Innholdsfortegnelse for Gardens 2025 i Country Home

WE DID IT! This winter, my friends (and mom!) and I made our annual trek to Winterset, Iowa, for a wreath-making party at PepperHarrow Farm. Two hours of piney bliss and a couple of hot-glue-gun burns later, and we had our season-long reminders of happy times at the farm—and with each other. It was a bit of a bummer. Once you get to know Brandy (“An Artist’s Touch,” page 6), you’ll realize she doesn’t do anything in half measures or without a plan. That tree, she explained, was one of a pair bookending the corners of her home. Together, they gave a sense of symmetry to the many beds ebbing and flowing around the house. And though it was just a few years old, that tree was a promise…

FOXGLOVE Break open seedpods over a bowl and let seeds fall out. Zones 3–8 ZINNIA Rub seed heads gently over a bowl. Pick out the chaff. Zones 2–11 COLUMBINE Shake upside down over a bowl. Zones 3–9 BLACK-EYED SUSAN Rub or shake over a bowl. Zones 3–11 BLANKET FLOWER Store in a cardboard box untildry; stir to separate seeds. Zones 3–11 DELPHINIUM Shake upside down over a bowl. Zones 3–7 CATMINT Roll between fingers over a bowl to catch seeds and chaff. Softly blow away chaff. Zones 3–9 GLOBE THISTLE Break open seedpods over a bowl to let seeds fall away. Zones 3–10 COSMOS Rub seeds from flower heads over a bowl. Zones 2–11 HOLLYHOCK Store in a cardboard box until dry; stir to separate seeds. If necessary, break…

TAPROOT Some perennials form one or more taproots that grow straight down from the crown, above. To obtain divisions from a taproot with a single crown, slice off an eye, catching some of the root with it. RUNNERS Underground stems (rhizomes) or aboveground stems (stolons) spread from the original plant. Buds on stems grow into a new plant some distance from the original plant. Slice the runner to liberate the plant and obtain a division. FIBROUS Clumps of stems extend many roots into soil, opposite. Some are fleshy and some are fine. Split the clump so you have roots and shoots in each division. OFFSET Some perennials form offsets—small plants connected to the main clump by a root. Cut through the root to free the offset; transplant it. EYE…

Hala Kurdi Cozadd’s garden is one of many floriferous landscapes featured in garden designer Leslie Bennett’s recent book, Garden Wonderland. The California designer, below left, and her team—Holly Kuljian, Lonna Lopez, Anna Oznowicz, and Jessica Comerford—excel at creating beautiful yet well-ordered cutting gardens and mixed beds of flowers and edibles. “Since a cutting flowerbed is intended for productive use, it can end up looking haphazard,” Bennett says. “But with a little planning, you can ensure that it looks good most of the year.” Here are four top tips from her book. CREATE A FRAMEWORK Use evergreen plants as bed edgers or borders. Great choices for in-ground beds include dwarf boxwoods, germanders, hellebores, and heuchera. Along the inside edge of raised beds, try dusty miller, pinks, strawberries, scented geraniums, or…

ROSE So many color and size options—this classic cut flower can be easier to grow than you think! Zones vary. PURPLE CONEFLOWER Long bloom time, pollinator friendly, and low maintenance. Perennial Zones 3-9. DAHLIA Endless color and size options, lots of star power. Annual Zones 3-7; Perennial Zones 8-10. ZINNIA A can’t-miss way to grow bold pops of color from seed. Annual Zones 2-11. GOMPHRENA Round globes of color that make a great bouquet accent—fresh or dried. Annual or Perennial in Zones 9-11. PHLOX Big clumps of tiny flowers that grow on long stems. A perfect filler. Perennial Zones 4-8. SUNFLOWER Make an impact with big, broad circles of color that grow on tall, sturdy stems. Annual Zones 2-11. BLACK-EYED SUSAN Long-lasting blooms give color into the fall. Perennial…

The vegetable garden at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds IS FRAMED BY THE RUGGED OZARKS. SET IN A HOLLOW AMONG THE MOUNTAINS IN MANSFIELD, MISSOURI, THE GARDEN’S LONG ROWS are bracketed by pens for chickens, ducks, and livestock. On an early spring morning, you may find owner Jere Gettle and his family, above, busy planting a row of radish seeds. As a child, Jere loved growing colorful ‘Easter Egg’ spring radishes and published his first seed catalog in 1998, when he was just 17. Today, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has grown into North America’s largest heirloom seed company, offering nearly 30 kinds of radishes, including spring varieties that can be harvested just 18 days after planting and fall radishes that need a couple of months in the garden to mature.…

GETTING STARTED When he moved in, Kelly tore out the existing lawn then planted seedlings. (Plants flourish when planted young and are allowed to grow in their new home.) He also scattered seeds of annuals and biennials. WATER AND FERTILIZER Although he watered the first year, Kelly has since let rainwater provide all the irrigation. “Turns out that clay soil is good for something,” he says of its water-retaining abilities. Because he chose plants that thrive in his native soil, Kelly doesn’t need to apply fertilizer. CUTTING BACK Kelly rarely prunes—just trims here and there when something catches his eye—and he occasionally mows the path. His only big garden job happens in early spring, when he mows the entire meadow, rejuvenating growth. All the clippings stay where they land,…

GATHER TOGETHER Group like treasures for eye-catching interest. Look for creative ways to organize and display similar items. SHOWCASE When possible, bring garden objects to life with plants. Fill vintage vases with blossoms, turn vessels into planters, and create vignettes of antique tools and annual flowers. REPEAT THE BEST Plant in groups of three or more like plants, and repeat favorite flowers and shrubs throughout the landscape. Thoughtful repetition unites a collected garden. PUT IT TO USE Great collections are more than eye candy—they’re employable! Regularly use your treasures.…

CUTTINGS Nonpatented sedums, boxwoods, and feverfew can be propagated by cuttings. This method is handy for hybrids that might not continue their parents’ traits if grown from seed. • In late spring or early summer, when the new growth of a plant is no longer soft and tender, cut a 2–3 inch sprig and remove lower foliage. Reduce large leaves by cutting them in half. • Dip the bottom tip of the sprig in rooting hormone. Insert the lower third of the cutting in potting soil, and firm the soil around the stem. • Place the cutting in a shady spot and water regularly. LAYERING This is a slow method that works best for hardwood cuttings such as hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and junipers. • Dig a trench beside the parent…

aDAM O’NEAL REMEMBERS THE FIRST TIME HE SAW IOWA. Not visited the state—he’d been doing that for years, staying with the family of his wife, Jenn, over the holidays. (Gray skies. Naked trees.) The first time he really saw Iowa, though, was on a fall trip to Jenn’s hometown of Winterset for the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival (yes, that Madison County): “It was like 60 degrees. The leaves were changing perfectly and dappling the streets. We were driving down the highway, and they were prepping fields for the next season. And I just could not believe how black the soil was.” For a decade, Adam and Jenn had fantasized about leaving their corporate jobs to run a farm—a country idyll of animals, produce, and flowers. They’d toyed with…

1. PLANT SMART Radishes do best when seeds are sown in the cool, moist days of early spring. They prefer full sun and well-draining soil, and will do just as well in a container or window box as in the ground. 2. SOW SEEDS Plant an inch apart about ½ inch deep. Check the seed package for guidelines, and allow more space for larger varieties. 3. LET GERMINATE Cover seeds and tamp the soil down with your fingers, then water well. Seeds germinate in 4 to 7 days. 4. THIN THE EXTRAS Once the seedlings sprout, thin them by snipping the green tips off at ground level; you can use the trimmings as a garnish for soups, salads, or sandwiches. 5. KEEP MOIST Regular watering encourages steady growth, crisp…

Horticulturalist Kelly Norris has a favorite task in his Des Moines front yard—puttering. By that he means meandering, leaning into a plant for a closer look, wondering which birdsong he’s hearing, and eventually trying to remember where he dropped his trowel. “I’m pretty tightly wound, and the garden helps me chill out,” he says. Kelly has long found his happy place in nature. He remembers being captivated as a child by the prairie near his grandmother’s Iowa farm. “I’m an Iowa boy and prairies are our heritage,” he says. When he bought his current home, a 1940s Colonial Revival, a few years ago, he decided to re-create those wild spaces by planting a meadow. “It was my chance to craft something very personal,” says Kelly, the former director of…

BARRY JORDAN WAS LIVING THE FAST-PACED life of a New York City fashion designer when homesickness hit. Raised in rural Northumberland, England, Barry had spent much of his childhood outside, playing in the river and gardening with his grandfather. “My world was small in a really beautiful way,” he says. Nostalgia inspired Barry, a designer at Ralph Lauren, to leave Manhattan for an 1830s home in Dutchess County, New York. Surrounded by rolling hills that reminded him of England, the 1-acre property wasn’t much more than a field when he purchased it. On a budget, and being a big believer in the English saying “make do and mend,” Barry has spent the last few years slowly creating distinct beds, borders, and seating areas. “There’s no bulldozer. There’s no instant…

THE 3-ACRE LANDSCAPE AROUND THIS CONNECTICUT HOME IS LAID OUT AS A GLORIOUS JOURNEY THROUGH GARDEN AFTER GARDEN, ALL DESIGNED AND IMMACULATELY MAINTAINED BY MASTER GARDENER AND homeowner G. Anthony Jones. The resulting spread of interconnected outdoor rooms, called Plantsville Pines, could easily rival a botanical garden. It seems like a prohibitively costly endeavor. Amazingly, the whole opus was accomplished on a shoestring. Anthony can count on one hand the number of times he has splurged. It started 18 years ago when family partitioned off and gifted the 3-acre lot in the Plantsville neighborhood of Southington, Connecticut. Building a house was first on the agenda, but gardens were always part of the plan. Training for the task began in Anthony’s childhood, when his thrifty florist mother grew cut flowers…

WHAT TO DIVIDE Most perennials need attention every two to five years to prevent overcrowding. You’ll know the time is right if your plant isn’t flowering as heavily as usual or the flowers have gotten smaller. Too many stems could be competing for nutrients. Check for dead spots in the plant base. This is a tell-tale sign for showy sedum and garden mums. Invasive perennials need to be regularly reined in. Dividing entire clumps can keep them from wandering out of their area. Plants need to be unpatented to legally propagate. When you buy a new plant, the tag should tell you if it is under patent protection. WHEN It depends! A good rule of thumb is to consider bloom time: Tackle fall bloomers in the spring and spring…

“IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE REAL ME, YOU HAVE TO MEET ME IN MY GARDEN‚” SAYS HALA KURDI COZADD. AND IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY: HER PLOT IS A LIVING SCRAPBOOK OF HER LIFE, FILLED WITH FLOWERS AND OTHER plants reflecting the people and places that mean the most to her. The daughter of diplomats, Hala was born in Jordan. During her younger years, her family moved to Germany; Saudi Arabia; Washington, D.C.; and California’s Bay Area, where she now lives with her husband, Bruce, and their blended family. As a child, Hala was given basil seeds, which she planted. When the plants flourished, her identity as a gardener took root. As she and her family moved, she started a new garden in each location, and plants were…

Gather flowers with the largest heads in your fist, moving stems up and down to create a pleasing group—this is the focal point of your arrangement. Cut and place them into the vase, then add foliage and flowers with smaller heads. Start with tall, sturdy stems, then move to short, wispy stems that trail over the vase edges. IN THIS COMBO * ‘Cafe au Lait’ and white dahlias* Hydrangeas* Queen Anne’s lace* Sunflowers in bud* Russian olive and persimmon branches* Artichoke foliage* Currant tomato vines* Northern sea oats Water Wise The longevity of your bouquet hinges on hydration. Keep these best practices in mind as you work. CUTTING SCHEDULE Cut flowers and foliage early in the morning. (Later in the day they might not recover.) Place in water right…

ANA TALUKDER DID NOT JUST DIP A TOE INTO GARDENING. “I’M AN ALL-IN TYPE OF PERSON,” she says. Around 2019, Ana was going all in on a whole lot of things: a new husband, a new 2.8-acre property north of Seattle, and a new living arrangement with her parents, Sukomal and Nipa Talukder, who had moved in with her and her family. Although Ana had never gardened before, her husband, Jonathan Sites, and her mother had years of experience, so growing vegetables was a given. After a couple of failed attempts in shadier locations, the family decided to carve 1,500 square feet out of the front yard—one of the few flat and sunny stretches on the property. They chose a mix of cedar and metal raised beds because their…

DIG IN! HELP PLANTS THRIVE BY CONSIDERING THEIR PREFERENCES. LIGHT // Most herbs are sun-lovers and need six to eight hours of full exposure a day. WATER // Young plants need regular watering until they’re established. Many herbs are less thirsty than other plants, but if soil feels dry when you poke a finger into it up to the first or second knuckle, it’s time to water. Herbs in pots need more frequent watering than plants in beds. SOIL // Well-draining soil that does not remain soggy is key to herbs’ success. Improve drainage by digging in loads of chopped leaves, compost, and other organic amendments. Thyme, rosemary, lavender, and bay are among Mediterranean-native herbs that prefer gritty, fast-draining soil rife with pulverized rock and gravel. RISE ABOVE POOR…

GRASSES AND SEDGES A base layer of shorter prairie grasses and sedges holds a meadow together, keeping the entire garden full-bodied and soft. Kelly thinks of this category as knitting together the landscape or as the grout between tiles. “These plants fill all the blank spaces, leaving no voids,” he says. Some examples: ‘Tara’ prairie dropseed, ‘Blonde Ambition’ grama grass, and white-tinged sedge. PLANTS WITH STRUCTURE Small shrubs, trees, and structured perennials help break up a landscape of airier plants. Kelly often leans on chokeberry, leadplant, red osier dogwood, and small junipers in his garden. In a small border, like the one at left, Kelly uses only one or two structural plants; in a larger patch, he likes to cluster a few plants of the same species. FLOWERS Flowers…

DOORSTEP GARDEN The desire to be in the garden immediately when stepping outside has led to a penchant for hedges hugging every door and vines climbing the walls. DEFINED BORDERS Back when livestock roamed villages, a fence was essential, and the English never lost their love of hedgerows, gateways, walls, and various other means of defining space. ALL THE FLOWERS An infatuation with flowers—roses, cowslips, columbines, snowdrops, delphiniums—is practically a British birthright. The palette is typically a mix of quiet pastels. NEAT AND TIDY The famous looseness of the English planting style works well because it’s juxtaposed against structural elements like neatly clipped shrubs (often boxwood).…

BIG BORDERS Landscape designer Nick Mccullough recommends making beds around the house deep enough to match the building scale. Extending the borders also lets you see the plants from inside the house and makes space for mass plantings. CRAFTED LIVING SPACE Modern gardens are more than plants. Add gathering spaces throughout. Evergreen hedges and trees, along with perennial borders, define the terrace. Corten steel edging reinforces the sense of order. DEFINED LAWN “I never let the lawn be a green blob,” Nick says. Instead he designs a shape—a rectangle, in this case—edged by perennials or hedges. MASS PLANTINGS Make a bold statement with a favorite plant. Nick likes to plant multiples of a single variety, like salvias, then add random pockets of surprise, such as alliums. “They’re like exclamation…