I'll be heading out to the potager later today to fill my basket with fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Fragrant and flavorful, herbs add incredible depth and complexity to holiday dinners and everyday meals. It's hard to imagine woking in my kitchen without them!

In 2009, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens celebrated its 250th anniversary. In October 2010, the party crossed the pond with the release of an exciting new book. Need a beautiful, reasonably priced gift for a discerning plant lover? Look no further.

Imagine a late spring evening in the garden. You've just finished a weekend's worth of weeding, mulching and pruning, and you are tired. But, before turning in for the night, you step back to admire your handiwork. Ah... There's nothing like the sweet satisfaction of a job well done. Next morning, you rise, grab a cup of coffee and stroll out to the porch to admire the view. What? Rubbing your eyes in disbelief you mutter, "where are the hosta, and what happened to my new, sixty dollar azalea"?

Are we hard-wired to make mistakes? An intriguing book tackles this question. Let's put it in Star Trek terms. In crisis mode, Dr. Spock is all about logic, while all-too-human Captain Kirk relies on his gut instinct. But instinct gets us in trouble more often than we'd like. 

Right now, my "port-of-entryway" is so full of migrating plants, that it's become something of a horticultural Ellis Island. And while I joyfully welcome plant species from all zones and nations, like any busy border crossing agent, I do have to be cautious; keeping my eyes open for those troublesome stowaways trying to sneak through customs.

The books we read as a child can impact our adult lives in ways we may not realize. I was influenced by an amazing woman who wrote about the woods she loved and spent her life taking the roads less traveled.

One of my favorite autumn activities, end-of-season nursery sale hopping, always adds to my fall gardening to-do list. But I can't help myself. 50% off trees and shrubs? Open that back hatch and load her up, I say! Fall is a great time to plant deciduous trees, shrubs...

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight,

To me did seem

Apparell’d in celestial light,

The glory and the freshness of a dream.

It is not now as it hath been of yore;—

Turn wheresoe'er I may,

By night or day,

The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

- William Wordsworth

Thinking of slipping into the quiet conservatory for a bit of afternoon reading? Heading out for a little twilight stroll through the garden gate? Beware: the horticultural world isn't as innocent as it seems. Think you're alone in a natural paradise? Well, don't count on it...

"How do I divide my iris?"; "When should I prune my lilacs?"; "Why do my tomato plants produce such little fruit?" These are the kinds of questions I am asked when I visit my clients' gardens. People want many things from their plants: beautiful flowers and foliage, fresh fruit and vegetables, perhaps even screening or shade. But how often do we ask what our plants want from us?