GardenDesignOnline

Books: Roses & Castles

Over the years, I've had many a book on the subject of roses, but this is one you'll want to keep forever.  In Roses in the Garden (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2025), author and photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo takes you on a personal journey from her childhood in Vietnam to 11 of the world's most famous rose gardens.  As she says in the introduction, "Much has been written about this ancient flower -- 2,500 years ago Confucius counted hundreds of books on the subject in the emperor's library -- but the rose continues to seduce, and I can't resist its siren call. From Asia to America, the protean rose comes in various guises, regal in formal beds, humble in vegetable plots, carefree in meadows, riotous on walls and tree branches....this book offers me a chance to celebrate the rose's enduring beauty and the place it has claimed in gardens all over the world."

The profile of each garden includes numerous photos of singular roses and surrounding landscapes, accompanied by an inspired, beautifully written essay on the history and current status of each.  From the Giardino di Ninfa in Italy to the Roseraie de Berty in France, to Sakura Kusabue-no-oka in Japan, Hillside in the UK, and North Sea House in Southampton, NY, you'll encounter roses you know and many others you do not.  In the back of the book, there's a selected list of roses featured throughout, a list of rose nurseries in Europe and the United States, and a selection of books that rose lovers may find useful. 

You may want to book a stay at Lismore Castle, in County Waterford, Ireland, home to the oldest continually cultivated gardens in Ireland. And you can learn about the castle's history and its current offerings in Lismore Castle (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2025), by Laura Burlington.  The castle belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, whose son, William Burlington and his wife Laura, now have responsibility for the castle.

The castle dates back to 1185, and the gardens to the early 1600s.  Visitors can wander through the garden's seven acres, home to some spectacular magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and herbacious borders, as well as a sizeable kitchen garden that supplies many of fruits and vegetables that guests enjoy.

In the book, you'll learn about the fascinating history of this property and landscape, and the many famous visitors, including Fred Astaire and JFK.  Laura supplies innuberable recipes that are served to visitors, as well as essays about the gardens, the house, the flowers, and the designers who made the castle what it is today.  You won't regret booking a stay the next time you're planning a visit to Ireland.

*small commissions earned on book sales

 

Happenings May 2025

Selected Events Around the Country:

Exhibitions:
May 4-June 1, World of Orchids, Encinitas, CA
San Diego Botanic Garden, Classes, Orchid Sales, More.

Events:

May 3-4 Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CT
Sharon & Cheshire, CT
May 3-4 Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour, CA
10am-5pm, self-guided tour, 49 gardens, various locations.
May 4, Film: "Earth, I Thank You," Washington DC
4:30-6pm, National Museum of African American History & Culture

May 6, Roses in the Garden, Lecture, Los Angeles, CA
11am, author Ngoc Minh Ngo, the Ebell of LA, Garden Conservancy
Repeats May 7, 2pm, Filoli, Woodside, CA
MAY 20, 2pm, NY School of Interior Design, NY, NY

May 8, Love Letter to a Garden, ONLINE
2-3pm EST, author, designer & podcaster (Design Matters) Debbie Millman
May 9-10 Dumbarton Oaks Landscape Symposium, Washington, DC
"The Land Has More to Tell Us," Dumbarton Oaks
May 9-18 GO PUBLIC GARDENS
Various events, Am. Public Gardens Association
May 9, Botanical Talk & Tour, Boston, MA
12:30pm-2pm, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

May 10, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CA, MA, NY
CA: Alameda Cty; MA: Middlesex Cty; NY: Columbia, Dutchess, Suffolk, Westchester Ctys.
May 10, Georgetown Garden Tour, Washington DC
10am-5pm, 95th Annual Tour
May 10, TCLF Garden Dialogues: Berkeley, CA
1-2:30pm, Talk & Tour, LA Jan Longwell
May 10, TCLF Garden Dialogues, Coconut Grove, FL
11am-1pm, Talk & Tour, LA Raymond Jungles

May 17-18, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CO, CT, NH, NJ, OR, VA
CO: Pueblo Cty; CT: Fairfield Cty; NH: Cheshire Cty; NJ: Bergen Cty; OR: Jackson Cty; VA: Fairfax Cty May 17, "Jumping off the Color Wheel," Albany, CA
1-3pm, Talk & Tour, designer & artist Keelya Meadows, Garden Conservancy
May 17, Garden of designer Mathew McGrath, Rodeo, CA
5-7pm, Talk & Tour,"Living Works of Art,"  Garden Conservancy
May 17-18, Trade Secrets Garden Show & Tours, Lime Rock Park, CT
Garden tours (10am-3pm), rare plants & garden antiques sales (7:30am-2pm)

May 20-24, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK
May 24-25, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CA, CO, NY
CA: Marin Cty; CO: Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson Ctys; NY: Suffolk Cty

May 30, "David Salman Tribute Garden," Santa Fe, NM
2-4pm, Talk & Tour, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Garden Conservancy
May 31, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CT, MA, MD, NM, NY, SC
CT: Hartford, Litchfield, New London Ctys; MA: Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire Ctys; MD: Anne Arundel Cty; NM: Santa Fe Cty; NY: Nassau Cty; SC: Charleston Cty
May 31, "Potential of Shrubs," Litchfield, CT
10am-noon, Talk & Tour, Glen Hillman & Tovah Martin, Garden Conservancy
May 31, TCLF Garden Dialogues, Washington DC
10:30am-noon, 3 Capitol Hill landscapes, Talk & Tour, LA Ryan Moody

LOOKAHEAD:

June 2-5, Am. Public Gardens Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO
June 20-22, Newport Flower Show, Newport, RI

July 8-11, National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, Hartford, CT
July 11-20, Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, Cape Cod, MA
July 28-31, Perennial Plant Association National Symposium, Des Moines, IA

August 15-16, Speaking of Gardening Symposium, Asheville, NC
August 20-22, Farwest Show, Portland, OR

PHS Gold Medal Plants 2025

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has released its list of Gold Medal Plants for 2025 ... plants that do particularly well in the Mid-Atlantic region ... but they'll do just fine in other parts of the country as well.

Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'
Serviceberry Tree

This spring flowering small tree grows upright, 15-25' tall, with a spreading habit and striking appearance. After the star-shaped white blooms fade, edible berries that transition from red to deep purple appear, attracting songbirds and pollinators.  In fall, the leaves turn a brilliant orange and red, making this a true four-season plant.  Hardy in zones 3-9.

Acer rubrum Redpointe®
Redpoint Red Maple

A native American maple, you might consider Redpoint because it tolerates heat and drought, but also does well in wet conditions.  It has a better branching habit and of course fabulous red fall color when grown in full sun.  It gets up to 45 feet tall and is hardy in zones 4-8.

Carex cherokeensis

There's always a place in every yard for a great groundcover, so look no further than this particular sedge.  It's known for its attractive seed heads and texture, and can be planted in masses or in smaller numbers, depending on the garden space.  It reaches 12-24 inches tall and wide and is hardy in zones 6-8.

Leucothoe axillaris 'ReJoyce'

I've always loved the look of leucothoe, but it's not always easy to grow.  This is an evergreen native shrub that's deer-resistant and is quite tolerant of shade.  In spring, the emerging new leaves are red, and small white flowers appear on the arching branches.  In fall, the leaves turn a deep bronze purple.  Two to four feet tall, hardy in zones 5-7.  Certainly worth a try.

Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'

There is nothing like goldenrod in the late summer and fall, and this is the one you want to plant in your yard.  The small flowers have a lovely scent, and it attracts lots of pollinators.  Three to four feet tall with a spread of three feet, hardy in zones 4-8.

See all of the info on these plants and more here.

 

 

 

 

 

Books: Climate-sensitive plants

If your area of the country has at all been hit by unusual weather changes in recent years, then you'll want to consult this invaluable book on preserving water for your plants.  In Waterwise Gardening (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc, 2025) author Richard Restuccia offers suggestions for plants that will do well in any part of the USA.

As he notes in the introduction to the book, commercial agriculture is taking most of our water, but individuals can preserve the rest for use in home gardens.  As Retuccia puts it, "By making conscious choices and implementing water-saving measures in our gardens, lawns, and outdoor spaces, we contribute directly to the larger effort of preserving a precious resource."

He'll take you through all of the facts about a plant's water requirements and how to efficiently use them.  Best of all, there's a list of water-wise plants for Northern and Southern California; the Pacific Northeast and the Desert Southwest; the Rockies; Texas; and the Southeast and Northeast.  Each entry includes a photo of the plant, it's common and scientific names, and a chart of its water requirements. There are also tips on irrigatio systems, and how to determine if you're under- or over-watering.  In short, it's a book you need now or that you will need in the future.

 

This book from British author David Domoney profiles 75 plants with what he calls "superpowers," -- from plants that cool towns and cities to plants that fight erosion and bad air quality, to plants used for food, medicine, and in modern garden design.

In Plants with Superpowers (Frances Lincoln, 2025), Domoney's entries include a photo of each plant, along with a description of each, appearance and uses, growing tips and interesting facts.  You'll find snowdrops with an anti-freeze superpower; gas plant, spontaneous combustion; scots pine, weather predictor; peace lily, air purifier, and many many more surprising plants and characteristics.  A fun read for any gardener you know.

 

Happenings April 2025

Selected Events Around the Country:

Orchid Shows:

Thru April 13, Orchid Show, Atlanta, GA
"Orchid Daze," Atlanta Botanical Garden
Thru April 27, Orchid Show, Washington DC
"Masters of Deception," US Botanic Garden & Smithsonian Gardens
Thru April 27, Bronx, NY
The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism
NY Botanical Garden

Events:

April 1-30, California
April 1, Lecture, LA Thomas Wolz, , ONLINE
2-3pm EST, "The Land is Full." Garden Conservancy
April 3, Garden Symposium, Newport, RI
8:30am-4pm, "Italian Influence in Newport," TCLF
April 5, Garden Dialogues, Phoenix, AZ
10am-1pm, Garden Tours & Talks, TCLF
April 5 & 26, Garden Conservancy Open Day, Nutley, NJ

April 9, Evenings with Experts, "Cultivated Places," ONLINE
7-8:30pm, Author & Broadcaster Jennifer Jewell, GROW NATIVE M
April 9, Botanical Talk & Tour, Boston, MA
12:30-2pm, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
April 10-12, 78th Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium, Williamsburg, VA
"The Influence of Great English Gardens,"  Also ONLINE
April 10, "Gardening Year-Round," AHS LIVE, ONLINE
7-8 pm ET, Lecture, Liz Reyes, Asst. Director, Heronswood
April 10, Lecture, "Gertrude Jekyll's Munstead Wood, ONLINE
2-3pm, "The Next 100 Years," Garden Conservancy
April 12, Garden Conservancy Open Day, Campobello, SC

April 16, Lecture, LA Thomas Woltz, Washington DC
6:30-8:30pm, National Building Museum, "The Land is Full."
April 17, "Saving Nature with Your Yard," AHS LIVE, ONLINE
2-3 pm ET, Lecture, author & professor Dr. Douglas Tallamy
April 19, Garden Conservancy Open Day, East Hampton, NY

April 24, "Native Plant Groundcovers," AHS LIVE, ONLINE
2-3 pm ET, Lecture, Designer Kathy Connolly
April 24, Lecture, Sleepy Cat Farm, Part I, ONLINE
2-3pm, Garden Conservancy
April 25, Univ. N. Carolina Garden Tour, Charlotte, NC
10:30am-noon ET, Charlotte Botanical Gardens, with Director Jeff Gillman

April 26-May 3, Historic Garden Week, various sites, Virginia
April 26, Liberty Hall Museum, Union, NJ
10am-noon, Tour & Talk, Garden Conservancy
April 26-27 Garden Conservancy Open Days: MA, NJ, NY, TX
MA: Hampshire Cty; NJ: Essex, Hunterdon Ctys; NY: Westchester Cty; TX: Harris Cty

LOOKAHEAD:

May 9-10 Dumbarton Oaks Landscape Symposium, Washington, DC
"The Land Has More to Tell Us," Dumbarton Oaks
May 20-24, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK

June 2-5, Am. Public Gardens Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO
July 11-20, Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, Cape Cod, MA

Flower Cascades

Gardner Museum, photo Siena Scarff

If you've never been to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, April is the time to go, as you'll be able to enjoy one of the great flower displays in the country: the annual show of hanging nasturtiums.

The nasturtium show only lasts for about three weeks; it's an annual tradition that starts each year around Easter time.

photo Siena Scarff

According to the museum's blog, Isabella started growing the flowers at her home in Brookline by 1913 and placed them on the courtyard balconies in honor of her birthday.  She sold the property in 1919, but museum trustees bought new hothouses in 1926 and revived the tradition, which has goes on today.

photo: Gardner museum

The vines are started from seed every June, planted in late summer, and trained in greenhouses throughout the winter.  The nasturtiums require continuous care to ensure they reach their dramatic length of approximately 20 feet in time for their museum debut. 

 

 

Philly Flower Show 2025

Click to enlarge images

As you enter this year's show, you're instantly transported to the future, fitting perfectly with this year's theme, "Gardens of Tomorrow."  The entrance garden, "Future Florentia," was designed by PHS artists, and as Flower Show creative director Seth Pearsoll explains, the show "is a celebration of innovation, resilience, and creativity in gardening."

Some of my favorites from the show:

Tomorrow's Eden is a collaboration between Japanese garden designers Kazuyuki Ishihara and Iftikhar Ahmed of Treeline Designz. It's a two-tiered garden with waterfall and other natural features, and the designers say it's a landscape that "embodies two powerful truths: the boundless resilience of nature and the fragile responsibility humanity holds in preserving it." You'll definitely want to take a good look at this garden from both the front and the back to appreciate all of its elements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most popular exhibits, Welcoming Wildlife Home by Jennifer Designs, explores the role of wildlife in a thriving ecosystem.  The animals seated at the table represent human interaction with nature, and the surrounding plants are those that particularly support various species. 

I was also struck by the Signature of Time by Mark Cook Landscaping, whose exhibit represents "a life of journeys and experiences shared through architecture, color, texture, and plants from multiple time zones.

There is, of course, much more to the show than landscape exhibits, so head over to Philadelphia for an experience you won't want to miss.

Happenings March 2025

Selected Events Around the Country:

Orchid Shows:

Thru March 9, Orchid Show, St. Louis, MO
Missouri Botanical Garden
Thru March 23, Orchid Show, Boylston, MA
"Pixels & Petals," New England Botanic Garden
Thru March 23, Orchid Show, Glencoe, IL
"India Blooms," Chicago Botanic Garden
Thru March 30, Orchid Show, Cleveland, OH
Orchids: Love in Bloom, Cleveland Botanical Garden

Thru April 13, Orchid Show, Atlanta, GA
"Orchid Daze," Atlanta Botanical Garden
Thru April 27, Orchid Show, Washington DC
"Masters of Deception," US Botanic Garden & Smithsonian Gardens
Thru April 27, Bronx, NY
The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism
NY Botanical Garden

Events:
March 1-9, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA
"Gardens of Tomorrow," Philadelphia Convention Center
March 1, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours, CA
Cathedral City, Palm Springs
March 5, "Roses in the Garden," West Palm Beach, FL
3-5pm, lecture, photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo,
Norton Museum of Art, Garden Conservancy
Repeats at other locations
March 7-9, Vermont Flower Show, Essex Junction, VT
Champlain Valley Expo
March 7-9 Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, Santa Barbara, CA
"Exotic Gardens," Earl Warren Showgrounds
March 8, US Production Facility Open House, Washington DC
10am-2:30pm, US Botanic Garden Production Facility

March 11, 39th Davidson Horticultural Symposium, Davidson, NC
9am - 4:30pm, Davidson College, "The Unusual, Unexpected & Unfamiliar"
March 12, "Lawn to Meadow Conversion," ONLINE
7pm, Lecture, Evenings with Experts, Grow Native Massachusettts

March 21, Ithaca Native Landcape Symposium, Ithaca, NY
8:30am-4:45pm, Cinemapolis Theater
March 27, "Three Coastal Maine Gardens," Bronx, NY
11am, Lecture, NY Botanical Garden
March 29, Lahr Native Plant Symposium, Washington DC
9:15am-3:45pm, US National  Arboretum
March 29, Northwest Hort Society Spring Symposium, Kenmore, WA
8:30am-4pm, "Futurescapes," Bastyr University Auditorium

Lookahead:

April 10-12, 78th Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium, Williamsburg, VA
"The Influence of Great English Gardens,"  Also ONLINE
April 26-May 3, Historic Garden Week, various sites, Virginia

May 20-24, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK

Books: Fernando Wong Landscapes

   You don't have to live in the tropics to be inspired by Fernando Wong's landscape designs.  This new book, The Young Man and the Tree, (Vendome Press, 2024) is written by Wong's partner, Tim Johnson, and it features more than 20 contemporary gardens located in tropical areas, including Miami, Palm Beach, and Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.

The team is renowned for saving large trees, and all designers should be cognizant of that when fashioning plans and hiring contractors.  As Martha Stewart notes in the introduction to the book, "Fernando Wong is also extremely respectful of historic plantings around the older homes he has been entrusted with enhancing.  Magnificent trees and lush hedges are retained, and beautiful antique and vintage walls and outbuildings are restored or rebuilt.  The result?  A cohesive and meaningful whole where once there was none or where what had been there had disappeared."

Wong, trained in architecture and interior design in his native Panama, came to the United States in 2001, met Johnson in Miami, and the two opened their firm in 2005.  Their work has been featured in Elle Decor, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, The New York Times, and many other publications.

Each garden in the book includes a brief description of the project, a "plan" of the landscape, and gorgeous photos by Carmel Brantley.  Designs range from the classical style to contemporary landscapes, and although the gardens in this book feature many tropical plants, the hardscapes that include pools, outdoor kitchens, fountains and sculpture gardens could be found almost anywhere.  You will not fail to be inspired by all of these designs, and I'm sure you'll look forward to the firm's next book that we hope will feature gardens across the United States and elsewhere around the globe.

*Commisions earned on book sales.

NYBG Orchid Show: Mexico

NYBG - Click to enlarge

The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism
February 15-April 27, 2025
NY Botanical Garden

Take a trip to Mexico -- where you'll see traditional floral displays in a contemporary artistic setting, all inspired by the bold designs of Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragan. Thousands of orchids and other tropical plants will be on display.  Barragan was a leading proponent of modern Mexican architecture, and he used plants native to Mexico, bright, bold colors and organic textures.

Visitors to the show will also learn about NYBG's ongoing orchid research in locations around the globe and orchids that grow in the wild.  The exhibition will also feature Orchid Nights and special classes about orchid species.