Amanda's Meadow starts the season with Narcissus poeticus - cheerful and fragrant. Never has there been a time when I appreciated my …
Grateful for Gardeners
Julie's Tree Frog Looking out my window this morning I watched a squirrel go about his business, completely unaware that much of our world …
To Every Thing There is a Season
Tsuga canadensis, Acorn Hill February 2004 In the 20 years and we have lived at Acorn Hill I have planted a lot of trees. But the tree …
Demure and Elegant Viburnums
Last week I gave a talk at Bullington Gardens about Viburnums. My goal was to introduce some less well-known species and to get the group …
February Flowers
It is still winter in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. February always brings a day here and there of spring-like weather and we let …
Happy New Gardening Year … with Evergreens!
Island Time Though just barely, it is still January as I write this so Happy New Year to everyone! I was lucky to spend part of my holiday …
Dale and Dahlias
Dahlia 'Clearview Louise' (maybe) Biltmore Estate, a seven thousand acre private estate in Asheville NC, had several nice displays of Dale …
Gardening in a Changing Climate
Western View, Acorn Hill 2012 By now we are all aware of climate change and probably just beginning to grasp what lies ahead. But the …
New! Weather Records at Muddy Boots Plant Tags
We've added a new category of records you can keep in Muddy Boots Plant Tags - Weather Records. Just like Garden Records, you may add, edit …
Spring 2018: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Moody Morning Sky on the Summer Solstice Acorn Hill, June 21 It was quite a busy spring for Ms. Muddy Boots with lots of great garden …
Road Trip to Charlotte
A couple of weeks ago, a group of gardeners and I made a two and a half hour dash to Charlotte to take in Elizabeth Lawrence’s Garden, Wing …
In Need of a Mini Reno
Along the northwest side of our house is an area I refer to as The Formal Garden. This was one of my earliest garden areas to …
Kindred Garden Friends
Kindred Garden Friends I have a few special garden friends who, along with myself, I consider plant nuts. One such nut, Amanda, and I made …
Green Thoughts
Mr. Boots Green Sneaks (he has dual citizenship US & Ireland) In light of St. Paddy’s Day, I am thinking about my favorite color …
The Garden in Winter
(plus tips for a quickie garden clean-up)
Formal Garden, Acorn Hill February 11, 2018 I have a prospective design client, Karen, who is interested in a garden with year-round …
Glorious Chaos
Snowdrops & Hellebores, Feb. 4, 2018 Sieglinde's Garden I’d most certainly rather be in the garden than at my computer. I am never …
NEW! Custom Plant Tags
About this time last year, we launched Muddy Boots Plant Tags, a new “smart” plant tag integrated with a web-based garden record-keeping …
Easy Care Conifers
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Fillicoides' & Picea omorika 'Bruns' I use a lot of conifers in my garden designs and have many in my personal …
The Big Reveal
Japanese Maple & Ginkgo Biltmore Estate November 6, 2017 Fall color in the eastern deciduous forest seems like alchemy to me; the …
Embracing Change
Lavendula x intermedia 'Grosso' The one constant in a garden is change. Plants grow and sometimes die; a sunny spot becomes shady; a tree …
