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Historic Garden Update

Posted by on Jun 5, 2016 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

It’s been four years since our garden restoration plan for the 1809 Hedge House Museum was installed. Great Hill Horticultural Services has maintained it since then and we think it has come a long way.   [Show as slideshow]

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Allan Haskell Public Gardens

Posted by on Jan 6, 2016 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

A  visit to Allen Haskell’s nursery and greenhouses was like stepping into a tropical garden full of colorful flowers, rows of stately potted topiaries and rare plants unknown to even experienced horticulturists. It was further enlivened by his animated descriptions of the plants and his good natured jabs at his customers and coworkers. He passed away a few years ago and his property was  taken over by the Trustees of Reservations and turned into a public garden. I recently walked through the park and was pleased to see the work they have...

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Vegetable garden season opener – starting seeds

Posted by on Mar 5, 2015 in Kitchen Gardens | 1 comment

  Our first crop of salad greens and herbs is up and growing. Click on the slideshow below to see how we did it. Now if only the snow goes away soon. [Show as slideshow]

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Winter hedge pruning in an old garden

Posted by on Jan 7, 2015 in FIne Gardening | 0 comments

Privet hedges often form the backbone of old gardens. Over time they grow out of bounds and need restorative pruning to bring them back into the scope of the original garden design. Here are before and after photos of the hedges we pruned last winter at the Spooner House Museum in Plymouth MA.       [Show as slideshow] ...

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new plantings for summer cottage

Posted by on Sep 30, 2014 in Design& Consultation | 0 comments

The owners of this classic lakeside cottage asked GHHS for help returning its old plantings to the way they looked in their parent’s time, complete with hosta-lined walks, a rock garden and hydrangeas and roses. Click through the photos below to see how we did it.   [Show as slideshow]

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Bees and Button Bush

Posted by on Jul 20, 2013 in Native Plants | 0 comments

During an early morning swim in a local Cape Cod kettle hole pond, I found a button bush shrub, Cephalanthus occidentalis, growing at the edge of the water in full bloom and covered with bees. As a designer I’m always on the lookout for new plants to use in difficult sites, so I did some research on button bush and found that it’s is native to most of the eastern United States and grows in soil that is wet for long periods of time. A trait that would make it a good choice for wetland restoration projects, retention basins or...

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Greek Columnar Basil

Posted by on Feb 1, 2013 in Kitchen Gardens | 1 comment

    Greek Columnar Basil adds height and form to a container or herb garden and provides a steady supply of basil for cooking. This small leaf, upright variety of one of the world’s favorite herbs rarely goes to seed and will grow vigorously until frost. It has a spicy flavor that is somewhere between sweet basil and Thai basil. I purchased mine from a local Cape Cod organic vegetable grower last May and planted it in a conical shaped clay pot. It grew to a height of 30 inches and served as a formal accent in the kitchen garden...

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Slide 1

Posted by on Oct 25, 2012 in home-slider | 0 comments

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Slide 2

Posted by on Oct 25, 2012 in home-slider | 0 comments

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Slide 3

Posted by on Oct 25, 2012 in home-slider | 0 comments

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