources of inspiration and delight—it used to be on permanent view in the lobby at the Whitney’s original location. It’s up through March 9. And for those who can’t see it in person, I recommend watching an online video, such as this. That’s Calder himself and his wife in charge of the music. The video is playing at the museum—and though it’s so no-tech, kids were on the lying on the floor watching and howling.” – Margot

[ad_2]

Source link

November 30, 2025
Lessons Learned: The Misadventures of a Former City Slicker and Her Cut Flower Garden – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Cut flower garden. This is a sub-category of garden that, if you had asked me about three years ago, I wouldn’t have even understood, let alone imagined someday having. But three years ago, when we moved from New York City to eight-plus acres in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and set about not only caretaking but working to improve the gardens that were now part of our domain, our super-gardener friend Stephanie declared in a tone that conveyed obviousness, even inevitability, “Well, of course you’ll have to plant a cut flower garden.”

For the uninitiated like myself, a cut flower garden is like a vegetable garden but for flowers—not for decoration but for service. I suppose that more elaborate cut flower gardens are meant to service florists or weddings or even roadside stands. But in our case, our cut flower garden services our dining table and our bedside tables and my desk and anywhere else we need that bump of indoor summery joy around our home.

Fast-forward to a year after Stephanie’s suggestion and, indeed, we planted a cut flower garden—resplendent with zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, bells of Ireland, snapdragons, gomphrena, purple hyacinth beans, and more. But there was a problem: Cut flowers are supposed to grow tall—for, ahem, those big tall giant vases that we don’t have—and that means you have to support the plants. And the way that most people create cut flower garden supports, according to our gardening friends as well as the internet, is with a combination of heavy green garden stakes and twine. You pound the garden stakes into the ground at regular intervals, say, three to four feet apart, and then wind twine between the stakes so that you end up with a series of twine boxes with Xs crossing diagonally. Do this lower to the ground and higher up along the stakes and, Bob’s your uncle, that’s that.

Except Bob is apparently not my uncle, and the twine grid method, for me, wasn’t that easy or workable for three reasons. First, as a baseline, I’m not fantastically skilled at winding or tying twine in such a way that it stays taut and in place. So what initially looked like a sharp twine outline of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich expertly cut into triangles by a very anal retentive parent on school lunch duty inevitably looked, just a few days later, like said sandwich had been left at the bottom of a knapsack for weeks. Second, it never looked good. Even where I occasionally managed to get the twine taut, the giant green metal stakes stood out like sore industrial-ish thumbs pocking the landscape of the otherwise lovely natural-looking flowerscape. And third, hard though it had been to achieve this deeply imperfect twine-stake situation—and, indeed, I had spent hours setting it up—I was gutted by the realization that I’d have to eventually take it all down. And then do it all again next year. And so on and so on. Ad infinitum. Forever.

All this effort for something that didn’t work, that looked garish, and would require repeating every single year? Nope. And this is why I built a series of custom flower support grates and bases for them to rest on. Here’s how I did it.

[ad_2]

Source link

November 16, 2025
Quick Takes With: Jean-Marc Flack – Gardenista

[ad_1]

What’s in a name? In the case of landscape design firm Hortulus Animae, it’s the key to what motivates its founder Jean-Marc Flack. Hortulus Animae means “Little Garden of the Soul” and was originally the title of a book of prayers printed in the late 1400s. And fittingly, the projects he designs are soulful—expansive and intimate at once, brimming with biodiversity, and profoundly beautiful. His landscapes stir the spirit.

Before starting his award-winning practice in the Hudson Valley in 2014, Jean-Marc spent more than two decades as a fashion-industry executive. “That background, along with formal studies in philosophy, psychology, and sustainable garden design at the New York Botanical Garden, continues to inform my practice—uniting art, culture, and ecology through a deeply personal lens,” he tells us.

“I approach landscape design as both an artistic and ecological practice—a dialogue between creativity, craft, and the living systems of a site,” he continues. “My work explores how beauty, color, line, and form can exist in conversation with horticulture, ecology, and botany to create gardens that are both expressive and alive. Each project begins with the story of a place—its architecture, topography, and ecology—and becomes a site-specific response to the client’s vision and the land’s inherent character.”

Read on to learn what moves him as a plantsman and designer—and what repels him.

Photography by Jean-Marc Flack unless otherwise noted.

Above: Jean-Marc is currently breaking ground on a new project in the Berkshires, “a landscape that will include a natural swimming pool (in collaboration with Anthony Archer-Wills), a ruin garden, an orchard, and a wetland nature trail,” he tells us. Photograph by Stephen Petronio.

Your first garden memory:

As a child, I spent summers visiting my Tante Germaine’s country garden and potager in Belley, in the Auvergne–Rhône–Alpes region near Geneva. For a city kid, it was an enchanted world—my first encounter with a life shaped by plants. I didn’t yet know their names, but I was spellbound by the sensory world they created: the heady fragrance of Buddleja in the hedgerow, the rubbery squeaky foliage of Bergenia cordifolia lining the drive, the tart burst of translucent, bright red Groseille currants and the jellies they became, the crunch of pea gravel underfoot, and the cluttered greenhouse with its empty pots and tools. It was a place of pure mystery and wonder that I can still smell today.

Garden-related book you return to time and again:

On a day to day, the Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr is an indispensable reference guide when choosing specific woody plants and cultivars. On a more philosophical level, I am extremely inspired by Gilles Clément, the French garden designer who wrote The Planetary Garden and coined such powerful concepts as the “Garden in Motion,” the “Planetary Garden,” and the “Tertiary Landscape” that have informed my approach to landscape design. I feel it is crucial for us now to rethink our relationship to the land and celebrate biodiversity, plant agency, and connectivity as directives to design landscapes that minimize disturbance and support wildlife.

Instagram account that inspires you:

@Roy_diblik_—a consummate native plantsman, designer, and ecologist, and constant source of inspiration.

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

Above: “A big part of our role as designers is helping clients rethink outdated notions of what a “beautiful” landscape looks like—showing that biodiversity and elegance are not mutually exclusive, but can be deeply intertwined.”

Mindfully controlled chaos.

Plant that makes you swoon:

I’m captivated by Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite,’ or sweetshrub—it’s a true sensory delight. Its deep red, magnolia-like flowers, showy but never garish, bloom from late spring into early summer. Every part of the plant is fragrant: the blooms smell uncannily of strawberries, while the bark, leaves, and seed pods release a spicy scent when crushed. A hybrid by Dr. Tom Ranney of the University of North Carolina, it combines eastern and western sweetshrub species and still teems with pollinator life—from butterflies to beetles.

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

I try not to be dogmatic about plants, but a few still make me wince. Forsythia’s blinding yellow—often paired with equally brash Narcissi—feels more assault than spring awakening. And burning bush (Euonymus alatus), with its invasive habit and electric-red fall color, isn’t far behind. There’s enough true drama in nature without the neon.

[ad_2]

Source link

November 9, 2025
Psst…What We Loved in October – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Welcome to Psst, where each month the Remodelista and Gardenista editors share an inside look at what we’ve been reading, watching, coveting, pinning, visiting, and otherwise loving lately. Ahead, what we’ve been up to in October:

Above: “On trips home to Massachusetts, I am always inspired by the Cambridge color palette: houses in somber charcoals and grays with lavender front doors. On a recent fall weekend, I was also delighted by the many shades of Boston ivy. And by the Harvard Art Museums’s Renzo Piano building with its top-floor pigment collection visible through glass walls.” – Margot

Above: “Heading to NYC last month, I intentionally left room in my carryon and made an obligatory pilgrimage to Goods for the Study. Give me a shop selling paper goods, old-fashioned stationary, notebooks, and envelopes over a clothing store anytime. On the way home my suitcase was full of notebooks and—my favorite—journals with hand-marbled covers.” – Annie

Above: “Snapped this on a recent walk. it’s a good reminder that you don’t need expensive hardscaping to create a pretty path.” – Fan

[ad_2]

Source link

November 2, 2025
Extra, Extra: Two Exclusive Offers at Shops We Love, October Edition – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Ahead, exclusive, just-for-R/G-subscribers coupon codes: Find bold, cheerful patterns and considered outdoor accoutrements from two California faves.

[ad_2]

Source link

October 26, 2025
Review of Stihl HSA 26: The Hedge Trimmers Are a ‘Game-Changer’

[ad_1]

Pruning shrubs and topiary is an exhausting business—especially if it requires being perched on top of a ladder or spending an entire day to complete the work. Large hedge-trimmers are simply far too heavy and unwieldy, and—apologies to the purists—traditional topiary shears, too slow for the impatient gardeners among us.

Which is why electric shrub shears are a game-changer for me. I’d first seen the Stihl HSA 26 battery-powered pruners last year but held off buying them until I visited designer Sheila Jack in her Wiltshire garden, where the neat power tool is an essential for trimming her fast-growing Lonicera nitilda domes that need to be clipped every few weeks.

The Stihl shears come with two attachments: a 20cm shrub cutter and a smaller 12cm “grass” cutter. It’s become my go-to tool, gliding through and tidying multiple overgrown hebes, a large topiarized pittosporum, and the many boxwood balls in my garden. It’s lightweight enough to work with all day—although a charged battery will get you about 110 minutes of clipping. (To recharge the battery will take about an hour; having a spare battery would avoid this issue.)

Above: The shrub cutter blade, which is perfect for gliding over topiary and all sizes of shrubs.

Above: The shorter grass cutting attachment.

Crucially the HSA 26 is nimble enough and with a strong enough blade action to make clean and precise cuts. Like any bladed power tool, it needs to be used with care. But it’s extremely easy and intuitive to use, with simple blade changes and a rubberized grip for comfort. Stihl claims the shears can cope with branches up to 8mm thick (if you want a tool for chunkier branches, the brand’s cordless pruner—the GTA 26—is a mini chainsaw that is equally lightweight).

Above: The Stihl HSA 26 is $170 at Ace Hardware.

As we head into winter, I’m anticipating that the shears are going to be equally transformative when it comes to the big winter deadheading, especially for ornamental grasses which can be time-consuming to cut back. Like the very best tools, this one has made my gardening life a pleasure instead of a pain.

See also:

(Visited 46 times, 45 visits today)

[ad_2]

Source link

October 19, 2025
Quick Takes With: Michael P. Gibson – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Recently, we published a story on the trend toward more naturalistic-looking shrubs in garden design, but Michael P. Gibson’s Seussian topiary art may singlehandedly stem that tide. Michael is a renowned topiarist based in Columbia, SC, who has an undeniable way with shrubs, mostly evergreens, which he shears and prunes into delightfully otherworldly forms. The son of a hairstylist (his mom) and an artist (his dad), he seems to have inherited their talents, alchemizing them into a skillset that’s entirely his own.

Michael and his work, particularly his role in restoring Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden, have been featured in the New York Times, Garden and Gun, Magnolia and Moonshine, as well as podcasts. He was even a contestant on HGTV’s topiary competition reality show Clipped, with Martha Stewart as a host. “I have many projects coming up, but one I’m really excited about is next spring with The Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, MA, creating topiary sculptures from existing mature boxwoods,” he tells us. “I’m also in the process of working on my first book.”

While you wait for that book to be released, here’s a peek into his topiary-obsessed brain.

Photography courtesy of Michael P. Gibson.

Your first garden memory:

My first garden memory is, when I was around five, being fascinated watching my dad meticulously trim the shrubs around the yard into perfect geometric shapes. I was determined to learn and started clipping by age seven.

Garden-related book you return to time and again:

The Art Of Creative Pruning by Jake Hobson is a game-changer, highlighting pruning styles from around the world. The Night Gardener by Devin and Terry Fan (my kids love this children’s book). Topiary by Twigs Way.

Instagram account that inspires you:

Anyone posting about topiary! @topiarycatblack always has creative ideas. @amir_topiary_vrn is doing amazing work. And @hedgelover_ does a great job at showcasing topiary inspiration from around the world.

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

Refined. Imaginative. Peaceful.

Plant that makes you swoon:

Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata is a gorgeous, variegated holly with creamy yellowish green leaves. The new growth emerges with pinkish margins. A beauty in any landscape.

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

That’s easy: Berberis thunbergii. Not a fan of the thorns. Although I’ve created some interesting shapes, I would not recommend for topiary. This was actually the very first shrub I clipped.

Favorite go-to plant:

Evergreens make the best topiary, so I tend to stick to Ilex varieties, with Ilex vomitoria being one of my favorites. Grows nice and dense and can be sculpted like stone.

Hardest gardening lesson you’ve learned:

Always follow the vein of the branch when doing inner pruning to make sure you make the right cut and not pruning away a large amount of foliage. Also, avoid pruning in the rain or even after heavy rain, branches will be weighed down and will spring up when dry, potentially messing up your design.

Unpopular gardening opinion:

You can get a smoother, more refined look to hedges by avoiding swaying the hedge trimmer back and forth and just brush in one direction. Just like brushing hair. Changing directions in the right areas will make it look like shadows or shading.

Gardening or design trend that needs to go:

Planting the wrong shrub or tree too close to a building structure. Do research on the plant before planting to understand growth habits.

Old wives’ tale gardening trick that actually works:

Pinching buds will actually help encourage the side shoots to grow, allowing a denser plant.

Favorite gardening hack:

Pruning up a tree can add not only more space, but also prevent anyone from hiding behind it. That’s called the 3-6 rule. Keep smaller shrubs below three feet, and limb up branches to at least six feet on taller trees.

Favorite way to bring the outdoors in.

During the holidays, I find rosemary, lavender, or lemon Cypress shrubs from a local nursery that are around a foot in height and clip them into small table-top topiaries like spirals to have around the house.

Every garden needs a…

Focal point to draw visitors in. Consider topiary, a living sculpture that will enhance any space and continue to impress as it matures. Every garden should have at least one topiary.

Tool you can’t live without:

Tobisho Topiary Clippers allow me to use hand shears like a pencil. Feels like Edward Scissorhands, or a barber adding the final details.

Go-to gardening outfit:

Moisture wicking pants and long sleeve shirt, a safari hat, Gamecock neck gaiter, nitrile gloves, and Sketcher boots.

Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

Reese’s Plants in Columbia, SC, is my go-to nursery. A unique plant shop I recently visited was Elizabeth Stuart in Charleston, SC, which has a little bit of everything in their showroom and nursery.

On your wishlist:

Tobisho Shears from Niwaki.

Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

Fellows Riverside Garden in Youngstown, OH; Earlewood Park in Columbia, SC; Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI; and Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center in Bronx, NY.

The REAL reason you garden:

Incredibly therapeutic to work in nature daily, especially for someone that grew up with ADHD. I have a true passion for beautifying public spaces with topiary and creating peaceful more loving spaces for all.

Thanks so much, Michael! (You can follow him on Instagram @gibby_siz.)

For our full archive of Quick Takes, head here.

(Visited 18 times, 18 visits today)

[ad_2]

Source link

October 12, 2025
Psst: What We Loved in September – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Welcome to our new series, where each month the Remodelista and Gardenista editors share an inside look at what we’ve been reading, watching, coveting, pinning, visiting, and otherwise loving lately. Ahead, what we’ve been up to in September:

Above: “A few weeks ago, I visited the second ever Collectible design fair in New York City. Highlights included Of The Cloth’s lighting collaboration with Kawabi (shown) and Studio Solenne’s rug collaboration with NuStory.” – Morgan

Above: “I was fortunate to catch the Ruth Asawa retrospective at SFMOMA in its final days this September, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Until this show, I knew little of Asawa’s personal life—she had six children—nor the depth of her dedication to art while balancing family. In the 1980s, for example, she molded beads from discarded clay used in mask-making. Then her son Paul would then pit-fire the beads at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, after which she strung them into necklaces. Not only did I admire the necklaces themselves, but also the way they embodied her seamless integration of art and life.” – Alexa

[ad_2]

Source link

October 5, 2025
Extra, Extra: Two Exclusive Discounts at Shops We Love, September Edition – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Ahead, exclusive, just-for-R/G-subscribers coupon codes: Find earthy ceramics, woven baskets, crisp textiles, and other autumnal necessities for the house and garden from two of our all-time faves. Over at Goodee, R/G subscribers can take 15 percent off sitewide (excluding ecoBirdy, PET Lamp, and Sale) from September 28 through October 5. Use code RemodelistaGoodee15; limit one […]

[ad_2]

Source link

September 28, 2025
Night-Blooming Cereus: An Ode to Queen of the Night

[ad_1]

“And so for nights // we waited, hoping to see // the heavy bud // break into flower.” —Robert Hayden, “The Night-Blooming Cereus”

 The first two times it bloomed I missed it. Twice, I returned home from a weekend away to see the spent blossoms drooping listlessly as if it, too, were sad I missed the show. But third time’s the charm. The following summer I saw my first night-blooming cereus resplendent in full flower. I noticed the fragrance first—a sweet, spicy, and utterly intoxicating scent wafting through the living room. I looked to the windowsill and spied the white petals unfurling into the night. 

The unveiling is a slow affair, beginning just after the sun goes down and finishing its tantalizing blossoming hours later, perfuming the air as it does. Finally, I understood why people celebrate by popping bottles of champagne to welcome its blooms. By morning, the flower had closed up, the fragrance gone—the party was over.   

Above: Coming home after a weekend away, I missed my night-blooming cereus. I’m now more careful to slow down and observe.

Night-blooming cereus, also known as queen of the night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum), is an epiphytic, spineless cactus. Native to Mexico and Guatemala, it is pollinated by nocturnal bats and moths and grows quickly and easily, sprawling as it spreads. It grows outdoors in warmer climates, like Los Angeles. But since I live in New York City where temperatures dip below freezing, I have mine in a pot on my windowsill. My plant was a gift from my sister-in-law Nicole, who gave me a cutting from her plant, which was a cutting from her mother’s plant, which came from a cutting of a plant from her mother’s late friend, who used to breed orchids in his basement. Needless to say, it propagates easily.  

Above: The first time I spotted the petals of the night-blooming cereus opening, I was so excited. I may have jumped up and down with glee. Then I pulled up a chair and took in the whole show.

My plant receives partial sun, mostly in the morning. I water it sporadically—more frequently in the summer growing season but let it dry out between waterings. It’s not the most beautiful plant when not in bloom. It has a tendency to get leggy (but that could say more about the caregiver’s neglect than the plant’s habit). All that that is forgotten the moment it blooms, as it does now every summer. And for that I’m infinitely grateful.

See also:

(Visited 14 times, 13 visits today)

[ad_2]

Source link

September 21, 2025
Psst… What We Loved in August – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Each month, our editors and contributors share a look at what we’ve been reading, watching, coveting, pinning, visiting, and otherwise loving. Here’s what we’ve been up to lately:

Above: “Currently serving: end of summer, outdoors and in.” – Margot (alias @dogwalkdiarynyc)

Above: “A few months ago I said goodbye to my favorite place in the world: my family’s house in Maine. This house number hung on the lamppost and welcomed me each time I climbed the front steps: coming home from college, home for the night, home just for dinner. Last month I got it tattooed so I can carry it with me wherever I go.” – Annie

Above L: “What’s beside my bed: homegrown gardenias for all-night heavenly scent.” – Kier. Above R: Among Clare’s highlights from a trip to Paris: “The Zara home store on Rue du Bac. It’s been open 18 months and WOW I wish it would come to London. Incredible. Also Enni Udon: great little noodle/Japanese restaurant in the 8th arrondissement. Chic interior, sweet service, and delicious food.”

[ad_2]

Source link

September 14, 2025
Ashley Lloyd: The Founder of Lloyd Landwright Takes Our Quick Takes Questionnaire

[ad_1]

Seasonal bouquets from the garden—sometimes foliage, sometimes flowers, often with seedheads left on. I also love framing views so that the landscape itself feels like art on the other side of the glass, especially when it’s softly lit at night.

Gardening or design trend that needs to go:

The reflex to shear everything—shrubs, hedges, even trees—into identical balls and lollipops. It’s a one-and-done approach that erases individuality, when good pruning should honor a plant’s natural form and focus on its health, not its geometry. The same goes for “standard form” lilacs, willows, and hydrangeas—just, why?

Favorite gardening hack:

Mosquitoes are huge fans of mine, so I’m always searching for clever ways to keep them at bay. I’ve used BT in water features for years, but a post on the “mosquito bucket of doom” taught me to create a small BT–treated water trap that draws mosquitoes away from the garden. It’s delightfully unexpected magic—and the rest of the garden feels immediately more enjoyable.

Every garden needs a…

Above: A subtle, streamlined watering hole at Federal Twist in New Jersey.

Water moment. Even a small basin or birdbath can invite bees, birds, frogs, and other visitors. It’s a simple way to give back, and it changes the whole mood of a space.

Favorite hardscaping material:

Exposed aggregate concrete. It has texture, durability, and a quiet honesty that pairs beautifully with plants. It celebrates rocks—which I love—and patinas beautifully over time.

Tool you can’t live without:

My Lesche shovel—it cuts through clay and stone without complaint and makes digging almost satisfying. Solid steel, it’s been my trusted spade for years; I oil it a few times a season and sharpen it when it dulls. And my Hasegawa tripod ladder: lightweight, stable, and indispensable for pruning the hard-to-reach places.

Go-to gardening outfit:

Above: “Doing some quick work in my former home garden on a Vitex I brought from my Ridgewood, Queens apartment when I moved to Westchester. Here, I was focused on arborizing it (training it into a tree form).”

It depends on the season and the task, but usually a jumpsuit or denim overalls layered over a shirt, with Blundstones and a hat. I keep arms and legs covered—for sun protection and because gardens have a way of leaving their mark if I don’t.

Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

On the East Coast, Issima changed the way I felt about mail ordering plants. Buying sight unseen isn’t something I usually do, but Taylor and Ed’s care, generosity, and the trial imagery they share made it feel easy and trustworthy. Out here in Washington, I’m excited to begin ordering from Far Reaches, and I’ve already found a local favorite in Valley Nursery in Poulsbo, with its thoughtful selection and warm, generous staff.

On your wishlist:

Plasticana Gardana hemp clogs. Their soft amber color comes from the natural sugars in hemp, and they feel perfect for our PNW rainy season.

Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

Chanticleer, always. It’s a garden where the designers and gardeners are one and the same, and you feel their artistry and care in every corner. The containers alone are worth the trip. And closer to home, the Elisabeth C. Miller Garden in Seattle—a treasure of layered plantings and rare finds. I even signed up for a class just to see it; the waitlist runs until fall of next year.

The REAL reason you garden:

Because I’m a sensitive person—sensorially, emotionally, in every sense—and gardens give me both refuge and connection. It’s meditation, therapy, and a way to give back at the same time. I learn best by doing, so tending plants teaches me how they want to grow, where they thrive, and how resilient they can be. It’s endlessly evolving, and I can lose myself for hours in that rhythm.

Thanks so much, Ashley! (You can follow her on Instagram @lloyd_landwright.)

For our full archive of Quick Takes, head here.

(Visited 15 times, 15 visits today)

[ad_2]

Source link

September 7, 2025
Extra, Extra: 3 Exclusive Discounts at Shops We Love, August Edition – Gardenista

[ad_1]

Ahead, three exclusive, just-for-R/G-subscribers coupon codes for those who still love shopping for school supplies and more. Over at Wms&Co., Remodelista and Gardenista subscribers can take 20 percent off this collection of exquisitely practical back-to-work essentials—planners, pads, and WFH organizational tools perfect for fall transitions—from August 24 through September 2. Enter code REMODELISTA20-Fall at checkout. […]

[ad_2]

Source link

August 24, 2025