I used to be all-in on tulips. Picking colors and shapes to fulfill my spring Kuekenhof dreams. From early April to early May, I’d anxiously await the arrival of those big colorful cups on stems. He drama, that early spring thrill. But I’ve fallen out of love with the high-maintenance heartbreak of planting dozens of big Dutch-style bulbs only […] The post Tiny, Tough, and Worth It – The Case for Species Tulips appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Spring means ramps. These wild leeks (Allium tricoccum) are among the earliest edible greens to pop up in Eastern woodlands, and they’ve long been cherished as a seasonal delicacy—especially in Appalachia, where their arrival is celebrated with full-blown festivals (and very fragrant breath). What Are Ramps, Exactly? Ramps are a type of native wild onion […] The post Ramps (Allium tricoccum): Spring’s Wild and Pungent Treasure appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Every garden needs a showstopper—something with real presence, something that hums with life and story. For me, that’s Monarda didyma, better known as red bee balm. Sure, the purple varieties are nice (I grow those too), but the red? The red makes me swoon. It’s electric. It buzzes—visually and literally—with pollinators, color, and energy. This […] The post Red, Wild, and Revolutionary: Why I’m Obsessed with Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle G...|
Many of you might recall the ongoing saga with our neighbors—the ones who hired (and I use that term loosely) a so-called logger to clear-cut their property and, in the process, take down 15 of our trees. It was brutal. The woods, once a natural boundary, were suddenly gone, and the landscape changed overnight. Even […] The post Building a Dead Hedge: Healing the Land and Creating a Living Barrier appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
A few years ago, I planted an Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ in our shade garden, and ever since, I’ve been wondering why I didn’t do it sooner. This plant is one of those hidden gems—something you don’t see in every garden center, yet once you plant it, you wonder how you ever gardened without it. […] The post Aralia Cordata ‘Sun King’: A Bright and Bold Shade Garden Superstar appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
During 2015 at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, we are preparing to focus our educational programming around the theme of Myth, Magic, and Medicine of Plants. Over the past couple of weeks, our horticulture staff has been researching plants to support this theme. As part of that effort, I dove into the plant listings from some […] The post Cat’s Whiskers Plant (Orthosiphon stamineus): A Stunning Bloomer with a Medicinal Past appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
This is the first year of school for our kids in New England. My wife grew up in Pennsylvania, and I grew up in North Carolina. During our school years, we became accustomed to a week-long Spring Break, usually around the Easter holiday. In New England, we learned, our kids get two week-long breaks after […] The post Prunus mume: The Japanese Flowering Apricot That Brightens Winter appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
If there is a golden retriever puppy of the plant world, it has to be a dahlia. I mean, everybody loves golden retriever puppies, right? And everyone loves dahlias, too. They’re cheerful, charismatic, and full of personality. This year, I only added one dahlia to the gardens at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens—Dahlia ‘Mystic Illusion.’ And […] The post Dahlia ‘Mystic Illusion’: The Golden Retriever of the Garden appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Of all the plants in the world, I really do love palms. There’s something about them—their bold silhouettes, the way they sway in the breeze, the unmistakable tropical energy they bring to a space. But what really fascinates me is that, at their core, these towering trees are essentially giant blades of grass. That’s right—palms […] The post Rhapidophyllum hystrix – A Needle Palm Grows in New England? appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
You might be thinking, “Wait, are we really talking about quince?” And maybe even, “Aren’t those the thorny shrubs my grandmother had growing out back?” Yes, we’re talking about that quince—but before you dismiss it, take a second look. This isn’t the tough, tangle of thorns and gnarly fruit from childhood memories. The Double Take […] The post Not Your Grandmother’s Quince: Meet the Double Take Chaenomeles speciosa appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Yes, you read that correctly—Father Farges’ filbert. And no, this isn’t just another obscure plant name to tuck away in the back of your botanical brain. This is one of the most exciting trees I’ve come across in the past half-decade. This alliterative filbert is named for Father Paul Guillaume Farges, a 19th-century Catholic missionary […] The post Growing Father Farges Filbert – Corylus fargesii appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
First of all, last week was pretty awesome. The weather in Maine had been holding steady, but then on Wednesday, we flew out for our spring board meeting for Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) in Chicago. When we landed, it was in the mid-80s, and Lake Shore Drive was bustling with runners and cyclists soaking […] The post A stunning white lilac – Syringa pekinensis, known as Peking lilac appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
The Japanese flower from Japan—that’s literally what the Latin name Nipponanthemum nipponicum translates to in English. I like to imagine the botanists who named this plant had a wicked sense of humor, or maybe they were just feeling particularly literal that day. Japanese Daisy – locally known as Montauk Daisies Latin name aside, this week’s […] The post Nipponanthemum nipponicum – The Japanese Flower From Japan appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
I trust that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We loaded up our car Tuesday night and departed Maine for North Carolina at 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning. It was a long drive, but our kids were great—no small feat considering we were covering over 1,000 miles in a single day. We finally rolled into my […] The post The Shockingly Tall Dasylirion wheeleri – Wheeler’s Blue Sotol appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Along the coast of Maine as we are readying for Christmas, our outdoor cultivation has come to a screeching halt as the ground is covered by a foot and a half of snow. To add emphasis to this being the time of the shortest days of the year, a half inch of ice fell the […] The post Ulf Nordfjell: A Visionary in Garden Design appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
If you followed the news much in the past week, you undoubtedly heard about archaeologists confirming the remains of Richard III. A team found his skeleton under a parking lot in the middle of England last summer. They recently confirmed that these remains were his by tracing the DNA back from modern-day descendants. I believe […] The post New Cardinal Flower – Lobelia Cardinalis Black Truffle is Regal appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
You know that rare moment in gardening when a design comes together exactly as you envisioned? When the colors, textures, and heights you planned actually manifest, as if the plants themselves understood the assignment? That happened for me this year with Angelica gigas. I had long wanted to see this Korean angelica planted in a […] The post The Angelica gigas Experiment Is Working appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
There are plants that people love, and then there are plants that people hate. And then, there are those rare plants that manage to charm just about everyone. Columbine (Aquilegia) falls into that last category—a plant that seems universally admired. I’ve always found columbine to be a particularly elegant plant. Its light green, somewhat fleshy […] The post A Columbine To Add To Your Garden appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
This Summer has been absolutely fantastic here in Maine. There has been plenty of sunshine and enough warmth to make everything grow and prosper. The plants have leaped from the slow, cool spring to take in all that summer seemingly has to offer. Just like the throngs of tourists that visit Maine. The cold winter […] The post Gillenia trifoliata, Bowman’s Root – My Vote For Garden MVP appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
January has been cold. Bitterly cold. Since it was my first January in Maine, I wasn’t quite prepared for just how dark and frigid this season can get. The snow-covered landscape has its beauty, but after weeks of grey skies and short days, I’ve found myself craving any hint of spring. One thing that has […] The post Magnolia ‘Ginter Spicy White’: A New Discovery from a Winter of Plant Orders appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
It feels great to be home. For the past week and a half, I’ve been on the road between Maine and Pennsylvania, Boston and Denver. Now, I’m back—jetlagged, but happy to be home with my family in this wonderful Maine summer. This morning, I took my usual first-day-back ritual: a slow walk through the garden, […] The post Cape Fuchsia (Phygelius) : A Bold Experiment That’s Paying Off appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Occasionally, I will get the urge to obsess over a group of plants. I have gone mad for Magnolias, frenetic for Fothergilla, hysterical for Hydrangea, but now I am going crazy for a rediscovered genus. That genus – Cuphea – I am currently crazy for it. Species of Cuphea Cuphea plant takes me back to my college days and plant […] The post The Irresistible Beauty of Native Cuphea Plants appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Asplenium scolopendrium is an interesting fern. It is native to England and the US. If you are growing Hart’s tongue fern in your garden, it is likely the British native, prized for its hardiness and reliability and common in European gardens. The true American version (asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum) is, however, quite rare. The distinguishing […] The post Why Botanical Enthusiasts are Switching to Native Plants like Asplenium scolopendrium appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Ro...|
Again, blame it on this long, drawn-out, cold, and snowy winter, but I am really digging into certain groups of plants and wanting to add more and more of them to the garden. One genus that we already have in abundance at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is Epimedium (commonly known as Horny Goat Weed, bishops […] The post Planting and Growing Epimedium a.k.a. Horny Goat Weed in your garden appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
I recently discovered a unique garden feature of the desert southwest – the ocotillo fence. The Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is native to the desert southwest. It is a unique shrubby cactus-like plant (though it isn’t technically a cactus) that can be harvested for construction materials. Ocotillo is a striking deciduous shrub that can grow up […] The post Desert Gardens and Living Ocotillo Fences – Fouquieria splendens appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
I first discovered Viburnum bodnantense in the same place I discovered many of my favorite plants – Kew Gardens. I’ve told this story before (apologies if you’ve heard it!), but when I was in design school at The English Gardening School in London, we had to do an intensive study of a huge number […] The post 5 Ways to Plant the Perfectly Pink Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Whenever anyone asks what is my favorite plant, of course, I can never answer. I usually have at least 3 or 4 plants that are my favorite on any given day. This could include the first plant I come across in the garden and the ones I read about at night. If push came to […] The post Pink Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris A Colorful Native appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
You should probably unsubscribe right now it your garden isn’t a bit overgrown or a mess. At least sometimes, or seasonally, or because you are “working on it”… We are all a hot mess. If you genuinely aren’t – this isn’t for you. (and also, can we even be friends?) Seriously. The pretense of garden […] The post How to quickly Fix An Overgrown Messy Garden (40 tips) appeared first on PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer.|
Get ready for spring gardening with terracotta and copper plant markers. These diy plant labels make your garden beautiful and organized.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Garden Design ideas, inspiration & education. Take garden design classes online - learn how to design your landscape with Rochelle Greayer.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Courses| pithandvigor.com
Explore the historic flower drying shed in the clock barn garden, Carlisle, MA - a unique work shed for creating dried flowers from the garden| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Ignore rhyming 'rules' of container garden design. Learn to create collections of outdoor flower pots for stunning all-season potted gardens.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Add a Stinze bulb lawn (AKA stinzenplanten lawn, stinzen garden) to extend your garden season, it comes and goes before you even begin mowing.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Too Big, Too Much Work, Too Fussy - whatever the problem, there is an alternative plant that is just right.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Ideas for spring planters using tulips, forsythia, pierus and other natural elements.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Soil. Compost. Mulch. Small things add up to big change.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Boston.com had an interesting article this morning about restaurant food trends. Top chefs in this area predicted what they see as the new wave of cooking. Local and seasonal is still a strong trend, but comfort food is beginning to wane (my kids will be so sad to see the Mac and Cheese trend pass!!). […]| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Flower garden bulbs are the best way to add more plants and create a beautiful and full garden. All your questions about bulbs answered here.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
The subterranean landscape is wild and more unknown than the one we see above ground. this breaks down the elements that make healthy soil.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Go beyond just growing mushrooms, plan an attractive forest garden that produces a variety of gourmet treats.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Inspiration for fall berry planting. Elderberry shrubs, gooseberries, & black berry plants give a beautiful selection of healthy treats.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Shop local or shop online, these pro tips will help you get the best plants from the garden center or the online plant nursery.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Berry shrubs are often overlooked, but are foundation of a good cut flower garden. 9 garden shrubs to plant for beautiful floral berries.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Learn how to design a woodland inspired container garden that can migrate into a more permanent hellebore cutting garden.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
The cheapest and easiest way to plan a cut flower garden is to grow from seed. Cut flowers from seed allows for great variety and interest.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Explore alternatives to basic yellow forsythia - try pink or white forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum) and other early blooming shrubs.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
Saving summer's garden remnants to transform into a retro chic autumn planter is great for making the most of whatever is left in the garden.| PITH + VIGOR by Rochelle Greayer
