Northford Garden: From Apple Orchard to Garden

By MJ McCabe as seen in Fine Gardening Magazine We purchased this property in Northford, Connecticut, about 40 years ago. It was a former apple orchard. Gradually, the ancient apple trees started to decline, and we were left with a fairly blank canvas that needed to be rethought. We pruned and cared for a few

A Folk Art Life with Allan & Penny Katz

A Special Feature from INCOLLECTText: Benjamin GenocchioPhotography: Ellen McDermott Interior Design: Melissa Barak Weiss, Indigo Interiors Co Architecture: CK Architects, Guilford, CT Garden Design: MJ McCabe Garden Design Allan and Penny Katz have been on a journey. The 76-year-old Allan beams with energy and enthusiasm as he stands in his gallery, on the property of an immaculately renovated 1830s

Add Native American Perennials to Your Garden

Now is the time to add some new color to your garden. Most of these plants are native American perennials that tend to be drought resistant as well as deer and rabbit proof. Strategically placing some of these dramatic bloomers will provide a consistent succession of color that will allow the garden to transition nicely

A Summer Abundance of Dahlias

At maturity, dahlias produce and abundance of ready-made cut flowers — the more you cut the more blooms to come. Dahlias come in a multitude of different colors, forms and sizes making them the perfect addition to your summer garden. Flower forms go from tiny, one-inch pompoms to massive dinner plate sizes, making them a

Early Spring-flowering Bulbs

Early spring-flowering bulbs are soon to unfold into a kaleidoscope of colors — exploding in all sorts of shades, sizes and textures, delightfully banishing our winter doldrums. Bulbs are true harbingers of spring, and they are very rewarding as they multiply and spread in our home landscapes.

Magical Witch Hazels

Witch Hazels are absolutely magical — they light up the late winter landscape with blooms that last several weeks filling the air with an intoxicating aroma that pervades the entire garden. The richly colored airy flowers range from butter yellow, brilliant canary, rich burgundy, russet-brick, to even a silvery purple. Witch Hazels need to be planted

The Formal Garden

Dating back to Persia and the Islamic tradition of courtyard gardens, popular elements of formal gardens found their way into those of the Italian Renaissance. Today, they are echoed in tiered French parterres used throughout Europe and the imaginative ground tapestries of Elizabethan knot gardens prevalent in historical British gardens. For us to borrow from

Infuse Your Garden with Late Winter Blooms

“In a way, Winter is the real Spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.” — Edna O’Brian At present, your home landscape may look barren and devoid of life. We all tend to wait for the first warm days of March when daffodils and crocus magically appear to suggest that

GARDENING with KIDS

I recently found this image from so many years ago — it’s me with my wonderful Dad in a garden. I don’t remember this picture, it just fell out of an old box of pictures last week, but it made me remember how he instilled a love of gardening in me. I think it’s genetic.

Spring Flowers for Container Gardens

By Deborah Hornblow, Hartford Magazine Many gardeners and homeowners decorate their porches and patios with pots full of plants in summer, but springtime offers an opportunity to welcome the new season with container plantings created especially for this time of year. “After a cold, gray winter, the sight of a colorful planter at a front