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Hello all:
If you are interested in Boston history and gardens, I have a book recommendation for you. 
It’s called Boston’s Gardens and Green Spaces by Meg Muckenhoupt.  It’s an easy-to-read, interesting book filled with crisp facts and great photos of local Boston gardens and spaces we know – with a few surprises. 
Ms. Muckenhoupt knows her Boston history.  As she writes in the opening lines of the book’s introduction,
“Boston’s history is written in its land. Since the first bucket of dirt was shoveled into the mud flats off Boston’s central Shawmut Peninsula, Bostonians have been building land by the ocean, tearing down hills, rerouting rivers, and creating revolutionary, beautiful, enjoyable green spaces.”

No Boston garden book could be published without homage to the Boston Common and Public Garden as well as the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and Riverway.  The author does justice to these gems and others.  But she also widens the view to include Pocket Parks, like my favorite Post Office Square, Green Buildings and Gardens for Healing and Reflections.  In the latter section, Ms. Muckenhoupt includes the idyllic Mount Auburn Cemetery and the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden in Harvard, MA.  Ginny was a friend of my mother’s and I was delighted to see this lovely space listed. 
FYI: I learned about the book at a recent lecture sponsored by The Garden Club of the Back Bay.   As a presenter, Ms. Muckenhoupt was engaging and full of Boston history (of which I am a self-professed junkie) and she offered the twists of fate and commerce that led to the formation of the parks and green spaces. Very interesting.  So interesting that I bought the book!  I’m finding it to be a great coffee table book – easy to pick up, read a bit and put down.  And after each read, I am happy to know more about the vital, beautiful gardens and green spaces in and around Boston.

To learn more about the book, click below: http://www.unionparkpress.com/books/boston-gardens-green-spaces/

Hope your garden is blooming beautifully on this fabulous July 4th! 
And it’s time to take some pictures of that garden!  Entries are due July 15th for Mayor Menino’s Garden Contest 2011, a citywide celebration of Boston urban gardening.  This contest offers amateur gardeners like you and me a chance to show off our joy of gardening. 
First place winners in the eight judged categories earn the coveted Golden Trowel!!!
My little tree garden was a finalist last year, so this year I’ve got my sights on that trowel!
Get all the details at: www.cityofboston.gov/parks/gardencontest.
Some of my garden flowers had passed their blooming cycle so I visited
Cataldo Nurseries in Littleton, MA – I had a gift certificate so took a road trip out there – and purchased a variety of healthy, vibrant new plants.  Patina blue ageratum, Astilbe chinensis “visions” and Dusty Miller Silverdust.  I deadheaded the African daisies, already a part of the garden, and they’re blooming like mad!  Love the pops of color!

So, the contest has five criteria for judging: 
• General appeal – Natural or Formal
• Use of Color
• Definition – Neatness
• Plant Material – Variety/Quality
•  Garden Hardware – Furnishings/Art

My challenge every year is “neatness.” Without fail, the edging around my garden gets knocked around by the cars and pedestrians.  Yesterday, my husband and I took a drill and concrete bit and finished installing corner and flat brackets behind most of the edging.  That edging will be straight and tall and neat!
So get out that smart phone or camera and start snapping those garden pics!  Let’s make the city beautiful with a healthy dose of competition!!!!
Contest Entry Deadline – Friday, July 15, 2011 at 5:00pm
Finalist Notification – Friday, July 22, 2011
Judges Visit Gardens – Week of July 25, 2011
Awards Ceremony – Late August
Residents and businesses are encouraged to nominate their own or a neighbor’s garden, window box, or front, back, or side yard. Only gardens planted by amateur gardeners are eligible to take part in the contest. No professionally contracted work will be allowed to enter.
For all the details and the entry form, go to www.cityofboston.gov/parks/gardencontest.

Had a great time sharing container gardening tips on Monday with 20 interested folks from Bostonian Group. 
Kudos to Beth, their Wellness Director, for bringing the benefits of gardening alongside nutrition, exercise and stress reduction. People forget that gardening is physical.  It requires extensive bending, kneeling, digging and planting.  And then there’s the mindful focus needed to choose healthy plants and herbs.  And the end benefit, beauty and satisfaction.  Ahhh…
So I put together a 16″ glazed terracotta pot with snapdragons, dianthus, New Guinea impatiens and vinca minor ivy.  Plus a small herb container with oregano, basil and flat leaf parsley.  Shame on me, I didn’t
take a picture of the final flower and herb containers.  So sorry.  They both came out great.  🙂

Got some great comments and reactions from the audience.  Highlights below:
• People were surprised that plants do not suffer, in fact will thrive better, if the roots are teased out and not left “root bound.”
• It’s okay to gently break apart the plant into smaller sections and plant separately
• Buy the best soil you can.  It’s the home for your plants and the soil should be rich in nutrients.  The best soil contains organic matter – seaweed, peat moss, shells, manure…  Price does reflect quality.
• Don’t forget to fertilize about once a month.
• Don’t be swayed by color alone when choosing flowers.  Look for differences in leaf size and texture, flower height, stem color.  You want your garden and container to look lovely even when the flowers are not in bloom.
• Buy a pot you like to look at empty.  That means you’ll love it full of plants!

Tomorrow (June 20), I’m presenting a Container Gardening workshop to 20 or so employees at the Bostonian Group in Boston.  It’s part of their company’s wellness offerings.  I’m very excited to bring the positive power of gardening to this organization!
 I purchased the flowers and lovely blue glazed terra cotta pots for the workshop at That Blooming Place on Route 53 in Weymouth.  They have a terrific selection of plants, pots, soil and more. Good prices too!
So here are the flowers selections for the container – thrillers (for background and height), fillers (middle ground) and spillers (flowing over the lip of the pot).  Have a few selections for each and will use whatever seems best for the crowd and my whim… Need to have choices in life…
Thrillers:
 Snapdragon “La Bella Red”.  This annual is among the most appealing plants.  The flower colors are always rich and vibrant and it blooms all summer.  Prefers full sun but tolerates light or partial shade.  The soil should be fertile, rich in organic matter and well drained.  Grows 18 -22”.  To encourage bushy growth, pinch the tips of the young plants.  Cut off the flower spikes as they fade to promote further blooming.
Alternate Thriller: Salvia “Victoria Blue.”
Salvia should be part of every annual garden!  There are over 900 species of salvia.  Prefers full sun but tolerates light shade.  Soil should be moist and well drained. Water often and fertilize monthly
Fillers:  Dianthus “Raspberry Parfait.”  There are a wide variety of dianthus plants, many with spice scented flowers.  Most prefer full sun but tolerate light shade.  Most important factor is drainage!  They hate to stand in water.  To prolong blooming, deadhead as the flowers fade.
Filler Alternate:  New Guinea Impatiens – Harmony Snow.  Impatiens are the high wattage darlings of the shade garden.  Do best in partial shade or light shade but tolerate full shade, or full sun, if kept moist.  New Guinea impatiens are the best adapted to sunny locations.  They bloom all season.  Grow to 8-12”
Spiller:  Hypoestes White Splash – Dependable color and texture. Great border plant.

Alternate Spiller:  Vinca –
It’s an attractive ground cover with shallow roots that can out compete weeds. Grows in partial to full shade. The Romans used vinca and its long trailing stems to make wreaths.  This plant’s use may explain its name, which is derived from the Latin vincire, to bind.
I’ll take a picture of the final container before it’s raffled off to a lucky participant!  Have a great day!

Recently, these perky, oversized pink and
orange flowers appeared
at a nearby entryway. 
I don’t know this neighbor but want to thank them! 

What fun and playful pops of color!  
The display certainly brought a smile to my face and I’m sure to many others passing by.  

Not sure if the decorations were for some special event but what a delightful way to
be welcomed home!

Hello All: 
I must admit that I’ve never been a big fan of begonias.  They just seemed a bit boring to me.  Well, I’m just back from a trip to our nation’s capital and had the  opportunity to visit the US Botanical Garden, tucked beside the US Capital building.  Suffice it to say that my opinion of begonias has changed!  
They are beautiful, offer a fabulous variety of leaves with great appeal, are low maintenance and great for shady areas… 
Let me introduce you to four begonias that changed my mind!
1. Cowardly Lion Begonia (above): is a rhizomatous plant that’s easy to grow. It has large green leaves with chocolate veins. Very pretty!
2. Crackling Rosie Begonia (right)…. Beautiful spotted leaves!   I always loved that Neil Diamond song and now it has a whole new meaning!
3. Papua New Guinea Begonia (below left): Lush reddish leaves with dark veins.
4. Fern Begonia (below right):  drapey green leaves with fragrant white star-shaped flowers with light pink tones.

Hello Everyone:
The City Gardening Workshop last Saturday (4/30/11)  was chock-a-block full of terrific gardening  information and inspiration! 
Some 40 people came to listen and learn about flowers, planting in containers, caring for  urban trees, landscape planning, choosing good plants at garden centers, the importance of soil, knowing your sun and shade exposure, selecting plants that are smart for your location and the need to support local growers. 
There was so much good information shared that it needs several blog installments to do it justice…
But here are some highlights….
• Ellen Abdow, owner of Perennial Gardens, gave a fabulous container garden demonstration.  Loved her description of how to plant a container – You need a “Thriller” – something tall, a “Filler” –  midsized plants to place in the middleground and a “Spiller” – something that drapes over the container.   I’ll never listen to Michael Jackson’s Thriller quite the same again!
• Heather Heimarck from The Landscape Institute at the Boston Architectural Center stressed the need to water and care for urban trees.  And not to mound soil or mulch around the tree trunk like a volcano. That’s bad for the tree. 
• Frank Re, of ReCreations, talked about creating a plot plan to help you determine your planting opportunity and needs.  With a plan, you’ll end up buying and planting what will work in your space.
• Steve Baxter from 1000 Southern Artery in Quincy energetically told us about the importance of good soil and the need to feed the flowers and shrubs for success.  He also showed us how to check flower flats in a garden center before purchasing.  The soil should hold together in the shape of the pot and the roots should not be dense around the soil. 
• Tom Smarr talked about really knowing your sun and shade exposure and how it will help your plant selection and success. 
– Sun is 6 hours or more of direct sunlight (in summer). 
– Part sun is 2 to 6 hours of direct sunlight. 
– Part shade is 1 – 2hours of direct sunlight.
– Light shade is dappled sunlight or shade below open sky.

Stay tuned… More information and video of the event to come!
Happy planting!

It’s almost here!  Come join in the urban gardening fun at tomorrow’s (April 30th) City Garden Ideas workshop.  10am, First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough Street in Boston.  Get information and inspiration from five expert horticulturalists and one dedicated amateur gardener (that’s me!).
All the details are at www.citygardenideas.eventbrite.com. Cost is $25 and you can pay at the door!  Hope to see you there!

Let me introduce Heather Heimarck.  She’s a bright and talented horticultural expert who will share her knowledge about caring for and gardening around city trees at the April 30th City Garden Ideas Workshop in Boston.  For details about the workshop and to register, go to www.citygardenideas.eventbrite.com
Here’s her brief bio:  Heather trained as a sculptor (BFA, University of Michigan) before discovering the interdisciplinary field of landscape architecture (MLA, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University).  
Heather’s professional  work spans from large scale urban planning projects such as the Lower Charles River Basin, campus and institutional work, such as the award-winning Honan Allston Public library, streetscapes, bike lanes and residential design, including some of the first residential and commercial properties to become LEED certified in Massachusetts.  Committed to environmental stewardship and advancing design knowledge, Heather is now the director of The Landscape Institute at Boston Architectural College, formerly the Radcliffe Seminars Landscape Design Program