plant combinations

Ferns

Container A group of plants that I have developed a growing appreciation for over the years are ferns. I know many think of ferns as...

Hosta

textural and color contrast When we moved to Old Goat Farm we brought with us about 60 different types of Hostas. Reliable and hardy with...

Into the Woods

Entry to the woods Since we are having rain in spirts, now is the time to get a little bit done back in the woods in-between showers. Our...

The Winter Garden

the trail into the winter garden Now is the time of year when gardeners in the Northwest start itching to be back out in the garden or...

Dwarf Conifers

Dwarf Conifers in the garden This is a good time of year to assess your garden. Does it look good now? If it looks good in January and...

The Canopy

Layers One of the big lessons I have learned in the garden is how to create layers. It is important not only because it makes the garden...

The Stumpette

Inspiration and opportunity usually don’t occur at the same time but when they do it can be quite fun. Now comes the opportunity. About 6...

‘Great Plant Picks’

It’s that time of year to revisit ‘Great Plant Picks’. While I was working at the Miller Botanical Garden the ‘Great Plant Picks’ program...

Grasses

Adding texture in a mixed border Ornamental grasses are suited to almost any kind of garden, from traditional to modern, from city to...

Yellow in the Garden

Old Yellow House Color is always an important attribute to the garden. The one unifying color at Old Goat Farm is yellow. It helps that...

Plant Combinations

Larger grouping One of the secrets to a good garden are good plant combinations. Sometimes they are just trial and error but there are a...

A Trip To Paradise

WOW When James Longmire’s daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed,”Oh, what a paradise!” This quote pretty much...