Trimmed Boxwood in the English Landscape
In the gardens of Hampton Court above you can see clipped boxwood everywhere. When you look for a shrub to use as an edging, you might think of Buxus, or boxwood. If there is an essential shrub for a formal…
Coleus, an Indispensable Annual for Nineteenth Century Gardens
The Coleus, in Burpee's 1893 catalog, remained a popular plant for beds and containers during America's Victorian period. You already know that the leaves of the coleus give color and form to any bed or container. But did you know…
First American Grand Lawn: Middleton, SC
First American Grand Lawn: Middleton, SC Today at Middleton, South Carolina [below] you can still see the 18th century lawn that extends down to the water's edge. American colonists adopted the formal English landscape design for both the wealthy,educated homeowner…
Comstock, Ferre, & Co. Still in the Seed Business
This summer I visited the seed business Comstock, Ferre, & Co. in Wethersfield, CT, near Hartford. James Lockwood Belden started the business in 1820, and in 1845 William Comstock and Henry Ferre took it over. What impressed me was the…
English Garden on Cape Cod
The English garden at St. Mary's Church is a Cape Cod tourist destination. Perhaps it was the fact that the Pope spent a few days recently in England that made me think of this summer when I visited St. Mary’s Episcopal…