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“ Well designed landscaped homes had faster sales because of first impressions“... - Research Group, Clemson University 2004

"Landscaping as a home improvement project has a recovery value of 100-200% if it is well done and harmonizes with the nearby surrounding. This compares to a Kitchen overhead of 75-125% or a Bathroom redesign of 80-120%. "- Money Magazine

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My Garden In Winter

By Fran Sorin http://www.fransorin.com/ Check out Fran's Book

During the winter months when the majority of us are likely to spend more time nestled up in our toasty abodes, it is easy to look outside and see only the stillness and bareness which nature has bestowed upon us. But if we train ourselves to look beyond what we have become accustomed to seeing, we can discover a painstakingly beautiful and stark landscape that offers us clues on how to proceed in our gardens, this ever changing and growing work of art, in the coming months.
Much like viewing pieces of art in a museum or at a gallery, where we observe the artwork from both a distance and up close to obtain different perspectives, so can we visit our own gardens in order to unravel their complexity, beauty and untapped potential.
By meandering about our own plots of land and observing specimens up close, we are able to take note of the magnificent textures, shapes and colors that become real ‘stand outs’ in the winter landscape. The peeling bark on a variety of maples, birches, oaks and stewartias in a wide array of tones ranging from reddish-brown to cinnamon to gray to black allows us to appreciate the textures that these deciduous trees offer up. The lush green foliage on evergreens the likes of yews, boxwoods, hollies, cypresses, junipers and arborvitaes contrast elegantly against the minimalist styling of the landscape. Holly bushes glistening with berries and witch hazels that bloom mid-winter in a vivid array of felt textured orange and yellow buds on leafless stems remind us that small doses of color can make a very strong statement. And those perennials and bulbs that either retain their foliage or bloom during the winter months like: geraniums, sedums, coral bells, yuccas, hellebores, perennial grasses, snow drops and crocuses, give us cause to pause and reflect on the unique beauty of this season. One has only to take the time and begin to observe these jewels of the winter garden in order to reach the conclusion that the supposed stillness of this season is indeed an illusion; regardless of the season, there exists a constant, steady movement and transformation occurring in the landscape.
Due to the lack of profuse colors and textures competing against each other, our keen eyes are given the opportunity to see what is at the heart or the core of the garden; the elements that give it both its form and function. These are called the ‘bones’ of the garden. Bones can consist of living plants such as evergreens, deciduous trees, bushes and even some large perennials; or can just as easily come from man made materials like stone, brick, wood, gravel, etc. The bones represent the outline or the structure of the garden.
Even in the warmer climates of the U.S., such as Miami, Florida, where specimens such as: Monkey’s brush, Crown of thorns, Shaving brush tree, Firecracker bush, Chalice vine, Hong Kong orchid tree, Lipstick tree and Candlestick bush (just to name a few), can be in bloom during the winter months, you can still train your eye to look beyond the colors and lushness of the blooms in order to seek out the architecture of the garden at hand. It is much like trying to imagine what a room full of furniture would look like bare or with a minimal amount of furniture in it.
Frequently when gardeners refer to the magnificence of renowned English gardens like Hidcote and Sissinghurst with their splendidly designed ‘garden rooms’, they are referring to the ‘bones.’ For gardeners who have a very small yard or terraced area, think of that one area as a garden room. It will open up an array of possibilities for you.
It was after I made a couple of trips to England that I felt both inspired and compelled to begin reconfiguring my own garden. A particularly strong impression was made on me by Vita Sackville West and Nigel Nicholson, the husband and wife team who created Sissinghurst, an old run down castle, which today is the most visited garden in England. I remember having read how Nigel sat only with pen and paper and a rough outline of the irregularly shaped 6 acres that comprises Sissinghurst and how he sketched out a variety of garden rooms connected together by pathways. Each garden room offers a sense of enclosure through the use of brick or evergreen walls around its perimeter. Also, every garden room has easy access to the other rooms to which it is attached. The brilliance of Nicholson’s layout was that he was in fact making use of simple geometry.
Taking my cues from the garden makers of England, I spent the next few years, especially during the winter months, pondering over how to make my half acre, diamond shaped aberrant piece of land into a user friendly, flowing garden with separate garden rooms. A preponderance of my time was spent meandering about my property, looking at it from different angles, levels and perspectives to see how I could possibly unravel what this garden was meant to be. My goal was to create a series of garden rooms, each of them unique in their styles, outlined by evergreen material, stone walls, allees of trees or pergolas; plus, I wanted a sense of whimsy and mystery to be a part of the character of my garden. After much ‘walking about’, gazing out the window and sketching, I finally was able to define and ultimately construct a garden whose bones ‘made me proud’.
But knowing that gardens nor their makers remain stagnant, I annually utilize this quiet time of the gardening year to once again waken my visual senses, to shake them out of their complacency, to get them to stretch their imaginations and think of what is beyond, towards what has not yet been discovered. I know that there still remain plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered in my garden. My project for this winter is to observe and study the much neglected woodland area off the side of my house. Already a plethora of ideas are percolating in my brain; a grove of river birches underplanted with viburnums and fothergillas with sweeping masses of phlox, foam flowers and Christmas ferns covering the ground. But I know that it is only through my own patience and persistence, in taking the time and studying what is already there in all of its raw beauty, that I will begin to unearth the real essence of this piece of land.
TIPS ON USING YOUR GARDEN IN WINTER AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR IMAGINING NEW IDEAS FOR YOUR GARDEN
1.Make a list of everything that you both need and want in your landscape. For example, you may need a play area with a swing set for your children, but you may want a cutting garden for yourself. After completing the list, prioritize it so that the most crucial elements are sure to be a part of your plan.
2. Before sketching out your property, know where the sun is in relation to your house and land. Become familiar with what part of your property receives full sun (6 hours or more of direct sunlight a day), partial shade or full shade. When laying out specific garden rooms, these facts are important to know (i.e. an herb garden needs full sun).
3. Begin to take notice of the relationship of the interior of your home to the exterior. From what rooms in the house do you have windows that allow you to take advantage of the landscape? What would you like your eyes to rest on when gazing out of those windows? Is there an eyesore (i.e. a garage, a neighbor’s shed) that you would like to hide with some creative plantings?
4.When contemplating your new garden rooms, start from scratch with a blank sheet of paper. Initially do not use any of your existing plant material in your drawings. It is very difficult to get your brains thinking in a creative manner if you start with what is already there. You can add the existing plant material in after you have given your imagination free reign.
5.Sketch out any ideas that come to mind. Part of the design process is the ability to stay open to all possibilities. Don’t censor your ideas before you have a chance to see if there is any validity to them.
6. Visit arboretums, botanical gardens and parks in order to learn more about specimens and design. Also, feel free to visit the gardening section of book stores and browse through gardening magazines.
7. Be persistent, maintain an optimistic attitude and be patient with yourself. Studies have shown that creative individuals have the capacity to not only maintain a flexible attitude, think outside of the box and take risks, but to also be persistent and ‘practice’ consistently in their chosen domain. Don’t try to do this project all at once. It should be done at a leisurely pace over the winter months. It is only after much work and reflection that the best ideas can then occur at spontaneous moments, when one is away from the project at hand.
8. Enjoy the process and have fun!! There are no right or wrong ways of designing your garden. Ultimately, whatever design you end up with need please only one person…you. Follow your instincts and let your garden become a true reflection of who you are.

From Paul Tukey's Gardening Tips/People, Places and Plants

Something Old, Something New: The '08 Seed Catalogues are Here

Here's a pointer I like to dust off every year about this time, when you have to have a lot of imagination and intestinal fortitude to take on any outdoor gardening tasks. 'Tis the season for . . . seed catalogues, when you can let that imagination run wild.
For this edition, we'll take a look at the seed entities in my own state of Maine where six companies, and at least two non-profit organizations, offer just about anything you could need within the pages of their catalogues. Buy your seeds locally and you'll get the satisfaction of supporting small local enterprises —with the added benefit of all that great local knowledge that you'll never find in the national catalogues.
Here's a rundown, with some of the history and flavor that makes all these catalogues unique:
Allen, Sterling & Lothrop — This company has been around since 1911 and, somehow refreshingly, hasn't changed much at all in the past 97 years. This year's catalogue looks like last year's catalogue, and the one before that, and the one before that.
In this lightning-fast Internet world where change rules, this Falmouth company has carved out a niche by offering mostly the same varieties of seed that our grandparents grew. The packages are still packed by hand in a back room by family members and the orders are processed in a warehouse where the grandchildren and family pets roam free.

It was big news in 2005 when the company went on-line with its offerings, www.allensterlinglothrop.com. For the old-fashioned way of shopping, though, you can order the 31-page black-and-white catalogue by calling 207-781-4142, or better yet, visit the charming garden center at 191 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth — but not on Sundays. That's their family time and the store remains closed, the day sacred.
UNIQUE OFFERING: The company likes to cater to homeowners and landscapers who grow lawns by blending all sorts of grass seed. For environmentally minded folks, try the Friends of Casco Bay mix, which contains: 40 percent creeping red fescue (endophyte enhanced); 30 percent 'Trifecta' perennial ryegrass (endophyte enhanced); 20 percent 'KenBlue' bluegrass; and 10 percent chewings fescue. This mix will thrive without a lot of extra fertilizer and water and have decent shade tolerance.
Fedco — This revolutionary enterprise was founded in 1978 as a cooperative seed distribution network in which the patrons of the company are the owners. Bulk orders are always encouraged; if you get together with your gardening friends and neighbors and place an order through Fedco, you will almost always save money.

Like Allen, Sterling & Lothrop, this seed source eschewed the Internet as a marketing tool for many years. A website, www.fedcoseeds.com , is up and running and offers a nice, online taste of what the company is all about. The company posts its phone number at 207-873-3333, but won't take phone orders. Everything about the place is based on practicality and, today, that's best achieved through the Internet.
Printed on recycled newsprint, the catalogue and web site teem with invaluable local information. You tell easily tell that the authors of the seed descriptions grow the plants themselves, often in Zone 4 central Maine locations that test a gardener's skill. Organic culture is always stressed and none of the seeds are ever treated with fungicide.
UNIQUE OFFERING: The company breaks its offerings into five categories including "Moose Tubers," which are certified seed potatoes, onion sets, shallots, sunchokes and potato onions — which look sort of like potatoes, but taste like onions. Order by Feb. 22 to get your discount.
Johnny's Selected Seeds — Easily Maine's largest seed company and recognized as a national industry leader, Johnny's still manages to reflect its roots as a tiny proprietorship formed 35 years ago. The founder, Robert L. Johnston Jr., is a research scientist at heart. Through his directive, the now employee-owned company runs the most thorough seed testing process in the country. A trial garden in Albion, measuring 120 acres, allows the staff to evaluate each vegetable, herb, flower and garden product.
The catalogue is also recognized as one of the most valuable in the country. Packed with equal parts information and colorful glossy photographs, it has been redesigned in recent years to be more colorful and user friendly. Buying from Johnny's is easier than ever. The company finally accepts orders toll free (800-879-2258) or through the Internet www.johnnyseeds.com. Even better, orders are filled whenever possible within 24 hours.

Incidentally, Johnny's will offer an article profiling the best new vegetable varieties in the next edition of PPP. Look for it in March, just in time to order for this year's planting season.
UNIQUE OFFERING: I was lucky enough to get an insider's tour of the extensive breeding program at Johnny's late last summer, which included a taste test of some of the new offerings. This year, I'll definitely be ordering some 'Smarty' tomatoes, which grow like clusters of grapes on cascading vines. They were absolutely delicious.
Pinetree Garden Seeds — The size of the average package of seeds always drove Auburn resident Dick Meiners crazy. Why do companies put 100 tomato seeds in a package, he wondered, when the average gardener only grows 12 plants? In 1979, he did something about his pet peeve by founding his own company. Specializing in small packages at fair prices, New Gloucester-based Pinetree Seeds has carved out a unique niche in the home garden segment of the seed catalogue world. By keeping prices down, Meiners has allowed gardeners to experiment with many new varieties of plants—as well as books and equipment.
The catalogue is a cross between the newsprint, no-photo appeal of Fedco, and the glossy, professional look of Johnny's. The descriptions, written by the gardeners on the Pinetree staff, are informative and personal. Order by phone (207-926-3400), fax (888-52seeds) or on the Internet www.superseeds.com.

UNIQUE OFFERING: Quite possibly nothing in the culinary world beats fresh mushrooms and scarcely anything is more fun to grow than spores of your own. Pinetree makes it easy with mushroom farms in a box. With prices starting at about $27, these are a good deal compared to supermarket prices. You need to order by April 1.
Vesey's — Based in Prince Edward Island, Vesey's Seeds Ltd., is not a true Maine company. It does, however, offer a Calais address and a product selection that is ideal for the local gardener. The founder, Arthur Vesey, was a market gardener who struggled to find seeds that would thrive in the short growing season in PEI. In 1939, he published the first catalogue of some of his discoveries; by the '60s, his company featuring "seeds for short seasons" was a full-blown international enterprise.
Vesey's makes ordering easy and affordable with a toll-free number (800-363-7333), along with fax orders (800-686-0329) and Internet access www.veseys.com. The web site is extremely convenient to navigate compared to many in the seed trade.
UNIQUE OFFERING: With container gardening all the rage these days, the "Royal Window Box Collection" makes the decision process easy. These varieties were selected to fill to bloom all season without a lot of maintenance in full to part sun, but you'll need to order the seeds soon and start many of these varieties early: 'Marine' heliotrope, 'White Fountains' lobelia, 'Crystal Palace' lobelia, 'Victoria' salvia and 'Profusion Orange' zinnia.
The Maine Potato Catalog —Facing an uncertain economic future in trying to grow organic produce in Aroostook County, Jim Gerritson needed a way to diversify his family farm in the past decade. His answer became this unique ode to spuds that has grown to become a 36-page full-color booklet.

The family's staple offerings are the Potato of The Month Club that will deliver a fresh supply of organic potatoes to your door each month, and the certified organic seed potatoes that you can grow in your own garden. The catalogue also features carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, parsnips and other crops — all grown organically in Bridgewater, five hours north of Portland near Presque Isle. You may order a catalogue seven days a week at 800-829-9765, or click on www.woodprairie.com to get a virtual tour.

Our television crew visited the Gerritson family during harvest season one September and watched in amazement as the year's crop of potatoes was picked by hand — mostly by junior high school students on farm break. It's one of the few operations of its kind left in America, and definitely worth supporting.
UNIQUE OFFERING: Right from a real Maine kitchen, try any of several scrumptious bread mixes. The 'Breakfast Raisin' is a whole wheat with a hint of cinnamon organic raisins. The 'Old World Pumpernickel Rye' is a dark break with a very deep rye flavor.
The Maine Potato Lady — Another family business specializing in one of Maine's most prolific crops, this company has been on the map for 20 years — emerging recently with a sharply produced web site and catalogue. They offer volume discounts tremendously beneficial to folks with large gardens — or savvy neighbors who group their orders.
In keeping with the practical nature of the offerings, which include shallots, onions and garlic, the Maine Potato Lady also offers soil amendments and cover crops for organic gardening. I'm going to check out the palletized compost and gypsum this year, which are products only recently available in garden centers and other catalogues.
UNIQUE OFFERING: Soft-neck garlic varieties are less prolific in the cold-weather marketplace than their hard-neck cousins. This company offers 'Polish Red,' a great variety for long storage periods. The flavor is more mild than some other garlic varieties, too.
Medomak Valley Heirloom Seed Project — Teachers Jon Thurston and Neil Lash deserve a world of kudos for introducing their high school students to the world of gardening. The students, in turn, spread the information to the rest of us through their truly unique catalogue offering a host of heirloom seeds.
Even designed by students, the catalogue can be ordered by writing to Heirloom Seed Project, 320 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, Maine 04572. Please include a nine by 12-inch SASE envelope and $1. The students don't publish seed prices, but do ask for your donations if you order.
Maine Seed Saver Exchange — Dedicated to preserving genetic diversity in backyard gardening, this nonprofit group promotes saving rare heirloom varieties. Within the 24-page catalogue, you'll find everything from 'Fogg' melons, originally grown at the Fogg Homestead in Readfield, Maine, to 'Cambridge' rutabagas, which the catalogue states were "found and rescued from the steamship 'Cambridge,' which sank in the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 10, 1886, after striking the Old Man's Ledge off of Friendship, Maine."

It's a valuable endeavor, well worth supporting by joining the Exchange for $15. For the catalogue only, send $2 to cover postage to Box 60, New Gloucester, ME 04260.
Check Out the numerous resources for education, such as www.melna.org or www.rodaleinstitute.org . For video tips specific to organic lawn care, you can now visit www.SafeLawns.org.
Be sure to let us know what you think after viewing the video. Send me an email at Paul Tukey at paul@ppplants.com.
Paul Tukey, January 28, 2008.

Landscape Vision Knows.

Why you should landscape your property.
Check this info out.Researchers at Clemson University conducted a study of Home Sales and compared the results based on varying levels of Landscape quality. Not only were type, size and condition of the plantings considered but also the overall design. Landscapers were rated "poor", "good", or "excellent". Well designed landscaped homes had faster sales because of first impressions...- Research Group, Clemson University 2001Money Magazine had this to say on this matter...Landscaping as a home improvement project has a recovery value of 100-200% if it is well done and harmonizes with the nearby surrounding. This compares to a Kitchen overhead of 75-125% or a Bathroom redesign of 80-120%. - Money MagazineLandscape Vision 5.4.2 design software can help you improve the value of your property.www.landscapeyourvisions.com
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New Version Of Landscape Vision
New Version Of Landscape VisionHello everyone, we are proud to announce to our new version of our popular landscape design software, Landscape Version. Our new version 5.4.2 is really cool, let me tell you about it.Using a picture or you property you can place real images of Perennials, Annuals, Tress, Roses, Ground Cover, Shrubs and more. Placing them just where you want them. Move them around, resize them, read their bios. Our plant data base was voted, "Best Plant Data Base" by Top Ten Reviews two years running.The new version now let's you import any image and see it on your yard or patio. We also added outdoor living products for you see before you buy. We have Gazebos, Lawn Furniture, Bird Baths, Fountains, Grill and more. Once you see what you like we show you where to purchase it.Landscape Vision 5.4.2 let's you draw walkways and patios and even putting greens. We offer images of stone and pavers along with different mulches. You can even draw a new lawn!Our software is easy to use, we kept it simple seeing the first version was such a hit .Check it out. It's almost Spring so get going. Visit our home page now.